Let`s just get together and jam, man!

[jmattbassplaya]

Does anyone else hate hearing this from another musician?

*Rant Ahead*

I`ve recently been looking to start up or join a new band while I`m at school, and about three days ago I found an ad on CL`s that mentioned a drummer and a guitarist looking for a bassist to start a (dominantly) cover band to play bars, frat parties, school events, etc...

I thought this seemed legit enough to fit my needs and wants as a player so I emailed them to say I was interested and to email me back or call. The next day my phone rings and it`s the guitarist. We get to talking about his ad and my reply and what music we like and other small talk.

He then asks me if I`m available the next day to get together and jam. I tell him sure and ask him what songs he`d like me to learn or at least look at, and he responds by saying that all he wants to do is jam just to get the feel of how we all work together.

I say sure, but at the same time I was thinking 'what the heck'. You guys post an ad saying you want to start a cover band and your audition process doesn`t involve playing actual cover songs?

It`s not just them auditioning me, you know? I`m also listening to each of them to see if they can recreate the same notes, vibe, and expression that the original artists created. I don`t care how well you can improve over a song. If you can`t play 'Sweet Child O Mines' solo note for note we are going to have a problem, and jamming won`t address that issue.

Jamming has it`s place. It`s cool when you`re in an originals bands and want to come up with ideas, and it`s cool when you find a groove in a song and try going off on a tangent. But to me, it`s no way to audition people for a cover band. Hell, I don`t even care for jamming in the writing process for an originals band. I much rather write something myself and then show it to the guys to get their input on what`s good and what isn`t and go from there.

Anyways, sorry for the rant/small novel. *Prepares to be flamed by jammers everywhere

 

[Hoover]

I don`t care how well you can improve over a song. If you can`t play 'Sweet Child O Mines' solo note for note we are going to have a problem

I agree with your post 99.9999%

...the 0.0001% I take issue with is that sentence cited above: if your idea of being in a cover band is to play "note for note" renditions (including solos) I think you may already have a problem.

At the very least, you're looking in the wrong place; Craig's List would be the last place I'd look for musicians who are both A) of a high enough caliber to be able to mimic a wide variety of cover tunes note for note and B) who are of the (forgive me) mindset that wants to simply emulate those covers note for note.

But yeah, "let's jam!" tells me nothing about how well a professional musician works.

 

[Phalex]

In all fairness, the lead to Sweet Child really is fairly distinctive. Certain parts have to be true to the original.

The only time we actually "jam" in my cover band is when the singer has an issue, or the guitar player breaks a string, and we need to do something, instead of nothing. I don't remember what tune it was, but a couple of years ago, we stretched a song out by a good ten minutes to get to the end of the set when the singers mic crapped out. It was a gas!

 

[bassrique]

Unless you're a jazz musician that has the common changes to draw from [standards], I agree that just jamming isn't the best use of time. Such sessions invariably turn into I IV V fests, which can get boring. If you're going to form a cover band, why not play covers to see if you are a fit?

But then again, once you get there, you may find that you guys might know some common songs, or "rock standards".

I didn't get a good night's sleep and I fear I'm rambling incoherently.

 

[Din Of Win]

I found jamming gets proportionatly more enjoyable the more pedals you have and use

I agree with the OP. Jamming DOES have a time and place, but a cover band audition is not one. You can easily tell how you're going to mesh with another musician with a prepared cover song.

 

[DeluxeRed]

I think that's all being a bit closed minded and persnickety regarding "jamming". There's nothing wrong with starting out a bit unstructured just to get the feel and sound of the other guys. The trick is to be a bit prepared, and even drive the jam if necessary: "Why don't I start with a Johnny B Goode rock progression, and you can crank over it for a minute..." or "Let me lay down a 12-bar for ya and we can see if we can make it click" or even "I'll lay down the verse to SCoM and go through it a coupla times and you can take a stab at the solo--do you tune down?". That's so much easier of an ice breaker than expecting everyone to play right through some note-perfect cover tune on the drummer's four-click the first time you've ever played together--doing that takes time and effort. And be prepared with some simple covers ready to go so you can do a structured song with maybe some vox, say Sunshine or Pride & Joy or something recognizable, and also easily picked-up by someone who may not have drilled on it. If you can decide together on a couple beforehand, great, but if not, don't sweat it.

Even though we play pretty-well defined and structured cover tunes (at least our versions of them), there are times during rehearsal where the gp, drummer and I will start off on some riff or progression, like when the girls are going over some lyrics or something. Nothing big, but it does help build that communication and anticipation that is so valuable on stage, where anything can and does happen.

So don't be so harsh and close out your opportunities. Be prepared, make the most of it, and maybe learn or teach something, and maybe find some really great musicians and friends.

 

[stflbn]

IMHO, Jamming is nothing but an excuse for a Rhythm section to support showing off of solo'ists.

I will not go to an audition that consists of 'jamming'. After I know the people and their styles and approaches I'm more than willing to do some jamming, but I'll never make my decision on a band based on getting together and jamming.

To me it is an early warning that the people either have trouble learning or are in capable of planning ahead and preparing.

 

[Philbiker]

I play in a regular band, but I've been doing a lot of "Jamming" with my cousin Tony and a couple of his friends for a few months now. So much so that we actually played at a pool party a few weeks ago. Here's my take.

As with jazz, if the players are good and experienced, "Jamming" can very readily consist of not an open-ended jam on a chord progression, but someone calling out a song, and the whole band playing the song. If all the players are experienced and have a good ear, often this can be a very satisfying experience. But even in this situation, I would expect the guitar player in the OP to at least suggest a few songs to be familiar with.

In my "jam" situation, the first time I went to jam, Tony gave me a list of songs, I listened and learned a few; many I already knew; many were obviously simple I-IV-V blues and all I needed to do was understand the feel. Sometimes he would pull out a CD and we would learn the song on the fly. In this situation, all the musicians involved were of a caliber to easily pick up virtually any song by ear in a few seconds, read a chord chart blind. It was informal, but very refreshing in the professionalism of all involved. That jam situation continues to be a very musically satisfying experience for me.

 

[Jim Campbell]

Does anyone else hate hearing this from another musician?

*Rant Ahead*

I`ve recently been looking to start up or join a new band while I`m at school, and about three days ago I found an ad on CL`s that mentioned a drummer and a guitarist looking for a bassist to start a (dominantly) cover band to play bars, frat parties, school events, etc...

I thought this seemed legit enough to fit my needs and wants as a player so I emailed them to say I was interested and to email me back or call. The next day my phone rings and it`s the guitarist. We get to talking about his ad and my reply and what music we like and other small talk.

He then asks me if I`m available the next day to get together and jam. I tell him sure and ask him what songs he`d like me to learn or at least look at, and he responds by saying that all he wants to do is jam just to get the feel of how we all work together.

I say sure, but at the same time I was thinking 'what the heck'. You guys post an ad saying you want to start a cover band and your audition process doesn`t involve playing actual cover songs?

It`s not just them auditioning me, you know? I`m also listening to each of them to see if they can recreate the same notes, vibe, and expression that the original artists created. I don`t care how well you can improve over a song. If you can`t play 'Sweet Child O Mines' solo note for note we are going to have a problem, and jamming won`t address that issue.

Jamming has it`s place. It`s cool when you`re in an originals bands and want to come up with ideas, and it`s cool when you find a groove in a song and try going off on a tangent. But to me, it`s no way to audition people for a cover band. Hell, I don`t even care for jamming in the writing process for an originals band. I much rather write something myself and then show it to the guys to get their input on what`s good and what isn`t and go from there.

Anyways, sorry for the rant/small novel. *Prepares to be flamed by jammers everywhere

i'd look at it as a night out to have some fun..........maybe they're good,maybe not,but jamming for a few hours will tell you lots about them......sometimes good things happen from shaky beginnings

 

[the evil]

i agree with the poster. you NEED one song you are all the same page with, other wise it turns into everyone TRYING to jam for 10 mins getting frustrated and asking "well do you know this tune?"

better to know a song or two together than to sit there with your fingers up your a**es; or each other's (you all may already know some of the same tunes as well)

 

[zenrad]

Well...as a deadhead and someone who likes the Allmans, Zappa, and other improvisational music including jazz, I've always felt that a good measure of a musician vs player is the ability to improvise - and I'm not talking about endless go-rounds on a I-IV-V progression. I mean being able to take a song way out and back again.

That's the difference between playing a song and making music to me, and it takes a certain type of person to do it right.

To those who think it's a waste of time, I read a quote 20+ years ago that stuck in my mind forever,
"Killing time to let sound live"

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, it's just what I like.

 

[Hoover]

I found jamming gets proportionatly more enjoyable the more drugs you have and use

Fixed

 

[zenrad]

I found jamming gets proportionatly more enjoyable the more drugs you have and use

Fixed

Interesting edit to Din's original post...

Perhaps, but that's the misconception that many people have. While much of an audience may be modifying their mood with various substances from alcohol to agricultural and or chemical items, as a player I believe it's far better to be influenced only by your intellect and abilities and leave the recreation to the audience members. If there is no audience involved and you expand your consciousness in the way you see fit either by yourself or with your bandmates, then it's a creative exercise and I'll leave it to the individuals involved to determine if it was worth the time.

Zappa was a great lesson to me in that regard. He was notoriously anti drug, and was not a drug user, yet his work is as psychedelic and inventive as can be imagined.

Good improvisation, like a Coltrane solo, can be a spiritual experience if you are open to that sort of thing. Some people just don't have the mindset to listen to improvisation, and prefer a technician to play perfect renditions of predetermined notes. I have good friend like that. He's (for lack of a better term) an amateur musicologist, loves the Who, loves Bach and Mozart, won't listen to jazz because it's too abstract. He NEEDS to know what the next note should be.

For me, improvisation is the ALTERNATIVE to drug use and substance abuse. It's living breathing music that is manifesting before us and within the listener. Music is a healing power, improvisation is the open door.

Suggesting that drugs are needed to enjoy improvisation is doing a disservice to all musicians who create, and IMO is an insult to those who spend their lives seeking inspiration, perfecting skills, and developing the self in order to channel creative energies used to invent the sounds of the moment.

Sometimes improvs are wonderful, sometimes not so much. Just like any moment or day in the life of a person. It's that risk, that hope for those moments of bliss, and the occasional times it happens that make music the force that it is and life as a player worth living.

 

[RickenBoogie]

There's certainly a time and a space for freeform jams, they help you grow musically, but I agree, if you're trying to put a gigging band together, it's important to have 3-5 songs to focus on, and to be able to get a decent rendition of those songs fairly quickly. Otherwise, people lose interest fast. That's no way to start out.