1. Keep the Chatter to a Minimum
I love band practice. But I also look at it as work. I want to get things done and run through as many songs as I can. I love music much more than chit-chatting so unnecessary chatter between songs is annoying to me. More time for playing, less time chatting.
2. Go Through the Set List
I’m assuming that you practice because you want to play a gig somewhere right? When practicing you not only need to practice individual songs but also need to practice the “negative space” between songs. You need to be able to go from one song to the next without any serious hiccups. That means no 2 minute tunings, amp checking or boring banter.
3. Work on Specific Parts Separately
If you are having serious trouble with a part of the song, then just play that part over and over again. There is no point in playing the verse and bridge parts if the chorus isn’t clicking. You could play 8 or more choruses in the same time that it takes you to play a song through once.
4. Don’t Stop the Song Because of One Stupid Mistake
If somebody makes a mistake, a wrong drum fill or a lousy solo DON’T stop the song just to have a discussion about it. Continue the song and figure it out later. If it was just a random error then you don’t have nothing to worry about. But stopping the song to talk about it is just a waste of time.
5. Record the Songs and Practice at Home
I use my trusty Zoom H2 portable recorder every practice to record each song we do. It’s really handy in order to remember parts and arrangements. Also, listening to a recording of your songs while you are not playing them frees your brain up to listen to the songs at a different level.
What work ethic do you adhere to at practices? Any tips you want to pass along?
2 Comments on "5 Invaluable Tips for a Productive Band Practice"
Great, set of tips.
I think the “negative space” is a good point. We’ve been recently getting that to a T. When we go through the set with no gaps, it just feels great and when thats replicated on stage, everyone has been “wow, excellent show” – no breathers, just BAAMM!!
Point 4 is very important, because if you do this in practise you learn to cover for each other on stage. We’ve made mistakes at gigs, but because we cover for each other, the audience hasn’t really been able to tell what/where the mistake was. I guess this isn’t so easy if it is a blinder of a mistake. I suppose it boils down to you being in a band, looking out for each other. Rather than individuals just playing with others.
Yeah. I agree. A great live show is not only the songs but the feeling between them and how the band interacts between songs.
In lieu with nr 4 it is very important to be aware of everyone that’s playing so that you can tell when something isn’t just right. But also be able to not let it interfere or hamper what you are doing.
Thanks for the comment Simon, great feedback!