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Jamming and improvisiation!

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous [BG]' started by Lazy, Oct 1, 2001.

  1. Oct 1, 2001 #1
    Lazy

    Lazy

    May 30, 2001
    Vancouver BC
    I've been asked to jam with my wife's friends hubby and am kind of nervous as I've never "jammed" in my life. I just sit with the bass and play all over the fretboard. How can I condition myself to be albe to jam and improvise with this guy? I even have trouble playing along with records cuz my ears are a bit dead. My wife kinda hyped me up a bit so I don't want to look like a goof!
     
  2. Oct 1, 2001 #2
    Comakazi

    Comakazi

    May 3, 2001
    Midwest US
    Well, first, it sounds like a pretty informal thing...so relax. To me that's the first thing, relax, open your ears and listen.
    Don't worry about what your wife has said, or not said, if you go in with a cool attitude then there should not be a problem, especially, and I'm assuming this is correct, since it sounds like just you and the other guy, right? You two can sit down feel each others styles out and go from there. I don't know if there's any specific way to prepare, just do it. If there are things you need to work on they'll come out when you start playing! :D
    But seriously, have fun, relax, and listen.
     
  3. Oct 1, 2001 #3
    Lazy

    Lazy

    May 30, 2001
    Vancouver BC
    Thanks!
    I really feel the need to do this so I can bust out of a rut! Plus it'll probably be alot of fun!
     
  4. Oct 1, 2001 #4
    Bass Guitar

    Bass Guitar Supporting Member

    Aug 13, 2001
    Be honest and humble about your own abilities with this friend of yours. Before playing, tell the friend straight off what you can and cannot do. Always play down your skills - when you actually do play, if you sound better than what he expects, that's good. The other way round is always more embarrassing for everybody.

    Before going, warm up a bit by "jamming" around with some records of yours - this gets your fingers going, and your ear "tuned up".

    Most of all, HAVE FUN. And RELAX! :)
     
  5. Oct 1, 2001 #5
    Lazy

    Lazy

    May 30, 2001
    Vancouver BC
    In response, I've been playing for about 2 years, before that I played guitar for about 3 years. I usually warm up with chromatic scales and do some fingering exercises as well. Then I just spend most of my time trying to come up with cool sounding lines and melodies. Sometimes I'll mistakenly play a line from a song I heard and I'll usually play that until it's etched in my brain. As for teachers, there's a MILLION GUITAR teachers here and NO BASS teachers. I took lessons from a guitarist but I felt I was being short changed because it really didn't seem like he was teaching pure bass playing!!
     
  6. Oct 1, 2001 #6
    Lazy

    Lazy

    May 30, 2001
    Vancouver BC
    Also, this guy I'm playing with is a guitarist and he's already written songs that he wants me to "write" basslines for!
     
  7. Oct 2, 2001 #7
    Lazy

    Lazy

    May 30, 2001
    Vancouver BC
    Thanks Guys!
    I know alot about the guitar, I just know squat about coming up with good basslines. I'm always trying to come up with something that sounds different than the guitars but to no avail. Yes I am new to this, but not new to the instrument.
     
  8. Oct 2, 2001 #8
    Mike

    Mike

    Sep 7, 2000
    Cali
    Just react. That's all jamming is, reacting. One music project I'm in is nothing but jamming: me, a guitar player and a drummer. We've never played the same thing twice and we never know what we are going to play next. It's by far the funnest project I'm involved with. Structure is fine but becomes a routine. Improv is raw but never a dull, just expirementing and expression. What's cooler than that?
     
  9. Oct 2, 2001 #9
    embellisher

    embellisher Holy Ghost filled Bass Player Supporting Member

    Apr 18, 2000
    Heber Springs, Arkansas
    You may already know this, but the main components of bass lines are chord tones, scale tones, and chromatic passing tones.

    To get started building basslines, start with chord tones, such as root, 3rd, 5th, etc. After you get comfortable with that, you can add scale tones such as the 4th, 6th, 7th, whatever. Just with those 2 options you can create great sounding lines. Passing tones, at first can be used to walk up(or down) to the next chord change, although once you get comfortable using them, you will find that they work well between changes too.