Resources » One Way of Working out your Repertoire by David Morgan

One Way of Working out your Repertoire by David Morgan

There are of course lots of ways that bands work out what they will play. For most inexperienced bands it involves starting heaps of songs and never finishing them for a few reasons. Usually one of the following:

¨       Someone doesn’t want to play it
¨       The song is too hard
¨       It is not the right style for the band
¨       It doesn’t suit the singer’s voice.

Here’s a way you can minimise that effect and make some real progress in quick time.

In your own time make a list of 10 songs you would like to perform. Write them down in your diary/journal/music book or whatever you use to manage your musical endeavours.

Listen to each song carefully. Visualize your band performing the song and answer the following questions.

1.   Will it suit the singers voice?
2.   Is each musicians part within their capabilities?
3.   Does it suit your band image?

Pick only the five that would best suit your band. Write them down on a fresh page.

Record the songs onto a single CD.
Find the lyric sheet and any tablature or chord charts you can. Print them out and put into a folder with the CD.

Meet with your band outside of rehearsal time to listen to each member’s CD. If you haven’t all done this go back to step one until you work out who it is that is holding you back and fire them and get someone who wants to play in a band.

Make sure you have paper and pens to make notes with and discuss each track as you go.
Each member should score the song on suitability.

Eg.

Keith Charlie Ronnie Mick TOTAL

Satisfaction 5 5 4 3 17

Crazy Frog 5 1 5 1 12

Etc ....

Add totals for each song and write the Top Ten on a fresh page.

These are the songs that you could all learn.

Now make copies of the tab/chords/lyrics etc for each player and burn a CD with the TOP 10 on for each player.
Every member will now have the same 10 songs on disc with lyrics and chord charts at least.

Learn them. If you have picked songs at the right level you should be able to learn your parts in your own time (hopefully about 2 songs per week) and when the band regroups it will be a case of rehearsing together.

If someone has not learnt their songs go back a step and meet again. It will only be so long before they will learn their parts or you will get sick of waiting for them and fire them so you can find someone who truly does want to play in a band.