Developing a

Successful Rehearsal
(Vocal and Instrumental)

Be Prepared Have A Plan

Your text gives a great 12-step method for preparation:
1. Pray
7. Review/Mark Tricky Timing
2. Get the Music Ready
8. Identify Words Needing
3. Confirm Song Tempos
Special Pronunciation
4. Confirm Arrangements
9. Practice the Harmony Parts Too!
5. Choose Intro
10. Know the Dynamics
6. Play Through Transitions:
11. Play/Sing through Playlist
w/in songs, Segues (sew): 12. Prepare Final Playlist for Team
between songs, Modulations
make Lead Sheets, mp3, Etc.

Be Prepared Rehearsal Order

Be Prepared
Start on Time! End on time!
Begin and/or end with prayer
Be organized during the rehearsal
Keep it moving - Have little or no down time
Plan ahead for special services
Christmas, Easter, etc.
Break the monotony Change things up

Be Prepared Rehearsal Order

Warm-ups: vocals
Breathing exercises, Diction exercises, Scales, Vocalizing
exercises
Buy a book, find on internet
Warm-ups: Instrumental
Scales (choose scale of hardest key signature of playlist),
Intonation, Breathing/support (long tones)
Rhythm Exercises
Play various rhythms on each scale tone
Take a difficult rhythm from playlist - play on each scale tone

Be Prepared Rehearsal Order

Easiest song first
Great way to continue warm-ups
Use as warm-up if no time for proper warm-up
exercises.
Starts out rehearsal on a POSITIVE note
Builds confidence
The next easiest song on the playlist
Build momentum and more confidence

Be Prepared Rehearsal Order

Work on the hardest song next
Confidence is built We can do this!
Work on the next hardest song
Rehearse remaining songs as you see fit
Know what song(s) to cut if rehearsal goes long
Spend 10 to 20 minutes per song more time on newer songs
Dont get bogged down.
If a song is giving you trouble put it away Bring it back later
in the rehearsal or next week.

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Explain goals of practice
Be enthusiastic/positive/compliment
Dont motivate with guilt or negativity
A familiar song that youve done before would make a
good first song for rehearsal
Try not to do much correcting in the first song
Remember youre trying to build confidence!
If you hear a major problem clean it up quickly or
clean it up later

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

If they know the song well, rehearse only the troubled
spots from the last performance
You can run through the whole song later
Rehearse modulations, transitions and segues (sews)
If you are running through a song, try to make it all the
way through w/o stopping.
This is true in vocal and instrumental music
You can go back and clean-up spots later

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Cleaning-up troubled spots
If a note, measure or phrase is giving you trouble,
independently clean it up - sing it for them have them sing
it back clap rhythm - It may take several tries to get it right.
Dont run the song from the top of the song or the chorus and
expect to correct the mistake.
Drill down to the exact problem
Once it is mastered by itself, add the measure/phrase before
Dont enforce mistakes by continuing to allow them to be
played/sang wrong.

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Teaching choir by rote
If you need, play or have someone play the parts as you sing
Teach one phrase at a time to each part use hand signals
to show pitches
Sop, Alto, ladies sing together, Tenor, bass, all together
Keep the teaching of parts moving so they cant talk have
them stand/sit
Have sections sing their part softly as youre teaching
Have them sing a cappella
LISTEN!

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Running songs
Give good signals Musicians/singers should know
what your signals mean
Chorus, verse, bridge, unisons and parts
Get DYNAMIC Pull out of them what you want!
Emphasize using diaphragm, opening mouth,
dropping jaw, support, etc.
Conducting should match the style of the song
Dont sing along mouth words

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

If needed, reinforce transitions, segues (sews) and

modulations
If time, run the songs in order just like you will in
service
Include segues (sews) between songs
Try not to stop!

The Disastrous Rehearsal/Song

Know when to put a song away
Go to another song in playlist or replace with an old
standby to build back confidence
Have songs to fall back on just in case
Simplify song on the fly
Unisons, simplify chords, rhythms etc.
Dont let them leave on a downer
STAY POSITIVE! PRAY LATER!

Dos and Donts

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Your text has some great ideas heres a few:

Dont Motivate w/ Guilt
No Marathon Rehearsals
Correct the mistakes dont enforce
Keep remarks brief
Dont use funky keyboard sounds to teach parts
Have singers warm-up on their own
Run separate instrumental/vocal rehearsals then
combine Run sectionals Good for new songs!

Dos and Donts

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Heres a few others:

Concentration & Repetition builds deep ruts
Always compliment success
Thats why they call it Practice
Performers should be ATTENTIVE during practice and service
Challenge with patience
Choose songs best suited for your group keep them fresh
and relevant to your situation
7. Worship while rehearsing

Dos and Donts

8. If you goof Apologize
9. Theyre volunteers dont force, its not their main
agenda
10. Get them to buy into the churchs (music
departments) vision
11. Take the low road
12. Respect them time, feelings, ideas
13. Know the difference between perfection and reality!

Dos and Donts

14. Everybody will not be punctual Just remind and
emphasize
- Attendance strictness who will you hurt when
they have to be kicked out? them, church,
choir?
15. You set lots of rules who will break them? your
best people!

The Spiritual Side

PROFESSIONALISM MUST BE MIXED WITH
SPIRITUALITY!
Your singers/musicians are Levites, theyre priests
Peoples lives must be touched or its all in vain
Any song can be effective if its seasoned with
worship
You are a servant!
Mentor, develop, relationships, be loving, be caring
You are helping people to get to heaven!