How to jam??

GugaBass · #1 05-23-2010, 12:19 AM

Hello all!

A lot of people on my College are wanting me to jam with them. Okay, great, I'm at the beggining of my fame we'll say

but... I never jamed with anyone exepted with my brother and it wasn't jam, it's only chords he found years ago ... So

What need I to jam with unknow people ?

Hope someone could help me

See you !

Azzi · #2 05-23-2010, 12:29 AM

All you really need is your bass and amp.

Zitch · #3 05-23-2010, 12:40 AM

An open mind, a sense of rhythm and your Bass. Seriously just go have fun, if it doesnt work out this time, learn from it theres always opportunities for Bass players, this is only the beginning of what is hopefully a fun filled future.

Duck Of Doom · #4 05-23-2010, 12:45 AM

Sometimes people jam over a well-known chord progression with a theme and a place for improvisation, like "Chameleon" or "Take Five". Or they just define chord patterns and play along where drummer or bass player or both make some groove for other people to play with. Thats all and there are no rules actually, you can do whatever you want, but if you dont feel too well in improvising and dont think that other musicians will understand you - its better to stick to a well-known themes.)

wideyes · #5 05-23-2010, 12:47 AM

When in doubt, look at the lowest note the guitarist is playing in his chords and play that note. It's usually the root note, and that'll get you into the jam. If you're not very comfortable with improvisation, maybe try and get some covers of songs you like together and see if anyone's interested in learning them. You'll find a way. Good luck!

BlakeJustBlake · #6 05-23-2010, 01:22 AM

I imagine the chords your brother found years ago are the same chords that guitarists use today.

There's several methods to go about "learning how to jam", the one I most support for people starting out, though the people you're playing with might not support it as much, is to just play. Just noodle around with your fingers, if it sounds alright, keep playing that, if it sounds bad, don't play it anymore. Pick some notes that you notice sound good and try putting them together in sequence. Then try to make an interesting, although fitting, rhythm to put these into. And you're well on the way to building a great ear and developing your own voice in a jam.

The other, more sound way of not annoying people, yet not as useful in the long run, is to learn chord spellings and their shapes on the bass, figure out what chords they're playing in the jam, noodle around with the notes in the chord, eventually you'll get a feel for it.

An even safer method is to know where the 3rd, 4th, 5th are in relation to any note on the fretboard (hint: they're always in the same relative position) and then figure out what the root is to whatever chords they're playing, play that first and branch off into the other three and then when you feel comfortable with that then just keep messing around further.

Oh, and remember that no matter what notes you play, try to keep the rhythm interesting, or at the least, safe. Ideally you should be listening to the drummer more than the guitarist or anyone else.

At least this is how it's sort of worked for me.

phatbass · #7 05-23-2010, 01:56 AM

Gotta define "Jam". It means different things to different folks.

At it's most basic it's "you guys play a 12 bar in E/G/A/D while I widdle meaningless pentatonic stuff for half an hour". This isn't jamming IMO - it's torture, and I find Chinese Opera more entertaining.

For me, it's pick a key, someone starts playing a groove or a phrase, and let's see what happens. It's about spontaneous creation, even if it occasionally derails.

MalcolmAmos · #8 05-23-2010, 06:05 AM

They will give you the key.
You can assume it'll be I-IV-V.
You can assume the verse will start and end with the I.
You can assume the V (climax) will come close to the end.
You can assume the IV will fill in the middle.
You can assume this progression will cover the first two lines of the verse.
You can assume this progression will be repeated in the last two lines of the verse.
You can assume roots will be all you need.
You can assume that will work.

Go have fun.

the general · #9 05-23-2010, 07:09 AM

if you got a groove in your head, play it. the other people you jam with will come in with something and a song may develop and vice versa. or playing covers is also fun ;-)

blockinlay · #10 05-23-2010, 07:27 AM

Ask for a song list. It can help to have an idea of what they are going to play, then practice. Teach yourself their songs, and add a few you'd like to play that you think they might be able to play along with. Many songs for the bass are just a riff that repeats, then makes a change that repeats, then goes back to the original riff. It's like playing lead guitar, though if they don't care about your song choice they won't play it. If just free jamming, ask the guitar player to show you a riff to start, repeat it over and over so he can jam to it. It can be boring, but if you know the fretboard at all, change it up.

Gintaras · #11 05-23-2010, 07:34 AM

mentioned earlier but understand the 1-IV-V progression. Learn the pentatonic scales. (quite simple...both have 5 notes).

I found that it was great that I could tell what chords the guitarists is playing.

When they are all going to jam and I have no clue what the song is then I ask them what key they are playing in. If they say in the Key of A then there is a good chance that your first note is an A and you can play one of the pentatonic scales over it.
Remember what you don't play is as important as what you play.

Also remember the prime directive...you are part of the rhythm section. Stay tight with the drummer and play the root note a lot.

JET-1977 · #12 05-23-2010, 07:35 AM

Technicals of how to jam aside....if you want to improve as a bass player, these are the types of things you need to take advantage of. Jamming with a group of people you don't know will make you a better bass player. Just take your axe and amp and go for it!

Funkturnal · #13 05-24-2010, 09:00 PM

The obvious thing to say would be that an minimum, you can always play the roots of the chords. It isn't very exciting, but it's a start.

You can start throwing fifths and octaves in there. Fifths won't really "color" anything up, but depending on how you incorporate them rhythmically, you can add some movement. (The basslines don't necessarily have to be complicated in order to sound good or enhance the tune.)

You can also use the flat7 - Root type of lines in a rhythmical way (assuming the chord contains a flat 7 as opposed to a major 7). You'll hear a lot of that in some of the JB's type of funk.

As mentioned, learn the pentatonics (minor and major), and check out lines like Jaco's bass pattern from "The Chicken".

I'd say to just get comfortable with a few different patterns and ideas on your own, and then just let yourself go at the jam session and see what happens. Good luck!

Chris K · #14 05-24-2010, 11:25 PM

The kind of music you like to play makes a big difference. Playing metal or funk over one or two chords will be easy enough. For blues, folk or country stuff (3-4 chords?) following the guitarists' hands will do fine. If you want to jam on more complicated stuff (sophisticated pop songs, jazz standards) you'll need chord sheets.