If you’re going to play in a band, you need to get your act together. Literally – and that means rehearsing. Sure, there are pros who can just get together and play a gig, but even if you can do that (most musicians I know can play “Wagon Wheel” or “Dead Flowers” or “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” practically in their sleep) it’s not the same as sounding like a band. And there’s a big difference between a band that’s sloppy and casual and one that nails it.
For the non-musicians among us, rehearsal typically involves learning how to play a song, both individually and as a band. This involves working out specific parts, especially difficult ones, getting the vocal harmonies tight, getting a good, solid arrangement (how the individual parts that everyone is playing fit together to form a cohesive whole) and getting a groove together. You want to be comfortable and confident once you’re ready to play the song at a gig.
You need to establish your goals. For most bands, this involves getting a song to the point where everyone knows what to play and sing and the song is tight, with no rough spots. For bands on a more professional level, it can involve very specific factors like coordinating with lighting cues, choreography and backing tracks, with exact timing, as well as rehearsing between-song patter and anything else that makes a performance. Think in terms of putting on a Broadway show – everything is mapped out. (I am told that one very well-known performer’s “spontaneous” moves and audience banter are the exact same every night.)
Some bands just want to have the opportunity to gather with their buddies, hang out, have a few beers, and spend half their time rehearsing and the other half kibitzing, with the goal of getting a few gigs at a local bar here and there. Other bands are all business and have the intent to be a killer live act and need to rehearse to razor sharpness. Most bands I’ve been in are somewhere in between, getting together to rehearse and get the songs down, but also to have fun.
How often do you want or need to rehearse, and where? Most of the bands I’ve played in get together once a week, but sometimes work and life get in the way. Conversely, one band I was in rehearsed three times a week, in addition to playing gigs. We were in our 20s and very serious about wanting to make it big. Looking back, it was crazy. Personally, I think twice a month is a bare minimum and once a week is optimal, with rehearsals lasting a few hours. After that, everyone gets tired and unfocused. It’s best to set a given day of the week to get together.
Regarding where to rehearse, this may sound obvious, but it’s best to do it in the same location every time. Typically, this means a band member’s house, in a basement or if you’re lucky a dedicated rehearsal room with amps, a PA and drums already in place. It’s a pain to have to deal with different rooms and setups every time, and nice to just be able to show up at your rehearsal space, plug in, and play.
Or you can use a professional rehearsal studio. They’re not terribly expensive – here on Long Island, rates range from around $25 to $50 per hour – and they’re equipped with really good gear, including a full backline and PA, which is really convenient. Split among band members, the cost is nominal. It also puts you in the mindset of being there to get things done. Just as you wouldn’t go to a gym and not work out, going to and paying for a pro rehearsal studio puts you in the mood to play. They also have the advantage of having enough room to allow the band to spread out and simulate the environment of playing a real gig. Some studios even have mirrors along the front wall so you can practice your stage moves. Even if you do practice in someone’s home, doing it in a “real” rehearsal studio every once in a while can be a shot in the arm, or a great way to have a “dress rehearsal” before an important show.
A professional rehearsal room at JamSpot, Boston, Massachusetts. Courtesy of JamSpot/Wikimedia Commons.
Other rehearsal spaces are...shall we say, more cramped. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Gerold Schneider.
Be on time. Assuming everyone in the band has a day job, a family, or both, it’s disrespectful of other band members’ time to show up late. If you get stuck in traffic or something comes up, let the other band members know you’re going to be delayed. And once you get to the rehearsal, be ready. Of course, it will take a few minutes to plug in and set up, but don’t waste 20 minutes adjusting your pedalboard or tuning your guitar or whatever.
It's good to have an idea of what you want to accomplish at a given rehearsal, which can be: learning a new song or songs; brushing up on old ones you haven’t played in a while; or going over the songs you’re going to play at an upcoming show.
Often, a band will try out a song for the first time at a rehearsal. This has the advantage of having everyone work out their parts on the ground floor, where the arrangement evolves organically. Other times you’ll be working on a song that everyone’s decided to do in advance. If this is the case, be prepared. You should have done your homework and gone over the song before the rehearsal. There’s nothing more irritating than a lazy band member who didn’t work on the song in advance and then has to learn it at the rehearsal when everyone else has gotten their parts down. It’s not only a drag on everyone else, it’s unprofessional. If the band is on a serious level, it may get you fired.
Pete Mancini and the Hillside Airmen looked comfortable playing together at Bradstock 2025, Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, Center Moriches, New York. You don't achieve that level of ease without playing together. Courtesy of Keith Rossein Photography.
You don’t have to come into the rehearsal with everything down perfect – it’s a rehearsal, after all – but be as prepared as possible in terms of knowing the chords, song structure and overall feel of the tune.
This is assuming you even like a song. This seems obvious, but unless there’s a clear band leader or musical director, before even hitting the first note all the band members should agree that they’re going to work on a song everyone wants to play. There have been times when a band member just flat out couldn’t stand a song that someone suggested. Game over. There have been other times when I’ve been asked to back someone up and play a song I didn’t like. It was their gig, so I played it. (At least it wasn’t “Disco Duck.”)
Be prepared to be flexible in working out arrangements. Sometimes the part you worked out at home will not fit once the entire band is playing. If you’re a guitar player, you’ll need to find chords, harmonies and parts that complement and not clash with the keyboard player. Bass players and drummers need to lock in (I’ve mentioned this before but a pro tip is for the bass player to watch the drummer’s foot on the bass drum pedal and play in sync with it). It’s sometimes helpful to vary what you’re playing for each verse and chorus, so that the performance of the song doesn’t become monotonous (unless that’s what you’re going for; a wall of relentless sound).
As the arrangement evolves, so will the parts everyone’s playing, even to the point of throwing out the parts you started with and playing riffs, chords and licks you might not have originally envisioned. Keep in mind that it’s going to take more time to work out the difficult parts, which you might have to go over quite a bit.
On the other hand, if you’re a tribute band with the goal of getting the songs to sound as exactly as possible like the band you’re covering, your mindset will be completely different. Musicians in these bands can go to great lengths to get the equipment and the sounds as accurate as possible. François Gagnon of the internationally-renowned Genesis tribute band The Musical Box builds his own fuzz boxes. There are entire web sites devoted to the kind of gear Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour uses.
Don’t have an ego or be overly sensitive if the other band members or the musical director have suggestions or demands on what you should play – or tell you that what you’re playing isn’t working. Creating an arrangement is a collaborative process, and in rehearsals you’ll have to go through some give and take and trial and error. The other band members or the MD aren’t trying to be mean – it’s just part of the process of seeing what works and what doesn’t. And if there is in fact an a-hole in the band who is flexing their ego and trying to put you down, well, maybe it’s time for either that band member or you to go. Nobody wants to work with an a-hole, unless you’re a hired gun working for a name artist and you’re getting paid well to deal with a diva.
If possible, it’s a good idea to record or even make a video of the band during rehearsals. This way you can take it home and work on the song in order to get it better at the next rehearsal. Seriously – when our band first plays through a song, we often record it so we remember what the heck we played when we reconvene on it a week later! And what you think you sound like and what the recording reveals may be...two very different things.
Don't noodle between songs! Just don't.
Sometimes, after you’ve worked and worked and worked on a song, the band members will collectively realize that…it’s just not working. Don’t be reluctant to abandon a song if it’s just not coming together. It happens. And for a song to really come together, even if you’ve rehearsed it 20 or 30 times (which is typical for the band I’m in), it still won’t fully gel until you play it live. Playing a song in front of an audience is what ultimately gives a song that final tightness and drive. And even then, it might take a few times before the band is really comfortable with it. That’s normal and nothing to stress over.
One last thing: every band’s repertoire evolves, and rehearsals are the indispensable element in making this happen. Sometimes you just get bored playing the same songs. Or, you’re in a cover band and need to keep learning songs that are current. If you’re a band that plays original music, you’ll want to keep learning new material. If you have a following or are in a house band, your audience will get bored if you play the same songs every time.
What usually happens is that over time you add stronger material to the set list and the weaker stuff goes to the “extras” list, or eventually dropped, so your sets and repertoire constantly get better and better. And as I’ve said before, the more you play, the better you get.
Header image: if you're going to be playing a gig like the main stage at Bradstock 2025, you need to be well rehearsed. Courtesy of Keith Rossein Photography.
