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Everyone Wants to Jam with Me, I'm Scared

#41
If you're young I doubt these young guitar players are doing blues etc. where any theory is useful.

What do they want to play? That's kind of the #1 question. Like someone else said, find common ground on maybe 2 songs and woodshed those 2. Go from there.
 
#42
I am sure you must have heard this old joke... It goes something like this:

Newb is picking up the bass and has his first lesson. The teacher shows him how to play the open E. They agree on the next lesson a few days later. Here, the teachers shows the guy how to play the open A. Again, they arrange for the next lesson in a few days. Only, the guy never shows. The teachers calls him and asks:"Hey, what happened, you never showed for your lesson!?" And the guy replies: "Oh, sorry, couldn't make it! I had a gig!"

It's a bad joke, but we all know there often is some truth in jokes.

Go for it! It might be brutal in the beginning, but playing with others is the best way to learn and improve; and one of the best incentives to get better!
 
#43
Yes, you should go for it.

Take a key like G Major, for example. Learn what notes are in that key and play them as a scale as a warm up exercise. Then apply that knowledge by learning a simple song that uses that key. For example:

Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl = G Major.

Notes in G major are
  • G.
  • A.
  • B.
  • C.
  • D.
  • E.
  • F#
If you can't learn the entire song at first, then just learn a few riffs as a starting point. Good luck!
 
#45
Do it, and ASAP.
It's the best way to get good.
'Jam' with all of them, and create a band with whichever one is the most fun.
If everyone is having fun, the creativity and talent will grow from there.
I would personally avoid bands that are hyper focused on recreating existing songs.
If you suck for awhile, THAT'S GREAT! you can't get good without sucking, and being around other players can get you good fast.
The same goes for song writing. Everyone has to write bad songs before the good ones come out, so start/keep writing, and don't get discouraged.
I'm excited for you. have a blast and make some good nasty noise.
 
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#46
Go Forth and Play.

...and always remember...

upload_2023-4-15_7-52-46.jpeg
 
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#47
pabs said:
I've been learning bass for almost 3 weeks now and I've had 3 separate guitarist friends ask me multiple times to jam with them soon, they've all got at least 3 years of consistent playing experience under their belts meanwhile this is the first time I've touched an instrument (used to play violin) in 4 years. Bassists are in short supply in the scene so I know they're all waiting for the moment they can snatch me up into their bands. The idea of trying to play in front of any of them, let alone play a good bassline, is extremely daunting. I just don't feel like I have enough skill developed yet.

What kind of stuff should I be doing to get myself to be jam ready besides learning scales and learning to identify pitches by ear?

Also, at what point in playing bass did you feel comfortable with the idea of playing alongside others?
Click to expand...
You need to learn your notes on the fretboard to make communication easier, so it's not "gimme a D on this part" and you just look at them like? Huh? I
 
#48
enjoying yourself is the most important thing about bass playing so try not to stress about it....Relax: theres no commitments and nobody is paying you to jam at the moment. Ask the potential jam partners what songs they would like you to learn, practice those songs and go from there. If it works out it works out: You are auditioning them as much as they are auditioning you
 
#49
pabs said:
I've been learning bass for almost 3 weeks now and I've had 3 separate guitarist friends ask me multiple times to jam with them soon, they've all got at least 3 years of consistent playing experience under their belts meanwhile this is the first time I've touched an instrument (used to play violin) in 4 years. Bassists are in short supply in the scene so I know they're all waiting for the moment they can snatch me up into their bands. The idea of trying to play in front of any of them, let alone play a good bassline, is extremely daunting. I just don't feel like I have enough skill developed yet.

What kind of stuff should I be doing to get myself to be jam ready besides learning scales and learning to identify pitches by ear?

Also, at what point in playing bass did you feel comfortable with the idea of playing alongside others?
Click to expand...

Day 1. I had been playing folk guitar for 4 years prior finger picking playing bass parts with my thumb.keep in mind, bass parts and popular songs at that time in general were not that complex.

just remember, the one beat on the root is your friend.relax and have fun. On a side bar, guitar players with just 3 years under their belt may not be that great either. JMO.
 
#50
I'd jump in, the worst that can happen is your "experienced" (3 years is not a lot) guitarist friends will have to show you some bass lines. I waited four years before starting to jam regularly, which was about four years longer than I should have waited.

I don't know how experienced you became on violin, but other than the tuning in fifths rather than fourths you should find adapting to the bass relatively easy. In fact you have an advantage because your past musical studies focused on melody which is something bass players are often weak at (raising my hand here).

I assume you have alreaady discovered that bass clef is just the treble clef shifted by one ledger line and down a full octave. Your sight reading should have a short learning curve.
 
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#51
pabs said:
I've been learning bass for almost 3 weeks now and I've had 3 separate guitarist friends ask me multiple times to jam with them soon, they've all got at least 3 years of consistent playing experience under their belts meanwhile this is the first time I've touched an instrument (used to play violin) in 4 years. Bassists are in short supply in the scene so I know they're all waiting for the moment they can snatch me up into their bands. The idea of trying to play in front of any of them, let alone play a good bassline, is extremely daunting. I just don't feel like I have enough skill developed yet.

What kind of stuff should I be doing to get myself to be jam ready besides learning scales and learning to identify pitches by ear?

Also, at what point in playing bass did you feel comfortable with the idea of playing alongside others?
Click to expand...


If you're not comfortable playing with other people yet, then definitely wait. Unless these people are also absolute beginners, it's not really fun to try and play music if you're not sure what you're doing yet. In the meantime, just try and practice a lot. Do you have a teacher?

My recollection is that I didn't try playing with others until I had been playing for at least 6 months or so. Admittedly, I took right to the bass so it wasn't a problem (I was 13). Just be patient and don't get too ahead of yourself.
 
#52
mambo4 said:
for jamming with guitarists? learn 12 bar blues in a variety of keys....
Or just E minor pentatonic. You can milk that for days.
Only half joking...

Planning what songs you are going to play is helpful
Click to expand...

Agreed knowing the songs in advance is helpful when learning to play with new people.

I’ve been playing a long time and have a good amount of musical knowledge. But when learning really specific songs my memory sucks. And ironically the simpler a song is, my ego and ADHD kick in and I have an even harder time remembering. I am doing a charity gig coming up which is just a collection of random songs from every decade and I can breeze through “the real me” but I can’t not screw up “flagpole sitta”. Your newbness will be exaggerated by trying to learn songs in real time in front of others.

It gets a lot easier when creating your own music or just jamming on a specific progression where all you need to remember is the basic chord numbers.
 
#53
When you have a chance, I suggest checking out your local music stores and find a tech who can help set-up your bass. Find a tech who will listen & discuss with you any issues in your set-up...Not one who spends a lot time trying to impress you by talking about themselves.
A small adjustment can make a big difference in ease of playing and sound.
If anyone there at the store tries to up-sale you on something just say 'No Thanks'. It is very easy to get carried away with too many things at first.
 
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#55
Go for it. I was scared the first jam/audition but did it anyway. I was hired on the spot. That did wonders for my confidence and I had a ball. Don’t pay attention to anyone that tries to put you down. Get yourself a bass teacher. Try to continually improve. You’ll be fine.
 
#57
pabs said:
I've been learning bass for almost 3 weeks now and I've had 3 separate guitarist friends ask me multiple times to jam with them soon, they've all got at least 3 years of consistent playing experience under their belts meanwhile this is the first time I've touched an instrument (used to play violin) in 4 years. Bassists are in short supply in the scene so I know they're all waiting for the moment they can snatch me up into their bands. The idea of trying to play in front of any of them, let alone play a good bassline, is extremely daunting. I just don't feel like I have enough skill developed yet.

What kind of stuff should I be doing to get myself to be jam ready besides learning scales and learning to identify pitches by ear?

Also, at what point in playing bass did you feel comfortable with the idea of playing alongside others?
Click to expand...

Immediately! The whole point for me was to play with other people, that is really what drove the whole journey forward for me. Play and make mistakes! And make it a point to play with people who are better so you can learn from them.
 
#60
Before you also join them in playing or anything don't jump the gun. If you wanna play more and practice nothing wrong with that. Just jam if you can, you don't have to join any groups. I wish I took advantage of jamming with classmates when I was in HS, I was shy, waiting for someone to ask me. So I say, it's great to have friends who hopefully are understanding, teach their ways and have fun. So in my honest thoughts nothing hurts from playing don't feel like you owe your friends to join just yet or at least learn some of their ways! GL!
 
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