Group Evaluation:
At the time, we thought our performance here was the best we’d done so far. Looking back, there are many things we could work on and some that sound close to perfected. We had a strong understanding of the structure, even without the singers, and performed in a way that was energetic and the much needed enthusiasm during the chorus was starting to develop. Some small mistakes were still being made in the lead guitar part and the tone for one of the guitars in the introduction could have been less harsh as to ease the band into the song. Our tambourine was very inconsistent throughout the song, but our drummer played a very steady beat, although it’s still a bit fast, allowing us to stay in time. A dynamic shift was played during and at the end of the chorus! A steady crescendo occurred throughout the chorus while the verse returned to moderate volume. This rehearsal was unfortunately interrupted but the main sections of the song were covered and band confidence was starting to become evident.
Personal Evaluation:
The lack of emotion throughout the entire song results in a dull, repetitive bass part that should really be taking the spotlight similar to how it does in the original. In comparison to now, where I hold the root notes in the introduction for as long as logically possible and move along with the beat, the effort and thought put into this rehearsal sounded minimal. I missed the first note and quite a few closer to the end but this was likely due to being distracted by Eric walking into the room. I missed the first bar of the first chorus by playing the wrong part which was due to not knowing the structure accurately without singers. I corrected this by purposely rehearsing with and without singers multiple times each to memorise it without having to rely on other band members.
Group Evaluation:
Despite missing both vocalists and keys, we maintained a steady rhythm and had a bpm of 87, which isn’t too far off of the original 80 bpm. To fix this, we need to individually practice to a bpm of 80 and perform together with the same strategy. Clear variation was shown between sections, even though we were mostly relying on vocals to indicate when the chorus started. Our practice was cut short since the group before us left late and the group after us showed up early. Our overall confidence as a band has definitely improved. Two out of the five people there were now standing, improving our image. If the whole band was there that day, the majority of the band would be standing, portraying confidence.
Personal Evaluation:
I learnt the complex bass part and performed one loop of it here. Now, my part is closer to the original by far. My rhythm was good and I had been given a guitar strap by another band member in order to stand confidently while performing. I need to work on the transition from the verse to the chorus to make it as smooth as possible.