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What should I know before I'm ready to jam?

Geekydad

Geekydad

Guest
Sep 9, 2014
692
1,854
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Newark/Fremont, CA
#1
Been playing bass for about two months, self-taught with help from Youtube and Rocksmith 2014 (I'm trying to find time to take lessons with an actual teacher.) I really feel I want to jam with some other musicians soon, but my guitar-playing friends all live out-of-state, so my only option is finding someone local, who I don't know so well, to jam with.

So to that point, what should I (or any bass player) know technique-wise before a jam session so I don't embarrass myself and waste everybody's time?
 
#2
Nothing. You just gotta throw yourself in the deep end with other players at a similar point on their journey. And the sooner the better.

That doesn't mean that you don't also spend a lot of time shedding on your own, but don't think you have to have your playing completely dialed in first. Fact is that you can't dial in your playing until you've played with others.
 
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#3
Jams are held specifically to waste time. People drink, chat, play a few tunes and have a laid back, no expectations required time. You'll probably find the players to be helpful and encouraging because they're there to have fun. Get to know the where the common notes are on the neck so if someone is calling chord changes you know where to go. Don't be afraid to ask questions, draw cheat sheets, count your 4's, 8's and 16's and look and listen for the changes. Big eyebrows or a look of panic at other band members is sometimes necessary to hit the chord change on time but that's to be expected. If you learn how to play Mustang Sally you'll be 3/4 the way there. Good luck, with the right people these nights can be a lot of fun.
 
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#4
Start telling everyone you know you play bass. Everyone. Do Facebook posts about your progress, post pics, etc. Go to places where they have live music. Chat with the musicians, compliment the bassist on his playing and on his gear. Meet the folks and instructors at your locally owned music store. Pretty soon, you will start hearing things like "so and so pays drums", "so and so plays guitar". Don't force it, this is the time where you have to be yourself. Your circle of friends will begin to expand where all of a sudden, one of these new friends calls up and tells you to show up with your bass.

I came late to bass. Been wanting to learn since I was 14, but wasn't able to embark on this journey until I was 50. After about 6 mos of lessons from a neighborhood high school guy, I was invited to do some jamming with his parents who did bluegrass GTGs in their living room every month. They had an upright for me to use. Everyone brought a dessert, a snack or beverages. Bluegrass and upright not really my cup of tea, but it helped me meet people and get used to improvising. It took me a long time to find people I really like to jam with, people I really connect with, but every step along the way, no matter how insignificant, played a part.
 
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#6
What do you need to know?

How the jamming circle operates. Some you just sit down and start playing. Others you are invited in, or not. Sit with your instrument outside the circle and wait and watch for a nod to come in.

Here is what happens in Mountain View, Ark. My home town, Mineola, Texas has jamming down town and uses Mountain View as a guide, it is all acoustic every Saturday - during the summer months starting at 6:00 PM. During the rest of the year, 9:00 AM till......



Notice it could be all acoustic, no amps or drums allowed. Just something you need to check on before asking for an electric outlet.

The name of the song and the key will be announced. The chord progression is left to you. The type of songs played in my neck of the woods I get buy with faking a I-IV-V7 progression. If I do not know the song I watch the rhythm guitar's fretting hands and change chords when he does. Helps that I play rhythm guitar so I can recognize what chord he is fretting. Roots and root-fives will get you by, no need for more than this if you are not already there.

Some circles the caller that calls the song plays it from verse one to the ending and everyone else augments his efforts. When he finishes the next person in the circle calls a song and the key and then plays this song. Again everyone else augments his efforts with accompaniment chord tones, strummed or played one note at a time as we would do on the bass. Again root and or root-five is enough. This is how it is done, most of the time, in Mineola.

Other circles the caller will play a verse or two, perhaps the chorus and then pass the song to the next person in the circle who will then play and or sing a verse or two before passing it to the next person in the circle. Should you not want to accept this lead, just lean backwards and the songs will pass you by. This is how it is done, most of the time, in Mountain View.

While sitting outside the circle take mental notes on how this circle operates. I have never had anyone get upset with a newby if the newby was trying. If in doubt, just sit this one out.

You can practice jamming by calling up some backing tracks and playing along with them. So you miss the key, it's just you and the video and the video is not going to mind.

Go have fun.
 
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#8
Roland GR 88 said:
Jams are held specifically to waste time. People drink, chat, play a few tunes and have a laid back, no expectations required time. You'll probably find the players to be helpful and encouraging because they're there to have fun. Get to know the where the common notes are on the neck so if someone is calling chord changes you know where to go. Don't be afraid to ask questions, draw cheat sheets, count your 4's, 8's and 16's and look and listen for the changes. Big eyebrows or a look of panic at other band members is sometimes necessary to hit the chord change on time but that's to be expected. If you learn how to play Mustang Sally you'll be 3/4 the way there. Good luck, with the right people these nights can be a lot of fun.
Click to expand...
 
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#9
Geekydad said:
BSo to that point, what should I (or any bass player) know technique-wise before a jam session so I don't embarrass myself and waste everybody's time?
Click to expand...
Whether you feel embarrassed has to do with expectations. There's no quantifiable minimum level of ability you need to have. You just need to communicate what you can/can't do before getting together with your jam mate(s). As long as no one has unrealistic expectations, it should be fun. If you're lucky, you'll find players who are a bit better than you and will be happy to help you learn.
 
#10
I agree that you should at least be able to play some basic 12 bar blues before showing up. It's the basis of 90% of American music and a fair amount of the jazz language. Be able to play basic I, IV V progressions in a few keys like E, F B flat and G. That will teach you to play the same thing from different positions. Maybe learn a few popular songs, but that's not a requirement. Everyone downs Mustang Sally, but you should at least be able to play it. I happen to love that song (the version by The Commitments especially)

Anyway, you want to be able to get around the instrument at least a little bit so if you have questions about playing something, you can ask smart ones.
 
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#11
Just be honest about what you know and can do. The first guys I played with, we had a list of about four songs to work up and play together the first time, then added to it. Other times it's just knowing I-IV-V and winging it. Or even less than that. It's fine to post an ad on CL or whatever saying you're a beginner looking for jam partners and see who responds.
 
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#12
Heh, been studying my music theory- and now I get the joke that you only need to know three chords to play guitar. It seems absolutely true, provided you can convince the rest of the band to transpose everything into the scale you know those I-IV-V chords for...

Anyway, I want to be sure I at least can find the root on the fretboard when someone calls it out; I think I can probably work out the IV and V, and all associated fifths and octaves, from there. (Wait, let's see- the fifth is automatically the root of the V chord, right? ... So technically I just need to learn the root for the scale and the IV...)
 
#13
Geekydad said:
It seems absolutely true, provided you can convince the rest of the band to transpose everything into the scale you know those I-IV-V chords for...
Click to expand...

Root on E string. IV is the same fret on the A string, V is 2 frets up the A string

If you play the root on the A string its even easier. Root fret on A, string up is IV, string down is V. Don’t even need to change frets.
 
#15
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#16
If you want to get a general foundation of 12 bar (classic and modern blues- the basis for most jam sessions) a fun, quick study is the book "Blues Bass" by Ed Friedland (Hal Leonard). Many of the songs you'll learn in this book will become part of your permanent catalog.
 
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#17
Once you know the key - place the tonic I chord's root on the A string. The IV chord's root is up a string same fret and the V chord's root is down a string same fret.

When you feel the music is moving go for the IV - you will probably be correct, if not, you are faced with two choices, the I again or the V. After awhile you'll figure it out. Main thing is to go get your feet wet. So you only wade around in the shallow part of the creek right now. Have fun with what you know now, the deep end awaits......
 
#18
Geekydad said:
Been playing bass for about two months, self-taught with help from Youtube and Rocksmith 2014 (I'm trying to find time to take lessons with an actual teacher.) I really feel I want to jam with some other musicians soon, but my guitar-playing friends all live out-of-state, so my only option is finding someone local, who I don't know so well, to jam with.

So to that point, what should I (or any bass player) know technique-wise before a jam session so I don't embarrass myself and waste everybody's time?
Click to expand...

The biggest thing that helped me at first was learning the blues. It got my foot in the door so to speak. I was lucky enough to join a band whos music was hard rock blues based so it worked out. The other thing is as long as you know how to stay in key you'll be golden. The hard part is learning to stay and move in and out of keys. Just tell them its your first time and to try and call out the keys and or tell you where the song is going as it moves or beforehand. Jamming with others is a quick ticket to getting better by leaps and bounds IMO.
 
#19
Great and informative thread. I have been learning bass for 2 years now & have only played with a band once (it was a fantasy bass camp). Last night, I was FBed by my first instructor & a regular gigging guitarist asking if I'd be interested in sitting in on a few numbers. My first reaction was "he's way out of my league." But I sent him a list of songs I know pretty well anyway. This thread may've been just the shove I needed to finally get out there. Thanks, guys!
 

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