The Woodshed
What to work on before the next rehearsal. Fresh goals land here the day after every YBN Connect.
Come ready to rock
The biggest thing you can do: know how the whole song goes, start to finish. Give the songs a real listen this week, learn the chords and the road map (when the chorus comes in, when the bridge hits), and feel when to get big and when to pull back and play soft, especially on You Are The Best Thing. Knowing the whole song beats knowing a few cool parts. Then the little things: tune up every time you practice, singers warm up before you arrive, and bring something you have worked on. Rehearsal is where we run the songs together, and that is when it really starts to sound like a band.
Work on for November 14.
This month we are focused on two songs: the Stevie Wonder medley and You Are The Best Thing. Work them at home and in your weekly lessons, so the two hours together are for playing, not starting from scratch.
Our first show is Friday, November 20 at White Light Night. That is the YBN Connect debut, so the two songs we are working on this month are the ones we take to the stage. Let's make it count.
I Wish → Superstition
Stevie Wonder
Two funk classics run together, and one of your two band songs this month. Bass, you already own these parts, keep them tight. For now everyone works their primary instrument; who plays keyboards on the Stevie tunes is still being sorted.
Aim for funky and locked, not note-perfect.
Play along · stem mixer
Guitar tutorials
You Are the Best Thing
Ray LaMontagne
Warm, horn-driven soul, and your other band song this month. Everyone learns it on their main instrument. No dedicated piano part yet, so keys players pick a lane that supports the groove.
Get the feel first: it lives in the pocket, not in the notes.
Listen
Watch · Doug's walkthroughs (start here)
Play along · stem mixer
Guitar tutorials
Bass tutorials
We are not splitting into home bands just yet. For now everyone learns both songs together. Next month we start forming home bands: who plays what, and with whom, as the group settles in.
We are not playing these note for note off the charts. Listen to the songs, get a feel for the groove, learn the chord progressions, then make your own little parts and ostinatos (short, repeating musical phrases) where they fit. It does not have to be strictly by the book.
Lock a solid foundation first, then add your own riffs and instrumentation that make it your band's version.
Everyone learns both songs. First goal: get them running. Then: dial in the details below.
Bass
You already learned and performed the I Wish / Superstition medley, so refresh those parts with the camp video and keep them tight. You Are The Best Thing still needs real work, so give it solid attention too.
Keyboards
Keyboard parts for the Stevie tunes are still being decided. For now everyone plays their primary instrument. Kate and Jackson are both open to hopping on keyboards, more on that soon.
Drums
The parts do not have to be exact, but the feel has to be right for each song. Superstition: a 16th-note hi-hat half-time feel with a downbeat groove on the choruses. You Are The Best Thing: drive the snare on 1, 2, 3, 4 in the intro and choruses, cross-stick on 2 and 4 in the verses, and add fills that match what the other sections are playing.
Guitars
On You Are The Best Thing, nail the tight one-strum "chank" in the verses. In the choruses there is a guitar riff that mirrors the bass line, and through the intro, choruses, and outro the guitar mirrors the horn-section rhythms. Catch the groove and bring a part that is yours.
Vocals
Learn the main vocal lines first, then start experimenting with harmonies and the special moments, like the funky "do do do do" breakdown in I Wish where the vocals lock in with the instruments.
Everything in one place.
Learn these with your ears first: watch the originals linked on each song above, then use the charts to lock in the chords and lyrics.
Charts are chords and lyrics only, so there is room to make the parts your own. All songs are in their original keys. Rehearsal videos and photos are on the way.
The crew.
Ten young musicians, still sorting into their bands. Here's everybody.
Where we've been.
Tap any date to open the recap. New months stack on top as we go.
September 12Rehearsal 1 · 8 membersRead the recap
Our very first monthly anchor rehearsal. We split into two units and both worked Journey's "Lights," with every instrument covered in each unit so anyone can sub in across the band.
Unit 1
- Wyatt J-N. · keys
- Kate W. · guitar
- Gibson G. · guitar
- Deb · vocals (guide)
- Chad · drums (guide)
- Doug · bass (guide)
Unit 2
- Aaliyah B. · vocals
- Oliver M. · bass
- Jackson T. · guitar
- Sam L. · guitar
- Phoebe W. · drums
- Igor · keys (guide)
A standout moment: Gibson G. leaned in to show Kate W. a guitar part on his own. That is exactly the dynamic we want, three layers of mentorship working together: pro guides on the day, instructors through the week, and the players helping each other in the room.
Amelia F. has joined us since this rehearsal and will be with us in October.
Every month, on the dot.
The day after each YBN Connect (the second Saturday), fresh goals and recordings post right here. You will get a short email reminder too, but this page always has the full detail. Bookmark it.