Rehearsal. Some players love it; others dread it. For casual musicians, it's a chance to get together with pals and kick out the jams. That's fine — as far as it goes. But if you're serious about your music, the time you spend inside the rehearsal hall is crucial. Tight performance may develop with stage experience, but it starts in rehearsal, where discipline, preparation, and focus can help you hit the stage at your absolute best.
BE PREPARED
It's the Boy Scouts motto, but it's also the mantra of successful musicians. According to the Rosie O'Donnell Show's bandleader and keyboardist, John McDaniel — an Emmy and Grammy Award winner who has a long list of Broadway, record production, and symphonic conductor credits under his belt — some of the most important parts of a rehearsal happen before you walk into the room. “Come in with ideas, and know the music,” McDaniel says. “When a question comes up, you must know the answers. You should even have an idea about how the band should set up.”
McDaniel knows a thing or two about maximum preparation in limited time. His band has to be ready for a live televised performance every weekday. “We get to the show, and there are commercials and guests and the audience, and Rosie herself, who likes to sing at the drop of a hat. We really have our hands full.”
When not manning Broadway pit bands for shows like The Producers, Les Miserables, and Beauty and the Beast, bassist Michael Goetz keeps busy with recording sessions, teaching, and gigging with his trio, Jazspring. Like McDaniel, Goetz doesn't have the luxury of being unprepared. “When someone in the band composes a new song, we bring in a chord chart and a melody line for each player. It saves a lot of time. As a writer, you must have the feel of the song mapped out as well. And you must be open to collaboration.”
Good preparation also includes taking care of all your essential gear. “Bring pencils, music, cables, strings, drumsticks — everything you're going to need,” Goetz advises. “It's also a good idea to bring water or juice so that you don't have to interrupt the rehearsal for a deli run.”
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Effective rehearsal requires flexibility and an understanding of short- and long-term goals. “Every year, we do a new season and I write new music,” McDaniel says. At first, the band's approach is very loose. “We spend rehearsal time jamming and figuring out what we want to do. Jamming gets you listening and playing together — and playing together is the goal. A lot of famous players who come through here don't really play that well together. A lot of people don't really listen.”
As the material gels and parts are assigned, it's often beneficial to tighten up the rehearsal routine and focus on specific areas in the music. For example, the rhythm section could work alone for a while to solidify the groove. In fact, it's often advantageous to have just the bass and drums play through their parts on a given song so that they can make sure they're locked together and hitting the right accents. Add in the rhythm guitar or keyboard next and make sure those parts are working with the bass and drums rather than fighting them.
It's also useful to initially work out the vocal harmonies a cappella or with just a single guitar or keyboard so that the singers can concentrate on their vocals apart from their instruments. (Singers can also better hear their parts and how they blend with the other vocals without the other instruments playing.) The divide-and-conquer method also works for mastering difficult music. Run through a section at half tempo and work your way up to speed, or simply play the same parts over and over as a unit until they become second nature.
Having the timing tight and the notes right is important, but don't neglect dynamics — that's one area that is often overlooked. “After you run through the material, go back and run through the sections you want loud or soft,” Goetz says. “Soloists should have a place to build. If you do that in rehearsal, it will feel natural in performance.”
HEARING THE WHOLE
Unless your ambition is to jam perpetually, your rehearsal plan should address immediate and long-term goals. It's often a good idea to agree to what you're going to work on before rehearsal begins, so that each musician can learn and fine-tune his or her parts.
Once you have the material down, you should be thinking of the larger performance — how your set will develop and how you will present yourself onstage. “Write out a setlist and start going through it [the set as a whole], keeping in mind how you want to present yourself to the audience,” Goetz advises. “The first song dictates how the evening will go and should get your audience's attention right away.”
Timing is important to any performance. Don't forget to account for breaks between songs for instrument changes, emergencies, or the onrush of screaming groupies. But remember that it's also important to let the set breathe and not feel too scripted.
“Lots of new bands start out really great, and then things fall apart,” McDaniel says. Part of working on a complete set is letting the music happen onstage. “Even in a symphony setting, the performance will be different every night,” says McDaniel. “Art is a living thing.”
GET IN THE ZONE
Rehearsal time is a valuable resource, especially if your schedule is tight. Don't waste it with unnecessary distractions. Some are a matter of personal discipline. Rehearsal isn't the time to practice your arpeggios or to learn the words to “Louie, Louie.” Musicians who noodle between songs at rehearsal can drive their bandmates crazy and detract from the productivity of the session.
Other distractions are a product of our communication age. “Cell phones and pagers are frowned upon,” McDaniel says. “A smart musician turns off his phone if it rings during rehearsal instead of answering it.”
Friends and significant others are another common distraction. “Leave your friends at home,” advises Goetz. “[Rehearsal] time is for you and the band to be alone together, focusing on the music.”
It is probably also a good idea to avoid one of the rehearsal room's cherished rituals — drinking. “Some musicians think that they play better when they're stoned,” McDaniel says. “They only think they play better.”
AMATEURS NEED NOT APPLY
Whether you're a new player looking to impress a demanding leader, a seasoned veteran fine-tuning for a gig, or a member of a band working through new material, taking a professional approach while in the room is paramount.
“It's a good idea to get to the rehearsal space 15 minutes early and set up,” Goetz says. “That way, when the rehearsal is scheduled to begin, you're ready to play.”
McDaniel advises players to give the leader as many options as possible in addition to preparing themselves in the various ways mentioned previously. “Find out in advance what will be needed,” he says. And don't underestimate the importance of reading. “Good players with basic knowledge don't always work hard enough on their reading,” McDaniel continues. “The old joke is, ‘How do you get a guitarist to turn down? Put a sheet of music in front of him.’ Players who can read have a leg up.”
LOOK AND LISTEN
There is no doubt that a well-equipped rehearsal space can enhance the rehearsal experience. All the players should be able to hear themselves and each other clearly. Ideally, sight lines should allow easy communication, as well.
Your own gear should be in good working order: fresh strings, batteries, drum heads — everything you need in order to play your best. “I always like to work with the equipment I'm going to be using — or as close as possible — to get the feel of it,” McDaniel says.
If you rely on equipment to produce sounds or patches that are critical to the song or arrangement, that should be part of the rehearsal. The last thing you want to be doing onstage is troubleshooting an effects rig or searching for a synth patch.
Keep your personal volume at a manageable level that allows everyone in the band to be heard. “You should develop a sense of listening and know the mix,” McDaniel says. “While there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to hear yourself, trying to get your own sound in there [at the expense of others] is rude.”
ROLL TAPE
Recording the rehearsal provides valuable information about the band's overall sound and helps you remember ideas that might otherwise be lost. “I think it's helpful to be able to go back and listen,” says McDaniel, “especially if you only have one rehearsal before a performance.” In addition to providing a sense of the whole band, a recording gives you a chance to hear your own playing in context — and objectively — for the first time. As McDaniel points out, “you might realize that you're pushing or dragging in a section.” The recording doesn't need to be of high quality; it just needs to be clear enough to let you hear what you played.
Another benefit of recording is that a good rehearsal tape can save the day if you need to find a replacement player at the last minute. “The biggest nightmare is when you're about to do a gig and someone can't show up,” says Goetz. “If you tape rehearsals and keep your charts accurate, you can get a new player up to speed quickly.”
THERE'S NO “I” IN “TEAM”
“When I was a kid, my first gig as a bandleader was on a cruise ship,” McDaniel says. “One of the guest celebrity artists was Cab Calloway. He was so sweet in rehearsal; he taught me to slow down, to listen, and not to be too anxious — to feel the music.”
Allow the music to develop from early rehearsal stages to final tightness. And whether you're the composer, leader, or player, keep an open mind. Remember that a band is about collaboration, and everyone has something to offer. “One of the biggest mistakes I see young bands making,” Goetz says, “is they sometimes spend more time arguing than rehearsing. The band should communicate as one person, connected in mind and body. You are presenting your music as one musical soul.”
