how do jam/open mic nights work ?

[ahpook]

a few people (included our very own munkonthehill) have suggested to me that i should have a go at some jam nights, but i've got a couple of questions...

how do they work, tune-wise ? do the band sort out a chord progression for the song, do they stick to common arrangements like blues/jazz standards or just wing it ?

once you're there, how are the bands made up (is it like pool ? winner stays on ) ?

am i good enough ?


i know these questions are a bit 'how long is a bit of string', but some ideas would be helpful.

despite playing for over 20 years i'm still quite nervous about my playing (which is why i've never tried this kind of thing before), and i'd like to know what i'm letting myself in for.

[essexbasscat]

[quote name='ahpook' post='1240026' date='May 22 2011, 09:35 AM']a few people (included our very own munkonthehill) have suggested to me that i should have a go at some jam nights, but i've got a couple of questions...

how do they work, tune-wise ? do the band sort out a chord progression for the song, do they stick to common arrangements like blues/jazz standards or just wing it ?

once you're there, how are the bands made up (is it like pool ? winner stays on ) ?

am i good enough ?


i know these questions are a bit 'how long is a bit of string', but some ideas would be helpful.

despite playing for over 20 years i'm still quite nervous about my playing (which is why i've never tried this kind of thing before), and i'd like to know what i'm letting myself in for.[/quote]


There used to be one around East London run by a friend I havn't seen in a while. Bloodaxe used to go there too. I'll catch up with him and let you know.

Cheers

[ahpook]

thanks eb, any advice would be great.

[Happy Jack]

IME there are very few genuine jam nights, as in a bunch of musicians getting up on stage and just ... erm ... playing.

Usually there will be a house band to start the evening off. There will be a "List" somewhere for you to put down your name and instrument. When the house band finishes, the guy who runs the list will call for certain people to come up on stage:

"OK, let's have Tom on guitar, Dick on bass, and Harry on drums."

The three/four/five of you go up on stage and plug in (you've already tuned up of course, because no one would ever walk up on stage to play live with an untuned lead guitar ...damn! what a giveaway), there's a hurried discussion about what you're going to play, and then you play [i]Red House.[/i]

By far the easiest way to get into this scene (which is a huge barrel of laughs, by the way, I love jam nights) is simply to turn up without your bass. Be the audience for the night. If you like it so much that you wish you'd brought your bass with you, it's traditional for the house band to be prepared to lend you their instruments.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

When you get there, you have a few drinks and then everyone puts their car keys in a bowl... hang on, forget that - I think I'm getting confused with something else.

[chris_b]

Bloody Red House!!!

I can only speak for the jam night I play at; sometimes you know the numbers and play well, sometimes you don't and you look like a d*ck!

Nobody really cares if you're terrible and everyone loves you if you sound good. You're under some pressure to make good and it's a big step up for an infrequent/bedroom player. You might get put on with bad players but keep coming back because you will end up with some good players and you'll learn a lot.

Most players are very helpful but bring your own bass, cos you're not borrowing mine!

[Bankai]

The one we used to run at our venue was really laid back. No house band or anything. Just turn up and play or take over when someone leaves for a cigarette. Kept on going until we shut at 2am. So we'd have about 6/7 people just rotating and playing with different people each time.

[MacDaddy]

what everyone has said, but also some singer/songwriter types want to do one of their own songs so they'll play the verse and chorus then everyone joins in and follows them.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='1240479' date='May 22 2011, 04:38 PM']what everyone has said, but also some singer/songwriter types want to do one of their own songs so they'll play the verse and chorus then everyone joins in and follows them.[/quote]

Know what you mean, but at most jam nights it's pretty unusual to hear originals being played.

More common is a guitarist shouting "One, two, three, four" and launching into ... erm ... well, something, no one is quite sure what because he didn't say, and there's a problem with the key, or rather the keys, in which it's being played.

The great thing about jam nights is that when they're good they're very entertaining, and when they're complete train wrecks they can be [i][b]bloody [/b][/i]entertaining.

[ahpook]

thanks for the info folks.

[Blademan_98]

I started playing 'live' by doing jam nights.

I turned up, asked what key the song was in (didn't even know the song lol).

Noodled along until a couple of blues standards were played.

Left with a big grin on my face and never looked back!

Join in they are fun

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1240050' date='May 22 2011, 09:48 AM']There used to be one around East London run by a friend I havn't seen in a while. Bloodaxe used to go there too. I'll catch up with him and let you know.

Cheers[/quote]
Still do...

[url="http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com/home.shtml"]http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com/home.shtml[/url]

Advice for n00bz: [url="http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com/essential_fyi.shtml"]http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com/essential_fyi.shtml[/url]

There's also a [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f32/open-jam-etiquette-626425/"]Talkbass Sticky[/url] that my alter ego posted in which covers the essentials.

If it's a blues-based jam, make sure you're familiar with the vernacular like 'coming down from the 5', 'slam the gates', 'quick change' etc. Saves loads of time.

Pete.

[algmusic]

I love the concept of jam nights, but most of the time, I either get bored of a boring band, or a bunch if guys who are up their own ar*e.

I not a great lover of blues jams, as guitarist like the solo for hours. I actually enjoy blues, but the jams usually get very self indugent.. jazz jams can be the same

I've been to a soul/groove/latin type jam and that was fun, but again, it depends if you get too many people trying to out do each other.. Acoustic nights are sometimes ok

I guess the real problem is [b]the musicians[/b]..

I think its's shame there are not more jams that will play anything from rock, to pop, to blues to jazz with just good music, no ego, inlsive and fun..

one can dream, i'm sure that'll never happen .

[chris_b]

[quote name='algmusic' post='1241290' date='May 23 2011, 10:35 AM']....I think its's shame there are not more jams that will play anything from rock, to pop, to blues to jazz with just good music, no ego, inlsive and fun....[/quote]
Your prayers are answered! Come to the Robin Bibi jam at the Windsor Castle, Carshalton on the first Monday of the Month. Bring your bass.

[algmusic]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1241302' date='May 23 2011, 10:47 AM']Your prayers are answered! Come to the Robin Bibi jam at the Windsor Castle, Carshalton on the first Monday of the Month. Bring your bass.[/quote]


I'll bear that in mind..

[ZMech]

To the OP, it might be worth getting yourself a real book, so you can familiarise yourself with playing over some of the songs you like. An exercise I found helpful was to pick a song and stick the track on, and to play the arpeggio (incl the 7th) of each chord over it in time. Once that gets easy, try changing the order your playing the arpeggio, so from 1-3-5-7 to 1-7-3-5.

[quote name='algmusic' post='1241290' date='May 23 2011, 10:35 AM']I think its's shame there are not more jams that will play anything from rock, to pop, to blues to jazz with just good music, no ego, inlsive and fun..[/quote]
I think the issue here is that jazz is all about improvising over a loose structure, which lends itself perfectly to jamming. I guess you could transfer this equation of the main melody followed by a solo loop over to rock tunes, so long as your musicians are happy either to sightread or know the songs already. In fact, at the uni jam night I help run we've been adding more popular songs into our pads, such as Little Wing, which have worked well. Think I might try and transcribe some more over the summer, perhaps some motown

I've been to a funk jam where it was just the keys player occasionally shouting out a chord change, which was fun for a tune but I feel you need some sort of scaffold to play over to make it more interesting to listen to.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='ZMech' post='1241391' date='May 23 2011, 11:59 AM']In fact, at the uni jam night I help run we've been adding more popular songs into our pads, such as Little Wing, which have worked well.[/quote]


I blame SRV.

What started as a subtle, gentle, but above all SHORT Hendrix song is now routinely bloated into a 15-minute solo-fest for guitarists in black hats.

[algmusic]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1241446' date='May 23 2011, 12:24 PM']I blame SRV.

What started as a subtle, gentle, but above all SHORT Hendrix song is now routinely bloated into a 15-minute solo-fest for guitarists in black hats.

[/quote]

for me a jam is a way for all musicians to come along and to learn something and to give something. For the experienced, it's to inspire, for a newbie or someone who coming back to music, it is getting involved, not taking it to seriously getting involved and having some fun... It's that simple.. The whole solo w8nking is simply self indulgent. I love jazz and solos, but it's about playing with taste..

I do think the house band has a responsibility to try and keep the mood tasteful, but it's tricky at times..

[JTUK]

It depends..some are run by people who can't get to play anywhere else and some are run by a semi pro/pro who needs to gig on a quiet night.

Just go along and see the lie of the land if you don't know whether you fancy it. If you wish you had bought your bass, then you'll know if it is for you.
But..as is the nature of this drop-in land....just embrace the idea and go along and JFDI. The standard can be variable so you should at least have a good 12 bar up your sleeve..be it a shuffle or swinger.

If people throw a few jazz turnarounds at you and you can hear and play them..then you hearing and busking skills will have moved up a notch.

As Chris says..this is a step up from the bedroom but it is a step that has to be made at some point.. as you meet so many people this way..and as always..it is all about networking.

Edited May 23, 2011 by JTUK

[chris_b]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1241607' date='May 23 2011, 01:58 PM']....you meet so many people this way..and as always..it is all about networking....[/quote]
Yep. Individual musicians come for months or even years then disappear for awhile, then come back to play... as a band! Happens all the time.

[algmusic]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1241634' date='May 23 2011, 02:19 PM']Yep. Individual musicians come for months or even years then disappear for awhile, then come back to play... as a band! Happens all the time.[/quote]

because I play bass and drums.. I never know which to take. If I take both, I feel like I'm trying to take over

[ahpook]

thanks again for all the advice folks...all grist for the mill.

i've been playing in bands on-and-off almost all my life, so hopefully taht'll stand me in good stead...although i would deffo need to improve my knowledge of blues standards if that's the way these things tend to play out.

think i need to find some jam nights and go icognito (sans bass) to check out the lie of the land

[chris_b]

[quote name='algmusic' post='1241640' date='May 23 2011, 02:24 PM']....because I play bass and drums.. I never know which to take. If I take both, I feel like I'm trying to take over....[/quote]
Don't worry about that. Just bring your bass and sticks. We've one guy who comes along and plays bass, drums, guitar and sings. He's good at all of them but if there isn't time he just plays one, usually bass or drums.

The only rule on our jam is 2 songs at a time. That's it!