photo credit: Bobby Kuhl ©
Being the leader of a blues-based band, I've sometimes joked that "rehearsing is for sissies." With the exception of original tunes, blues players typically don't like to rehearse and even then, you may have to twist some arms. This inside joke was based on a true anecdote relayed to me by a keyboardist who was jamming with some folks many years ago. When he suggested that they tune up, the punk inspired guitarist retorted, "Tuning's for sissies." I've run with this bit ever since, simply inserting whichever topic was pertinent at the time; "Monitors are for sissies" or "Roadies are for sissies." You get the point.
All joking aside, rehearsing is serious business but it needn't be drudgery. It isn't easy to schedule a time that works for a group of people with disparate calendars. There are bands who get together a certain night of each week and all they do is rehearse, not that there's anything wrong with that. There's something to be said for taking up residence in the drummer's rec room and playing for the sheer joy of it. Gigs have become scarcer these days and often pay less than they did thirty years ago. Fewer people go out to hear live music and most club owners haven't yet figured out that earlier performance times could actually bring more people out. That's grist for another article however.
Bands are indeed relationships and it's important for members to discuss their expectations and reach a common ground. For those of us driven to play for audiences, rehearsals are a necessity in order to prepare for live performance. There are different kinds of rehearsals, each applicable for different situations. If the band is of the Top 40 variety, (do they even call it that anymore?) it has to rehearse frequently to keep their material current. These acts often aspire to come as close as possible to sounding like the original song and usually play resorts, casinos, luxury liners and the like. Of course, their numbers have waned because contemporary d.j.'s can just play the actual cd by the original artist.
The number of members in commercial live acts has also waned over the years. In fact, since the advent of MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) it's not uncommon to see trios, duos and even solo acts sounding like much bigger aggregations. Someone in the group, usually a keyboard player but not always, sequences drum parts, bass lines and horn arrangements. There are also effects processors specializing in the simulation of vocal harmonies. There is still some rehearsing required just to get all the members and sequenced parts in synch.
Picking the right key for the lead vocalist is often the best place for a group to start. Assuming the group is actually playing everything live, tempos and instrumentation are next. It's important to capture the spirit of a song. It's amazing how much you can do with two guitars, bass, drums and vocals as evidenced by The Beatles and countless other groups. The band must pick and choose the "meat" of the tune - reduce it to its lowest common denominator if you will, and cut out the parts that aren't essential. A good song should work with just a voice and a guitar or piano. Needless to say, the group should pick songs that work in their style and realize that not every song will work.
Some groups choose to interpret their own arrangements of popular songs. This is an art form in itself and can provide the listener with a memorable experience when rendered with cleverness, musicality and surprising twists. For example, a good song can be served up in different styles. An old band of mine used to do a reggae version of "Last Time" by the Rolling Stones. I now do an acoustic version of the same song in my solo blues performances. This type of arranging is much like a band working up an original song.
Rehearsing original material can be a completely different experience since there is not an established recording to copy or consult. Members must create their own parts although oftentimes the songwriter offers strong opinions and perfectly workable solutions. It's also common for the songwriter to prepare a demo CD of just the melody with simple accompaniment, or even a full-blown version to present to the band so they have a starting point. Band members can arrive at rehearsal with a rough idea of the tune or simply having learned the part prescribed by the writer. Sometimes the songwriter demos the song on the spot and the band builds upon it by rote.
Spontaneous arranging can also occur in the studio when the players show up and learn a song just prior to recording it. There's something to be said for keeping a tune fresh and many a hit song has been recorded in the first few takes before the song got stale or overworked. Of course, pro session players usually read charts prepared beforehand, but every permutation has been used, including Bob Dylan's rolling tape with the band literally watching his hands to see what he was doing and when he was going to change to the next chord!
I have submitted solo acoustic recordings to rhythm sections so they can get an idea of the tune before showing up to my studio to "electrify" it. Recording is a completely different animal than running through a set list for a special show or conducting a full dress rehearsal replete with stage lights, screens and visual effects. Oh, and monitors too! I've been in bands that would have special vocal rehearsals for tunes that required intricate singing parts.
Scaled-down rehearsals can be simpler and easier to arrange. Players can show up with acoustic instruments or smaller amplifiers and drummers can play adequate percussion on smaller kits. I work with a core of bassists and drummers and often book my gigs before I know who will be playing on a particular date. I'm fortunate to have a few bass players and drummers who are familiar with much of my repertoire.
I recently released an album of mostly original material and my most frequent live bass player did not play on the sessions. The rehearsing bassist had a copy of the demo CD and familiarized himself with the tunes. He came over to my place a couple of times for an hour each session. We both plugged into my Deluxe Reverb and played at low volume right in my home office. We didn't even go down to my studio where I keep a set of drums. I sang without amplification and we ran through the songs. Then last December, I conducted more formal rehearsals with a drummer and the bassist who was on the recording, complete with vocal monitors. We were to perform at a CD release party at a nationally renowned blues club and we all wanted to be sharp.
Conversely, I recently played a gig with another drummer who's been playing with me on and off for years. He had listened to my CD several times and wanted to play some of the tunes. He has good "ears" and when we did the songs he nailed them. This without a rehearsal, although the first bass player mentioned above now knew the songs thanks to our two simple sessions.
Whatever your poison, it's important for the band to have a unified goal. Most of all, although rehearsals are work, they can be fun!
I hope to play for you soon,
Mark Nomad
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