
1. Scheduling
Step 1: Make a rehearsal schedule –>Step 2: (And this is the hard part) Stick to it. Going into a rehearsal with a plan is often the difference between rich, productive studio time and a jam session with the crew.2. Build a List of the Songs You Want to Work
The more familiar your band is with the material to be rehearsed, the more songs you can expect to get through. Allot a certain amount of time you plan to spend on each track and stay true to it. Ask yourself: is this session about creating new music, work-shopping what’s already been written, or polishing off the finished stuff?3. Document Any Issues for Next Band Rehearsal
Apps like SetBoss and Musician’s Diary make this easy by providing shareable templates and spreadsheets where you can record tracks directly, arrange them into set lists, log time spent rehearsing each track, and jot down notes as you go. Even a simple to-do list app like Things can streamline the rehearsal by getting the band on the same page through shareable schedules and to-dos.4. Be mindful of others’ time and chops
Having a scheduled break time somewhere in the middle of the session can prevent burn-out and improve overall focus. Also, be courteous to your band mates when scheduling your rehearsal set list. If your quasi-ska band only requires the horn players in 3 tracks, then put those tracks back-to-back at the beginning so your brass can leave as soon as they’re done, they’ll thank you for it.5. Warming up
Coming into a rehearsal “cold” can lead to wasted time and possible injury. Warming up effectively sets the tone for the rehearsal and should be used as a period to not only get the blood flowing through the relevant extremities, but as a chance for the group to settle in and begin listening to one another. Instead of making it a private and rushed affair, factor the warm up into the rehearsal schedule. Effective warm-ups: ~ Charts or covers familiar to the group ~ 12 bar blues & improvising ~If all else fails, Apps like Scales and Modes or FretBoard provide written and tabulated scales to play through as a group.6. To Metronome or Not to Metronome?
When not to use one: Don’t even think about it. Tempo inconsistency is the cause for countless musical hiccups and is the ultimate killer of groove. Practice. With. A. Metronome. And, while you might think all metronomes are created equal, there has been an epidemic of stilted, inconsistent metronome apps that have developed along with the smartphone in recent years. We’ve dug through the bad and the laggy to present you some reliable metronomes. Web: Metronomeonline.com promises a reliable tempo for free and is useful if you have a laptop handy. Free Apps: Metronome Plus (iOS), Mobile Metronome (Android) Paid Apps: Drum Beats (iOS and Android) it’s $3.99 but includes hundreds of optional drum tracks to replace the standard metronome beat. Physical Metronome: Korg Metronome. This is pretty much the standard for portable metronomes and is a worthy trade-off for the unrelenting accuracy it promises its users. You can find these little guys at any music shop and you should only ever need one. Digital Audio Workstations: Cubase or Logic include metronomes with the most consistent tempos.7. Pick a Leader
Coming to a consensus on who’s running this thing can prevent an Oasis-style meltdown between band members. Many bands have an unspoken understanding of who is calling the shots but for those who don’t, decide who is going to keep the ball rolling through the rehearsal. You can have one member who always takes on this role or try switching it up from one practice to another.8. Record Your Band Rehearsals
Like hearing your own voice played back to you, hearing your own music sounding back can be grating at times. Nevertheless, playback is necessary to suss out the problem spots in your sound and be an effective critic of your music. The recording process need not be high-fidelity. This is recording for practical purposes, it’s not going to be your next EP (until it is, of course). The mic on most phones or laptops is adequate. Free recording apps: There is Rev (iOS and Android) or Voice Recorder Pro 7 (iOS). Both apps allow you to transcribe the audio to various formats and export files to Google Drive, Dropbox, and Voice Recorder Pro 7 also exports to Microsoft OneDrive, Box Cloud, iCloud Drive, and SoundCloud. Handheld Recorders: Zoom makes handy little recorders in different sizes and price and while they cost a bit more than a recording app, on the whole their usability is more far-reaching in that they offer multiple recording channels, easy transfer and saving of files via memory chip, and a bevy of other features for you to peruse.