Wee question I'd like to ask...

[Bass_Guardian]

Is it possible at all just to join a band just for jamming purposes and maybe not gigs. I know this sounds stupid but my dedication to my church (I'm not expecting anyone to understand) means I'm taken 4 nights a week so I can't really gig.

Has anyone joined a band or something similiar just for jamming occasionally?

I want to improve my bass playing by playing with other musicians really.

If such a thing is too ludacris I understand

Alex

[skankdelvar]

Couple of ways of looking at this:

* Yes - there are people out there who enjoy getting together on a regular basis with no intention of gigging and no, it's not a daft idea. Give it a go.

* If you're jamming one night a week, after a while you might discover you've got enough songs to do 30-45 mins. So you maybe do a quiet little one-off gig for some friends on the same night of the week you normally rehearse, but only if you feel like doing it.

* Lots of people only want to devote an evening a week / fortnight to a band - whether it's jamming or gigging. You're in good company.

And, in truth, lots of bands never get out of the rehearsal studio anyway, no matter how much they want to gig

Edited December 22, 2010 by skankdelvar

[bubinga5]

Nothing ludacris about that Alex... I jam sometimes with friends just for fun...

what you need to do is go to an appropriate local jam night... you get to know other musicians and you learn alot..even if you dont play, its a good source... i used to go to a jazz night..was difficult as im not a jazz musician, but you gotta throw yourself in there and see what happens...when your under pressure its amazing what you learn and remember... a bit like remembering when you got burnt that one time..(but in a good way)

[Bass_Guardian]

One other thing is that I pretty much don't know any other musicians my age. I never did music at school plus I'm shy when put on the spot like if I had to do an audition. Also Irvine ( where I stay ) doesn't do jam nights as far as I know.

Lucky me...

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']One other thing is that I pretty much don't know any other musicians my age.[/quote]
Not a problem. Age ranges can vary in bands - some are all within a year or two of each other. Others have 25 year spreads. And don't expect to find everyone all at the same time. Getting people together is always an incremental process. First you find - say - a guitarist, who knows a singer. Coupla months later you trip over a keys player and so on. Often it's good to work with a cut-down / incomplete band - gives you a chance to hear what's going on and spread your wings a bit.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']I never did music at school[/quote]
Don't worry - neither did most of us. In my case, they wouldn't even let me play the triangle.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']plus I'm shy when put on the spot like if I had to do an audition.[/quote]
Yep, audition nerves. It's part of the process and we all get a bit nervous, though some hide it better than others. Ther's been a few threads on this, IIRC.

Just ease into the whole band thing. Set yourself some small, achievable goals - "I'll sit down with someone else and we'll just bash around some chord changes for a couple of hours." Don't aim to have 3 x 45 min sets sorted within a month. That way lies madness.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']Also Irvine ( where I stay ) doesn't do jam nights as far as I know.[/quote]
Can't help you there. Check out the muso websites, stick some ads of your own up and keep plugging yourself. Sooner or later, something will turn up. And if it's not right for you, chalk it up to experience and try again. It's pretty much the same for all of us, so share your questions / experiences with your fellow BC-er's. We're here to help. Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question.

Edited December 22, 2010 by skankdelvar

[Bass_Guardian]

Thanks everyone for they're input much appreciated

I'll see what I can do. I'm not too fussed about it but I would like for it to happen.

Just need to wait and see.

Is there any such jam things in Glasgow? I go to college in Glasgow so could maybe pop in etc

[endorka]

Alex,

One of my favourite jams in Glasgow is the Blues night at Samuel Dows in Nithsdale Road. The have a house band that plays some tunes, then various other musicians play for a few numbers, and so on. It is well run and the musicians are good and very welcoming.

I've not been for a while - I think it used to be on a Thursday night, but it might be worth phoning them or looking in the gig guide to confirm.

Jennifer

[Cat Burrito]

I'm in agreement with skankdelvar's initial post. As long as you are up front about your needs & goals. I spent 8 months playing with musicians where the drummer wanted to play loads of functions and the singer didn't want anything more than a weekly rehearsal. Ultimately it split the band up. I found it useful getting together and fine tuning my chops, even though traditionally I've always been about getting out & playing live.

I bet there are a lot of players in your position. Good luck

[thunderbird13]

In answer to the OP's question, no there's nothing wrong with playing in a band which is only for practice. I have been playing in one such band for the past year and I found it useful in keeping me focused and for me there's nothing more pointless than spending years playing bass alone in a bedroom. Also the fact that it is only for practice means that it takes away any pressure and it becomes more fun.
Other people have posted about jam nights if thats your thing then go for it , personally I've never really seen the point of them but I suppose they are good practice

[thepurpleblob]

I don't think it makes any odds if your time is taken up with church / having three jobs / charity stuff / anything else. You have something that you prioritise higher than music and you are clear about that. That is a much better than kidding yourself that you can dedicate more time that you can. Stick an advert in glasgow.gumtree.com and see what happens. I found every band that I've been in (and been kicked out of) that way. There's lots of activity in the Glasgow area - I'm sure that you'll find something that suits your needs. Also, there are bands out there that for one reason or another only want to gig once a month or less (I'm in one) so please don't reject the fun and great experience that is playing live gigs!

[geoffbyrne]

If there's a music shop in Irvine (don't really know the town), go in & make enquiries as to jams, get-togethers etc. I very much doubt that there's nothing going on in a town the size of Irvine. Otherwise as at nearby towns. I remember playing quite a bit in Ardrossan back in the 70's.

G.

[thepurpleblob]

Does Simon Neill of Biffy Clyro fame not come from Irvine.... he seems to be doing ok Mind you, he had to go all the way to Kilmarnock to form a band.

[Skol303]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066360' date='Dec 22 2010, 01:41 AM']...my dedication to my church (I'm not expecting anyone to understand) means I'm taken 4 nights a week....[/quote]

^ It's lines like that which put a smile on my big, stupid face :-)

[Jam]

[quote name='Skol303' post='1066585' date='Dec 22 2010, 11:14 AM']^ It's lines like that which put a smile on my big, stupid face :-)[/quote]

I didn't notice that till you pointed it out! Hehehee

[tauzero]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']One other thing is that I pretty much don't know any other musicians my age. I never did music at school plus I'm shy when put on the spot like if I had to do an audition. Also Irvine ( where I stay ) doesn't do jam nights as far as I know.[/quote]
Skank has responded well to this. As he says, age doesn't matter - I'd been gigging for ten years before the other members of one of my bands were born. And although I did music at school, it was violin, and it's a bugger getting a bass under your chin.

[Bass_Guardian]

Thanks for all the replies. A music shop funnily enough has just recently opened in Irvine although its stock of guitars etc is very, very limited to starter guitars so far. Mind you it does have soundproof rooms you can rent out for a couple of hours. I might put an ad up in that shop maybe...

[thebrig]

I put a band together through:

[url="http://www.joinmyband.co.uk/"]http://www.joinmyband.co.uk/[/url]

and our age ranges are 26, 44, 47, 49, 59 & 61.

We all get on well and play what we all like.

But while using 'joinmyband', I noticed how many ads are on there from people who just want to get together once a week/fortnight, to jam or rehearse in a relaxed way, with no pressure to start gigging.

Give it a go, there are many budding musicians out there in the same boat as you.

Good luck

[icastle]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']One other thing is that I pretty much don't know any other musicians my age. I never did music at school plus I'm shy when put on the spot like if I had to do an audition. Also Irvine ( where I stay ) doesn't do jam nights as far as I know.

Lucky me...[/quote]

I don't know any musicians my own age either!
They're either younger than me or older than me.

When I was at school it was either frantic blowing down a recorder in a vague attempt to produce something that might once have been a recognisable tune or you joined the brass band!

As for shy, that goes eventually.
I played my first gig 25+ years ago in a cellar wine bar and spent the whole night hidden behind a column... all that people could see of me was an arm attached to a bass guitar!
If I go to an audition nowadays I see it from a totally different perspective - are these guys good enough for me to play with?
It just needs time and experience.

Jam nights are a fantastic way to meet other musicians, we have five around the area I live and they all cooperate to make sure that they don't use the same nights!
On the whole they are all very supportive of any level of playing ability and it is not unusual to find a couple of guitarists tucked in a corner somewhere sharing techniques and obscure chords that I still reckon require seven fingers to play

[Bottle]

Hey Bass Guardian

I'll add my £0.02 to the mix as well - I didn't even pick up the bass and play properly until I was in my 30's so don't worry about finding people of your own age-group!

I've gone down a similar route to you. I'm one of two bassists in our church P&W band (and there's several more multi-instrumentalists in the team as well). Age-range is late teens to pensioners, but most are in late 20's / early 30's . Recently started going to a regular jam night in Cambridge (last one of the year was last night...funked the place out!!).

I probably play twice a month for the church, on average, plus maybe two jams a month as well, just enough to stop me going rusty

Practice is king, but nothing beats playing with other folk and learning some new stuff - find some folks nearby and see what pops up. I know it's done me and my playing no end of good.

I was pretty nervous the first time I went up and jammed, but you'll soon get used to it, and dare I say it, even enjoy it! After all, it's all about having fun. Punters won't care than you missed the chord change from an Em to a Gm, especially if you make the transition sound convincing (ghost notes all the way!!)


Anyway, just a few thoughts and experiences. Good luck in your search

HTH, Ian

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='Bottle' post='1067798' date='Dec 23 2010, 02:19 PM']Hey Bass Guardian

I'll add my £0.02 to the mix as well - I didn't even pick up the bass and play properly until I was in my 30's so don't worry about finding people of your own age-group!

I've gone down a similar route to you. I'm one of two bassists in our church P&W band (and there's several more multi-instrumentalists in the team as well). Age-range is late teens to pensioners, but most are in late 20's / early 30's . Recently started going to a regular jam night in Cambridge (last one of the year was last night...funked the place out!!).

I probably play twice a month for the church, on average, plus maybe two jams a month as well, just enough to stop me going rusty

Practice is king, but nothing beats playing with other folk and learning some new stuff - find some folks nearby and see what pops up. I know it's done me and my playing no end of good.

I was pretty nervous the first time I went up and jammed, but you'll soon get used to it, and dare I say it, even enjoy it! After all, it's all about having fun. Punters won't care than you missed the chord change from an Em to a Gm, especially if you make the transition sound convincing (ghost notes all the way!!)


Anyway, just a few thoughts and experiences. Good luck in your search

HTH, Ian[/quote]
Thanks i play twice a week for my church but its a very small band, two singers, 1 pianist, 1 acoustic guitarist, 1 drummer and me!!!

I play in sauchiehall street, glasgow every saturday night from 7 till bout half 8 as part of our open air. Pretty basic songs, old ones at that too.

But i dont feel im progressing much as a bassist.