The Bass Shack – What Not To Do At Band Practice

The Bass Shack – What Not To Do At Band Practice…

This month I thought it would be fun to talk about band practice, and specifically, my thoughts on what not do when the whole band is brought together to work on tunes, routines or whatever else needs polishing.

What could there possibly be to talk about? The concept of practice is self-explanatory, right? We all get together and ….practice! What could be easier? That’s where things might get a little bit murky.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that some rehearsals were far more enjoyable and fruitful than others. It became readily apparent that there were certain behavior patterns that could make or break a band practice. Spoiler Alert: the main impediment to having a productive band practice is almost always CONFUSION.

Each band is made up of individuals who have their own quirks, issues, and complicated lives. The band, however, is the collective soul of all these different parts striving to work together as a seamless unit. This is where the confusion set in. When at band practice, the collective is king and individual desires need to be put on the backburner. Some people are still fuzzy on this concept, so I thought I would throw out a list of guidelines for the fuzzy ones.

1. Don’t be continually late and have everyone watch you set up your gear.
2. Don’t show up to band practice with the intent of learning your part at band practice while everyone watches and waits. Learn your parts at home and come to practice to hone the arrangement, harmonies, etc.
3. Don’t turn up your volume to be the loudest in the room. It’s really important that everyone be heard equally well while rehearsing. Focus on playing as an ensemble.
4. Don’t bring your personal drama to the forefront at each practice. Hopefully, you are in a band with friendly people who really do care about you, but please wait until the end of practice to share the details.

Yes, this list could be quite a bit longer, but I’m going to stop it here. I think the point is made, when at band practice we all work best when we leave our egos at the door and focus on group goals. That being said, do you have anything you would like to add to the list?