First time jamming

Originally Posted by: haghj500Kasperow,

You're learning faster than I had guessed.

It does not sound like you will stay with them. It is Hard to get 4 or 5 guys (people) that get a long, like the same music and tone . That's why its said to be kind of magic when it happens.

Going to make new contacts after only two jams, is not rude. Its good business. It kind of like job hunting, you need to get your resume out there.

Whether you like what you’re playing or not, play it the best you can. Make your resume worth remembering.

Cool. So there would be nothing wrong with looking around for a better matching band, while still jamming with those guys until I find that better match. It's not exactly because I can play a whole lot of songs, though. Most of what I can play are quite simple songs, and most of the songs I want to be able to play covers of are GNR, even though I want to play original material on-stage (as far as I have understood, you must pay royalties if you make money on playing covers).

I can easily understand the comparison between looking for a band and looking for a job. And even if I find another band (or the people to start one), even if I don't get to join them, it's still important to give it a shot and do my best. Because if I make a big enough impact on them, there's a chance they'll either keep me in mind next time they're looking for a guitarist, or decide to try with an extra guitarist than they're used to. So in the end, it's all about leaving a good enough impression, not about actually trying to join a better band.

I might even try attending some jam-nights at a venue. I know one place that has such, although those jam-nights are on the same day that the band I'm with right now practice in their Practice-room. I've heard that open-mic nights and jam-nights are a great way to find one's band-mates, so it's worth a try.

Originally Posted by: KasperowThat's probably true. I don't really know those two guys you mention, but I'll check them out on YouTube tomorrow.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "punk leanings", since I don't exactly listen to punk, so I don't know what to look out for there.

I must admit, though, when I first started playing a year ago, I thought it would take at least half a decade to get to where I am today. My rate of progress is better than I had even hoped it would be :)

What I meant was do they have strong punk influences. I was just curious what kind of music they are playing.

DiMeola and Gambale are worth checking out. Both played in bands led by Chick Corea. DiMeola plays a lot of flemenco acoustic and world music now, but back in the 70's and 80's he ripped it up with a Les Paul in a Marshall stack cranked to 10! He was part of the jazz/fusion movement in the 70's as a solo artist and with Return to Forever. Part of his signature sound is he palm mutes super fast runs - really cool. Gambale did a stint in Chick Corea's Elektric Band in the 80's and 90's. He also has some solo stuff. His weapon of choice is an Ibanez, just like Joe Satriani. This was jazz fusion too, but with more of an 80's style. They both did instructional videos which you might find on youtube. If you are interested, I can give you the titles of albums I think feature their best playing.

Approaching this like a job is a good idea. Nothing wrong with making some contacts at the gig. Your band probably senses that the fit isn't perfect and will expect some of this.

Keep up the good work - it sounds like you've come a good ways in a year. I think once you start gigging you'll find your playing continuing to advance.

I wish there were places around here that did jam nights and stuff. The closest thing I've seen are open mic nights for singer/songwriter type stuff. I'll stick to the basement for now :-). With 3 kids, I don't have time for a band anyway...but I can dream.

Kasperow,

If you would go back and watch that first Trower link I posted, watch his facial expressions, but mostly his eyes if you can see them. I bet his eyes are open less than two minutes of the whole video. You can see what’s coming out move through him, his eyes closed, his fingers going where their trained. You will most likely not be able to play like him as long as you have to watch your hands. I mean do you think he could if he had to watch his?

It’s worth working for.

Originally Posted by: KasperowHey guys, I've got a jam session coming up pretty soon, and since I've never tried jamming with other living people (I've played along to the backing tracks in various lessons in the Rock Course), I'm not quite sure if there's anything special to be aware of. Of course, I know it's important to make sure my guitar is tuned properly, and that I have plenty of picks and spare-strings at hand, but is there anything else to be aware of? Also, if it makes any difference, so far, it will only be me and a drummer, since I've begun trying to form a band and I haven't heard from anyone else yet.

Furthermore, what's the best way to transport an amp (single 12-inch speaker) on the train while ensuring that it's protected against weather? I'm thinking of checking if I have a big enough trolley, and if so, stuff it in there. Other options will be appreciated.

I may just be overly concerned, since it's not a gig, and only a jam-session, but I'll rather have things go as smoothly as possible on my half, than show up and look like a fool or even a disaster. I know that with only a single guitarist and a drummer, there's a limit to what you can play, but still, I'll try to make the best of the experience and just, you know... do the most important thing... Have fun :)

Hi,

It's very wise of you to want to be prepared..

here are a few things to bear in mind:

1) When jamming your ears must be very wide open to what the other guys are doing. don't make the mistake of thinking that they are following your playing.. listen out to the others and watch them closely for signals.

2) Pick a key you are very comfortable with otherwise the stress of coming up with stuff on the spot might put you backwards. Improvise with something you know basically

3) Practice a lot of fretboard memorisation techniques (know how to connects all the scale positions well)

4) Practice taking licks and creating dozens of variations of a single lick

5) Make sure to practice standing up at home also as you will get a better vibe playing with the other guys standing up

when you are there focus on having fun also and don't let your mistakes embarrass you.. keep going!!!

EARS OPEN AT ALL TIMES :)

Kasperow,

The guy below has a lot of videos, covering lots of groups. When he was given his gift to play guitar, he was given a few extra helpings. Maybe you have already heard of him.

Sungha Jung
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWXCzlTMfd0

I know this thread has been idle for 4 months now, but I've got a jam session coming up tomorrow, so it might become relevant again. The guy I'll be jamming with tomorrow is the closest thing I've come to a perfect match in my search for band-mates. We both play a mix of Rock, Hard Rock and Blues, we're both inspired by older music (his primary influence is Springsteen, my primary is GNR), and we both have the same level of ambitions and the same dream of being famous rockstars (though I know that's gonna take a while first). I don't know how his tone is, but he doesn't seem to mind that mine heavily relies on Treble and some kind of distortion. From reading earlier posts in this thread, I can tell that I have changed a lot in just 4 months. Back then, I used a mostly clean tone, now I play something, hear how it sounds with a neutral tone and then adjust the tone to make it sound better, and use effects where necessary. It helps that I've since then watched a few rig rundowns to get some ideas for my own gear and tone, though.

I don't know much about the guy I'm going to try jamming with, though. He sings and plays the Guitar and possibly knows a bassist who could be interested in starting a band as well. If it goes well, we might meet again and start a band officially, and if not, I'll see it as a chance to become better. I'll let you know how it goes when I get home tomorrow :)

Well, the jam-session today went better than expected. Even though we were only two guitarists, it was nice to try again. We don't exactly have that many songs in common that we can play, but that can be fixed with time. He did, however, have one song of his own that he thought could be improved, so we tried that a few times. The first time, he just played it so I could get an idea about the feel, tempo and rhythm of the song. Then after that, he asked me, a less experienced guitarist, to try improvising over it, so I did (thought "what's the worst that can happen, right?"). The first attempt didn't go so well. Second attempt went a bit better. Third attempt, nailed it down. The end-result sounded really nice and melodic, especially considering that I'm not very used to improvising and soloing.

I'm definitely looking forward to jamming with him again!

Well that sounds like a great jam. They always renew the huger to learn more and just play better and that may be the greatest part about them.

Congratulations on coming up with improvising you are happy with in one day. That shows you are learning in many ways.

Originally Posted by: KasperowThird attempt, nailed it down. The end-result sounded really nice and melodic, especially considering that I'm not very used to improvising and soloing.

Did you record it?

Originally Posted by: haghj500Well that sounds like a great jam. They always renew the huger to learn more and just play better and that may be the greatest part about them.

Congratulations on coming up with improvising you are happy with in one day. That shows you are learning in many ways.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it was a great jam. He also seemed a bit amazed at how much I know after only a year and a half of playing the guitar. And I did learn a lot too. Mostly that my Rhythm is a bit off once Barre Chords are involved in a song (I already suspected it, but getting it confirmed is always nice). More specifically, actually, my Chord Changes into Barre Chords were sloppy, and by the time I had fretted a B Minor, the melody had already progressed into the G Major that followed. After a while of screwing up like that, we agreed that it would be best if I tried improvising over it. That, on the other hand, went like a dream.

[QUOTE=Slipin Lizard]Did you record it?

Sadly no. There was a mixer in the practice room, but neither of us knew how to connect it to a computer and my phone's Mic only has a range of about half a meter before the volume drops drastically and gets all mudded. I am, however, considering getting one of those pocket audio recorders when the money allows it. Until then, I'll have to settle with the unfinished, acoustic version on YouTube and try getting my amp to work as an audio interface.

That's awesome! It's a great feeling to get into a groove playing with others.

Definitely invest in a pocket digital recorder. It's always great to be able to listen back and the recording doesn't have to be studio quality made out of the soundboard. You can get something like the Tascam DR05 (http://www.amazon.com/TASCAM-DR-05-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B004OA6JW0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388332957&sr=8-2&keywords=tascam+dr-05) for ~$70. I got it to record my daughter's piano and choir recitals. I also use it for some guitar practice.

When listening to the playback, things you thought were bad were actually fine or not as bad as you thought. You may also hear some things you thought were fine but could use some work. It's hard to really listen while you are playing in the moment, especially if what you are playing is challenging.

Keep up the great work - it sounds like you are really progressing!

Originally Posted by: maggiorThat's awesome! It's a great feeling to get into a groove playing with others.

Definitely invest in a pocket digital recorder. It's always great to be able to listen back and the recording doesn't have to be studio quality made out of the soundboard. You can get something like the Tascam DR05 (http://www.amazon.com/TASCAM-DR-05-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B004OA6JW0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388332957&sr=8-2&keywords=tascam+dr-05) for ~$70. I got it to record my daughter's piano and choir recitals. I also use it for some guitar practice.

When listening to the playback, things you thought were bad were actually fine or not as bad as you thought. You may also hear some things you thought were fine but could use some work. It's hard to really listen while you are playing in the moment, especially if what you are playing is challenging.

Keep up the great work - it sounds like you are really progressing!

Yeah, I've quite frankly been missing the whole idea of playing with others. It felt great to do it again. I guess it's true what I've read. Playing with others is addicting!

I'm going to see what possible options I have for a pocket recorder. It'll come in handy quite often, I reckon. Especially now that I'm playing with others again and on the way to starting a band.

To be fair, though, I did hit a handful of bad notes... okay so maybe more than a handful. It doesn't really matter much, though. He liked how it sounded, I liked how it sounded, and that's all that matters. I did manage to save a few of the bad notes by sliding into a better-sounding note, which somehow made even the out-of-key notes that I hit by accident sound like I intended to play them. It probably also helps that I just played by the most important rule of Rock-Music as far as I care to learn: If it feels right, do it! Some people may disagree, though, but to me, this will always be the most important rule.

I don't really care what scale(s) I use in a solo or melodic lines. I just play something and if it sounds good, I go with it. That's how I managed to come up with a sort of "theme" or "melodic motif" for his song, in my first attempt, even though I had only heard him play it once before. It just sounded right to me, somehow. Turns out that I was using a scale I've never learned! And until just now, I didn't even know there was a thing called "D Bebop Dominant". But apparently, there is...

Kasperow- Grats on all the progress, you're doing fine. Back to your original query I have a couple thots on "first time jams" ... I love to jam with new people. Sometimes it's rocky and other times it goes quite well. Just 1 guitar and drums is not the easiest scenario. Having a bass, keys, or guitar 2 gives you something to lean on and takes off a lot of pressure. If it has to be just drums / guit 1 you're shouldering a pretty big load and you better have some go-to chops in the bag. A good grip on some 12 bar blues with some nice turn arounds will get a lot of mileage. (( make sure drummer doesn't bust out of the gate with double kicks at 150bpm = disaster)). Then make sure you have a couple of really easy, broadly recognized tunes that you can play all the way through. (( my #1 go to: Living After Midnight/Judas Priest ... simple with a very short lead break ... then onto some Skynrd, old Aerosmith and easy grunge-era classics)). There's not many things more fun than jamming and your next step could be to go to an open mic type jam and test your skills against an audience. Terrifying and exhillerating at the same time. Good Luck

Originally Posted by: fretsmithKasperow- Grats on all the progress, you're doing fine. Back to your original query I have a couple thots on "first time jams" ... I love to jam with new people. Sometimes it's rocky and other times it goes quite well. Just 1 guitar and drums is not the easiest scenario. Having a bass, keys, or guitar 2 gives you something to lean on and takes off a lot of pressure. If it has to be just drums / guit 1 you're shouldering a pretty big load and you better have some go-to chops in the bag. A good grip on some 12 bar blues with some nice turn arounds will get a lot of mileage. (( make sure drummer doesn't bust out of the gate with double kicks at 150bpm = disaster)). Then make sure you have a couple of really easy, broadly recognized tunes that you can play all the way through. (( my #1 go to: Living After Midnight/Judas Priest ... simple with a very short lead break ... then onto some Skynrd, old Aerosmith and easy grunge-era classics)). There's not many things more fun than jamming and your next step could be to go to an open mic type jam and test your skills against an audience. Terrifying and exhillerating at the same time. Good Luck

Yeah, I know how to play the Rhythm Guitar for a couple of songs of different Genres, and I have a few I'd like to add too, for the sake of having some songs I can play at family parties or when my brother comes over. So far, my repertoire of Rhythm Guitar songs pretty much amounts to:
Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple)
La Grange (ZZ Top)
I Used To Love Her (But I Had To Kill Her) (Guns N' Roses)
Patience (Guns N' Roses) (Acoustic)
Chinese Democrazy (Guns N' Roses)
Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC)
Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Poison) (Acoustic)
Dream On (Aerosmith)

It's not a lot, but that's mostly due to me making the mistake of not valuing learning Rhythm Guitar parts for songs before learning the Lead parts. Also, I think there's maybe two of the songs that aren't as recognized as the rest...

Do you have any suggestions for some easy, cool songs that can be easily recognized? I'm already thinking of learning "Train Kept A' Rollin'" by Aerosmith because the Rhythm in that song is almost more awesome than the Lead. I'm also in the process of learning "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, but I haven't learned the whole thing yet so it doesn't count as being in my repertoire yet. I'd prefer to stick with older songs, since I'm not a huge fan of modern Rock.

Either way, I think I'm going to try learning some more songs before trying to start a serious band.

How about:
Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles
Carry on My Wayward Son - Kansas
Back in Black - AC/DC
Tom Sawyer - Rush
Limelight - Rush

What's fun with these is that the rythm parts are more than just strumming chords, there are riff involved.

Life in the Fast Lane and Carry on My Wayward Son are both available here as lessons.

Originally Posted by: maggiorHow about:
Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles
Carry on My Wayward Son - Kansas
Back in Black - AC/DC
Tom Sawyer - Rush
Limelight - Rush

What's fun with these is that the rythm parts are more than just strumming chords, there are riff involved.

Life in the Fast Lane and Carry on My Wayward Son are both available here as lessons.

The Eagles are usually pretty good. I'm not sure if I've heard Life in the Fast Lane, though. Got to fix that... I don't really know Kansas or Rush, though, so I have no clue what "style" of music they are.

A couple of other songs I plan on learning the Rhythm for sometime (Lead comes later, unless the solo is easy enough) are:
Cryin' (Aerosmith)
Ragdoll (Aerosmith)
Dude (Looks Like A Lady) (Aerosmith)
You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
Father And Son (Cat Stevens) (Acoustic)
Rocket Queen (Guns N' Roses) (Including the Solo)
Knocking On Heaven's Door (Guns N' Roses version)
14 Years (Guns N' Roses)
Welcome To The Jungle (Guns N' Roses) (Lead, not only Rhythm for this one)
Gimme All Your Lovin' (ZZ Top)
Tush (ZZ Top)
Kickstart My Heart (Mötley Crüe)
Without You (Mötley Crüe) (Including the solo because I've already learned that part and it's easy to play)
Back For More (RATT)
Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
Burnin' For You (Blue Oyster Cult)
Nothin' But A Good Time (Poison)
Ride The Wind (Poison)
Hold The Line (Toto)
More Than A Feeling (Boston)

And I think that pretty much covers the list of songs I want to learn. I just know my repertoire needs a few of the easy staples, that is, songs that are commonly played by cover bands. Just preferably some of the easier staples :)

Originally Posted by: KasperowThe Eagles are usually pretty good. I'm not sure if I've heard Life in the Fast Lane, though. Got to fix that... I don't really know Kansas or Rush, though, so I have no clue what "style" of music they are.

God I feel old :-).

Life in the Fast lane is one of the Eagles more rockin' tunes. It's got a very recognizable signature riff.

Rush are generally categorized as a hard rock/progressive rock band. I was a total Rush head back in high school. They are still one of my favorite bands.

Kansas are categorized the same as Rush, though they have a different style since their music features violin. Carry on my Wayward Son is another song with a very recognizable signature riff.

You have a good list there. There are some on there I'd love to learn too. I always liked the rythm guitar in Ratt songs - Round and Round being at the top of the list.

Kasperow,

You have a great list above, below I have some links to songs that where on my list 35 years ago. I didn’t include Robin Trower in this list as I already posted a link to his old stuff. I’m sure these are songs that any rock/blues minded guitarist will enjoy and hear tricks in.

Back when I was in a band we use to play Hold the Line, it’s nice to see 35 years latter it is still enjoyed.

Jeff Beck Group - You Shook Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya_Vu5e8yrw
Jeff Beck Group -I Ain't Superstitious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYlWNb9tmtk

JOE WALSH | Rocky Mountain Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcveyL_7xn8
Joe Walsh Funk 49
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qHU_6Ofc0

Junior Wells - Early In The Morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd-O7W583Ng

I do not know how true this is, but I read T-Bone Walker was the first guitarist that wrote songs with time planed for playing guitar lead. If true,
you will watch the man who not only opened the door for electric guitar players to stand center stage and scream through their instrument, he created it.

T-Bone Walker - Call It Stormy Monday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVR8lg1YLuc

I hope you heard something that inspired you or opened your doors wider to new music.

Originally Posted by: haghj500Back when I was in a band we use to play Hold the Line, it’s nice to see 35 years latter it is still enjoyed.

Where I'm from, Hold The Line is actually still very popular, and even gets requested on the radio, along with Gimme All Your Lovin' by ZZ Top and Van Halen's Jump (though the radio already plays Jump whenever they can get away with it...). It's also a great song, so I can understand why it's still popular here.

Kasp: Interesting twist in the thread. What are some good songs to have in your bag to get you thru a jam session/open mic ?
I really like some of your choices ( relatively easy, recognizable, manageable lead breaks ): You Shook Me ( or ANYTHING from AC/DC that you can get a handle on - ALWAYS goes over well) / Heavens Door / Gimme All Lovin, / Nothin But Good Time/ Hold Line (surprise pick!). Good stuff, you'll have a lot of fun with those type of songs.
Some songs, like Burnin' For You/Life In The Fast Lane, are absolutely great songs ... IF you can play them. Songs with a lot of "parts" and "dubs" and signature accents loose their essence when you strip them down too far. Good for learning/study but, for me, not real good jam songs. Train Kept Rollin is an in-between choice because while the main riff is easy ( and a ton of fun to play), the lead parts are a Joe Perry master clinic and really integral to the groove. A full arrangement is over my head but if YOU can do it I think it would be a great jam song. ( also a great choice for a tutorial from GT!)
I'm 55, a child of 70's rock-n-roll. I remember the first songs I learned in my first band were Burn On The Flame (The Sweet) and Nantucket Sleigh Ride (UFO). My opportunities to jam seem to be getting further and further apart but here are some songs I (try) to keep an arrangement of in my head to keep a jam moving along:

Living After Midnight/Judas Priest (very easy/short,short lead)
Same Old Story/Aerosmith
U Shook Me/Ain't Noise Pollution/Lotta Rosie- AC/DC
Is It My Body/Be My Lover/Under Wheels- Alice Cooper (big fan!)
Old Time Rok-Roll/ Bob Seeger
Hold On Loosely/ 38 Special
Summer 69'/Bryan Adams
Teen Spirit/Nirvana ( a little dull w/o vocals )
Rebel Rebel/Surfagete City- David Bowie
What's Name/Whiskey R&Roller/Don't Ask Questions- Skynyrd

Throw in a few 12 bar blues jams, a little bullsh*ttin', and a couple of smoke breaks and you've got a couple of hours of jammin' (God I miss it) right there.

Good thread Kasperow - hope things are still going well for you