Rehearsal Documentation Template

What gets documented gets remembered. This template helps you track rehearsal progress and maintain continuity.

Why Document Rehearsals?

With documentation:

• Remember what you worked on
• Track progress over time
• Maintain continuity
• Assign clear action items
• Learn from patterns
• Onboard new members easily

Without documentation:

• Forget what you decided
• Repeat same issues
• Lose progress
• Unclear assignments
• Can't see patterns
• Hard to onboard new members

Rehearsal Documentation Template

Basic Information

Date: _______________ Time: _______________ to _______________ Location: _______________ Attendees: _______________ Absent: _______________ Documenter: _______________

Rehearsal Goals

Today's goals:

Goals achieved:

• Goal 1
• Goal 2
• Goal 3

Goals not achieved:

• Goal 1 - Reason: _______________
• Goal 2 - Reason: _______________

Songs Worked On

Song 1: _______________

Time spent: ___ minutes

Starting status (1-10): ___ Ending status (1-10): ___

What we worked on:

Progress made:

Issues identified:

Issues resolved:

Issues remaining:

Next steps:

Performance ready: Yes / No / Almost

Song 2: _______________

Time spent: ___ minutes

Starting status (1-10): ___ Ending status (1-10): ___

What we worked on:

Progress made:

Issues identified:

Issues resolved:

Issues remaining:

Next steps:

Performance ready: Yes / No / Almost

Skills & Techniques

Skills practiced:

Techniques learned:

Improvements noted:

Decisions Made

Decision 1:

• Issue: _______________
• Decision: _______________
• Who: _______________
• By when: _______________

Decision 2:

• Issue: _______________
• Decision: _______________
• Who: _______________
• By when: _______________

Decision 3:

• Issue: _______________
• Decision: _______________
• Who: _______________
• By when: _______________

Action Items

Member Name:

• Action 1 - Due: _______________
• Action 2 - Due: _______________
• Action 3 - Due: _______________

Member Name:

• Action 1 - Due: _______________
• Action 2 - Due: _______________
• Action 3 - Due: _______________

Member Name:

• Action 1 - Due: _______________
• Action 2 - Due: _______________
• Action 3 - Due: _______________

Member Name:

• Action 1 - Due: _______________
• Action 2 - Due: _______________
• Action 3 - Due: _______________

All Members:

• Action 1 - Due: _______________
• Action 2 - Due: _______________

Equipment & Technical

Equipment used:

Equipment issues:

Technical notes:

Gear to bring next time:

Recordings

Recordings made:

• Song 1 - File: _______________
• Song 2 - File: _______________
• Song 3 - File: _______________

Recording notes:

Shared with band: Yes / No

What Went Well

Successes:

Highlights:

Breakthroughs:

What Needs Improvement

Challenges:

Frustrations:

Blockers:

Attendance & Preparation

Attendance:

• Member 1: Present / Absent / Late
• Member 2: Present / Absent / Late
• Member 3: Present / Absent / Late
• Member 4: Present / Absent / Late

Preparation:

• Member 1: Prepared / Mostly / Not prepared
• Member 2: Prepared / Mostly / Not prepared
• Member 3: Prepared / Mostly / Not prepared
• Member 4: Prepared / Mostly / Not prepared

Notes:

Next Rehearsal

Date: _______________ Time: _______________ Location: _______________

Goals for next rehearsal:

Songs to work on:

What to bring:

Preparation needed:

Notes & Observations

General notes:

Ideas captured:

Things to remember:

Follow-up needed:

Productivity Assessment

Overall productivity (1-10): ___

Time usage:

• Productive time: ___%
• Setup/breakdown: ___%
• Breaks: ___%
• Off-topic: ___%

What helped productivity:

What hurt productivity:

How to improve next time:

How to Use This Template

During Rehearsal

Assign a documenter:

• Rotate role
• Or designate one person
• Take notes as you go
• Don't wait until end

What to capture:

• Decisions made
• Action items assigned
• Progress on songs
• Issues identified
• Ideas shared

After Rehearsal

Complete template:

• Fill in any gaps
• Add observations
• Clarify action items
• Set next rehearsal goals

Share with band:

• Email or shared doc
• Within 24 hours
• Include action items
• Include next rehearsal info

Before Next Rehearsal

Review previous notes:

• What were the action items?
• What were we working on?
• What issues remained?
• What were next steps?

Prepare accordingly:

• Complete action items
• Practice assigned material
• Bring needed equipment
• Come ready to continue

Documentation Best Practices

1. Be Consistent

Document every rehearsal:

• Use same template
• Same level of detail
• Same timing
• Same sharing method

2. Be Specific

Don't write: "Worked on song"

Do write: "Worked on verse-chorus transition in 'Song X', improved timing, still need to work on dynamics"

3. Be Objective

Focus on facts:

• What happened
• What was decided
• What needs to happen
• Not opinions or blame

4. Be Timely

Document quickly:

• During or immediately after
• While fresh in mind
• Share within 24 hours
• Don't let it pile up

5. Make It Accessible

Store centrally:

• Shared folder
• Band management app
• Google Drive
• Notion/Airtable

Easy to find:

• Clear naming
• Organized by date
• Searchable
• Backed up

Simplified Version

For quick documentation:

Date: _______________

Worked on:

Progress:

Action items:

Next rehearsal:

• Date: _______________
• Goals: _______________

Digital Tools

Options:

Google Docs:

• Free
• Collaborative
• Accessible anywhere
• Easy to share

Notion:

• Organized
• Templates
• Database features
• Free for small teams

Airtable:

• Database approach
• Tracking features
• Views and filters
• Free tier available

Band-specific apps:

• BandHelper
• Setlist Helper
• Planning Center

Choose what you'll actually use

Key Takeaways

1. Document every rehearsal - Consistency is key
2. Assign a documenter - Make it someone's job
3. Be specific - Details matter
4. Share quickly - Within 24 hours
5. Review before next rehearsal - Maintain continuity
6. Track action items - Accountability
7. Learn from patterns - Review periodically

Documentation keeps your band organized, accountable, and progressing. Start documenting today.