1st jam review
G'day David, i just attended my 1st jam at the blues club. interesting, but not very fulfilling. my first experience of how they run these things...i was appointed 'before you accuse me"...then had to share the stage with another harp player who was well on the way to drunkenness...basically i was polite...the harp players were only given 1 chorus and the drunk was going for it so i layed off and just played the fills and turnarounds. it was ok but i felt i had blown my opportunity. the feller who ran the show made a point of telling me i was welcome anytime; maybe because i had displayed good manners, and the little bit i played demonstrated at least that my tone is ok and i have some taste...but i would really like to make a better showing next time.
there were some great players there tonight. 1 guy who has played support for Paul Kelly (a major star in Aus) and some other guys who played very well...very polished acts..LW imitators..i noticed they missed a few of the notes, but very nice all the same.
its obvious to me that i need to really get my act together if i am gonna match it with these cats..i can play nicely in informal situations with my jam buddies and with the rock bands i work with and have rehearsed with...but i need to really get these blues standards worked up if i am gonna play out to a blues audience, as per my goal. i am struggling a little with focusing practice though. i am kind of torn between practicing repertoire, technique and improvising. can you give me some guidance on organising my practice time? i play with 2 (original material) rock bands, and also play once or twice a month with a bluesy jam band, and also practice your lessons...(currently on Gary's Blues and havent started the Strut)...and also have been playing a few of Adam Gussow's lessons on specific songs...(e.g. have a good time, born in chicago, checkin' up on my baby) i'm also working up a guitar/harp duo busking act, which will at least use the material i already have under my belt...
i dunno..i feel like i am maybe pushing too hard to get somewhere but dont have enough time...my aim is to play publicly ...not necessarily professionally...but proficiently...and be able to entertain a blues crowd...not just be mediocre
i guess i feel i am playing quite a lot, but i'm not sure what i'm doing is the most efficient route to playing the way i want to...i feel scatterbrained..your lessons, adam's lessons, your improvising book, specific repertoire of the bands i play with..and random things which come to me like the Flintstones theme.. i think i'm just becoming a guy with a very unfocused approach.
Sorry if this is beyond the scope of what you're doing here, but i figure you have seen it all when it comes to folks trying to play music. i'd value any advice you may have for me.
Hey Dave - as I read your comments, it was like hearing myself talking (other than the jam thing - haven't hit a drunk yet but just about everything else). Your questions are appreciated because I struggle with that very thing and go back to it about every two or three months (my frustration cycle) so thanks for asking them.
The only comment I'd like to add is a suggestion the house band guitarist made to me at a jam a while ago. He said," learn to play some heads to familiar tunes so you can get the band going the way you want, then continue to improvise in your solo spot".
Keep on harping Dave - sounds like you are having a ball and getting lots of practice and playing in.
Thanks for the answer David - big help that will focus my time better.
Thanks David, i've taken note of that. it sounds right. 1 thing i think is that i haven't really had the hang of the improvisation practice yet, but i have plenty of material to work with and your instruction is quite clear about it. i think its just about digging in and doing it.
thanks for your comments re the jam situation too. quite right, nothing else to do and at least it was experience of how this scene works and good to hear what the local players are doing. this town doesn't have a huge scene, but there are a few more players than i realised (this was advertised as a special harp-friendly night so i guess it brought more players out than usual)
and cheers hank, thanks for your comments. i noticed you remark on that point about learning standards, and had actually been doing that myself in a low-key way. it was also interesting to hear last night just what the band were playing in the way of standards...early in the morning, born in chicago, sweet home chicago, mojo, shake your hips, juke, up the line,
Hello Dave. I feel your pain. Jam sessions are rough. It doesn't matter how good you get, you're always thrown into weird situations.
You did the right thing to back off. What's the alternative? If you would have stepped forward and taken the solo from him... playing loudly yourself to overpower what he was doing... would he have gotten the hint and stopped playing and let you go?... maybe, but maybe he would have kept playing... I've seen that happen many times and it turns into a mess. You took the high road and served the music. In my opinion the person who was running the jam should of had you stay up and do another song.
With all this said, EVERY jam sessions, the good ones and the ones you walk away from with your tail between your legs, are a learning process. Don't use this one jam as a gauge of where you're at... go back.
In regards to practice, you want three things on your plate each day.
1) Work on your new techniques for (10m)
2) Work on your study song that works those new techniques and other areas you want to focus on... tempo, groove, etc. (30m)
3) Place the licks you learned that day into improvising (20)
That's one hour...
The next half hour focus on learning or dialing in the songs in your set with your band. This time can also be used to dial in blues standards. Sometimes upcoming gigs and learning new songs for your band will trump the hour above, but don't leave it too long.
When you go back to that jam ask if you can choose the song (lead). This way you're playing in your comfort zone. Keep in mind that you'll need to lead the band and hand off solos and such (make sure to watch the performance training section).
Hope this helps...