The death of jamming

[GwaiiEagle]

II'm saddened that so many people have lost the spirit of true jamming- Improvisation, and spontaneity.
Every week I end up with a bunch of GREAT players who just want to play songs. Maybe add a second (third...fourth) guitar solo, but the jamming aspect is all but gone.

If you've read my posts you know I played a lot till I was 20, and didn't play again for 34 years.

Back at it, I've realized some players can't do it. Jam that is. Winging it is a complete mystery to them.

I've played in front of people who've asked, 'Your eyes are closed, how do you know when the changes are?',

The answer for me is You Just feel it. And Feeling is the best part of jamming.

 

[JIO]

She's not a bro.

broette?

 

[JIO]

Thanks for posting that track, I really enjoyed it. I wish more folks here would post their tracks too. Listening to them as I read this thread is perfect.

...you may regret your request

 

[Stevekeys]

I have an idea for all who host (Open Mic, Jam Night, Open Jam, etc.) ... Next time you set the equipment up, put the drums, keys, (and maybe the bass), in the FRONT, and put the guitarists' in the BACK. Two things will occur.
1) Quality Jams.
2) Weed out the wankers in no time at all. They might even leave before the start to wank.

 

[JRA]

The ones I attend are 3-4 hrs (with breaks) and go through many different phases. So a willingness to dedicate a chunk of time for proper development of potentials seems a needed ingredient for a successful jam session.

i agree: and even your ever-so-slight schedule structure probably helps to keep folks on the same page, no matter how intense the music can get. nice to hear.

...you may regret your request

that's a real jam going on there! nice stuff. it sounds fun, so i know it was fun.

 

[TCgypsy]

That's what I miss most about "the boys in 'the project'"... making, music... someone starts a mindless riff, some one else noodles along, then add more noodles... eventually the singer shows up and starts hollering loud funny words... later that afternoon... a "song" magically happens... making music... isn't that why we "play"? Lol... I know that's why I picked up a bass...

I completely agree. Some of the best songs emerge from a jam session. For instance, 'Life in the Fast Lane' by the Eagles started from a lick that Joe Walsh screwed around with while the boys were jamming.

Even if you care less about writing original music, jamming is going to improve your group playing skills. I don't care how well you can shred; if you can't do it in a group setting it's pointless, imo.

--TC

 

[JIO]

i agree: and even your ever-so-slight schedule structure probably helps to keep folks on the same page, no matter how intense the music can get. nice to hear.


that's a real jam going on there! nice stuff. it sounds fun, so i know it was fun.

thanks! When the train pulls away from the station and you're on it - nothing better!

 

[Londo Molari]

I'll put my money where my mouth is, I just uploaded another P3 excursion. Raw and unedited.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Here's one by another project of mine, St. Elmo's Fire, edited and lightly polished:

 

[monradon]

I have another (humorous) thread going about jam bands. On a more serious note, I've been running jams for years, and probably always will. I'm saddened that so many people have lost the spirit of true jamming- Improvisation, and spontaneity.
Every week I end up with a bunch of GREAT players who just want to play songs. Maybe add a second (third...fourth) guitar solo, but the jamming aspect is all but gone.
I try to push my guests boundries, and a FEW of them get it. Go to double time feel, or a modulation, or switch up a groove- reggae Zeppelin, or metal Peaches and Herb.
I try to keep it interesting, and push peoples boundries.
I often just hit a brick wall. If it ain't on the record, they don't want to try it.
Too many automatons, not enough free spirits.
Another Pride and Joy.......in the same key as the record.....
Rant over.

 

[monradon]

Paulabass people just do not realize the fun and beauty of jam sessions!! I am a old fart and in my youth and hippy days I was a groupie by todays definitions and you know even after the long hours and playing all week it seemed like Sunday afternoon you could find the guys and gals just jamming. Some of the groups or people went on to big time gigs or even national TV !! So I have heard some of the best and worst play and it was great !!

 

[retslock]

I have another (humorous) thread going about jam bands. On a more serious note, I've been running jams for years, and probably always will. I'm saddened that so many people have lost the spirit of true jamming- Improvisation, and spontaneity.
Every week I end up with a bunch of GREAT players who just want to play songs. Maybe add a second (third...fourth) guitar solo, but the jamming aspect is all but gone.
I try to push my guests boundries, and a FEW of them get it. Go to double time feel, or a modulation, or switch up a groove- reggae Zeppelin, or metal Peaches and Herb.
I try to keep it interesting, and push peoples boundries.
I often just hit a brick wall. If it ain't on the record, they don't want to try it.
Too many automatons, not enough free spirits.
Another Pride and Joy.......in the same key as the record.....
Rant over.

I lost interest in jamming way back. Too many players didn't communicate and just went about strutting their stuff trying to impress. I've been playing original music for a long time now, that has been the most satisfying and as far as playing it note for note every time, that never happens. I've always played music the way I feel it when it happens. I prefer music with form and I've rarely had a jam that I could call satisfying. Free music has never appealed to me.

 

[AshokanKid]

I'll put my money where my mouth is, I just uploaded another P3 excursion. Raw and unedited.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

What FUN~!

 

[embrynat2000]

I can never remember the words or notes to more than a few cover tunes at a time to save my life, but get me up there with a decent drummer and a guitar player and i can jam all night long.

 

[retslock]

If jamming for you is five dudes noodling in a room, you are just playing with jabronis. A good group of jammers will establish structure and play effectively in their role as part of the ensemble.

Who are these people...I don't know them.

 

[tumbaobab]

Here is the definition of Jamming:

 

[Basshappi]

I have another (humorous) thread going about jam bands. On a more serious note, I've been running jams for years, and probably always will. I'm saddened that so many people have lost the spirit of true jamming- Improvisation, and spontaneity.
Every week I end up with a bunch of GREAT players who just want to play songs. Maybe add a second (third...fourth) guitar solo, but the jamming aspect is all but gone.
I try to push my guests boundries, and a FEW of them get it. Go to double time feel, or a modulation, or switch up a groove- reggae Zeppelin, or metal Peaches and Herb.
I try to keep it interesting, and push peoples boundries.
I often just hit a brick wall. If it ain't on the record, they don't want to try it.
Too many automatons, not enough free spirits.
Another Pride and Joy.......in the same key as the record.....
Rant over.

I agree with you 110%!!!
Participating in jam sessions used to be a right of passage for novice musicians and a regular social/networking activity for the pros.
It taught you how to walk into most any musical situation and hold your own even if you were not familiar with the music or style. One learned how to work and interact with all types of musicians and instrumentation. Regular attendance in jam sessions forced one to learn how to be creative and when to stretch out and when to nail it down all while keeping a solid groove. Jam sessions gave us the freedom to push our boundaries, overcome our limitations and put us on the path to developing our own voices through our instruments.
It was also important for being a known member in the local scene and where you were on "the ladder" as it were. It was the primary means of local networking before the era of the internet, cellphones and social media.
Some of my greatest experiences as a musician were and are in jam sessions.

I have also noticed the decline of the jam session as a regular and important part of a musician's life and I truly believe that musicians and music in general are the poorer for it.

 

[retslock]

I have played with the same guitarist through about 6 bands, he openly admits he is not a shredder and would rather play chords.

I often encourage him to play longer solos and sometimes have to tell him to turn his amp up at gigs, my kind of guitarist.

Be careful...this guy sounds weird...are you sure he's a real human?

 

[Bearston]

I started playing just before the days of jazz-fusion. In my friend's basement we would try to learn popular songs which we did poorly, so we eventually started writing our own. We also thought that J-F was snob music and in the middle of many of our newly minted toonz, we would often stick our noses up in the air as a signal to imitate the latest high speed drivel (we were mostly punk) often with pretty awful results and lots of laughter. After a few months we started "imitating" J-F by simply starting to play anything that came to our minds/fingers and much to our surprise we often created some pretty good tunes out of those free-for-alls. Some things it did teach us was how to communicate and how to write music without fear, how to write on demand and how to keep an open ear. Some other friends would come down to jam at times and couldn't ever wrap their heads around what we were doing, but we sure had some killer jams. Often they would start off with the most awful noise and then develop into things of beauty, we were fearless and motivated by our creations. Forward 30 years and I can still write songs at the drop of a hat, even though I'm not the greatest instrumentalist. Some of those friends that would come down and ridicule us (and still do to this day) still can't write a song, tune, melody or rhythm to save their souls and they have the recordings to prove it. Improv is my greatest learned lesson paying dividends to this day. Not much chance that I'll walk on stage unprepared any more, but one theme in time is all you need to set the adventure afloat, sometimes it's awful, but mostly it is a fantastic conversation with totally unforeseen results and always a gamble well worth taking. Improv is the most honest music ever, fresh and from the heart, go ahead, jump off that cliff, you'll learn to fly long before you hit the bottom, fun indeed!!

 

[drewonedge]

I feel your pain. My BL runs a Tuesday night jam. It's very popular. It's common for a few members of a band to get up together, and they usually play material from their book, except the solos go on for two or three times as long. You don't know true despair until you've been subjected to a guitarist going off on a Spin Doctors tune for 15 minutes. Every once in a while I get up there and lay down an altered blues or a line from Miles. If the drummer is simpatico, it works for a little while, until the guitarists start honking off, and then dynamics and swing disappear, and I find myself trying to figure out how to close it out without anybody feeling like they've been cut off (even thought that is exactly what I'm doing).

Other nights I just show up with an acoustic guitar and make a fool of myself. Less stressful.

Yeah I play guitar as well as bass, and I love to jam as a collective group of like minded musicians who can listen to each other and communicate through song. A jam is not a band backing a guitar player that solos on and on. I have taking more to playing the bass because I have gotten a little tired of hearing guitar solos!

 

[Madjon1973]

It could all be worse...in the UK particularly around me we have open mic nights.

These have people turning up and playing songs of their own or sometimes bands promoting themselves some are great others so deep and introspective you'd want to end it all there....whatever...you can do just barge in with a bass and shout cheer up you buggers let's get a groove going down man!!!

They have their place but I miss the spontaneity of a proper turn up, find a groove, a few chords be creative, let it go, make a noise have a few beers have some fun...you just have to know when to quit and hope a drummer is in the house

Hell, I might try and start a jam night at my local might be the antidote I need, you never know what opportunities will come from it!