CHAPTER 4 - REHEARSALS: WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT?
SO, YOU WANT TO BE A SINGER? by Diva Joan Cartwright
Practice, practice, practice! is the rule for professionals. However, scheduling rehearsals can be frustrating. Once you've found the musicians you enjoy being around, work up a rehearsal schedule for once a week or every other week, until you've gotten a tight show of about ten to twenty songs.
Rehearsal can be held at someone's home, at a community center or school, at a church or any place where you will not disturb others or be interrupted.
It is common to rehearse in the daytime because most musicians work at night, but many have day gigs, too. So, figure a time when everyone is free. Sometimes, you can rehearse with the pianist or guitarist, alone, just to get the tunes down. But it's better if everyone in the band is present. Getting a feel for one another is very important.
Some musicians require payment for rehearsal, especially if it's for a recording session. But if it's for a gig and you're new to them, rehearsal is a must in order for you to hire them or if they are hiring you. It's just the professional thing to do, so don’t be intimidated by musicians who try to con you into paying them to rehearse. If the music sounds bad, YOU, the singer are usually the one that critics point the finger at, so demand rehearsal so your show will be great!
First, rehearse the songs you are familiar with. Then, work on the new material. Don't wait until rehearsal time to learn the lyrics. Know them beforehand. Ask if anyone has original songs that they want you to sing or tunes that they want you to write lyrics for. Do your own songs as much as possible. Make sure you do up tempo songs. You don't want to bore your musicians or the audience with too many ballads. Sambas and Bossa Novas are lots of fun.
My experience is that everyone loves the Blues. So, learn three or four that you can interchange from gig to gig. Some common ones are "Stormy Monday", "Route 66", "Sweet Home Chicago", "Bye Bye Blackbird", Mustang Sally�, Let The Good Times Roll, "Dr. Feelgood" and "In The Midnight Hour". There are hundreds of blues and you don't need sheet music. You simply need to know the lyrics, tempo and key. Most blues are sung in the key of Bb, C, F or G. It all depends on your vocal range.
Source: SO, YOU WANT TO BE A SINGER? by Joan Cartwright available at http://stores.lulu.com/divajc. See Chapters 1-3 on my BLOG.
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