Our intro here was steady, but it sounds like collectively we’re unsure of what we’re doing and don’t have much confidence as this was our first recorded run-through, and we need Nic’s guidance constantly to know where we are. With practice, this shouldn’t be an issue after a while.
Our levels sounded very off in comparison to other people, notably myself and Luke’s volumes. I think we should have paid closer attention to that while playing and attempted to adjust, though my tone was also too bass-y, so that would have needed changing too. Alternatively, the rest of the band could have brought the volume down so we were more balanced.
On the topic of dynamics, we could have a lot more variation as a band as a whole with Ollie leading us to let solos and lead parts shine when they need by quieting down and raising again coming out of solos. This is something that can be planned out and practiced rather than spontaneously performed on the day of performance.
Already the solos are interesting, but accompaniment is overpowering in places and needs to be focused on by all of us to ensure we’re not doing too much altogether and the solos have space. This can also be practiced, we just need to take note of when solos are happening and make a mental note of what we’re doing at that point, and to change it if it is too much.
Robert’s tone here was harsh and overpowering in contrast to the rest of the band. I feel as though a balanced tone focused more on the bass-y side is more appropriate, but not too much bass or it will sound muddy. His solo also didn’t fit quite right due to note bending and his natural style, which could be changed by simply sliding instead of bending and leaving space for breathers and development.
Albert’s timing with his solo was a bit off at times but overall it sounded good. I think this solo also needed breathers and held notes to fit the style more. I think a piano solo in this song will sound really good with just a bit more space and room for development.
One thing I want to try is variating my part by mixing up the strumming pattern and learning to emphasise it properly, which is something that will probably be discussed in instrumental lessons and I can experiment at home.
The ending needs rehearsing a lot more, but how we did the ending was a new idea in the moment. Our timing needs to improve for the ending, too. This will change and feel more comfortable with practice.
We played the intro with much more confidence here and it sounded a lot cleaner than last rehearsal and steadier. This is probably due to having more practice at this point.
In general, this was a pretty average run-through, as there are many points that we could work on, starting with some timing issues since we keep speeding up through songs and end up playing faster than what we started with. This is something Ollie could work on, since we’re all following him, but we could also try slow it down as a group so Ollie knows we’re going too fast and will match us. At the moment, we’re being signalled and told by Nic to slow it down.
Dynamic variation is really important to variate it and make the song more interesting overall since it’s repeating a lot beneath solos. We’re not doing great with this at the moment and need drums to lead us as drums will be most noticeable if some big dynamic changes happen. There was a point after the bass solo that we picked it up a bit, it would have been nice if this was for a bit longer.
We’re more dynamically balanced as a band here and each part is clearly audible besides myself still, since I had very little confidence this day and ended up leaving before the session was finished due to the confidence issue. This isn’t something I can work on, it was a one-off and had no cause. I messed up a lot and barely played in some parts.
The lead sounded slightly hesitant but overall sounded good and the solos sounded more confident. Robert’s solo still didn’t really fit due to note bending and it sounded like he might have fell out of key at one point.
Single strum chords at the start of where each chord should be would sound good during Ethan’s bass solo if he is doing a second chorus, it would be a nice way to introduce the rest of the band back in and add emphasis to the structure of the chord sequence and all the changes Ethan is playing in accordance to what he thinks sounds good in relation to the chords changing and the key change.
Our outro was a lot better than last time but we still need to work on the last repeating line with slowing down all together and in time so it sounds collected and clean.
This is a rehearsal I wasn’t here for but it’s still good to evaluate the band as a whole so I can see where everyone is at and what structural ideas are being put forward.
The intro was smooth and introduced each instrument pleasantly, it didn’t sound too boisterous or overwhelming.
Robert’s vocals sound strained as he doesn’t feel comfortable going down an octave, but it would be much easier for him if he did. I think rehearsing along to a recording and experimenting with his range would help him feel more comfortable with singing lower, and he also needs to listen to how it would compare to the original.
Dynamically this song felt a bit flat on this run-through due to not much variation happening on drums. Nic suggested we play this song in a more lively way than the original and without the semitone rise each repeated phrase, so the drums have to have more going on and more dynamic variation.
The solos that were played sounded clear and like they fit. Everyone seems to be becoming more comfortable with solos in general, which is really good and I’m sure they’ll sound good, or even better than they do now, over the next few weeks.
The guitar tones sounded a bit harsh to me but that might just be because I’ve become used to mellow and soft guitar tones in rehearsals.
It sounds like everyone got lost structurally when the bass solo came in, as well as coming out of it. I’m guessing this is just because they weren’t sure on when Ethan’s bass solo was, but this will be properly organised and discussed in future rehearsals.
Overall, this sounded like a good session for experimentation but the group needs to work on the structure and where solos are going. It also feels a bit longer than it needs to be, like it drags out. This might be because of the lack of dynamic variation, so the dynamics need to be a bit more interesting since it feels flat. It also feels like the tempo is a bit fast and everyone is struggling to keep up or the drums are behind a little bit. Either that or the drums are speeding up as the song goes on.
The intro in this one sounds good, particularly with the new practiced ideas on drums and steady introduction with bass and the piano and guitar playing tbe same thing until the lead comes in.
Everyone’s tone / sound was fitting and made the whole song feel coherent and warm. The song sounds like it is supposed to sound warm and calm, I think we did well with creating this intended effect. Bass overpowered other instruments a little bit but that might have just been how the iPad picks it up. Ethan also got lost with where we’re repeating what when going into the solos and I think he went onto the second pattern rather than staying on the first, so Nic had us start from just before the guitar solo so we could remember where we were supposed to be switching. I think I got lost with the same thing later in the song, just before Ethan’s solo, so I need to ensure I don’t zone out and can stay focused.
I think the part I’m playing is fairly balanced and is intended to just add texture and rhythmic variation, so the frequency at which I’m playing is okay and the pattern variation is fine. I could experiment with this more, but it is okay as it is and does sound good.
Everyone’s solos were really good. Albert’s solo sounded like it had a good amount of space to grow with, but he might’ve gotten lost with moving onto the second part of a chorus with the key change.
Our intro for Blue Bossa is sounding really well organised now and it sounds more interesting, it introduces the mood well and the speed is fairly consistent and sets a good pace for the whole band. It feels like it does speed up due to drums speeding up during Isobel’s solo, but it isn’t massively noticeable.
I got lost with the strumming pattern moving into the first verse because the intro is a different pattern to normal, and I play it louder than what I would in the first verse. I need to remember the strumming pattern, maybe by correlating someone else’s pattern with what I am and aren’t playing on each beat. I also stopped due to a hand cramp, so I need to keep an eye on what is comfortable and what isn’t and avoid movements that will cause wrist and palm pain.
Though my volume wasn’t overpowering Isobel during her solo, I should be cautious of what I’m playing and how I can let her solo shine and where I can put emphasis on my strumming pattern to do this.
Everyone’s solos are sounding a lot more confident than when we started, meaning they might have practiced improv or studied the scales they can play in and what sounds good to them, as well as how to accommodate to the key changes.
Moving back into the main melody after Ethan’s solo sounded smooth, but something wasn’t quite right during the solo. I think it’s because Ollie was trying to hear what Nic was saying and whether or not he was stopping us to talk.
Our outro needs rehearsing, I don’t think we were 100% confident on where we were stopping or how we were doing it, though we were thrown off a little bit by being told to play the last four bars four times round instead of three times. The second time we played it was a bit better but I think keys overdid it or everyone else didn’t do enough. Either way, it sounded unbalanced.
Our intro for Sunny in this rehearsal sounds disorganised due to the guitars sounding a little bit hesitant when coming in and I wasn’t completely sure of when I was supposed to be coming in, but this will be fine in future because there will be a discussion on structure.
The lead part that I’m playing isn’t loud enough as the song progresses during the first few bars following the intro, so I need to keep my attention on the levels since this is something that I often don’t pick up on until it’s too late or I struggle to adjust it accurately while I’m playing. Also, I need to learn the chords to accompany everyone else’s solos. It looks like I’m not sure about the order in which everyone is taking a solo or for how long, so I need to ask about this before our next rehearsal or use the rehearsal videos to note what the structure is like.
Albert’s solo sounded too crowded and like there was too much going on in the repetition part, but it otherwise sounded really good. We should drop back more during Ethan’s bass solo to make sure he is heard and noticed, at the moment everything is a bit too much and not enough focus is on him during his solo.
I messed up the outro due to being absent from the last rehearsal, which is when I think the outro was organised. It’s fairly simple now that I know how it has been planned, so I just have to remember this for the next rehearsal.
Blue Bossa:
The intro had some issues, the G before moving into the verse was too early from some people, so we should focus on rehearsing that part and making sure we’re all in time.
Isobel stumbled on the start of her solo but did really well following that. We played into Ethan’s solo accidentally, this is probably a misunderstanding of structure.
It sounds like we’re thrown off by having a different drummer, because we’re used to Ollie doing certain things. This might be why we were struggling with the structure more than usual.
There were some timing issues as a whole band before the last set of bars where the lead plays. Our ending was good, the keys playing rhythmically in the outro sounded harsh, I think it would have sounded smoother having the last chords held instead..
Sunny:
I think I was slightly too quiet for this song but I feel as though I played consistently and clearly with minimal mistakes throughout the song. The rest of the band’s levels were good and sounded decently balanced.
The drums were more interesting and more impactful this time, it would be nice to have similar on the day of performance but it’s a little bit too close to performance day to change much.
I needed to work on accompaniment at this point and learning the chords to play with confidence, but this was covered in an instrumental lesson the day after this rehearsal.
There were some nice solo ideas overall, keys sounded a bit slow and quiet but it was cool to use parts of the original lead in some bits so it links clearly.
The bass solo should probably be left by itself with drums until the second half at least, where we could play stabs for impact and to link it back so re-introducing the rest of the band is less harsh.
Our ending sounded good but was repeated too many times.
All Blues:
Our intros are generally sounding really good and they are planned to slowly introduce each instrument most of the time, besides Blue Bossa which is intentionally impactful and quick to start with. Our levels are all good, it sounds like we’re all fairly equal so everyone is easily heard.
Ethan and Albert had some issues moving too quickly and changing key early, this will have been a structural understanding issue so rehearing when the switches happen and watching these videos back will help.
Our outro sounded really good with the fade-out, it’s subtle and sounds well-rehearsed. No one stands out during the outro which is how it should be.
The tempo throughout this song feels really quite fitting and there isn’t any indication that we cold be rushing. This means the sound overall is very mellow and calm.
The melody is able to shine throughout meaning the levels are all good.
I get lost at some points. I think this might just be because I’m way too relaxed and keep zoning out, so I should be aware of this for the performance in order to stay aware.
When it comes to Isobel’s solo, we needed to drop down a little bit because as a band we overpowered her a bit. Drums were good to change when her solo started but it would have been nice for them to be a little bit louder.
The ending is sounding really good, but I haven’t remembered that last chord and I really should in order to emphasise the higher end of that chord. At the moment I’m playing G major but only on E and A as I forget how to play a G6.
We decided on an order as a group for what songs we’re playing when prior to a full setlist rehearsal. This is that order:
