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Tips for Concise Writing

tessa — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:40:25 -0800

Tips for Concise Writing

Writing about music is a form of technical writing. As such, to be most useful, it needs to be crafted concisely. The goal is to help your readers understand the concept quickly, and put it into practice immediately.

The following list comes from my seminar, Ten Tips for Concise Writing. I hope that you find them useful.

Ten Tips for Concise Writing

1. Hate verbiage. Words ~~will~~ require work for everybody. Cheer any ~~major or minor~~ revision that yields fewer words ~~for you~~. Omit self-evident language ~~that you write.~~

2. Organize your ideas, then write. Omit/change words that distract from ~~or somehow stand between your reader and your service to~~ your ideas.

3. Right-size it. Plan the appropriate length for your text before you start writing. Even if the material contains valid and well-crafted information, if the length is inappropriate for the function of the writing (such as short points in a helpful list of tips), recognize that the extra words are a distraction from your task at hand. Reading requires work and time. Make your reader’s task easier by keeping your text at an appropriate length for its function. A goal when you’re editing is to make sure that the text length is appropriate for the overall piece.

4. Omit ~~truly~~ unnecessary intensifiers.

5. ~~I would~~ Omit unnecessary personalization. Similarly, ~~you must be sure to~~ omit unnecessarily bossy language.

6. Omit redundancy ~~and unnecessary repetition.~~

7. Keep sentences short. , ~~and u~~Use multiple sentences when possible.

8. Begin strong. ~~It’s a good idea to~~ Begin sentences with interesting words—verbs and unusual nouns. Can you omit any boring words?

9. Stop writing once you’ve said it—even if it means nine tips, rather than ten.

###

When you're trying to make text as clear and concise as possible, try keeping these three simple questions ("Feist's Trident") foremost in your mind:

1. What's the big idea?

2. What's in?

3. What's out?

In other words, what are you trying to say, and what is the clearest way to say it? This can help you craft language to be useful to your reader, without the distraction of unnecessary words.

Jonathan Feist is Managing Editor of Berklee Press.

Berklee Shares: Free Music Lessons From Berklee College of Music

amosher — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 16:28:22 -0700
Berklee Shares: Free Music Lessons From Berklee College of Music
In 2003, Berklee College of Music launched Berklee Shares, a Web site with more than 170 free faculty-authored music lessons. The site has been visited by over half a million unique users. People worldwide have downloaded its lessons tens of thousands of times.

Berklee Shares is:

• Individual self-contained music lessons developed by Berklee faculty and alumni.

• Free and open to the music community around the world.

• A growing library of MP3 audio, QuickTime movie, and interactive PDF files.

• A glimpse into the educational opportunities provided by Berklee.

The Berklee Shares program allows anyone to have a little bit of Berklee for free. These stand-alone lessons are excerpts from Berklee Press books and DVDs, and Berklee Music online courses. They are multimedia lessons in PDF format with MP3s, QuickTime videos, and interactive Flash activities embedded in the PDF files. Topics include performance technique, improvisation, production, music business, and core music studies. A growing number of Berklee Shares lessons were created independently to supplement Berklee Musiconline courses, such as the “Drum notation in Finale" lesson, created to help online Arranging 1 students add drum notation to their scores.

The following image is a screen shot from a Berklee Shares lesson entitled “Conducting as an Ear Training Tool” a multimedia, Berklee Shares lesson by Matt Marvuglio, Dean of Performance. The embedded video shows Marvuglio conducting and explaining the pattern.

All of the lessons at Berklee Shares -- from Afro-Cuban conga drumming to setting up a recording studio -- are protected by a Creative Commons license. Anyone can use and trade the material provided she or he agrees to the terms set by the school: Users may not alter or sell the material, and must credit the original source.

Berklee recently conducted a survey of Berklee Shares users, and we were moved and delighted by the many stories of musicians whose lives were affected by having access to these free materials. Many stories of life transformations and appreciation have come to us as testaments to the affect that musical mentorship can have.

Some highlights:

• Jemi Sitanayah was living in his native Indonesia when he came upon the Berklee Shares site. He downloaded many lessons: music production, improvisation, turntable technique. This gave him the “Berklee bug,” and today, he is a student in the Music Production & Engineering program.

• Costa Rican music teacher, Sergio Molina, gives Berklee Shares lessons to his students, and feels they are the best affordable audiovisual resources he has found. Many other music teachers have reported using Berklee Shares lessons with their students, in places such as Nigeria, Guatemala, and Brazil.

• A jazz saxophonist in Croatia downloaded “Basic Hard Rock Saxophone” (excerpted from The Berklee Practice Method: Tenor Sax, by Jim Odgren and Bill Pierce), and also several of the video lessons by Joe Lovano. These opened new doors for him, creatively, and helped him think about “the beat” in ways that he had never considered before.

• Felicity Turgeon, a social worker in Lowell, MA, was working with a young drummer who was trying to escape the gang life. She was delighted to find the Berklee Shares drum lessons, during her search for free materials to share with him, and they helped him to support his passion for music and focus on a more constructive life direction.

In Berklee Shares, the grand podium of the Internet allows Berklee to expand its reach and share music education opportunities with aspiring musicians around the world on an unprecedented scale.

Visit the Berklee Shares site.

How to Write a Music Method Book

admin — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:47:49 -0700
How to Write a Music Method BookMusic educators write method books for many reasons. They may be unable to find the right text for their students, and thus create a resource that they would like to exist. They might have a new approach to something and want to create a resource for other music educators who may be struggling with the same concept. They might hope that publishing provides an additional income stream. They may want the “author” credential. Or, it’s their innate entrepreneurial spirit. These are all good reasons for writing.

In my work at Berklee Press, I have worked with over a hundred music educators who have decided to write. Most are first-time authors, and they seem to find similar challenges in the process. The most common mistake is in trying to make the books too complex—ideas enough for three or four books, rather than just one. There is often confusion regarding what the reader knows, and ideas are presented “out of order,” with complex concepts being presented prior to the simpler concepts that comprise them, which then requires back-pedaling to explain things. And first drafts are often overly wordy and wandering, as the author seems to be trying to figure out what to write next, and there may be redundancies and logical gaps in the explanations. In this article, I will present some strategies for overcoming these common frustrations, which I hope will make your process easier and your product better.

1. Working Titles

Begin by brainstorming title ideas. Come up with at least five and preferably twenty or more potential titles that encapsulate your subject. Be creative! Be silly! Try a title that is long-winded and academic, and then try writing one that is “hipper” than you feel comfortable being. Best of all, be precisely descriptive about your contents, so that a reader can tell at a glance what they are buying. Here are some potential title ideas that describe the same content, from different directions:

Scale Studies for Guitar: Technique for speed and intonation

Fire on the Fingerboard: Lightening-Fast Fingerings for Guitar

Finding Your Fingers: Building Fingerboard Facility through Scale Studies

Of course, you will use only one of these, at the most. The point is not necessarily to come up with the actual title. Rather, this process will help you to narrow your concept. Perhaps, the most common mistake that authors make is in trying to include too much content, particularly in their first books. Teachers bring me stacks of lecture notes—years worth—wanting to write enormous tomes about everything to do with their subject matter. But the most useful (and thus marketable) books are focused on just a small group of topics. So, get focused, and use your best working title as your north star—your guiding light. Try to arrive at three solid titles that you would feel comfortable with naming your book. Don’t forget subtitles! They can provide additional information. The goal is to describe your content in an inviting way. If you get a publisher, their marketing team will likely help you to hone the actual title.

If you are shopping your book to a publisher, the working title can actually be as important as your proposed content. With so many of the hundreds of thousands of music books in print, there is a lot of redundancy. I find that similar topics get presented at the same time by independent authors. Like the invention of the automobile, ideas seem to be “in the air,” and multiple people pick up on them at the same time. Publishers will be looking for fresh takes on the material—hooks to make the reader say, “I want this book about guitar scales, and not those other ones.” A good title can have profound influence on this, and given similar proposals, a publisher will likely lean towards the one with the sexier title.

2. Audience

Once you have your working title, articulate as much as you can about your intended readers. What do they know, before they pick up the book? Can they read music? What scales can they play? Be specific. Among the most difficult aspects of writing (and teaching) is in making sure that everything you say is comprehensible. If you say “Dorian is like natural minor without a flat 6,” and your reader doesn’t know what natural minor is, your reader will lose heart and put your book down. Not every book must start with the Big Bang, work its way through the dinosaurs, and finally arrive at the first caveman who banged two rocks together and invented rhythm. But the prerequisite knowledge should be keenly in the author’s mind, and perhaps articulated in an introduction or quickly reviewed in a preliminary “basics” section.

I imagine several types of readers, and often have specific people in mind, as I write. For this article, I imagined four readers, to represent the types of readers likely to want to write books about music. The first is like my childhood piano teacher. She was a nice lady, who had taught for many years. Her style was to be disciplined about technique, and to hold recitals with extremely elegant cookies at the reception, afterwards. She’d be looking for an overall approach to writing, with anecdotes to provide a human element.

My next imagined reader is my first composition teacher, a philosopher and an compleat musician, who likely knows more about this subject matter than I do, but will scan it anyway, looking for useful tips.

Third would be my grouchy, much trod-upon high-school band director, who was very practical, suffered no fools, admired military precision, and would shout when the BS got too deep. From this article, he would want an academically sound, assessable system that yields a predictable outcome. And he wants to make a few bucks doing it.

Fourth would be an electric bass teacher I know at Berklee. He’s a nuts and bolts hip cat, always close to the thrill and party of playing music. He wouldn’t have the foggiest idea of how to write a book, and would only want to do it if it was fun and helped him “spread the love” of music.

By keeping these readers in mind—these people who would be likely to read this—I can make sure that they are all well served. The nice lady piano teacher would not feel included if I wrote too much about guitar effects. My band director wants precise directions about how to do it, so I will minimize content about “expressing your feelings” here. In this material, my rock bass player is likely to be least comfortable with the subject matter, and he will be much on my mind when I’m trying to make sure that I’m explaining the process simply, with ample preparation. At the same time, I need to keep my sage composer/academic from getting bored. So, articulating these characters helps keep me from losing my intended readership.

Note that I didn’t mention music engravers here who want to fine-tune the way their notation appears. Much as I like those people, this article is not intended for them, and I won’t waste any space in accommodating their needs, here. To do so would be distracting from my primary audience, and I don’t want to do that. But I can recommend my online Finale course to them… or a number of books they might purchase…

3. Objectives

With your audience articulated, it’s time to write a few sentences about the book. Fill in the blanks: “In this book, readers will learn to….” List five objectives the reader will accomplish.

In this article, readers learn to:

• focus their book concept

• address the needs of their readers

• organize their thoughts

• write an engaging, useful book

• overcome writer’s block

Think in terms of writing marketing text, to sell the book. What will your readers get? Why should they buy it? Don’t just list intended chapter titles. Frame this list in terms of benefits. It will become your constant assessment tool, throughout the writing process, to confirm that you’re covering your intended bases and not straying off topic.

4. Topics

The next step is to brainstorm a list of topics about your subject, whether you not you actually plan to discuss them in your book. The idea is to list everything necessary to do the tasks discussed in your book. Back to the book about guitar scales, you might list all scales you’d discuss, how to read notes and rhythms, how to tune a guitar, how to plug in an electric guitar, how to hold a pick—everything necessary and relevant to your subject. If they are going to be reading the scales, that means that they must know how to read traditional notation and it is a topic you should list. Take your time at this, and be complete. List topics even if you know that you are not going to actually teach them in your book. Knowing what’s needed will help you make sure that you are not losing your intended audience. Expect between 40 and 200 topics on this list. Less, and you should be more specific. More, and you will more likely be looking for a subset to actually include. More is better than less.

5. Sequence

Once you have your list, put the topics into the right sequence. Find the topics' dependencies on one another, sorting out the chickens and eggs. Before you present the Dorian mode, your reader must know what a “mode” is. More subtly, you may want to present major and minor scales first, as it will be easier to define “Dorian” in terms of these known structures, rather than starting from scratch.

6. Filter

When your list is in sequence, look again at your objectives. Do your topics support your bullets? If not, brainstorm and sequence some more. Are some topics beyond the scope of your bullets? Lightly cross them out; they are probably for a different book. Alternatively, update your objectives, if you are absolutely certain that the book would be improved by doing this. In this process, you will come up with a complete list of relevant, focused topics.

7. Cluster

With your sequence of topics in order, scan the list, and look for logical groupings of ideas. Name these groups, if possible. This could reveal to you your table of contents. Likely, you will omit some of the topics particularly at the list’s beginning and end. Again, these could go in a different book.

Then take a step back and admire your table of contents. It should be magnificent! The topics will be a complete rendering of your overall concept, in an order that flows naturally and intuitively. Your readers will be engaged because you are taking care of them so well. Your path will seem inevitable and correct.

This table of contents will be your roadmap and meditation, as you write your chapters.

8. Chapter Structure

When you know what you are going to write about, you are ready to figure out the format for each chapter. Chapter structure will depend on your content. Recurring chapter designs are often useful for books about technique, such as the book about guitar scales. Every chapter (or “lesson”) may conform to a similar structure. Every chapter in the guitar scale book, for example, might begin with an explanatory section in which a scale is presented, with suggested fingerings. Then there might follow a series of exercises. Finally, you might present an “etude,” in which the scale is used in a musical context. This is a common “template” for books about music technique: Theory, Practice, and Performance. Look at the music books on your bookshelves, and see if there are any such approaches that seem to work well. Web sites such as Berkleeshares.com offer free excerpts from many music books, and they are also a great resource for ideas about how to structure your own books.

If your book more text-based, rather than teaching physical techniques, you might still have some recurring structural elements. Chapters might begin with short conceptual introductions. They might end with “workshops” or “projects,” in which the reader can put the ideas to work. Generally, chapter lengths should be roughly consistent. About twelve to twenty pages is usually a good length for a chapter. Shorter, and the book can seem fragmented, though this certainly works well for some topics. Longer, and it can seem endless, and your reader might have a hard time digesting the material. Figure that after each chapter, the reader will put down the book, take a rest, and try to assimilate what they have just learned. Try to balance the length of your chapters, and don’t vary their length by more than 100% or so unless you are certain that it’s necessary.

In this way, your book will have a consistent rhythm. It will seem deliberately crafted, and in a way that makes your reader feel that you are looking out for their interests, and doing all that you can to help them understand your content.

With your table of contents and your chapter structure figured out, you will have a plan for your book, which you can then fill in with examples, explanations, and instructions. Don’t stray too far, and only modify the structures you’ve designed if you are certain that you are improving the book by doing so.

All this planning will help you stay on track, crafting content that is in support of your best ideas. You will find that “writers’ block” won’t hold you back because there is no longer a blank page to fill. Your structure will propel you forward, as topical suggestions are in front of you, which you know are in good service to your higher intentions.

You are then ready to write!

Jonathan Feist is the series editor of The Berklee Practice Method, co-author of its Teacher’s Guide, and editor of over 100 other books and online courses about music, technology, business, and culture. He teaches music online at Berkleemusic.com and presents seminars about writing. Jonathan holds bachelor's and master's degrees in composition from New England Conservatory of Music. He is Managing Editor of Berklee Press.

Developing a Small Rock Band/Jazz Combo Program

admin — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:41:18 -0700
Developing a Small Rock Band/Jazz Combo ProgramSchool music programs typically favor large ensembles. This way, one teacher can serve the needs of many students, which makes it a relatively feasible economic model for music education. However, this model does not support the needs of many student musicians who wish to learn instruments such as electric guitar, drum set, keyboards, and other instruments that are common in rock, jazz, and other contemporary styles. It also is impractical for school systems with too few students to complete a large ensemble.

Berklee College of Music has been teaching thousands of students every year to play in small bands, and offers a series of books called The Berklee Practice Method as a means of sharing with other institutions ways to incorporate small rock/jazz bands into their music programs, without placing too much strain on scarce resources. This series is designed to require as much or as little direction from a music director as desired, to be self-contained and flexible to a wide variety of organizations, while delivering high quality, well rounded music education that will prepare students for entry into college-level music programs. Students learn technique, theory, timing, improvisation, reading, and how to practice. Most of all, they learn how to listen to other members of the band, and to think creatively within a musical context.

Small music ensembles have many advantages over traditional larger ensembles. Institutional equipment and facility costs are lower, when compared to the cost of marching band uniforms, stables of tubas and double basses, and dedicated rooms large enough to accommodate a hundred students. While sound equipment is helpful to small band performances, it is not essential. A few microphones and a mixing board will help you achieve better balanced performances, but students’ own amps can work just fine as well. And small ensembles can perform at many school functions, such as dances, dinners, fundraising events, and others where a larger group would not be practical.

Here are two models for teaching bands in school music programs. The first is the kind of program that is easily implemented by the average school music teacher, who is likely to be busy with large ensemble programs, but wishes to bring other student musicians into the community of the school music program. It is based on independent study, and the teacher acts as a facilitator. The second model is how we do it at Berklee. These are opposite extremes, and there are many possibilities in between.

1. Independent Study. Students use their individual books to learn on their own. They practice their parts independently or with a private teacher. Then they meet regularly as a band to put the parts together and develop their own interpretations. The teacher acts as a facilitator and coach.

2. Berklee-Style Band Instruction. At Berklee College of Music, beginning-level ensemble classes are taught with a four-tiered system. All students in this program play one of four instruments: guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard.

a. Performance and Lecture. A faculty band of four musicians (bass, drums, guitar, and keyboard) performs the "tune of the week" to the students, who all gather together as a large group (usually sixteen to twenty students) to hear the lecture. The teachers take turns explaining what they were doing in their unique parts, and they discuss how their parts fit together and what they were trying to achieve together as a band.

b. Sections. Players of each instrument meet as a group to learn their parts. These are technical lessons, focused on performing specific tunes and performance practices.

c. Guided Rehearsals. Each band is coached by an instructor, as they work on their arrangement.

d. Independent Rehearsals. Each band meets together without a faculty member present, and works out the tunes on their own.

Twice every semester, the Berklee student bands perform for each other.

Most critical is that the teacher takes a step back from the role of being a traditional conductor. A goal of popular music styles is individual freedom of expression. The teacher should encourage students to be independent. Students should take turns being the "leader" on different tunes, counting them off, and developing unique arrangements. Encourage your students to create their own interpretations of each tune, and make this music their own.

Periodically, have your different student bands perform for each other. Have "battles of the bands," where several bands play.

Here are a few guidelines to help you begin your program.

Roles of Instruments

There are five essential instrument roles in a band. Different instruments can perform any of these roles.

1. Lead. Either a solo instrument or a vocalist. This role can include playing the written melody and improvising. Instruments frequently take turns performing in this role, and sometimes several instruments may perform it together.

2. Comping. Chordal accompaniment may be performed by any keyboard, rhythm guitar, or other multiphonic instrument, such as vibraphone. Sections of monophonic instruments can also perform this function as a group, but generally only when there are full written arrangements.

3. Bass. The bass grounds the tune’s harmonic framework. The bass line can be played by acoustic or electric bass, or by other instruments, such as keyboard or even tuba or baritone sax.

4. Percussion. Everyone in the band must feel the time, but the drum set or lead percussion player is the final arbiter. Generally, in most bands, this role is fulfilled by the drum set, sometimes with additional hand percussionists. In other styles, there may be a group of hand percussionists only.

5. Backgrounds. Background supporting melodic parts can be performed by any pitched instrument.

Each band generally has a leader, though this may change on different songs. It is the leader's role to set the starting tempo and to make arrangement decisions, such as who solos, and when. Have students take turns leading different tunes, and don't assume the role yourself, except in an advisory capacity, when necessary.

Setting Up

Set up your band physically so that everyone can see each other. Bass and drums should have an easy sightline, as should comping instruments (keyboard, rhythm guitar, etc.). The drums should be centrally located.

A sound system will give your band a lot more control over their sound balance. Ideally, every instrument should be uniquely miked, and plugged into a single mixing board. Balance the volumes from the perspective of the center of the hall. One set of speakers lets the band hear themselves; another set of speakers is turned at the audience.

What Students Should Know

Students will get the most out of The Berklee Practice Method if they have a basic capability on their instrument and basic music reading skills.

Specific requirements vary, depending on the instruments. Each instrument volume begins with a Basics section to review required topics.

Bass

Bassists should be able to read pitches and rhythms in bass clef. Tablature is provided for musicians who are less comfortable with traditional notation.

Drum Set

Drummers should be able to identify rhythmic notation. They should be able to play the basic rudiments. This series uses and recommends the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) standard of drum set notation.

Guitar

Guitarists should be able to read pitches and rhythms in treble clef. Tablature is provided for musicians who are less comfortable with traditional notation.

Keyboards

Keyboard players should be able to read pitches and rhythms in both treble and bass clef. They should be able to play several major scales and arpeggios.

Saxophones

Saxophone players should be able to read treble clef, including basic articulations. They should be able to play several major scales.

Trombone

Trumpet players should be able to read treble clef, including basic articulations. They should be able to play several major scales.

Trumpet

Trombone players should be able to read bass clef, including basic articulations. They should be able to play several major scales.

Vibraphone

Vibraphone players should be able to read treble clef. They should be able to play several major scales and arpeggios, and know the basic drum rudiments.

Violin

Violin players should be able to read treble clef, including basic articulations and bowings. They should be able to play several major scales.

Five Tips for Teaching Rock/Jazz Bands

1. Facilitate music making. Give students the facilities and organization that will help them succeed. Your students may only need a rehearsal space, assistance structuring their time, and occasional technical advice. Help them find performance venues and dates.

2. Encourage individual expression. Students should develop their own arrangements and interpretations to this music. Though this method offers many suggestions, if your students’ creative inclinations pull them in other constructive directions, help them in their explorations. If they wish to add vocals or a turntable part, and no volume exists for that instrument, encourage them to adapt these ideas, or develop new ones that will help them to be successful. If they wish to add a heavy metal edge to a swing tune, that’s fine—though encourage them to master the swing material first.

3. Know the material. Ideally, you should be able to fill in any part, if a student is not present. A basic MIDI setup, with some decent keyboard, bass, drum, and guitar sounds, will allow you to fill in. If you can play the actual instruments, that’s even better. If you do sit in with a band regularly, avoid assuming the role of the conductor. This kind of music is about collaborating equally.

4. Be supportive. Provide the right amount of support. Let students lead as much as possible. Give them the responsibility for counting off, deciding the order of solos, and creating their own parts. Step in only when it is necessary to keep them productive and safe.

5. Listen. Recognize playing music as an opportunity for creative freedom, and understand that they will try to articulate what is important to them, in this music. Give them the tools and techniques to communicate.

A small-ensemble program can bring a fun, inclusive dimension to your school’s music program, and it can serve a community of students that has traditionally not been well integrated into formal music education. The Berklee Practice Method offers a well-rounded, time-tested curriculum that will help you to launch such a program in your own school.

Jonathan Feist is the series editor of The Berklee Practice Method, co-author of its Teacher’s Guide, and editor of over 100 other books and online courses about music, technology, business, and culture. He teaches music online at Berkleemusic.com and presents seminars about writing. Jonathan holds bachelor's and master's degrees in composition from New England Conservatory of Music. He is Managing Editor of Berklee Press.

How To Rehearse Your Band

admin — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 14:24:32 -0700
How To Rehearse Your Band
There are many ways that bands rehearse, and how you are rehearsing may vary, depending on your goals—both long and short term. Clarity on your rehearsal goals will help clarify your band’s collective sense of direction, and help you all get on the same page. Bad rehearsal practices will likely lead some members to feeling that this time is unproductive and that the band is going in the wrong direction. Good rehearsal practices will bring your band to its highest level, and everyone will have a clear sense of what you’re working towards.

Planning is the key to productive rehearsals. Everyone in your band should arrive ready to contribute. Every tune needs an advocate, and if that’s your role, you should distribute charts or recordings in advance, so that everyone has time beforehand to work out a part that’s appropriate for their instrument. (To learn more about developing instrument-appropriate parts, check out The Berklee Practice Method series [Berklee Press, 2000 to 2004]).

Communicate your rehearsal goals in advance by circulating a list describing what you want to accomplish. To help you create a realistic plan, figure that after about three hours, it’s time to stop rehearsing, and in a three-hour session, you can expect to be able to work up two or possibly three new tunes. If you must get through more material than that, take at least a half hour break between three-hour sessions. Everyone should break at least for a few minutes every hour or so. Singers and wind players require more frequent breaks. Overplaying can lead them to injury, which can takes weeks or longer to heal. Let them sit out or mark (play quietly, leaving out notes), if the rest of the band wants to press on, specify two different times for the rehearsal: the time when the space will become available for setup and the “downbeat” or start time, when the band should be ready to begin playing. Anyone who needs extra time up front should arrive early. Drummers need extra time to set up, as will whoever is recording the session. Ornery acoustic string instruments (guitars, banjos, mandolins, acoustic basses) need time to adjust to the room conditions so that their tuning stabilizes. Brass players need some time to warm up their lips. Everyone should be aware of how much time they need before the rehearsal begins, and should plan accordingly, so that they are not intruding on other band members’ time.

Some bands like to begin rehearsals by jamming on an easy groove over a blues or other simple form, or by playing a tune you all know well. Warm up your ax and your fingers. Musically, say hello to your bandmates. Do this for fifteen minutes or so, and then get down to business. This is fun, so beware of jamming for too long at the expense of accomplishing more critical business.

Plan on about two or three hours for your regular rehearsals. Take a short break halfway through, and be sure to have some drinks and snacks on hand, to keep people from wandering away from the premises and taking too much time in getting back. No alcohol, please, unless having fun making noise is more important to your band than doing focused, productive, and thoughtful work.

Record your sessions. Some bands like to record the whole session, and others prefer to record just the “final performances” of each tune. You don’t have to get too fancy. Just a general room mic or two and a tape recorder or laptop is fine. You just want a record of your arrangement and groove decisions, and give everyone something to practice with afterwards. Ideally, you should distribute these recordings to everyone in the band shortly after the rehearsal. Recording to a computer and converting to MP3 makes distributing files easy. If recording is your responsibility, set up the recording gear before the band shows up. The goal is to make productive use of everyone’s time, so don’t let the recording process get in the way of this.

Let’s look at some types of rehearsals and when they are appropriate. Many rehearsals contain elements from several of these paradigms, but considering each of these types and where they lead can help you make sure you’re working towards your big-picture goals.
1. The Jam Session
Jam sessions involve playing through a lot of music, and generally, not reworking anything very much. They sometimes have the feel of informal performances.

Though on the surface, they might seem like playing “just for fun,” jam sessions actually serve many functions. They can be opportunities to invent new grooves, to work on your band’s overall sound, to practice communicating with each other, to audition a lot of new material, or to just have fun playing music. They can be good opportunities to stretch your musical imagination, to build some calluses on your fingers, and to finally test out that crazy idea that probably won’t work but might actually turn out great. It’s fast-paced, and mistakes don’t really matter. It’s about vibe and birds-eye views. Having a barbeque? Invite your band over to jam.

For jam sessions to be most productive, all participants need to be able to follow the music. This means that the tunes must be known or easily picked up on the spot by everyone. You might want to pass out some music in advance, unless the session’s purpose is to run through tunes that everyone knows really well, just to brush up on them before a performance. Otherwise, you may find yourselves just playing campfire songs, rather than tunes you really should be learning.

If you are planning to host a jam session and you want it to be more than just a social occasion, distribute lead sheets or recordings at least a few days beforehand. Have extra copies at the session. If you are going to play at a jam session, do what you can to make sure you know the tunes. Always have some solo ideas and background licks in your back pocket, playable in any key and in any style. This should be a goal of your private practice. Whatever your instrument, try to be ready to play the melody, comp chords or play backgrounds, and play a bass line. Jam sessions aren’t so much about practice as reinforcement or experimentation, so do your homework before you begin. Some jams include some sight-reading, particularly if a resident songwriter wants to test out some new ideas. Really, anything goes. They are usually friendly and forgiving, but sometimes can take on a competitive edge too.

Some bands only jam. Jamming is all of the fun of music and none of the hard work. This is fine, unless you are trying to evolve your skills to where you can play gigs. Jamming isn’t about addressing the details or making polished performances. When that’s what you need to do, it’s time to woodshed.
2. Woodshedding

Woodshedding or “working out” is the opposite of jamming; it means practicing and working up songs, creating interpretations, polishing parts, and getting ready to perform or record. It is a focused and structured form of rehearsal.

Again, everyone should have their parts before the session, and arrive ready to play. If you’re covering a tune by another band, everyone should have a recording of the original in advance of the rehearsal, and should have worked out their part, copying the original as precisely as how you want. Avoid lengthy working out of individual parts when the whole band is together, as it wastes everyone else’s time. A little bit of this is often critical, when fine-tuning a groove or an arrangement, but try to minimize it. Individual preparation beforehand will make your rehearsals more productive.

If you’re working up an original tune or arrangement, the songwriter/arranger might distribute a “scratch” recording beforehand, giving the band an idea about tempos, grooves, and so on. Ironing this out prior to the rehearsal will make better use of everyone’s time.

Here are a few ways to approach learning a new tune.

a. Begin with the chorus. Choruses are often easier to perform than verses, and since they keep coming back, while you’re rehearsing the rest of the tune, you can always “come home,” after you get lost.

b. Find the hardest part. Slow down the tempo, rehearse it over and over until you can play it correctly, and only then, speed it up. Then, find the next hardest part.

It often helps to have just a couple instruments rehearse a section in isolation, such as just guitar/keyboard or bass/drums, without the distractions of the rest of the band. Sometimes, hearing someone else’s part can help you clarify what you should be doing yourself. And sometimes, solo practice is necessary.

Don’t get too bogged down by a particularly difficult part, though. Sometimes, you need to say “Gotta work this out at home,” and move on. If the part is still too difficult, then it might need to be simplified. That’s better than having it break apart during a performance.

If you are sitting out while others are working out a part, follow along silently, hearing your own part in your head and feeling it in your hands. Silently finger the keys or strings, mouth the lyrics, or play air drums. Stay present.

c. Run through a section, and then stop. Were there any train wrecks? Focus on fixing them. Why did the wreck occur? Is there a confusing rhythm? Is someone else lost and confusing you by playing the wrong thing? Is the arrangement too repetitive, so that people are losing their place? It might be appropriate for the drummer to add a fill (even if it’s just a quick hit or two) to help clarify the form. Try to pinpoint the problem’s source and address it.

d. Once the band can make it all the way through the complete song form, discuss the arrangement. How many choruses will you play? Is there an intro? An ending? A bridge? Will someone solo? If you’re running a rehearsal, bring some extra pens and paper, to make sure that everyone can write down the arrangement decisions. If there are lyrics, make sure that everyone has a copy, even if they are not singing. Lyrics help people remember the arrangement and keep their place.

e. Work up the tune so that you can play it through without any major mistakes. Practice it slower, if you need to. Speed it back up when you can all play it perfectly at a slower tempo. Work towards ending the rehearsal by playing a performance-ready version of it, start to finish.

Don’t spend too long woodshedding a single tune. After an hour or so, record it and move on to the next tune. That will keep your rehearsal from becoming stale and frustrating.
3. The Dress Rehearsal

Before the first performance of new material, hold a dress rehearsal to run through all the tunes and do any last-minute housecleaning.

Organize your sets. Then play the tunes as if you’re performing. Don’t stop, whatever happens. Debrief after the tune. How did it go? Were there any train wrecks? If so, why did it happen? Was it just a fluke, or is there a fixable source of confusion?

Is someone going to speak to the audience, introducing a tune, or telling an anecdote? Have them practice, at the dress rehearsal. Who will introduce the band? Who will say, “Thanks everyone, good night, and don’t forget to pick up our CD on your way out!” It’s time to settle these questions.

You want this rehearsal to be just like the actual performance. It’s a time for refreshing your memories and looking for any lingering imperfections, but not for learning anything new. That’s what your earlier rehearsals are for.

The cliché “a bad dress rehearsal means a great performance” often holds true, but try to have a great dress rehearsal anyway.
4. The Backstage Brush-Up

Ideally, the dress rehearsal will be on a different day than the performance. It might be necessary, though, to brush up on the day of the performance—even a short time before you go on stage.

Brush-up rehearsals serve to refresh your memory and ensure clarity/consensus about form and such, not to learn anything new. It’s about song order, remembering arrangements, warming up, and discussing any last-minute changes.

If a backstage brush-up is necessary, avoid playing through the entire tunes. Play the intro, maybe once through the form, and then the ending. Review the arrangement. Take it easy. Conserve your energy.

A Typical Rehearsal Plan

Here’s how a typical rehearsal might actually work out. Say we’re going to rehearse Wednesday night. Start time is at 7:30, but the room is open at 6:00.

Monday
Band gets e-mail reminder of Wednesday rehearsal, specifying that it will cover the two tunes handed out at the previous rehearsal.
Downbeat is set for 7:30, but the room will be open by 6:00.
Wednesday
6:15 Everyone is done with dinner and on the way to the rehearsal.
6:30 Guitarist (bandleader) arrives early to set up. He puts the snacks somewhere, then tunes his three guitars.
Then he sets up his laptop, which he will use to record the session.
Drummer arrives and sets up.
7:15 Bass, keyboard, trombone, and vocalist arrive, plug in, and warm up.
7:30 Everyone jams over a blues form.
7:45 Woodshedding begins on the first tune.
9:00 Record first tune, then break.
9:15 Woodshed second tune.
10:15 Record second tune, pass out new lead sheets for next rehearsal, and set the time.
Jam a little bit on one of the new tunes and ask some questions.
10:45 Band packs up and leaves.
Friday
Bandleader e-mails the two MP3s from the rehearsal.

By understanding the different forms of rehearsal, you will go into them understanding what your goals should be and how you can best prepare to make the time fruitful.

Productive rehearsals depend on everyone having respect for everyone else’s time. Arrive prepared, organize your session, and focus on the business at hand. Have clearly defined goals that support your band’s overall goals.

Good rehearsals are key to your band’s success, so be protective of this special time, and be deliberate in making it productive.

Jonathan Feist is the series editor of The Berklee Practice Method, co-author of its Teacher’s Guide, and editor of over 100 other books and online courses about music, technology, business, and culture. He teaches music online at Berkleemusic.com and presents seminars about writing. Jonathan holds bachelor's and master's degrees in composition from New England Conservatory of Music. He is Managing Editor of Berklee Press.

ABA 2008: “Advertising in the Converged World” – Panel on Merchandising and Licensing – Capturing Customers

matt — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:46:09 -0800
ABA 2008: “Advertising in the Converged World” – Panel on Merchandising and Licensing – Capturing CustomersIn this panel discussion held at 2008 meeting of the American Bar Association’s Sports & Entertainment Forum, the panelists discuss how major media companies are working to capture the attention of viewers, users and customers, and how they are attempting to cross-collateralize their properties so as to get the most marketing effect out of one viewer experience. They also question how to be sure that your marketing buys are effective when unlicensed copies of your content are so often available in the wild, and discuss new technologies in tracking consumer reactions to content.