Stop hanging with the 80s rock crowd and start playing jazz; jamming problem solved.
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been there so many times i picked up the chapman stick about four years back.
I love to jam, but you need the right people, in the right frame of mind, with a decent set of skills and a good chunk of time for it to be good. Beers don't hurt either...
Give me half an hour... kazoos optional.
I was just bitching about this to an old friend from a few cities ago. That city had amazing jams. Blues your thing? Wednesday night at bar X. Jazz? Tuesday at bar Y. Soul & funk? Thursday at bar Z. You got a key, basic overall structure, and a count off, but listen for changes, since things might go off in a whole other direction. Ever seen Donnie Hathaway's The Ghetto morph into La Villa Strangiato and back again? It is a worderful thing.
Where I currently live...what passes for a "jam" around here is an act, often times a full band, getting on the stage and performing a small set. This is an open mike, not a jam.
Where I currently live...what passes for a "jam" around here is an act, often times a full band, getting on the stage and performing a small set. This is an open mike, not a jam.
I've become more and more picky about who I spend my time jamming with. Guys I used to jam with on a regular basis I've been blowing off precisely because they aren't willing to work outside of their boundaries and also because of their lack of creativity with respect to jamming/improv. Most of the time I feel my time is better spent working on stuff at home.
Once in awhile I will say yes to one of these groups of people, but thats only because i have some ideas I want to try out in a group setting, and I know that even though they will want to play the same old songs, I can incorporate what i want to try in that setting.
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.
I am fortunate to run a jam where I am located here in Delaware. We have some really great talent in the area, and a wonderful guy who set us up to do shows and jams at a clubhouse on a golfcourse. we are entering our 6th year of the run and I have to say it is strong. We encourage young players, bedroom players, and pro level players alike and EVERYONE plays. That said - if you aren't trying or have bad/nasty 'tude, you might not get as much playtime.
I run sound at this jam and MC the event. we have lights, and full PA with 4 monitor mixes, Subs, lights and give the "Show" experience to players and listeners alike. We get some weeks as little as 15 -20 people (not often - but through winter it happens) but average 40-60 people. Not bad for a room that would be dark and locked if we weren't doing the jam. we have a LOT of listeners and encourage networking and shameless plugs of your upcoming gigs. I usually shoot for about 20 minutes per round, since telling them three songs usually resulted in Stormy monday and whipping post type productions with sometimes 5-8 people on stage.
We usually have a different host band each week, it pays a little, and they/we love doing it. We usually run about 45 mins to open and then open it to jammers, and use the host band to fill spaces if needed, but really try to get everyone up. then - we do a closing with the house band - they can bring someone up if they like. I put together the groupings, and let them know ahead of their set so that they can get tuned and ready. If they aren't ready or don't want to go up then, unless there is a really good reason, They go to the end of the list, and no promises are made.
On these points -
1) Does anyone know any tunes other than blues anymore? - This one is a blues jam - not an open mic - sorry
2) I am not there to serve the egotistical crap guitarist (i.e. leg humpin dog)- some get pretty irate if you play anything adventurous. It is all about the music - sometimes you get people who want to showboat. Some want to wander into deeper waters - its 20 minutes - make it good for the listeners
3) The throngs of the zombie musical un-dead that come every week and attempt the same three lame-ass songs. We get a few - and honestly, try to get them up with others that they can learn from. Our crowd seems to thrive on this
4) The good players have left the room never to return. Maybe a few - but we have a good amount of really good players who make it a great night! We also encourage club owners to come here, and headhunt
5) Jams run by bass players sometimes can be the worst. I won't take that personal - There was a terrible bass player who would never allow a better bass player on stage. Another wanted money under the table to play. I get paid to provide set up and run sound. I run the Jam. That is MY money. The host band gets paid - they are responsible for helping me run things. Our jam is one of the smoothest run jams I have been to, and I attribute that to things I learned from VERY respectable people and well run jams.
To me, a jam was you show up, somebody calls a not too obscure song, and you play. Having a good ear and knowledge of songs helps. I go for the challenge. And when I go, I take note what songs are called so I am ready next time. Yep - I sometimes get better players up to do that, and I coach others to not do it so much when there are less experienced players up there.
Side note -
we have also done a lot of shows with national or regional acts. Sometimes we do that instead of jams - which are on Thursday nights 7-10 pm.
this formula works for us -
Whats working for others out there?
Whats NOT working? (i.e. 10 pm start time......)
I guess my thing is I’m afraid to jam because I feel that I lack the technical and theoretical finess to do myself or the music justice. I’ve been trying to learn how to improvise or solo recently because it keeps coming up as something my musician friends want me to do when I do play out with them, but I’m finding it to be difficult.
So I’m trying to learning more songs to build up my mental catalogue of music, shapes and phrases. Hat way I can reach into the. And know the way to play a phrase if my head decides to invent one.
It’s not that I don’t want to or that I lack the creativity, I just lack the technique and skill right now. But I’m working on it.
So I’m trying to learning more songs to build up my mental catalogue of music, shapes and phrases. Hat way I can reach into the. And know the way to play a phrase if my head decides to invent one.
It’s not that I don’t want to or that I lack the creativity, I just lack the technique and skill right now. But I’m working on it.
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That's why they have this thing called "songs".
Guitarist: "Uh, were going to do this thing like this (demonstrates a B7 and an E9 chord)
Bass: "Does this song have a name?"
Guitarist: "Uh, no."
Bass: "Do you know any songs?"
Guitarist "Uh, no"
Bass: "Sorry." Turns to rest of band. "Blues Shuffle in A, 1,2, 3, 4..."
Actually, I would'nt be so cruel, but one of us would be exiting the stage.
Seriously, if you are at this level, you don't belong on a stage jamming in front of customers. Go play with your friends in a garage until you are ready.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
Funny thing about this thread is that there are probably 15 different definitions of "jam" being used, and maybe even a few different interpretations of what it means to "improvise". Then there is the touchy matter of what constitutes "valid" improvisation.
Anyhow, FWIW, the "jam rock" scene is one of the few thriving music scenes in my town. There is an audience hungry for good music played by good musicians who can be creative in real time and give you a literally unique show every time. I should know because I'm a member of those audiences, and I perform for them too. Those that want note-for-note copies of songs don't go out much to hear live music anymore anyway, at least not around here.
Anyhow, FWIW, the "jam rock" scene is one of the few thriving music scenes in my town. There is an audience hungry for good music played by good musicians who can be creative in real time and give you a literally unique show every time. I should know because I'm a member of those audiences, and I perform for them too. Those that want note-for-note copies of songs don't go out much to hear live music anymore anyway, at least not around here.
I understand what you’re saying here, as in if you lack the knowledge or skill then keep practicing until you’re ready. I guess my question as a player who knows he isn’t confident would be, how do I learn? Do I look up jazz standards and study/ learn them? Is it scales?
I guess your experience is different than mine. You are running a blues "jam" for which you are getting paid. Ia m going because I want to stretch and learn something new.. Most blues "jams" have a pretty limited role and skill set for bass players. When I first started playing, I went to blues jams and I learned. Now they are just boring as **** and I avoid them. Not so much a "jam" as being the back up band for mostly guitarists and vocalists.
Just know a few songs that aren't played a 1000 times and practice them along with the recording until you have them down pat. Play with friends. Then test the waters.
If its a jazz jam, make it very clear you are a beginner and then tell them which standards you want to play and what key. Playing jazz is an enormous subject. Best advice I can offer is if you have a community college with a jazz program check it out.
Good Luck.
BTW, The music jam scene used to be much better here ten years ago. Now its on life support with a few exceptions.
I used to go to one about an hour away, and learned so much from so many people. I did NOT get paid on that - it was almost 4 years. On the one I work on now, it is geared towards players and listeners alike - to make it a gret playing and listening experience. Sometimes, it doesn't hit the mark we put up there - but thats ok too.
I have been to some where it is a popularity contest, or a pecker measuring contest. someone who came in early and bought food, listened to everyone never gets to play - and that SUCKS. Not on MY watch.
I actually used to play for the house band with a a blues jam run by David Bromberg, and learned SO much from him and those there - My intent is to make that legacy proud!
Tears in my eyes. LOL
The band I quit, the BL was sort of like this. He had great dexterity and 0 musical taste. After I quit he texted a couple of us and said he as in a city attending a blues jam at House of Blues....he didn’t actually know any blues songs and was just planning to go master bate for 23 measures over his favorite blues song “blues in A”.
I have been playing at jams for a few years....played at one low key one and learned to much about the culture and how to do it. Then started going to more popular ones and learned more stuff. Went to two last week....at one, I was the more experienced guy in the group put together. There was a time when I was so overwhelmed, this time, it was like I knew what I was doing and felt good about it, even if it was stumbling along....this was my time to "give back".
I record it all and beat myself up later....I’m never happy with what I play, but at least at the time it fits into the mix.
Blues jams here with slow blues tunes that go on for 9 minutes.
I can't take it anymore, I would need heroin (lol) maybe to hang out more.
I can't take it anymore, I would need heroin (lol) maybe to hang out more.
