Jam night skills?

[Waddycall]

So I’m currently bandless and am nursing a bit of a nerve issue in my right arm so don’t have any current plans to join a band. I’m hoping that may change in 6 months or so.

in the meantime I’m planning on attending a few jam nights in the autumn. I’ve never played bass at a jam night. Ive been playing bass and guitar for 30 years but never been much of an improviser. 

To try and avoid jam night embarrassment I’m intending to practice lots of blues stuff etc but is there anything else that’s regular jam night stuff? Are there any particular songs that are likely to be played at these things???

Cheers,

pete

[Cat Burrito]

I do a lot of these in my downtime and usually people say "this one is just C F and G" (for example) so you just go from there. People change keys, use capos. Maybe have a scouting party, go check one out and join in where you can. The main thing is to have fun! I've busked along to loads of things I'd never heard and people are pretty forgiving, especially during intros as players find their place. 

[Happy Jack]

Most jam nights have a core of regulars, at least some of whom will play the same (bloody) songs every (bloody) week. It's well worth a couple of scouting missions to check out the vibe, the repertoire, and what you're up against, before announcing loudly "I play bass". 🤨

 

Those musicians who always play Alright Now or The Thrill Is Gone or Rocking In The Free World or whatever are not necessarily a bad thing, because at least you can prep those specific songs and then drop a few hints.

 

More broadly, at a well-attended jam night each combination of players that gets up will very likely be unique, never played together before in that line-up. That puts a premium on calling songs that any competent musician should know, the sort of pop/rock hits that turn up on every covers band's set list.

 

If you (as a bassist) want to call any songs at all, then you'd better be able to take lead vocals.

 

[Mickeyboro]

I run a blues jam, so we tend to get variations on 12 bars. At least the ‘blues’ label discourages open-mic people - that’s a totally different kettle of fish.
 

As Jack says, the vocalists call the shots, so pal up with one or try yourself.

 

It’s non competitive and friendly, at least ours is, and we welcome new faces. Good luck…

Edited August 19, 2022 by Mickeyboro

[Downunderwonder]

There's two rules to open jamming.

 

Don't play if you don't what the next note is going to be.

 

Never stop with the bass.

 

C'est la vié. 

[Phil Starr]

@Happy Jack has pretty much nailed it.

 

I used to run a jam session. You should understand that most Jam Sessions aren't really a free for all. there is usually a core of people who form a house band with vaguely rotating members. The organiser is usually being paid a few quid by the pub and so they have to make sure the music keeps on going and are at least not driving the other customers out of the pub. I had a couple of singers who would usually give me advance warning of what they wanted to sing and I'd have chord sheets available for some of the songs. Most popular songs have three or four chords and simple structures and anyone who has played in covers bands will have a few songs in common. Any 'jamming' is usually a guitar solo played over a single chord or either a verse or chorus repeated for far longer than is sensible  I had a lot of bands come along and play half a dozen songs if they are 'between' gigs and a couple of acoustic acts who would just do their thing but borrow bass and drums.

 

As for playing bass at these things, I'm the worlds worst improvisor and played some shocking mistakes. No-one seemed to notice, too busy dreaming up their own mistakes I guess. I prepared as best I could, made a note of songs I hadn't heard before and looked up the chord sequences. Keep the playing simple, root note only or root fifth. The most I would do would be simple 3 note arpeggios but the root is your friend. Oh and don't forget you can use dead notes when you haven't a clue what the guitars are doing.

 

I loved it when the guitars were playing full chords for a song. If you recognise the chord you know what the root is, barred chords are easy to follow.

[Waddycall]

Thanks folks. Good info and sort of confirms what I was expecting really. I’ll keep practicing some blues stuff and try to focus on not overplaying which I have a tendency to do (badly). Probably be a few weeks before I go along to one. I’ll do a bit of research and see which are the most promising.

[chris_b]

I'm in the house band for a jam night. It's nominally labelled a blues jam, but we've had folk singers, a drum troupe, a guy on a didgeridoo and every permutation of 2 guitars, bass and drums. We also get the occasional keys players and a brass section. We've been going for over 20 years and have many regulars. We get serious people but the guys who get most out of it are there for a fun night. The one thing I hate with a passion is a badly played slow blues. . . . and Red House in particular. Jeez, show some imagination!! 

 

Anyway, turn up and tell the guy running it what you want to do. If they are any good at running jams, they'll try to put you together with people who will be able to support you.  Of  course you can end up with the guitarist from hell, but that's jam nights for you!

[SteveXFR]

I go along to a local jam session and it's always good fun. The session I go to, if there's going to be any covers then they're announced in the facebook group so those who don't know it can prepare. I always just learn the chord progression and go with the flow on the night, no one wants or expects a note for note cover. 

Because I'm a bit crap, I tend to end up playing when the really good guitarists play, there's so much going on that they appreciate simple bass.

I always find everyone friendly and forgiving of my incompetence and encouraging. It's definitely improved my playing. 

[lowdown]

If you are offered a Bass solo and are a Bassist that doesn't like taking solos, say so. You don't want to end up in the 'Worst Bass Solos' thread...

😁

[Phil Starr]

20 hours ago, chris_b said:

The one thing I hate with a passion is a badly played slow blues. . . . and Red House in particular. Jeez, show some imagination!! 

You've heard me play then 🤣

[Phil Starr]

20 hours ago, chris_b said:

a guy on a didgeridoo

God is there more than one or does he commute round the country

[Boodang]

Get your blues chops sorted with plenty of variations to the turnarounds as there are bound to be plenty of 12 bar going around. Also ii,v,i progression lines to back the improvisors and to break it up in case there's too much 12 bar going on.

[warwickhunt]

Shoot me for blaspheming but I avoid 'blues' jams like the plague (not my cup of tea) but Buskers / Jam with the band - I / IV / V / mVI is your friend.  As is knowing what notes are 'generally' available in a Major or Minor key and listen to see if the 7th is flattened if it is Major.  If a player starts a song with G major, I kind of know that for the first time around at least I'll be aware that I'll 'likely' have G A B C D E F#... but that could be F (there are variations on standard major/minor scales which come with time and ear training).  Once you've done a verse and chorus you will have a better idea of what is going to work and more importantly what is probably best to avoid.  I've gone to Buskers and jammed with guys I've never seen, doing original material (they need to have faith in you mind) and I can generally hold my own.  I'd also suggest not trying to get too busy as you can easily trip yourself.

[Dan Dare]

Most participants at jam nights - electric ones, anyway - are, in my experience, blokes of a certain age (I put my hand up to that), so the musical diet tends to be classic rock and blues, or similar stuff. There may be the occasional person who hasn't got the memo who turns up with a trombone and there might be the odd budding songwriter who throws you a curve ball in the shape of their latest opus, but that's part of the deal.

 

If you sing, so much the better. I wouldn't be too adventurous in your choice of material if you call a number or two. It's better and more rewarding for all concerned - players and listeners - to play something straightforward decently than to stagger through something tricky. I always ask, if I don't know a number, what the first change is and I try to stand where I can see the guitar player's left hand (I play guitar, too), so I can get an idea of what's going on. The sound can be iffy at some sessions, so you can't always rely on hearing subtleties, especially if it gets a bit loud (which it often does).

 

Don't be tempted to hand out charts so you can try something more adventurous. One guy at a jam I went to did that. The place was poorly lit and we had no chance of reading them (especially as, being blokes of a certain age, most of us needed spec's). It did not go well.

 

As others advise, keep what you do simple/solid. It's a social occasion for most and for many people the only chance they have to perform publicly, so expectations generally need to be tempered. It's usually good fun as long as you don't expect too much from it.

Edited August 21, 2022 by Dan Dare

[Happy Jack]

Charts? At a jam?

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

[chris_b]

Recently I was handed a chart for Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington. It meant the guy could play his song, that he'd been practising for a week. It went well, and we had one happy punter.

[lowdown]

Charts are okay at a Jam. It's usually the one way to keep a Guitarist quite.

[miles'tone]

My advice is don't overthink it beforehand. Get involved, the host(s) will more than likely put you with some people who aren't the house band for a go. In this case it's something usually simple so everyone can get through it. Just get up there and enjoy it.

You'll figure out what you need to work on in future afterwards, especially as you'll then have a feel for the musical environment.

It's always nice to meet new like-minds.

Have fun!

[Bassfinger]

Ah, I steer clear of jam nights and the like. While I'm a decent enough technical player, and have the rare skill of being able to read music, I have the zero imagination and even less spontaneous creativity skills, so jamming is out for me.

 

Respect to anyone that can make it up as they go along, and sound good while doing so.

[warwickhunt]

1 minute ago, Bassfinger said:

Ah, I steer clear of jam nights and the like. While I'm a decent enough technical player, and have the rare skill of being able to read music, I have the zero imagination and even less spontaneous creativity skills, so jamming is out for me.

 

Respect to anyone that can make it up as they go along, and sound good while doing so.

 

I'm exactly the opposite; I can create and make stuff up but put the dots in front of me and it'd be like a sketch from French & Saunders.    

 

 

 

[Dan Dare]

On 21/08/2022 at 19:33, Happy Jack said:

Charts? At a jam?

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

 

My feelings exactly. I tried to suggest we'd have little chance of following them (poor light, writ small, old gits with failing eyesight and so on) but he knew best. It was a shambles. He blamed the rest of us, of course.

[MrDaveTheBass]

As long as you play in time, few people will care about the actual note you're playing. If you do hit a particularly bum note and somebody notices, remember to scowl at the guitarist. 😉

[chris_b]

3 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Ah, I steer clear of jam nights and the like. While I'm a decent enough technical player, and have the rare skill of being able to read music, I have the zero imagination and even less spontaneous creativity skills, so jamming is out for me.

 

For that very reason jamming should be in.

 

They are the ideal places to work at all the things you know you can't do, in an environment where no one cares if you fail, as long as you try. Over the years I've seen people go from rank beginners to good players, from timid to brimming with confidence and guys have got together and formed their own bands.

[Ricky 4000]

I've never been to one.

 

Tell a lie, once. A Sunday lunchtime jam-thingy with a couple of guys who I was sort of in a drummer-less band with, but not seriously. We'd jammed a bit.

 

It was terrible. Embarrassing. Singer/gtr player thought we'd just have a spot on our own. The three of us. Except maybe a drummer would join in.

 

So when there was a lull with the 'house band', as if they might have been thinking about having a break, we shuffled up towards the stage end of the room with our guitars on!

 

I think we did one of the singer's songs (his best one. It was actually really good. He said somebody else had recorded it and he was really mad about that. So I don't know if it was really his song or if he co-wrote it or something 🤷‍♀️). Anyway I got through that alright, as it was the main song we'd jammed, and it was pretty simple to play on the bass. I'd followed mostly what I was given on a demo. But it was catchy!

 

Then our 'band leader' started playing the chords to Start by The Jam. I thought ok... I know this one, it starts with the bass. So I should be playing by now. So I then started playing, and we went through a few bars without the singer singing - then before he did start singing, a couple of the 'house guitars' joined in. Playing what soon turned out to be Taxman. Which it turns out is a very different song! That 'we' didn't really know how to play. The singer was so freaked out he didn't try to sing either song. It was a really bad Start / Taxman instrumental stand-off. With no drummer.

 

Then a few more awkward minutes before 'we' left.

 

I say 'we' because I wasn't really in a band with the other two.