Gigging vs jamming?

[MichelD]

I attended my monthly get together with a mando player, nylon string guitar player and Tele player Saturday night and we played for the better part of four hours.

The Tele layer does the occasional charity gig at senior's home but other than that we are all private players.

We've all done the band thing with endless rehearsals, interpersonal membership dramas, lugging heavy gear around, poopy gigs for no money thing, etc. etc and agree that we're all better off playing for fun. that's why we all started doing this 50 years ago.

"This is my Carnegie Hall" the mandolin player said. "I don't want to do it any other way."

I have other friends, people I have been in groups with in the past who have working weekend bands in the country rock/Americana style who play every second weekend or so and to them the idea of gigging with a band is important.

Maybe because each member of my little quartet is 70 or close to it has something to do with it, we've all got this "Been there, done that" attitude but I was just wondering how you feel.

Do you play for the playing or play because you want to be playing in public?

 

[ninefingerbass]

I like to play just to play but if I had a gig that there wasn't a stuck up guitarist, some band who still had pipe dreams of making it big or travel the world, then I would want to play in public because I get to play and would want people to enjoy music.

 

[hrodbert696]

I like both. Gigging is important to me because I like to entertain people. I don't want to only ever play in my living room and never have people out there enjoy it. But I've also started having an "acoustic potluck" the first Friday of each month for musician friends to come hang out.

 

[Oddly]

My current playing situation is a once-or-twice a week jam session (Oddly's Adventures: A session report) and I've very happy with that.
No drama, no hassle, admittedly no money either, but we're there for the love of music and that's good enough for me.
I've really very little interest in the whole gigging band game any more.

 

[richntiff]

Admittedly, I’ve never been in a ‘jam with no thought of gigging’ scenario. But - for me - when I get a ‘yeah we should jam sometime dude’ message or offer - I run. Fast. Opposite direction. I love to entertain people. That’s my goal. If a prospective player can’t be gig ready in fairly short order, or isn’t willing to put the time in to get there - it’s a pass. Full disclosure - I’m a competent, but not fantastic, player. I don’t expect to connect with phenom players, but I expect a level of competence, and a desire to entertain and have fun.

 

[LBS-bass]

I like both. Gigging is important to me because I like to entertain people. I don't want to only ever play in my living room and never have people out there enjoy it. But I've also started having an "acoustic potluck" the first Friday of each month for musician friends to come hang out.

I'm pretty much the same. I enjoy performing. I like having a goal because it makes me a better player, and encourages the band to do something we can all be proud of. And I really like working with the current crop of musicians I work with. Not every band situation is worth the work, but the ones that are are the ones I stick with.

But I also appreciate opportunities to just relax and play with others when there's no agenda, so I also host little jamming parties at my home.

 

[mrcbass]

I like both. But if I could only have one, it would be gigging.

One of the biggest issues with jam only guys is that there can be a lack of motivation to be prepared, which can make an informal gathering quite intolerable for me. I don't expect perfection, but be able to get through the songs we "know".....

 

[Joe Nerve]

I love gigging, but only to crowded rooms . I'm in a good situation right now where we only play established venues and high end events. If I weren't so fortunate, I'd much rather jam than gig these days. I've paid my dues and played hundreds of empty clubs and bars. There is no joy in that for me anymore. It actually borders on torture.

I'd like to be in a good jam situation right now, because I miss it. I have people interested, just need to create the time to actually do it.

 

[QweziRider]

Had this very conversation with one of my guitarists last week. Sitting with him and a few others at a coffee joint, he says "We should get together and jam soon." I had to be honest with him and tell him I just don't enjoy "jamming." Hate it, won't do it. Any time I've done it against my better judgement, it always turns into making a bunch of noise with other musicians on things I don't care for and have no say because I'm "just the bass player" and anything I would enjoy is not material conducive to jamming. In other words, I get to be someone else' sonic support yet again while they weedle weedle me to death. He took that to mean I don't enjoy music, which is a fallacy.

On the contrary, I enjoy the heck out of playing and playing with other people - as long as there is a purpose to it! A gig? Writing stuff together? The rare rehearsal for a gig? I'm all over that in a heartbeat. I just despise "let's jam sometime" because it never turns out enjoyable for me, so I don't do it.

 

[micguy]

I haven't "jammed" in the last couple of decades. I do church gigs - decent sized places (way bigger than any bar gig I ever did), but it's not about size - it's about playing music for a cause I believe in. I play most (not all) weekends - the rep's are good for me, in that I always have things to work on - that's a huge part of me motivating myself to get better.
Could I jam? sure, my improvisational skills are very robust - part of how I am able to do gigs at different places with different people and make it all work. But, for me, it's not the end goal - I like playing in public, and the adrenaline of "it has to work NOW".

 

[Biggbass]

I've been gigging for 5 decades, since I was 15, and still enjoy a good get together in a friends garage or a jam session at a local weekly jam more than playing gigs.

Gigs can be fun and they can be frustrating. But an informal setting is always a good time.

But what's even more enjoyable for me is creating new music and recording & producing it. Whether it's just one song or an entire album. For me, that's where the reward is.

 

[DavC]

i get paid for moving Gear ..!! i play for the fun of it .. but i'm not moving crap around for nothing .. !! at least gotta get a few bucks to use towards my arthritis meds .. !!

 

[mongo2]

I play for any reason.

 

[lfmn16]

Had this very conversation with one of my guitarists last week. Sitting with him and a few others at a coffee joint, he says "We should get together and jam soon." I had to be honest with him and tell him I just don't enjoy "jamming." Hate it, won't do it. Any time I've done it against my better judgement, it always turns into making a bunch of noise with other musicians on things I don't care for and have no say because I'm "just the bass player" and anything I would enjoy is not material conducive to jamming. In other words, I get to be someone else' sonic support yet again while they weedle weedle me to death. He took that to mean I don't enjoy music, which is a fallacy.

On the contrary, I enjoy the heck out of playing and playing with other people - as long as there is a purpose to it! A gig? Writing stuff together? The rare rehearsal for a gig? I'm all over that in a heartbeat. I just despise "let's jam sometime" because it never turns out enjoyable for me, so I don't do it.

Hold it, are you saying you don’t want to play 50 verses of Pride and Joy while he weedles and deedles??

 

[Ggaa]

I'm lucky enough to be in a group who like playing together, and playing to 5 or 100 people. No delusions of greatness, just competent, frequently inspired players. Getting paid is great, but the playing is still fun....

 

[Element Zero]

I like to play with people who like to play with other people who like to play. If there’s a gig/gigs involved where people watching can have a good time, bring it on. If it’s just garage dad band cover tunes only for us, that’s cool too.

 

[bassliner50]

I will gig until I cannot. 70 Y/O. I am in a fortunate position to play great venues of all stripes with talented and diverse life musicians. They pay me to do what I love. Are you kidding me?

 

[arbiterusa]

Do you play for the playing or play because you want to be playing in public?

I play with other people solely because I want to be playing in public.

 

[FugaziBomb]

Do you play for the playing or play because you want to be playing in public?

Playing in public - no doubt. My upbringing left me seeking validation in my adult life and being an entertainer really scratches that itch.

 

[MCS4]

I play because I want to write music and share it with other people. While it isn't strictly mandatory, playing live sure makes it easier for other people to hear my music.