Jazz jam sessions, when is a person ready?

Alan Vorse · #1 08-01-2006, 09:22 AM

I'm studying and practicing as much as I can, transcribing and putting in time at the keyboard training the ear. Now everyone says I should find a jam session to put this all to work. I tell them I'm not confident in my abilities, to which they reply "dosen't matter, get up there and do it." I picture myself stumbling through some tune (or getting lost) getting glared at and not being welcomed back (this is kind of based on prior experiences and other player's stories).

I'm reminded of Sam Sherry's saying "the first 200 times are the hardest." Is there a point when you know you are ready or do you just jump in the deep end?

bikerbassplayer · #2 08-01-2006, 09:32 AM

I dont think a musician ever thinks they are ready or good
enough to jam !!! Just jump in and do it. IMO

WillBuckingham · #3 08-01-2006, 10:45 AM

People at jam sessions should be welcoming and supporting of people with lesser abilities than them. At the least go to a jam session without your bass and listen, shred on some of the tunes that are called, and go back the next week with your bass.

Michael Case · #4 08-01-2006, 07:52 PM

If you leave it up to you, you'll never be ready. Just go and fall on your face it happens to everyone.

Good luck,
Mike

5stringDNA · #5 08-01-2006, 10:20 PM

You need to get out and just give it your best go. Decent folk will help you along as much they can, and you'll get a more realistic idea of where you are at. Go! Play!

TroyK · #6 08-01-2006, 11:14 PM

Go with a handful of really common tunes that you feel really comfortable with, then call one of those tunes. Play your best and get off the stage. If it's your bass, keep it somewhere where it won't get kicked over. If it's someone else's bass. Hand it back to the person who owns it when you are finished, rather than laying it down to get kicked. Say thank you.

Don't leave right after you play, it's not cool. Hang out, listen, watch, be humble, take critism, take praise. Keep a mental (or otherwise) list of what gets played and go home and work on those tunes and then come back.

Have fun. Get your feet wet. Take a 6 chorus arco solo...well, maybe not that last part.

Troy

Jazzin' · #7 05-31-2007, 01:08 AM

I just sat in at my first jam session ever tonight. I was not prepared at all since I haven't had time to practice all week but I wanted to give it a try. There were only two other bassists there including the house bassist so I waited until they asked if there were any more bassits. I let them know that they should not expect much from me. I did two tunes: a jazz blues in F first (Straight No Chaser); I didn't feel comfortable going any higher than F on the G string, then we played Naima which I had no idea when the chord changes (I pedalled) occured so the guitarist had to call them out to me.

Next time I play at a jam session, I'll be more prepared.

oliebrice · #8 05-31-2007, 03:35 AM

the advice above to go and listen to the jam session first is good advice. The term 'jam session' has covered everything from absolute beginners struggling through autumn leaves, to Dizzy, Bird and Monk inventing Bebop at Mintons! Its generally a good idea to find somewhere that's a challenge for you, but a managable challenge, if thats an option.

Marc Piane · #9 05-31-2007, 05:37 AM

The nice thing about some 'advance scouting' is you can find out the vibe of the session. Some sessions are for learning but some are more 'tests' to see if you can hang. I've known people that got pretty harsh treatment for not being up to the task.

Personally I don't care for jam sessions. I have been the house bass player in a few and sat in on many and playing a blues for 5 billion choruses while a steady diet of horn players figure out how to solo is not my idea of fun. Actually I think it is my existentialist hell. There are always some cool moments and the vibe of playing with new people all the time is cool but they can get out of hand especially if you are the bass player. I have landed a few gigs from jams but not nearly as many as going to other people's gigs to hang. Be social. Introduce yourself. If you come around enough one of those bands might invite you to sit in. The vibe is much more conducive to making good music.

Ed Fuqua · #10 05-31-2007, 09:04 AM

Where all at are you doing these sessions? Location can have a lot to do with folks attitude; sometimes small scenes can be filled with cats who just look at you as someone out to steal their gig. Sometimes they can be great, cause it's a small community and everyone is looking out for everyone else. Especially with older cats, the quality of your reception is pretty much on you - if you come in with a sincere desire to learn, if you have the biggest ears on the stand (and by that I mean a palpable willingness to LISTEN more than you SPEAK), if you're open, if you, basically, come off more as HELP ME MAKE MUSIC than CHECK THIS **** OUT, then you shoudl be OK.

In addition to scouting the "vibe" at the session, you should also be scouting the level of playing. If there's a pretty wide range of skill sets present, it should be no problem. If the air is pretty rariifed, the guys may be cool with helping your learning curve for a couple of tunes, but they came to have some fun too and you don't want to overstrain the hospitality of the house. Stick around and listen and TALK to cats, you can learn almost as much from listening and watching as you can playing. Listen to how they interact, what kind of things are going on dynamically within the group.

But dive in. You're not taking anybody's brain out, no one is going to get hurt. And there is so much about playing music that becomes apparent only when you PLAY it.

Marc Piane · #11 05-31-2007, 11:19 AM

Chicago.

There are some really great jams. Don't get me wrong. I've had a great time and met some great players that I work with to this day. I'm just saying test the waters. Like Ed said, see how hospitable they are to less experienced players.

It seems like everybody has a story about a bad jam session experience. We tell our stories and laugh now but they suck at the time. Sometimes the best learning comes from these moments. Sometimes it is just 'tude.

Ed Fuqua · #12 05-31-2007, 12:41 PM

Not you FINGERS, the OP. I dint have the original thread opened so I couldn't see he was from Minneapolis.

Marc Piane · #13 05-31-2007, 12:58 PM

Aaron Cohn · #14 05-31-2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzin'

I did two tunes: a jazz blues in F first (Straight No Chaser); I didn't feel comfortable going any higher than F on the G string, then we played Naima which I had no idea when the chord changes (I pedalled) occured so the guitarist had to call them out to me.

I don't think there's any reason you should necessarily be going above F on the G string. Not that it would be wrong to play higher a little, but the range you played in is where most players at a jam session will want to hear you most of the time. So if you're not comfortable going higher, don't worry about it, don't go higher, and try to make sure you give the group some solid bass support. I guarantee that no one whose opinion is worth considering will think less of your playing for not venturing in the upper register.

Charling · #15 05-31-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron Cohn

I don't think there's any reason you should necessarily be going above F on the G string. Not that it would be wrong to play higher a little, but the range you played in is where most players at a jam session will want to hear you most of the time. So if you're not comfortable going higher, don't worry about it, don't go higher, and try to make sure you give the group some solid bass support. I guarantee that no one whose opinion is worth considering will think less of your playing for not venturing in the upper register.

agreed, i never bother to go past that F in a straight up jazz tune, unless soloing! maybe occasionally reach for the g or Ab but only when im feeling fruity.

I say go for it, jumping in at the deep end at a jam is what got me into jazz in the first place, it was terrifying but I've never looked back since!

Marc Piane · #16 06-01-2007, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charling

agreed, i never bother to go past that F in a straight up jazz tune, unless soloing! maybe occasionally reach for the g or Ab but only when im feeling fruity.

Man I rarely go much past C on the G-String when I am walking. I used to be into a bit more higher register stuff but have since formulated a theory about groove being felt due to the movement of air. Low notes move more air.

Listen to Leroy Vinnegar and get back to me.

Charling · #17 06-01-2007, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingers

Man I rarely go much past C on the G-String when I am walking. I used to be into a bit more higher register stuff but have since formulated a theory about groove being felt due to the movement of air. Low notes move more air.

Listen to Leroy Vinnegar and get back to me.

true, true, but groove is like a beautiful chord, you notice it a whole lot more if you precede it with something that needs to resolve!

theres nothing like going up high for the last 4 of the head, ready to storm back down and really kick things up a notch for the first solo!

tension and release isnt purely a matter of harmony, IMO anyway