Do you enjoy Zero Rehearsal playing?

Like a lot of things it's horses for courses, only recently on here I posted that my band had reached the point of our first gig and we had to "grind out" about 4 full set rehearsals in the weeks prior, the prospect of which wasn't great as we were ready to gig. But it had to be done.
I can see how it's essential for professional musicians to be able to do this, but aside from my above caveat, for hobbyists, amateurs, demi-semi professionals etc. the rehearsal process is part of the learning process and part of the fun. Over rehearsal not so, but I have always enjoyed rehearsing when I've been able to see the gains made week on week.

Actually thinking about what I've just written it's kind of where we sit on an imaginary curve. Everyone has to start somewhere and rehearsal is important, as a demi-semi professional I still need it. If I'd devoted more time to my instrument then I would have already done all the rehearsal I'd ever need (figuratively speaking) so because I'd already put the hours in I wouldn't need to as much now. Possibly.
 
Jamming is amongst my favourite things, so sure.

In the early 80s I filled in with a restaurant band when players went on leave (the drummer was a singer and multi-instrumentalist, so he filled in whatever spot was vacant). At the time it paid better than my originals rock bands. Then again, the originals bands would have made more shining shoes :)

Really goofy old classics. Some tunes I didn't know at all - they'd give me a tempo and I'd watch, listen and guess lol - the drums must have been sooo wrong at times but no one seemed much to mind and I got asked back. It's like jamming when you're flying blind like that.

Free Malaysian meals afterwards too :)
 
In my youth I was in three different bands that played a full night out of originals (or mostly originals) from scratch in a month. That would be with practicing up to 7 days a week. I miss that.

The musical ESP that you would develop. The way that you could write new songs together. And just plain old being tight.

No. I am not kidding myself that I could even dream about doing that now.
 
From my experience, the opposite (rehearsing a lot for hours), started off ok, became frustrating nightmares. None of the bands I were in took the attitudes some of you have mentioned. We rehearsed and rehearsed, crawling along. Looking for perfection, or the feel.

I would rehearse like a mofo on my own, but even after some time I figured out most music is not that complicated.

So the prospect of playing without rehearsing sounds so cool... a tad scary in the beginning perhaps.
 
I'm in a strange position...

I run a music club every Friday for ex-musicians that have stopped playing. These are gents who used to practice for 16 hours a day, do session work, and tour with bands. None of them have played for a decade, or play at all anymore, except for on Fridays.

Every Friday, someone jokes that we should learn some songs. We laugh, because not a single one of them has picked up an instrument since the previous Friday. Our drummer is taking piano lessons, our bass player is taking trumpet lessons with their son, guitarist is taking vocal lessons, and I'm (guitarist) taking drum lessons.

We have a blast, because we generally do 4 chord riff rock with canned changes/chorouses. It's a blast.

So mark me down for being happy with zero rehearsal playing.
 
That is my current situation. No rehearsals at all (the guys are way too busy gigging on their own almost every night so it's not laziness) and any new material is learned on our own and performed at the gig. I absolutely love it. All the musicians are seasoned and the songs are not usually difficult so it works out fine most of the time.

When I first started playing with them (subbing) it was a little rough because I had tons of material to learn or refresh and no rehearsal so there was lots of stage communication for endings and stuff. And don't you know they pulled out songs that weren't on the list they sent me. And they don't even use a set list on stage; just call out the song and we're off. That was a huge change which I wasn't used to at all. It was a challenge (still is) and that's how I approached it. Just play and make it work. Learn as you go, take mental notes and make it better next time.

I had just come out of a heavily rehearsed original band so it was a stark but welcome change. Getting paid is also nice.
 
I also enjoy zero rehearsal playing very much! The converse to this question is over rehearsing standard cover songs to the point where the emotional life can get sucked right out of them. Dan
 
It all depends on the musicians onstage IMO. The best experience is take the song where it needs to go, especially if you have a packed, rolling dance floor for instance. No rules, great, but for anything to happen there does need to be communication. There's intuitive (closely related to psychic- which is too arcane to get into here) and there's corporeal communication... now who does the communicating?

A week ago I subbed a gig, a 3 piece, pop rock etc. I was singing a song and the dance floor was tight, at what could've seemed like the end of the song (or did to him anyway), the bass player gets our attention and motions physically to end it. I play thru the ending and keep the groove going, the guitar player catches it and goes on with me, bass player follows. I sing another verse/whatever and out. Song over, I immediately take the opportunity (while its still hot) to tell the bass player verbally on stage 'not' to end a song he's not singing (and he didn't even have a mic). I made it clear to him to let whoever is singing the song lead the song.

In my world, if Im singing the song, everyone on stage including the MD needs to yield to me. I thought bass player was more professional, ppl do stuff for unclear reasons, the bass player was actually a guitar player playing bass that night, so maybe wasn't comfortable with the tune, I wasn't about to play psychologist subbing for $100. The guitar player acknowledged and agreed right in bass players face about my demand (he didn't want it happening in any song he sang no doubt). So yes, there does need to be an agreed to leader onstage IMO.

Other side, I've seen many singers who are not good leaders, ppl who aren't comfortable deviating from the original/learned arrangement, they can just play the ink so to speak, here's a prime case for a/the designated leader to be in control, not the singer.

There's good musicians who can't improvise, not great, good, they can play, really good, but only what they know, or read, so 'zero rehearsal' can work with these types but the rest of the band needs to be on their page.


I've been to a lot of rehearsals with great musicians that only happened, or only needed to happen just bc the MD wanted to see if everyone learned their parts, and how they sounded together. Sometimes (oftentimes) rehearsals can reveal stuff a certain player pulls off (even tho its note for note) that doesn't sound good/great as it could with a simple tweek.


There's rehearsal and there's practice, two totally different things.
 
My answer is yes....about half the gigs I do are Zero rehearsal gigs...Set list is emailed and we show up at the gig.i do my homework and show up! Denis
 
It depends on the type of music, and there's always the risk that it won't go well.

The other night I picked up gig with a bass player that I always work with a a guitar player from Peru, to play some South American music and Latin Jazz.

I met the guitar player about 40 minutes before we started playing, and we really worked well together. I'm very dynamic, and it went well with him playing on nylon strings. The guitarist was very good about conducting while playing, but much of the music was improv based.


I'd say that 99% of my gigs are unrehearsed, but 75% have music to read (even if it's just a lead sheet), so there really isn't any need for rehearsal. The other 24% of gigs are a little more imrpov based, and everyone has to be a good communicator to pull it off, otherwise it sounds like a jam session.


I've also had the opposite experience before, where I got called into a gig, and the band leader expected me to know one specific arrangement of the song, but didn't provide any music. In my mind, if they can't be bothered to write it out, then it can't be that important. If they really need a specific arrangement, they can take a few minutes to write it out, or hire me for a rehearsal...
 
It depends on the type of music, and there's always the risk that it won't go well.

The other night I picked up gig with a bass player that I always work with a a guitar player from Peru, to play some South American music and Latin Jazz.

I met the guitar player about 40 minutes before we started playing, and we really worked well together. I'm very dynamic, and it went well with him playing on nylon strings. The guitarist was very good about conducting while playing, but much of the music was improv based.


I'd say that 99% of my gigs are unrehearsed, but 75% have music to read (even if it's just a lead sheet), so there really isn't any need for rehearsal. The other 24% of gigs are a little more imrpov based, and everyone has to be a good communicator to pull it off, otherwise it sounds like a jam session.


I've also had the opposite experience before, where I got called into a gig, and the band leader expected me to know one specific arrangement of the song, but didn't provide any music. In my mind, if they can't be bothered to write it out, then it can't be that important. If they really need a specific arrangement, they can take a few minutes to write it out, or hire me for a rehearsal...

Awesome for you. I'd give a body part to live in this world regularly.
 
I don\t mind if it is a loose situation; on a real gig I like a set list. I can not stand when the leader or singer takes a few minutes trying to decide what to play next. It sounds loopy but it seems to be a trend or something.
 
Yes, if running through jazz charts or 1-4-5 blues progressions, having a jam.

No, if performing originals and complex covers. I like to practice tunes to the point that I don't get nervous before a gig. I'm a slow learner.

No, if playing for bank. I want a tight sound for the audience.
 
Okay everybody, "Under a Glass Moon" in B, watch me for the changes and try to keep up.

Yeah, lol no.

We did it regularly in my first cover band though, playing simpler rock from VH to Billy Idol.
 
Okay everybody, "Under a Glass Moon" in B, watch me for the changes and try to keep up.

.

Marty McFly addressing his parent's 1955 high school band at the fish under the sea dance in "Back to the Future"

Oops I mean the enchantment under the sea dance!

Good one man.
 
I certainly prefer a rehearsal but most of my playing history has been as a sub requiring me to learn sets, cues etc...in a very short amount of time, with little to no rehearsal. I'm used to it. Keeps me on my toes but would prefer a rehearsal.
 
I'm in the middle. I play in a cover band, actually just starting with a different established band.My old band practiced every week and a couple members never seemed to learn their parts. That is reason number 2 I quit that band. This new band will rehears 3 times before our first gig playing 38 cover tunes ranging from classic rock to more contemporary pop.

The rehearsals are important for me to make sure I know my cues and know the arrangement which is almost always different from the studio version. After that I would be happy to not really rehearse except for new tunes and occasionally playing the ones that are a little tougher to get tight.

As someone else noted it would be helpful if the band as a unit wrote down the song structures they change so we all have it.

I write out the song structure for every song so I have it for myself. I can't tell you how many times the structure is changed at a rehearsal, I write it down, and then the next rehearsal they change it. Usually I let them know what we agreed to and we're good. Sometimes not. It gets annoying.
 
I love it, keeps me on my toes

I get a quite a few dep gigs but they're all function stuff so nothing is too taxing.

The only time we really practice in the regular band is 1st dances as we fear the creature that is Bridezilla and some people really do request shite as a 1st dance that I wouldn't dream of listening to but hey it's a job.
 
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