Practice vs. Rehearsal

Q: How do you get to Carnegie hall?
A: Practice, practice, practice -- attributed to violinist Isaac Stern when a passerby on a street in New York asked him for directions.

Q: So how does your band get to Carnegie Hall?
A: Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!

 

A number of such reminders have come across my computer screen lately, so maybe it's time for a review of these two processes. Here’s the gist of it: Practice and rehearsal are not the same, although the nature of either can change according to need.

Practice
Practicing is something you do on your own to maintain and enhance your skills. It’s when  you play the same thing over and over until you're quite tired of it ... not the sort of result you want from a band rehearsal. BTW, practice includes studying music and learning new tunes.

Just Part of the Job
Few things are more aggravating than dragging your butt to a rehearsal only to find that one or more members haven't done their homework. As a member of a team, we each have a responsibility to make our rehearsal time as productive as possible, and you can't do that if you're waiting around for someone to figure out their part or them waiting for you. Make sure you are well prepared when you hit the rehearsal hall.

Not All By Myself
I used to belong to a number of rehearsal bands. These bands consist of musicians who want to enhance, polish or at least maintain their playing skills. Some bands have firm schedules: every Tuesday from 7 to 10. Others may be very casual. The goal of these bands is to work on new tunes and develop techniques, especially ensemble parts and improvisation.

Sometimes people join rehearsal bands just for fun. I belonged to an 18-piece big band, which helped me with my reading although we never had a gig. I also worked out with a Dixieland band. I'd never played Dixieland before, so it was a nice diversion, nd a lot of fun. I think we played one gig.

Sharpening the Tools
Learning tunes is the job of both the individual and the band. You've all learned your parts and now it’s time to put it together. Your rehearsals should be for polishing old tunes, trying out new tunes and creating your own arrangements. It's OK to take a few minutes to work on a part, but it's important to get on with the business of rehearsing the band.

Run-through
Our jazz band likes to do a quick run-through before a gig. We get together regularly for 'band practice' but personal schedules tend to interfere. So we make a point of playing through the entire set list within a week of an upcoming gig. It's amazing how much we can forget when we put our minds to it.

"Rehearsing is a Privilege" - Carole Kaye
With all the demands and pressures in our lives, having the time and a place to rehearse with the band can be pretty special. Don't waste it by showing up unprepared. While you're at it, don't make it too 'worky'. Our band has a lot of fun at rehearsals. Sometimes we grumble and may even argue but mostly we smile and laugh. And when we've done our homework, we can direct all our energy into the music and into our connections with each other.