I'm looking for suggestions on how to get my band to move to different chords during the jam section of a song or when we are just warming up, instead of vamping over one chord. My guitarist says that the bassist usually signals these changes but I don't have any experience doing that. For example, we may be playing on the II chord of the scale and I would like to move it to the V or any other chord. Are there some common methods to doing this?
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buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
ii-V is a common change. You need to use leading tones. For instance, if you are in C, the kids is Em. Walk up E-F-F#-G. There are many combinations.
When I'm jamming in this situation, someone usually calls it out. In my jams it's usually the guitar player. Just the other night we were jamming in G. I decided to play the 5 (D) on the downbeat, for the heck of it, and to play around, keep from getting bored. Almost immediately one of the guitar players leaned over and yelled, "D! Go to the D!" Others followed along, we listened, someone started doing a little 1 - 5 thing in D, we all got on board with that...
So, how do you do it? 1.Call out the change. 2. Listen to the band.
So, how do you do it? 1.Call out the change. 2. Listen to the band.
Actually, forecasting the next chord is an important part of a bass player’s job. If you only play roots, there is never an indication that another chord is coming up until it already has. Not many have this power. Keys can do it, but is stronger when coming from the root voice. The bassist, through his movement in the bar preceding a chord change, can clearly forecast to the other players which chord is coming.
The clearest way to do this is to walk linearly (in one direction, without a lot of jumps around) from the root of the current chord to the root of the next chord.
If you are in C, and the next chord is F, then in the bar before the change, play C C D E. The push to IV will be so strong, the entire band will smell it. If you’re in C and the next chord is G, either walk up C D E F to G, or down C C B A to G. Either way, a forecast so strong, the whole band will smell that V.
The clearest way to do this is to walk linearly (in one direction, without a lot of jumps around) from the root of the current chord to the root of the next chord.
If you are in C, and the next chord is F, then in the bar before the change, play C C D E. The push to IV will be so strong, the entire band will smell it. If you’re in C and the next chord is G, either walk up C D E F to G, or down C C B A to G. Either way, a forecast so strong, the whole band will smell that V.
Thanks for the suggestions. My band's warm-up method has been to just start jamming over a chord that I pick and after a while either the guitarist or keys will start hinting at one of the songs we cover and we will try to move smoothly into the song. I'd like to make that jam section more dynamic by adding some chord movements, nothing too atypical or unexpected. If it's not a common change maybe I will tell them in advance that I'm going to move say from the II to the VII. I don't like shouting out the change since it's too loud and not everyone will hear it. It seems that a chromatic move to the next root note in the measure before is the common and most suggestive method. How about digging into the new root and maybe third of the new chord, is that too abrupt? Also, when is a good time to suggest a move? Do you wait until the soloists seem to be running out of ideas? None if this is intended to be planned, the idea is to keep it spontaneous, at the same time it's important to keep it smooth or at least avoiding confusion and having everyone dropout simultaneously.
What we have working here is harmony and movement. So far we have talked about movement. One way to communicate this is to announce the chord progression that will be used. For example; grab a 12 bar blues progression in G, ready 1, 2, 3.... (Google it)
In your situation is any one playing melody --- if not just jam on the chord changes.
Harmony gets into the treble clef and bass clef sharing notes. It is the sharing of melody notes in your bass line that brings harmony. Sorry, in jamming you have to hear what chord is necessary, I.e. Where is the melody taking you.
If I am not playing an announced progression I normally play I and IV and hope I can catch the V as it comes up. I watch the guitar's fretting hand for an idea of what he is playing and hope he knows what he should be playing. This at least gives two of us following the same chords....
Jamming is a feel thing. Good luck. The more you do the better it gets.
In your situation is any one playing melody --- if not just jam on the chord changes.
Harmony gets into the treble clef and bass clef sharing notes. It is the sharing of melody notes in your bass line that brings harmony. Sorry, in jamming you have to hear what chord is necessary, I.e. Where is the melody taking you.
If I am not playing an announced progression I normally play I and IV and hope I can catch the V as it comes up. I watch the guitar's fretting hand for an idea of what he is playing and hope he knows what he should be playing. This at least gives two of us following the same chords....
Jamming is a feel thing. Good luck. The more you do the better it gets.
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Signal with note choice and signal with your person. Eye contact, a little dance move, call it out loud, anything to ground the band in the moment. I mean, if screaming out "GIMME THE BRIDGE" worked for James Brown, it should work for everyone.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
It's not just you - they also have to listen and react.
The guitarist said that they will hear it and move. They are all considerably more advanced than me. I think for starters I will tell them before hand that I will be moving in fourths and then try a few techniques, based on all the tips and just see how that goes.
From my experience actually doing this, it’s very difficult to broadcast chord changes (or anything about arrangements in general) while in a band holding a bass guitar. Nobody’s listening to you as intently as you think they are.
This is where body language, announcing stuff on a mic, or even hand signals that band leaders use to indicate moves to IV or I or V come into play. You can see Prince, Paul Shaffer, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and numerous other artists do this while leading sessions if you look around YouTube enough.
Secondary dominants? Some of you guys are really, truly making up advice with no basis in practical usage to appear sage and experienced. Par for the course at TB.
This is where body language, announcing stuff on a mic, or even hand signals that band leaders use to indicate moves to IV or I or V come into play. You can see Prince, Paul Shaffer, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and numerous other artists do this while leading sessions if you look around YouTube enough.
Secondary dominants? Some of you guys are really, truly making up advice with no basis in practical usage to appear sage and experienced. Par for the course at TB.
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If you walk to the next chord that helps them hear that a change is coming and when you land on the next chord's root they know what chord that is - if they have been playing for awhile. They hear that walk and know you are changing... the chromatic walk tends to lead them to the next root.
Walk chromatically - target the next root and miss it by three frets, then walk to the new root one fret at a time and hit it for the chord change. Will take a little practice leaving early so you can get your walk in and hit the change dead on.
Here is an example of the three note chromatic walk.
video, scott groves bass lessons - Bing video
Walk chromatically - target the next root and miss it by three frets, then walk to the new root one fret at a time and hit it for the chord change. Will take a little practice leaving early so you can get your walk in and hit the change dead on.
Here is an example of the three note chromatic walk.
video, scott groves bass lessons - Bing video
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Do you know basic 12 bar blues. If not, I would suggest starting there. Learning to play blues will teach you a lot about how to drive the bus.
In a jam situation, eye contact is very important for coordinating hits and chord changes. For example, you might play |A A A A| A A A G'|| as a repeated vamp. Make eye contact with the drummer and make a gesture with the bass so he/she knows to accent (') the G with you. Practice at home in front of a mirror so the gesture is easy and intuitive.
Get your bandmates to be better at listening to all...this was said above in an earlier post: "From my experience actually doing this, it’s very difficult to broadcast chord changes (or anything about arrangements in general) while in a band holding a bass guitar. Nobody’s listening to you as intently as you think they are."
To jam properly everyone playing needs to listen intently to what everyone else is doing, and then be open to follow a new lead no matter who goes there...harder to establish in a band than you think...
Much of my career as an electric bassist since the 90s has been playing in various Grateful Dead cover bands...you'd think the height of jamming among a band, but even for the Dead, a lot is scripted...have your bandmates listen to jazz, that's where the jam really is..
Better listening by all will help not just jams, but general playing as well for the band
To jam properly everyone playing needs to listen intently to what everyone else is doing, and then be open to follow a new lead no matter who goes there...harder to establish in a band than you think...
Much of my career as an electric bassist since the 90s has been playing in various Grateful Dead cover bands...you'd think the height of jamming among a band, but even for the Dead, a lot is scripted...have your bandmates listen to jazz, that's where the jam really is..
Better listening by all will help not just jams, but general playing as well for the band
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We typically use hand signals. Once we are in a groove with a certain set of changes anyone can signal a move to a new chord.
It's quite common for intermediate players to alter the chord progression and turn arounds when playing blues or rhythm changes. Other members of the ensemble would be expected to instantly recognize and follow the new changes which would include secondary dominants. Basically there are a several harmonic progression that make up a vocabulary that everyone is expect to know. I only know a part of the vocabulary myself.
If they're waiting for you to make the change, a 4-note chromatic run up to the IV or V is a good way to do it. If you want to make it deliberate, start it on the 3 before the change. If you want to make it faster, start it on the 4 and use 16th notes. Going down also works as you are going from the IV to the I or the V to the IV or I.
If you don't want to use a chromatic change then use the chord tones of the chord you are moving towards to make the move to that chord.
Find some of Anthony Jackson's stuff. He forecasts cords for a fortnight... ( and in a GOOD way )
I thought about making some simple charts but I think it may be a little too academic for these guys so I'm attempting to do this in a more fluid way and all of the suggestions have been great. We cycle through a twelve bar blues regularly but I'm really trying to find a way to develop those jams that don't have a form, and maybe kind of break the rules a bit.
