Thinking about quitting going to jams!

[logdrum]

Sign up jams as a bass player - I expect that unless I know folks, it's like buying a lottery ticket. I do happen to play saxophone and that's the only time I am guaranteed to be called. Usually the rhythm section is defined and stay put. Also you are expected to know a lot of songs. Jazz standards jam, there maybe more chances specially if some of the bass players need a break from 128 bar solos. For blues, rock jams, there is always a permanent bass player and most of the time, the bass player will stay put. No point in losing sleep over this. I don't blame you for quitting.

 

[pbassnut]

It has happened in the past where I have signed up to go play and I get pushed to the end because closer friends of the hosts show up! This has always ticked me off especially when we all know each other and have for years! However, last night I think was a new kind of low!!

Friends of mine were hosting so I decided to go and play a few tunes. However I dont play with them because they do 90s Alternative and I dont know any of their songs. So I dont sign up and wait for who else is going to show. I knew of a few friends that were coming that I have played with many times. So I am totally not expecting to go up based on my own decisions to be honest. But then this happened! Another friend asked me to go up and play with them and I accepted. But his spot came up and he said that his son showed up and he wanted to do a few originals with him and we would go up at the end so I had no problem agreeing, we are all friends!

So it comes time that they are starting to get ready to do the last spot so I was about ready to get my gear ready when the host bassist was asked to play with them. They just totally shut me out! THAT is what made me mad! I wasted my whole evening after working a 12 hour day to just get shunned!

I've never run a blues jam, but I have played in the house bands for popular/well attended blues jams quite a bit and have observed the machinations that the jam leader/organizer has to do and it's nowhere near as easy as it looks to make it all work. A few challenges/issues that often come up ...

1) More players attend the jam than there's time for everybody to get a decent shot.
2) Some players don't want to play with certain other players and/or only want to get up with the A listers.
3) The organizer has to assemble coherent ensembles with someone to sing from a disparate group of players.
4) Some players hog the stage by soloing endlessly which leaves less time for the players who follow them.
5) It can be tricky to balance entertainment value/fun for participants when total beginners want to play.
6) Bands or groups of players will want to get up together to perform a showcase of songs they've worked on.
7) Sometimes it seems like every bass player in town shows up and other times hardly any.
8) Some players will show up late and want to get squeezed in.

Bottom line, it can be difficult to make everybody happy.

 

[SulzerType2]

Been there. Was invited to one in Edinburgh that went on and on and on. Felt like a retirement home for decrepit rockers, shambling about talking about the glory days. The final straw was a band called 'Riddums of Africa' that was one guy doing his best Santana-style soloing over a long, leaden Afrobeat jam. The only non-Caucasians were the backing singers, who I felt sorry for.

 

[Jogobass]

I've been going to a local jazz jam for the past few months. It's the only place in town with access for all levels. Some nights I play two songs, some nights I play all evening. When I don't get to play I support the ones that are playing and just enjoy listening to a free jazz performance.

 

[Neon Blues]

I'm just a casual player. I actually love the socialising and not having to rehearse and set time up over the week. Not worry around setlists, band promotion, social media.

Just turn up, play a few songs, improve my ability to play other genres and keys.

I also like giving younger or less experienced players someone to play with.

Have a few whiskeys, not haul any bass amps. Occasionally I'll tee up a drummer and play some bass solo stuff.

Living the dream.

 

[Neon Blues]

Lol I've always hated jams, for many reasons, this kind of amateurism being high on the list (right up there with I-IV-V blues in E).

But E is where I do my best work! Bb is just for wanky jazz guys

 

[Jogobass]

I also like giving younger or less experienced players someone to play with.

This is often overlooked. I'm in a similar position. People have told me I might be a little too good for this jam, but my line of thinking is that I used to enjoy playing with people better than me, and one day I became that person for someone else.

 

[dadglasser]

But E is where I do my best work! Bb is just for wanky jazz guys

 

[mrcbass]

For me, I'd happily sit in as the house bassist for jams and back whoever pops up and let others sit in as called. But, I have no interest in waiting in line for a random spot to backup some random wankers for tunes I may not know.

I'm not a flashy player and can't even imagine how to "stand out" as a bassist well enough to land gigs off of doing so. I won't even start on the politics of public jams.

 

[LBS-bass]

Some interesting takes here.

I got to a local jam semi-regularly. In terms of the quality of players that show up, I'm somewhere in the middle of the pack. Not the best bassist there, but I hold my own with the better players when I get put up with them. There's a regular crew of pros who show up, and a regular crew of learners. I'm a pro, but not all that well known in the scene so I don't get the star slots.

However, that's not why I'm there. I find it funny that people are complaining about everyone wanting to show off but then also complaining about not being put into the spotlight positions. At jams, somebody has to play with the learners and beginners, and the point of a jam is to give people opportunities to play that they otherwise wouldn't have. I'm glad to do my time with those people 'cause somebody gave me that same opportunity when I was a bit more green than I am now.

There are people I go there with who are less experienced than I am who also mumble and complain about being grouped with people of equal skill. I'm not sure what the hosts are supposed to do, when their job is to organize an entertaining show and keep the people there as long as possible. If you put the loud, out of tune people up first, you're not going to sell a lot of beer. If you put the pros up first, you will get people dancing and they might stay until the end.

I think if you can't roll with the punches in the understanding that each jam situation is going to be unique, you probably should organize a private jam where you can play the whole time with people you know.

 

[BassGuyFL]

Last time I went to a Blues Jam it was a bunch of sax guys playing over jazz changes.

I had a beer and went home.

That sounds like the opposite of fun.

 

[Passinwind]

I'm not a flashy player and can't even imagine how to "stand out" as a bassist well enough to land gigs off of doing so.

Being able to hang with rando singer-songwriters or putting my nose in a Real Book and not sucking worked great for me. Not standing out is often kind of the whole point at those things, IME. But simply talking with other players at jams got me a lot more work than anything I ever did on stage.

 

[Bass Viking]

It has happened in the past where I have signed up to go play and I get pushed to the end because closer friends of the hosts show up! This has always ticked me off especially when we all know each other and have for years! However, last night I think was a new kind of low!!

Friends of mine were hosting so I decided to go and play a few tunes. However I dont play with them because they do 90s Alternative and I dont know any of their songs. So I dont sign up and wait for who else is going to show. I knew of a few friends that were coming that I have played with many times. So I am totally not expecting to go up based on my own decisions to be honest. But then this happened! Another friend asked me to go up and play with them and I accepted. But his spot came up and he said that his son showed up and he wanted to do a few originals with him and we would go up at the end so I had no problem agreeing, we are all friends!

So it comes time that they are starting to get ready to do the last spot so I was about ready to get my gear ready when the host bassist was asked to play with them. They just totally shut me out! THAT is what made me mad! I wasted my whole evening after working a 12 hour day to just get shunned!

Just barge in obnoxiously like you're someone special, they'll probably cave!

 

[SBassman]

I have seen nasty jams and very well run friendly jams.

With the nasty jam, they'd advertise it as an open mic - but you couldn't even find a place to sign up. Basically, if the host knew you, he'd remember and he'd give you a slot. Otherwise, if you were trying to join in, it wasn't happening.

With the well run jam, they'd literally have a book out that anyone could sign, and the host did a great job moving people on and off, keeping the order, and ensuring everyone got to participate.

I don't bother anymore. I did when I was younger, but the desire to do that is completely gone.
[So is the desire to gig, but that's another story. Max joy for me at this point in my life is - play at home, my music, on my time. ]

 

[Pings Bass]

But E is where I do my best work! Bb is just for wanky jazz guys

I love Eb and Bb because I was a horn player before I was a bass player, and because I like to see guitarists' heads explode

 

[WI Short Scaler]

It has happened in the past where I have signed up to go play and I get pushed to the end because closer friends of the hosts show up! This has always ticked me off especially when we all know each other and have for years! However, last night I think was a new kind of low!!

Friends of mine were hosting so I decided to go and play a few tunes. However I dont play with them because they do 90s Alternative and I dont know any of their songs. So I dont sign up and wait for who else is going to show. I knew of a few friends that were coming that I have played with many times. So I am totally not expecting to go up based on my own decisions to be honest. But then this happened! Another friend asked me to go up and play with them and I accepted. But his spot came up and he said that his son showed up and he wanted to do a few originals with him and we would go up at the end so I had no problem agreeing, we are all friends!

So it comes time that they are starting to get ready to do the last spot so I was about ready to get my gear ready when the host bassist was asked to play with them. They just totally shut me out! THAT is what made me mad! I wasted my whole evening after working a 12 hour day to just get shunned!

My experience only.

Jams are a crap show. I don't go even if asked.

 

[DWBass]

I won't go near that crap anymore! Been a victim of being pushed to last or near last. Last one I went to our band didn't get on until damn near 11pm. Host band did damn near an entire concert which is BULL!! I figured they would do maybe 4 songs and get the ball rolling. Another one I went, typically guests get 2-3 songs. Song was called out that I knew. I get ready to play and the host bassist calls me off. I'm pissed but ok. They start playing the tune and he's fumbling through it. I actually know the song and he's butchering it. I quit going to that one.

 

[Hevy T]

I love Eb and Bb because I was a horn player before I was a bass player, and because I like to see guitarists' heads explode

What I like to do to play with the guitarists ego and mind is to use my unlined fretless and go to drop d and not tell him. The look of terror in his eyes when he don't have a clue what Im doing and trying to follow me is priceless , but it sounds right lol

I only do it because I have had them call a song I have never even heard of and not bother to even tell me the key, or even if its a 1 4 5 or a 4 chord or anything lol

 

[richntiff]

In the deep fryer of music, open jams/bar jams/open mic/etc are the sludge on the bottom of the oil reservoir.

 

[Low End Scum]

In the deep fryer of music, open jams/bar jams/open mic/etc are the sludge on the bottom of the oil reservoir.

I've just never found them all that fun. Sometimes, some of the local rock guys would show up who can wing a solid enough jam and even sing well enough over it to make it sound intentional. Most the time though it's an absolute mess of faffing about.

Admittedly I'm jaded. I loathe jamming because for years and years it's the only way one of the bands I was in would write. Nobody would show up with more than 1 riff of a song idea, we'd "jam" it ad nauseum, nothing would come of it, and then we'd move on. Heaven forbid we drill the set a few times, mercy me we couldn't possibly do that. It wouldn't be rock and roll unless we showed up uncertain as to how the "improv jam sesh" portions of songs started and ended.