View Full Version : Going To A Jam Session....Help!!!
mullethead
07-10-2002, 16:53
I've been playing Guitar for a while now but mainly playing by myself and one gig with a covers band (filling in for their missing guitarist :)). I don't pretend to be the best player in the world(more Kurt Cobain than Eddie Van Halen), but I can play along quite happily to most songs.
Now me and my mate (who's done this sort of thing before) are going to get together with a couple of people he knows and just play and see what comes. He's gonna come round this week and go through a few things but has anybody got any experience/tips they can pass on? I don't want to make an ass of myself because the other guys have been in bands before.
Also I may have to play bass because the bassist might be stuck at work! I've been practicing on my sisters old bass (which she never used!) and have got a couple of scales down, any tips for this would be appreciated.
Cheers
Hmm.
You're probably better off as a Kurt Cobain style guy!! What are you gonna be playing? I've only jammed with people in three ways:
* Doing covers - which is okay when you all know what bit you should be playing but kind of crappy if you some/all of you are reading slowing from TAB.
* One person does their song and you all just sort of join in. This is okay if their song is written in a fairly reasonable key, allowing you to slip into a blues scale and just sort of solo over everything, or rip into your effects and do stranger crap (cf Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Bends era).
* Free-form jam...This is mostly what our band does when we get together. Here you're looking to get that feeling of (The) Verve when they were good (1st/2nd album). Quite often good to re-tune your guitar to one chord and eat into your FX, particularly digi-delay. You go quite avant-garde without getting pretentious, all sticking to whatever beat the drummer goes with.
As for bass...I'm not good really either. Best to start by find three notes in a simple pattern to play over and over, then you can work in some slightly different stuff and if it doesn't work just drop back. Try sliding between notes and don't forget how good the same note can sound way up at the 15+ fret on a higher string, to really stand out.
Depends really on what your into, of course. Personally I am speaking from a love of Nirvana, Radiohead, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Blur, etc. from a guitaring perspective.:thumbs:
Just enjoy it mullethead. I wish i had more guitar friends near me so i could jam more.
When my mate brings his guitar round we just stick on a couple of CDs and see what develops. It's never anything serious but just a laugh.
You'll be :rocker: all night. :D
mullethead
07-10-2002, 20:26
Thanks guys, I think it's going to be a mix of:
* One person does their song and you all just sort of join in. This is okay if their song is written in a fairly reasonable key, allowing you to slip into a blues scale and just sort of solo over everything, or rip into your effects and do stranger crap (cf Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Bends era).
* Free-form jam...This is mostly what our band does when we get together. Here you're looking to get that feeling of (The) Verve when they were good (1st/2nd album). Quite often good to re-tune your guitar to one chord and eat into your FX, particularly digi-delay. You go quite avant-garde without getting pretentious, all sticking to whatever beat the drummer goes with.
I'm not big on lead playing (solos, etc.) much rather sit at the back and play rhythm. I'm off to study now, so if they say let's jam in B i'll at least have some idea of what to play!!
Hopefully when my mate comes round i'll have some idea of what he's written!! Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: Oh yeah and i've learnt the bass line to Natural One by Folk Implosion tonight :clap:
If you don't like solos then join the club. You don't need to just be rythmn or lead you know. Effects-based texturing can be incredibly good... Give it a try if you have the effects and the song suits it (mellow is better for that sort of thing usually I find).
LouBarlow
07-10-2002, 23:55
Erm - going slightly skewif here, The Verves best album was their 3rd LP if we are counting 'No Come Down' as their 2nd.
Thank you :lol:
Originally posted by LouBarlow
Erm - going slightly skewif here, The Verves best album was their 3rd LP if we are counting 'No Come Down' as their 2nd.
Thank you :lol:
Okay, agreed. As long as no one mentions U**** H****!! ;)
LouBarlow
08-10-2002, 08:34
Originally posted by TheoGB
Okay, agreed. As long as no one mentions U**** H****!! ;)
'MOR tripe' I think I called it last time it reared its ugly head here. :nuts:
WildWayz
08-10-2002, 10:03
I remember when I was 15, me and my mate went to a jam session in a pub on a sunday afternoon.
We thought it was gonna be musicians talking about different things, and exchanging tips - behind closed doors.
Got there, and there were loads of people there... and people were setting up their gear.
We pooped ourselves but setup our stuff.
When it came to our turn, we went up and they asked us what we were gonna do. We said "Knocking on Heaven's Door and Nothing Else Matters". One of the other people from another band said "I know the bass for them"... another guy said "Need a drummer?".
We played as a full band for the 1st time, and I know it's hard to believe, but we sounded GREAT. Got loads of claps afterwards and were told we sounded good.
Me and my mate fell out soon after, so I've not been in a band since :D
James
Originally posted by LouBarlow
'MOR tripe' I think I called it last time it reared its ugly head here. :nuts:
Heh, sounds about right, though I seem to remember there are those three 'proper' Verve songs on there, so it kind of has to be owned. :(
(Or had - '97 - in the days before MP3 domination. :D )
<marquee>EXTREME BUMPAGE</marquee>
So how did it go Mullethead? If you can remember way back then? :D
Did you jam yo' ass off or wilt out like a dying flame as people pointed, stared and handed you your jacket as you ran for the nearest taxi? :D
Just make sure your jars are nice and clean, you have plenty of round greaseproof paper lids and loads of rubberbands (very important) to seal the jars.
Oh and be carefull, the boiling of sugar can be very dangerous
BTW. Strawberrys my favorite.... Enjoy :)
JOEY: Whoa, jam! I love jam! (to Chandler) Hey, how come we never have jam at our place?
CHANDLER: Because the kid's need new shoes.
:clap:
Originally posted by Dazzle
Just make sure your jars are nice and clean, you have plenty of round greaseproof paper lids and loads of rubberbands (very important) to seal the jars.
Oh and be carefull, the boiling of sugar can be very dangerous
BTW. Strawberrys my favorite.... Enjoy :)
For a moment then I thought this was going to go down the "You see, Paul, jamming with mates is very much like making love to a beautiful woman..." :nuts:
mullethead
14-07-2003, 21:10
Woah, you're not wrong about the extreme bumpage Robby!! How did I miss this.
Well, the session came and went pretty much as expected. My mate never came round to give me any bass tips or play any of his songs so we went in 'cold'!!
I got there but my mate and his friend were about 20 minutes late so I got to set-up and warm up on my own (by warming up I mean playing Paranoid, Smells like...., etc. at ridiculous volume with mad distortion :D).
They turned up, my mate got behind the drums. We played a few covers while his mate set up then got down to business.....or not!!
As expected I had to play bass, only having never played bass properly before it all went a bit Pete Tong. It was okay, played along in key but that's about it (no fills, etc.). So I went back onto guitar duties, I made up a few riffs that we all played along to, played a few more covers and that was about it. We went home happy, having had a laugh, but nothing too productive came of it.
Me and my mate have both messed around together a few times since. Bit of a shame really :(
He sees it. :clap:
Sounded like a laff. I'm not sure i'd be much cop on Bass duties. I play any longer than 20 minutes and i get a crick in my shoulder. Just a big jesse me used to a nice light guitar. :D
I've yet to play guitar and stupid volume levesl, it must be a pretty cool feeling. Living in a terraced house kinda puts the kybosh on any shredding fun. :(
Originally posted by mullethead
Me and my mate have both messed around together a few times since.
:suspect:
He, he, he
Harry May
14-07-2003, 21:36
Many years ago I had the use of a soundproofed studio, a real Les Paul (frets filed nice and smooth), my Tube Screamer and a 100 watt Marshall stack for a few evenings.
That was good noise!!!
Originally posted by Harry May
Many years ago I had the use of a soundproofed studio, a real Les Paul (frets filed nice and smooth), my Tube Screamer and a 100 watt Marshall stack for a few evenings.
That was good noise!!!
Rehearsal rooms are really not very expensive all things considered.
For £11 per hour on-peak we get drum kit, amps, mics room, etc. and it's good quality... :)
The Bear
14-07-2003, 23:47
One thing I learned from playing in rehearsal rooms and the 1 gig I've played in my life :D (soon to be 2!!), is that at full volume (11) you have to be more careful about dampening any unwanted string noise.
The advantage though, is how easy it is to create feedback to play about with. Excellent for the intro to 'Mary' by Supergrass :thumbs:
mullethead
15-07-2003, 05:29
Originally posted by Harry May
my Tube Screamer
Mmmmmm, Tube Screamer
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