How About Rehearsal? Ah, band rehearsal. Time to flesh out those new songs, get a feeling for what your band can do together, drink a few beers, play and bond. Fun, right? Sure, band practice can be the most fun you'll ever have in the life of your band, but it's also the place where you'll work the hardest and develop the most. And, contrary to popular opinion, a band rehearsal is nowhere near as simple as just setting up and playing some songs. You have to have a workable schedule, a great space and an inherent sense which aspect of your playing needs the most fine-tuning. If you're having some troubles getting your band practices in shape, settle in and take the following tips to heart. Create a Schedule Scheduling band practice days that work for your band both musically and personally is absolutely vital; you can't afford to leave anyone feeling angry or misrepresented, but you also can't afford to skip three practices due to the guitarist's weekly poker game. The first step, obviously, is to find the times when every member is available. If it amounts to more than one day, fantastic! In the early stages, band rehearsal is best set at more than once a week. But if it's completely impossible to all be in the same room more than one day a week, don't sweat it. You can still make the most out your schedule. Consider holding a segmented band practice or two: times when only two or three of the members get together to flesh out certain parts or go over old songs. A lot of times, the specific time of day during which you hold band practice will be already dictated by work schedules, but if you have a choice, get together when your band collectively has the most energy. It might be difficult to balance everyone's daily high points, but find a happy medium and stick to it. And if you don't have a choice over time of day, make sure to come to band rehearsal as prepared as possible. Do whatever it takes to keep you awake and moving (short of, of course, drugs). Find a Space Maybe you're totally lucky and you, or one of your bandmates, have a basement or spare room just waiting for a band to set up shop and fill it with greatness. If you're not so fortunate, however, you'll have to find an alternate rehearsal space for your band practice. A good practice space is difficult to come by. It can be tempting to grab whatever you can get for the lowest fee, but there are a few things your band rehearsal absolutely needs. Ideally, you'll want to find a medium-sized, windowless rehearsal space where you can leave your equipment -- which means it locks and no one else has access to it. Some cities have places that will rent a practice space for a monthly fee, and sometimes storage spaces will let bands take up residence there (though you'll have to provide both heat and fans). Talk to other bands in your area about where they hold band practice; referral is often the best bet for finding a good practice space. And if money is a concern, ask a friendly band if they'd be interested in sharing their practice space (and the rent) with your band. Once you find the perfect practice space, it's time to customize it. How you set up rehearsal space is a matter of personal taste, of course, but you'll definitely need: a space heater (if your band practice is in a storage space), fans, a blackboard or dry erase board and music stands. Also, remember to pad any windows and put rugs some other sort of cheap insulation on the walls to absorb sound. You may even want to get fancy with your practice space and add, say, a mini-fridge if you're planning a long band rehearsal. Use Your Time Well How a band organizes time within a single band practice is relative to the band, of course, but you'll want to at least know what each practice is meant to accomplish before you walk in the door. In the early stages, you'll want to focus mostly on learning to play together so it might be good to work on a cover or two. As each band practice gears itself more and more to writing, you'll start striking a balance between writing new material and rehearsing the old, and when getting ready for a show, tour or recording session, band rehearsal will be in pursuit of making the set as fluid and tight as possible. Whatever you do, whenever you do it, make sure to spend a little time each band rehearsal just hanging out with your bandmates. Take some smoke breaks, have a beer after band practice, or just talk for a few minutes between every other song; the strongest bond in any band is friendship, and band rehearsal is the best time to nurture that. If you are a business owner get listed at Best education Site, part of Localwin Network.