First formal jam session, sanity check
I just did my first formal jam session last night with a full band. I was able to sit in and play for at least an hour or so. While I am familiar with the mechanics (12 bar blues progression, chorus forms, root chords) of jam improvisation I am more used to playing rehearshed and practiced pieces. My improvisation work has mainly been with jam tracks and a little with my guitar guy (he actually showed up little later and we were able to play together on stage). My playing was a bit of a mixed bag. About half of the songs I got a good groove going and the other half I passably muddled through. My solos were so-so. Despite my knowledge of many licks, I just couldn't think of anything too spectacular on the spot. However I had fun and everybody was very accomodating. So not horrible, but definitely needs improvement. I wanted to do a sanity check on other people's experience with first jams or early jam playing. Is my experience typical and any advice on working towards upping my game for future jams?
Thanks
Brian
John If you find a good harp friendly jam session with accommodating fellow players, definitely do it. Just good experience jumping in there.
From my experience.
Some things for someone to consider before doing a jam.
At a bare minimum:
Make sure you can cleanly play 12 bar blues songs that have bending and some techniques
Make sure you can play songs to a jam track in time with rhythm
Make sure you understand how a 12 bar blues works, knows the chorus forms, and root notes
Know what key your in and pick the right harp
For solos I think I may try:
If I know the song, play the melody for a couple of choruses
For songs I don't know, memorize as many 12 bar blues as possible that are not known or popular songs. Then just play one that fits. The solo studies from LOA would be good ones to use.
Just some thoughts, but any other experience and wisdom from the veteran players would be great.
Brian
Studying David's block diagrams of how thematic materials is deployed in solos could be helpful. Map out some rehearsed solos with jam tracks, then try to assemble solos on the fly while using building blocks of larger units - riff, licks, rhythm patterns, etc. This helps you think on the fly.
But playing live is always more challenging than in the practice room. You've got the other musicians, the audience and related noise, louder sounds, an unfamiliar room, etc. You have to either shut out the stimulus, or learn to ride its wave and use it in your playing. That takes some experience, so get on out there and do it some more.
Performing at a jam is certainly something that you cannot 100% prepare for with the unknowns of unfamiliar songs, musicians you probably haven't played with, and the general atmosphere and crowd. You just need to get out there and do it to practice. One other item of note which is important is general jam etiquette. Some basic things like keeping your volume at a reasonable level, not playing too actively or louder than the other musicians. When another person is playing a solo pull back into a soft accompianment or even not play. You'll have your opportunity to play a solo, then you can cut loose and turn up the volume (althougth not obnoxiously so). Also know who is the leader and keep your eyes on that person to help start off, set the pace, key up solos and signal the end.
I would be interested to know if there are any specific lessons or videos here on jam playing. It might make a good topic series. I know the LOA program levels each have a section about playing with a band that has been useful.
Brian
I attended the band jam night at the music club on Thursday and diligently watched and listened.
Its so interesting seeing all this great advice and comments in action. Afterwards I came home and randomly watched David's intro video in lesson 5 where he talks about getting out there and playing by applying techniques learned. His comments echoed what Brian is saying. I have more work to do getting ready for that. Particularly being more comfortable with 12 bar format and the changes I hear. Particularly being able to improvise on the fly. I noticed the quick change in bar 2 to the 4 chord seems to be used a lot. The harp player was quite simple in his approach which worked well.
Having said that the guys on stage were very clear calling out the key of the songs and describing the groove as I see David explaining. Training my ears using not only Loa and live experiences but the use if Jam tracks is sound advice. (pun intended)
Hank gave me the same advice so I'm on that part of this journey now.
At the jam night I took the opportunity to talk to one if the players where he commented he loves to see people get up for the first time and watch their abilities improve over time. His main advice was always keep learning and trying new things as time progresses. Watching the leader is so important too I realize. Several times the ending to a song just was not there due to not observing the signals. I am now incorporating that into my guitar buddy jam night to practice the signals.
if I could just get my buddy to do more blues with me. He likes jazzy stuff more and gets complicated too quickly. Although he will always do my current study song at least once every week.
I think a specific topic series on jam playing would be very useful too. I'm sure thats a main focus of David's teaching and I will see it progressively moving through the program.
Went back to the blues jam last night. I was very hesitant to get up there, but when the jam leader saw me he announced me and asked me to come up. I am glad that I did, as I did much better. I was up there playing for about two hours plus two short breaks. My solos went OK, nothing too flashy, but solid. On the first song a lady got up to sing "Got my Mojo Working". I knew that tune, but adjusted it to do a vocal fill based on stuff I learned here. I think she appreciated it as it ensured I was not stomping on the vocals. One guitar guy did "Stand by Me". After a chorus or so I finaly picked up the tune and then added a nice 4-5 and 3-4 shake into it. It helped set me up for my solo which actually ended up as a duet with a chromatic harp player. He liked my lick and borrowed it as we harmonized on a duet. All in all good fun.
Again definitely recommend it to those players looking into it. Good experience and helps develop your ear and musicality.
Brian
Thanks for sharing and continuing your thread Brian.
I also work a bit on Mojo working with my guitar guy and he wants to do stand by me.
As you encourage me and others with your experience, I asked one if the guitar players who is a regular at the jam night if I might play with him one night to gain confidence and get up on stage. He is one fabulous player and singer and has invited me to his home studio to do a little practice and work something out prior to my ummmm 'debut' lol. So here we go with something new and challenging all with the common goal of improving and learning but mosy importantly, having fun!!!!!
I will add to this thread as that experience happens.
So inspiring ........
Sounds like you are getting some great opportunities to get into the jamming scene John. You certainly are ready to jump on the stage! Take advantage of the invite - it will also let him know what and how to play to make it comfortable for you. Sure looks like a great group of guys there!! Keep us posted.
John
Keep us posted on your jam experience. I am interested to hear any learnings' you pick up.
If you plan to do "Stand by Me" let me know. I"ll see if I can remember the licks I did that night. You're welcome borrow if you would like.
Brian
Just to update,
I went to the guitarists studio and learned a lot from him. Some odd things too. He plugged my bullet mic into his board but that was so wierd for me. The sound was not close to what I would like to hear and mostly I could not hear it as the speakers were behind his head at his end of the room. More work required there in setting up. I likely should have brought my own amp with me, or just played acoustically, but that taught me how important it is to hear yourself as well as others.
My friends main point of the night was to listen, listen, listen. The key to playing with others, Know when to play, Know when to not. I struggled a bit and felt myself note searching a lot, but at times we came together which he was kind enough to focus on as we discussed after playing. I did get a chance to try some third position when he went to a minor feel in his playing, which came together magically. lol.
At the end of the night he pointed out to me that I am further along than he thought I was prior to playing and, importantly, further than I think I am. Coming from a person who has played guitar for 45 years and is completely awe inspiring, Ill take the compliment. Further, Bruce has pointedly invited me to go on stage at the club with him where he will lead the band in a style that will fit my abilities. My goal is 60 days from now.
And, for Brian, Bruce suggested we do 'Stand by Me'. (A fitting title) So I would definitely be interested in the licks you have done and it gives me a chance to spend time studying that song. As well my regular guitar buddy wants to do that song , so here we go with getting some repertoire going.......
John
I wish I could figure out how to add a sound file as it would help clarify my licks. I'll put the tabs down as a start. Take note this is just for the refrain. I had to muddle through on the choruses. I came up with this on the fly as I had no idea they would play this song. Of course about 90% of the songs at the jam I have never played before and have to improvise and pick up by ear. Feel free to borrow this as-is or improve upon it as you see fit. Let me know if you have questions.
2 3 4 4/5shake 4+ 3
1 2+ 2 3/4shake 3+ 2
1 2+ 2 3'
3' 2+ 2
3' 2+ 2
3' 2+ 2~
Let me know how it goes
Brian
Way to go John - sounds like you have found a very cool and understanding guitar playing friend. Nurture it!!
In addition to Brian's riffs, find some riffs in songs you have learned that are the same tempo as 'Stand By Me' and take one I chord riff tht you really like and just play it over and over until it feels natural. Use it as the core of a solo 12 bars and add something fairly simple for the IV chord and the turnaround. Sounds exciting - keep us posted!
I was invited to my regular guitar guys house on Saturday evening while another guitarist and singer were visiting.
Different than on the bandstand, they were playing at the table, using nylon string guitars and of course all acoustic in this setting. I again had success, and struggles. Stormy Monday was called (such a cool way of putting "hey guy's lets play this song"?) and I was able to really play it well I thought although the troublesome chord progression comes to mind. I still haven't quite got that figured out playing on the fly. Gindick has a very cool version of this song on youtube where he plays the Low F harp in 3rd pos. Has any body else done it this way as I think it might help the progression a little. That is my next Harp purchase. And low and behold "Key to the Highway" was called. Excellent as I was able to add my well practiced licks from "Walk with me" and "Bending for the Blues". I really went for it and bent those blues when given the solo nod.
The guys then went into unfamiliar territory again and played some minor sounding songs that caused me huge trouble having a harp that fit. Im sure I had one but a few of the songs played I just could not find a note or a rhythmic Idea. Im sure experience and getting into the lessons on the site regarding improvising and accompaniment playing will help. Since Im working on Gary's Blues some of those licks I was able to fit in places.
All in all I had a fun night with somebody new and learned some new things. Like when not to play when the singer is singing !!!!!
And Hank I have taken your suggestion and made my first recording that I am working with and editing.
As I add to it and massage it I may post a portion of it in the share section as my first attempt at recording to a random jam track or I may email it to you. Its rather straight forward but thats the place to start.
Thanks for the encouragement guys.
John
John:
Sounds like you got some good stuff going on. The LOA4 accompianment fills and improvising studys will help immensely. Take the time on that material, particularly the chorus forms. I played at a jam last night for the St.Patrick's day crowd at the club. What I learned from the chorus forms study really helped last night.
Definitely recommend getting a low F. I have it in a Seydel Session Steel. It gets used occasionly at the jam sessions as the band will sometimes play songs in the key of C.
Also if you would like to play Key to the Highway, check out Adam Gussow's website modernbluesharmonica.com. You can buy a tab sheet and an instructional video. It's not too hard to play, you should be able to pick it up easily. My guitar guy and I like to play this tune accoustic. Check out the Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee version on YouTube, great stuff.
Brian
Hey guys. I did it!!!!
First jam session, plugged in, on stage playing the blues.
It was a very exhilarating experience and a lot of fun. I was so completely nervous prior to going, but the practice paid off.
Mostly, I want to thank Hank and Brian for being so thoroughly encouraging And to David Barret and this completely awesome program. It's so much fun to actually have an opportunity to apply all the hard work it takes to complete each level. Every single lesson, video or song somehow I find in reality and in action at The Music club On any given jam night. As I have been working on the Strut and feeling the groove, Long Grey Mare - (Peter Green) was cslled by others as my first jam song. Excellent as was able to apply chorus form ideas direct from the study song in a solo opportunity. My first. And it was truthfully very difficult to pull off the first time but having finally got up to play, the journey is just beginning !!!!
Again thanks for all the help and encouragement!!!
Awesome!
Great to hear it.
Brian
I just did my first open mic session last night. I was playing with my husband, doing fills, accompaniment and the odd chorus to his guitar and vocals. He's been playing for 50 years, and I've been playing 2, so I've got serious imposter complex. I'm torn between feeling nowhere near ready (which I'm not), and feeling that this is something I should be doing to improve. We did 3 songs, and I think it went OK.
In the LOA lessons, I now realize I need to work harder on the accompaniment sections. I've been focussing more on getting the songs down, and the solo work. A useful reality check that there are times one needs to be "deep background"!
Also, there were some seriously good professional musicians there, and I was struck by how kind they were. We wound up round someome's house jamming until 3am (actually, I did more listening than jamming - I was WAY out of my class).
We're going back next week....
Kirsty
Sounds great. If you have a good nurturing jam environment, take advantage of it. Eventually you got to get up on stage as I suspect that is one of the ultimate goals of most musicians. I've gotten to be somewhat of a regular at the jam session. You never know where it might lead. One of the drummers that shows up offered me an opportunity to sit in with his band to add some harmonica during upcoming summer outdoor performances downtown.
Have fun
Brian
Feeling no where ready seems to be a common theme and it is so very hard to do it the first time. Hats off to Kirsty for getting up and doing it. Brian I think is improving in leaps and bounds due to that experience and after starting this post as a first timer congrats as well on feeling like a regular now. I think my turn is coming.
I jammed last night with a drummer, guitarist and another beginner harp player in preparation for my second venture on stage tomorrow night at the jam night. I have started jamming with several other people too and quickly realise how difficult it is but yet how much fun it is. I sure hope it does get easier on stage the second time.
Also, like Brian, due to my attendance rather than playing, I have just begun to feel like a regular at the club on jam nights. I realise I am playing or just watching and learning from some incredibly proficient players. I too find the people so very accomodating of anybody new trying to fit in. even though the feeling of being out of league is a reality but I try hard to not make that a hinderance. Seems that at the jams other guys love to teach and show a little and just generally talk music.
I am trying to take level 4 with the utmost patience and really get the foundation of the chorus forms and accompaniment playing lessons. I noticed the jam guys have trouble ending a song sometimes causing the longest version of crossroads ever last week. So we worked on the lessons at the practice jam learned here to figure out the signals for this week coming. For sure though, what I am learning from Bluesharmonica is so very valid in the Jam setting and even just jamming with buddies.
Its awesome that so many of us new Harp players are feeling the very same things in totally different geographic locations.
John
I really echo your comment about taking time with Level 4. There's a real breadth of material, and I don't want to blast past it. I could spend eternity just working on the chorus forms/improvisation; right now I get the concepts, but fall apart in applying them!
We went to another open mic last night, this one a starting up venture at a bar near here. Taught me a LOT - the hard way! First, their sound system was just awful. We simply couldn't hear what we were doing (the monitors were about the size of iphones!). And instead of using my own mic, I thought I'd use their stand mic. BAD idea. So from now on, I'm using my mic, and I think I'm going to try a tip I saw on this forum, to wear an ear plug in one ear to enhance bone conduction. (Back when I was young, folk musicians playing in back rooms of English pubs always stuffed a finger in one ear - almost a badge of belonging!)
But on the other hand, we'd gone to see the set of some players we'd met last week, and two of them joined in with a couple of our songs (a keyboard player and a pedal steel guitar player). They were great, and it was my first chance to play in a "band" environment, having to keep eyes on signals for solos. Not to mention having to remember to lay out. And having seen the pedal guitar up close, with its foot pedals, knee levers and the slide strings, might just have cured me of saying how challenging it is to learn harp!
I will go back to that venue, despite the sound system, in the hope that it'll grow with time - I figure it deserves support.
I love the image of a band caught in a never-ending song because they can't figure out how to stop!
Just thought I'd chime in and say that I look forward to the day when I'm ready to play on the bandstand. It's looking good so far-I can definitely see it in my future! All thanks to David Barrett and this site
To update the thread, after being so very timid to be up on the bandstand I am now at 3 weeks in a row and having a blast.
Aside from the playing aspect , which I echo Brian in feeling a bit challenged in the lick vocabulary area, there are many many things to learn from the experience. Again, every single thing I see or experience on the bandstand has been discussed or taught on bluesharmonica.com.
Currently my challenge is getting set up with my gear to sound good and to be loud enough. I find it incredible how loud some guys insist on playing. That created a huge challenge for me as I simply could not hear myself. The next week I got my volume up close but still comments from others was I wasn't quite loud enough yet. I think it's two fold. Perhaps I could bring the volume up a bit more but also being new I feel incredibly timid yet.
Playing songs I've never heard, yet others can play them in their sleep, is also a challenge. Level 4 studies really helps to learn to play simply and in the holes. I would honestly get a very nervous when given the solo nod. As I diligently work at chorus forms I'm beginning to feel it and apply that to the simple solos I have been able to pull off so far on the stage.
Another area I am having an awesome time with is social. After attending and not playing for a number of months the club is now where I go every Thursday and this is where people are more than happy, in fact super excited, just to talk music. Often talking theory with the guitar players is a world of learning what others are doing.
With this thread, I'm curious too if others are taking the lessons learned on the site and applying them on stage.
Hopefully others can share their experiences as one moves from the comfort of the basement, bedroom or wood shed into the realm of the bandstand. It's not very easy but it sure is exhilarating!!
Again, I would like to thank the members on the site who have been so very encouraging.
John
I've been hitting the jam scene for about eight months now. However I don't play every week. The regular audience wants to hear different people each week. They have also been having different jam hosts each week to mix it up. Partly as I run out of ideas and need to refresh. My solos have ranged from so-so to wow they actually clapped at that.
If you don't know the song, which is usually the case, it's OK to make up a solo. As long as it's good, the audience will usually like it. One tip is that if you have a regular jam host or jammers, that song may come back up. When your are back home keep a list. Then try to learn the song or prepare material ahead of time.
I usually don't haul my own amp to a jam session. When I have I was asked to turn it down so not to be too overpowering. My amp is only a small 5 watt. I am mainly tapped into the house speakers, so I am heard. The host will do a sound check. If true blues songs are being played, everybody's amps shouldn't be cranked up.
The LOA5 will take the learnings further. It will add in the flat seventh along with the root, third, and fifth to provide even more choices. Also the positions is cool if you want to try something different using another harp key. The song writing also allows for a lot of creativity. So looking forward to that.
Great to hear what others have applied.
Hey John - good to hear the regular jam thing is working for you. Yeah, the volume thing is something else!! Yesterday when I went to the PA board to turn up because I could hardly hear myself, the sound guy came up and said "you are not too quiet, the rest of them are too loud" and did some adjustment which helped a bit.
Two things to consider: 1 - mic the amp and go into the sound system with the other mics. That way you hear yourself on the monitors. It also allows anyong who is tending the sound levels to make the adjustments needed. Most of the time there is no one dedicated to this but someone in the house band usually helps out. b) if your amp has a line out, plug that into the main board just like with a miced amp
2 - plug directly into the PA system with your mic. If you have a volume control on your mis never turn more than half way during a sound check so you have room to increase volume at your fingertips. Many harp players also add pedals between the mic and PA board but that's down the line for me. Have the person helping you turn down the treble and turn up the bass for a better tone.
Give it a try or at the very least discus it with the house band contact. Good luck and keep it going
Hi Brian,Congrats on taking that step with the full band. I have yet to take it and your post is very encouraging.I am ready to do the level 3 test and feel we may be at a similar level. I jam with a guitar guy as you do but that just seems to be such a different thing than up with the band. Likely do to the comfortable nature of a buddy and less pressure.My experience at the jam nights I have attended (not played) is that the other players seem very accomodating.So to respond to your query on early jam playing Im right there with you which is feeling a bit daunted by the experience and abilities of others.I did get my first chance to jam with a sax player and a few others on Boxing day and my experience was exactly the same as yours.For the first time another musician, the sax player (who was awesome), nodded to me and I quickly realised aghhhh!!!! harp solo!!!! I pulled off something or another that I was questionably ok with but others in the room applauded. Wierd....the bottom line is I love your topic and it seems to me we are on the typical path and having a lot of fun on the journey.John