Here are a baker's dozen practical tips, tricks and suggestions to keep your band rehearsals running smoothly.

1. Do your home work. If you're learning a new song, practice it outside of the band's rehearsal time. If you're one of two guitarists in the band, is each guitarist to learn the entire song? Or does one learn the rhythm and the other the solo guitar parts? If it's a cover song, are you to learn it note-for-note, in the style of, or will it be a totally new arrangement? If everyone is prepared, this gives you more time together and makes practice more enjoyable for everyone.

2. Be on time. Being late to practice takes time away from the rest of the band. It may also cause you stress, which can result in high blood pressure later in life, and perhaps your ejection from the band. Some groups charge their members a small fee for being late. A quarter or a dollar for lateness helps build a band fund that can be spent on a dinner meeting, party, or a repair fund if a piece of band gear gets broken. And if you're going to be really late, call one of the other band members to let them know!

3. Buy a second amplifier (or drum set or keyboard or ...). Keep the heaviest amp (or drum set) at the practice studio. This saves you the time to unplug the guitar and AC mains cords, slip on a cover (you do use a cover, right?), transport the amp from the practice facility to your car, load the amp in your car, unload the amp from the car (to deter theft and keep the controls from getting "static-y"), haul the amp to your home, take off the cover, and connect the amp. Keep one amp set up in the studio and one at home and you'll save time, wear and tear on your amp, your car and your body! If you do decide to sell an amp, it'll be in better physical condition, which will result in a higher resale or trade-in value, too!

4. Have a guitar stand for every guitar. Especially if you use a set-neck or neck-through instrument. No more resting guitars against amplifiers, sofas, or inside open cases. These are accidents waiting to happen. Don't believe me? Just look at all those guitars with broken headstocks that owners try to unload at guitar shows and music stores.

5. Take notes. Use a white board to diagram a song to make it easier for the band to visualize how a particular song goes together. Was that verse - verse - chorus (V-V-C) or V-C-C? Write down your effect and amp settings so you can recreate the tone for each song. Write down unusual chord changes or key signatures. Use a spiral notebook, PDA, or maybe even your cell phone to take notes to help you remember later.

6. Align practice and performance expectations (and schedules) with bandmates, managers, spouses, etc. Be up front with everyone involved. Is practice once, twice, or three times a week? How long is each session? Do gigs count as a practice? Are friends invited? Other musicians? Smoking, drugs or alcohol allowed? How much time is expected to be spent on actual playing (allowing for setup/breakdown/breaks)? Is the practice space available for off-hours use by individual members? Does equipment have to be broken down or removed from the site after each use? How many times a week/month do you expect to gig? Get everyone on the same page now and you'll avoid hassles and hurt feelings later.

7. Don't let things fester. Speak your mind early so time and energy isn't wasted later on... and so everyone remembers what happened. Dislike a particular song suggested by a band member? Let everyone know so that the band doesn't take time to learn the song, only to be told at a future practice that you've always hated it. It's hard to be at your best when you know in your heart that you hate something. If you hate every song on your set list, you have two options: write enough good, original original material to replace it, or leave the band.