We're Jammin

John-Paul666 · #1 02-11-2006, 06:45 AM

This sounds incredibly dumb

but a couple of drummers and guitarists have asked me along to jam with them, when people say jam does it mean to improvise or to play already set out songs, I know i sound a bit thick on this but I'm just a little confused on the whole jamming thing

Some feedback would be appereciated thankyou

FreeSpirit · #2 02-11-2006, 08:39 AM

Well, when I usually jam with the drummer i have been jamming with recently, here is how we usually en up playing.We start out playing a tune, usually it is "overcome" by the Rx Bandits. Then from here we just let the song take off and I will throw in some little fills to the song and he just improvises a few new beats, then by the time the song is usually suppossed to be done we are playing something completely diffrent. But also, I have jammed with people who just want to play staright up covers, and before I go to jam with anyone, I usually ask if there are any covers i should take a listen to before hand.

scourge · #3 02-11-2006, 05:04 PM

Its been my experience that jamming means sitting around for an hour trying to figure out what songs everyone knows, playing said song a few times and then playing some lame blues riff for another hour while the guitarist(s) get their rocks off being SRV wannabes.

d8g3jdh · #4 02-11-2006, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scourge

Its been my experience that jamming means sitting around for an hour trying to figure out what songs everyone knows, playing said song a few times and then playing some lame blues riff for another hour while the guitarist(s) get their rocks off being SRV wannabes.

hahaha same.

jamming...just let your mind flow. You can't really do anything wrong (well you can, but no one will care). It's a learning experience!

Jazzin' · #5 02-11-2006, 06:47 PM

It can be very fun. Jamming is mainly improvising, or else it would be more like straight up practicing. Usually, everyone gets a chance to solo, and usually more than once. It's a good time to practice improvising while learning new songs. It's always more fun to jam with people who are better than you rather than people who aren't because you will learn more and you won't get aggravated.

SnakeAnthony · #6 02-11-2006, 07:11 PM

Usually, my band jams just off the top of our heads. We like it when I start the riff off (I love it cuz I feel important

) so that way, the key is set in for Zach, our guitarist, and Austin, the drummer, gets an idea for how the rythem is gonna go. Then it takes us about a mintue or so for me and Austin to get locked in real well, and Zach kinda does his own thing. Lately, I've been paying as much attention to Zach as Austin. I used to have to focus really hard on just the rythem (as I expect you will too), but as I've gotten more used to us jamming, I'm able to follow Zach through the melody as well as keeping the pocket tight.

SnakeAnthony · #7 02-11-2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzin'

It's always more fun to jam with people who are better than you rather than people who aren't because you will learn more and you won't get aggravated.

This is also a very good point. I'm the amature in our band. Zachs been playing guitar for almost 3 years. Austin played guitar first, then picked up drums around 2 years ago. Then I picked up bass (with VERY little knowladge of guitar) about a year and a half ago. And since they're brothers and live togeather, they get to jam White Stripes style (drummer and guitar) everyday. This means I'm learning more and more about how to get into music, and they're helping me learn to play with a band instead of just myself (no jokes, you know what i mean), while I'm helping them jam with the bass included in the mix.