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tips for productive jamming

R

riddem

Mar 1, 2007
13
0
#1
Hello to all at TB.
Does anyone have some advice about how to take fun, funky, inspired jamming to the next level (i.e. actual song structures)?
We have been recording our jams--which can sometimes go on for a good twenty minutes or more--and while we definitely find some moments where we all seem to be 'in the zone', we're not really sure how to synthesize those down into coherent compositions with distinct beginning/middle/ending sections. We're strictly instrumental at this point, and don't yet have vocals or lyrics to guide us along.
We're all kind of new to this and are very excited about our possibilities together as a unit, and want to get tight without taking away the freshness and the spontaneity.
Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.
 
#2
At least you are recording, that would be my first suggestion.

In my experience, simply jamming and waiting for enough material to produce a well structured song is usually less productive than one guy sitting down with a deliberate intent to write out a structural outline.

Also, a well structured song usually needs to move from one section to the next in a way that musically flows, those kind of changes can be very hard to spontaneously jam out.

I'd pick the gems you have recorded, and have the band try to recreate it -just to make sure you can effectively execute it when you're not 'in the zone' . When you find the parts that you can reliably reproduce, Identify whats going on harmonically - what chords , what key. With that knowledge, have everybody do homework on there own, to come up with a simple idea for a next section that flows. Then everybody brings there ideas to the next jam and all can try it out.
 
#3
I'm about 3 months into a Originals band with Jam elements, so I'll tell you how we are handling it, but like I said I'm new to it as well.

Basically someone brings something to the table...the guitarist has a few pre-composed pieces we all like so we are working on them ATM, the drummer also has a 12/8 rhythm he loves that I wrote a simple progression over ext...

We all learn the song, it has its verse and a chorus, lyrics ext. and the bridge can be switched out with a "jam progression" that is relatively simple. We repeatedly jam out on these progressions every week, so that we can eventually just expand our bridges into jams, and jam different songs on different nights ext. The perfect example of this structure is the Allman Bros.
 
#4
1) Get a white board.
2) Record your "jams"s (you're already doing that)
3) Find something you all can do while listening to what you record (video game, perhaps)
4) When you hear something that is cool, take notes, pick up your axes and work it out on the white board - simple rough charting is enough if you're not big theory guys.

That worked for me in multiple bands and was a method I used to push on my students.
 
#5
When I write with the drummer it's just a matter of what we like, then we keep noodling with it until we find another piece we like that flows well with it, then well add another section or two, using the same "jam it out" method, then the song is done. I think just keep playing and when something good comes along remember it, and save it, a good foundation will yield a good product. JAM IT OUT
 

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