advantages to jamming in different keys?

[pandaman37]

so lately ive been trying to spice up my playing, ive found ive been in a rut, playing Eminor grooves, fun, but they get old really fast, and start to sound like crappy chili peppers songs.

anyways, ive realized that playing in a different key has certain advantages: take Gminor for example, you can do a really easy lead in/fill back to the third fret that sounds great and gives you notes lower than the actual root, as opposed to E minor, where the lowest you can go without drop tuning is that open E string, which is your root, and tends to make grooves stale.

what im asking is, are there any other advantages, say in fingering or tonal opportunities, that other keys might offer?

[BassChuck]

Jamming in any and every key will help you hear the tonal possibilites of the whole bass. Just confining your notes to an octave higher is a help (bass can play notes other than the extreme lowest notes). Jamming in different styles and meters can help you in creativity and concept.

Nothing new is totally worthless if you are paying attention.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by pandaman37

.......... what I'm asking is, are there any other advantages, say in fingering or tonal opportunities, that other keys might offer?

Picking up something lower than forth string E, not that I know of. Interesting to see if there is something. That's where the 5th B string comes in.

Piano sheet music with bass clef ledger notes lower than E is a problem for me, would love to know an "easy way" around that.

[Fishbrain]

are there any online programs where you can set a chord sequence to jam too?

[MalcolmAmos]

Yes there are, however, I do not have them bookmarked and a quick search did not pull any of them up.

I like using things like this jam track boogie rock - YouTube
Notice the other songs on the right hand side of the screen.

Have fun.

[Fishbrain]

I've just found something that looks good actually, I'm in work though an can't check it out properly JamStudio.com - Create Music Beats - The online music factory - Jam, remix, chords, loops

[HeadyVan Halen]

Well, it would make sense to know ALL the keys but yes, E on 4 string bass is worn out.
Only thing worst than E Minor is E Major.
My favorite is G or G# (Ab)..That way you can have 4 approach notes.

Please, please, please don't sound check to open E Minor.
Please.

[tZer]

One of the biggest advantages is that prepares you for the real world of working with a variety of singers and bands. Frequently you have to change the key of a song to suit a singer's range or because a particular band does it in a different key.

Being light on your feet, key-wise if very useful if you want to be in demand.

Regarding E being the bottom - a five-string solves that pretty handily - not to mention the fact that you get 2 octaves in one position.

I have been playing with a particular song writer for almost 15 years now and his songs morph from this key to that key depending on the weather, which guitar he's playing or who happens to be singing the song. I have to be able to play all his songs in any key at any given time on the spot.

[pandaman37]

^yeah actually i had to transpose a bassline i knew down from D to C, and i had to kinda figure my way around it. and some of these answers werent exactly touching on what i was asking, but theyre still relevant.
and that jam thing is awesome btw.

[vin*tone]

I prefer to think of a riff in my head first - THEN find out what key it's in. 1 time out of 12 it will be in E.

Let your mind write the music, not your fingers.

[Session1969]

Originally Posted by tZer

One of the biggest advantages is that prepares you for the real world of working with a variety of singers and bands. Frequently you have to change the key of a song to suit a singer's range or because a particular band does it in a different key.

Being light on your feet, key-wise if very useful if you want to be in demand.

Regarding E being the bottom - a five-string solves that pretty handily - not to mention the fact that you get 2 octaves in one position.

I have been playing with a particular song writer for almost 15 years now and his songs morph from this key to that key depending on the weather, which guitar he's playing or who happens to be singing the song. I have to be able to play all his songs in any key at any given time on the spot.

That's what I call knowing your stuff !

[BillyIVbass]

I think the biggest advantage well two are;

1. You'll feel less ruts as a player.
2. You'll be a more interest player to the listener. Say you play in a band, you may rip through a song in E but sound really boring in the song that's in Bb unless you know how to navigate around the key of Bb.

[vin*tone]

Originally Posted by tZer

One of the biggest advantages is that prepares you for the real world of working with a variety of singers and bands. Frequently you have to change the key of a song to suit a singer's range or because a particular band does it in a different key.

Being light on your feet, key-wise if very useful if you want to be in demand.

Regarding E being the bottom - a five-string solves that pretty handily - not to mention the fact that you get 2 octaves in one position.

I have been playing with a particular song writer for almost 15 years now and his songs morph from this key to that key depending on the weather, which guitar he's playing or who happens to be singing the song. I have to be able to play all his songs in any key at any given time on the spot.

LOL. Yeah i have this problem too. I play with a singer who uses a capo and often can't remember where he had it last week!

[tZer]

Originally Posted by vin*tone

LOL. Yeah i have this problem too. I play with a singer who uses a capo and often can't remember where he had it last week!

[Jerry Seinfeld Voice] capo! [/Jerry Seinfeld Voice]