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beginner forum: for novice and developing blues harp players >
My First Attempt at an Open Blues Jam
My First Attempt at an Open Blues Jam
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ScottK
78 posts
May 07, 2017
5:03 PM
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So I just got back from my first blues jam at a pub since Iv'e been working on improving my playing. It was partly great and partly sucked. Nice place, Got to go up after the core band did a short set. I brought my own amp my VHT Sp6 and it was set up quick, played on a a couple tunes including bright lights big city, I thought it sounded good, gelled with the other musicians. Organizer told me Id come up again later. I left all my suff on the stage area, he said it would be safe, So I stuck around the next couple hours...
During that time a couple other new people like me went up some, One harp player I really clicked with, some regulars and it ended up with one guy who sings, plays harp and pretty well, but IMO too showy, and not as much expression as I prefer to listen to, but pretty much it was his band the rest of the night...And it got louder and it was just blues rock from then on...
I went to the guy who organized musicians coming up who told me Id be going up again and asked if I would again and he said, maybe not theirs a lot of harp players. No...it was just the one guy the rest of the night. I even said that if you want to save time, Me and my new harp player friend could play together and trade solos.
So when that set ended and they were switching players, I just went up and said, if I'm not going to play again this is a good time for me to grab my shit. And I did, and he apologized, and I said that I came to play and if they want me to come back I need it to be worth my while at least cause i don't have time to sit and watch a band for a couple hours..(It was 1/2 hour away) and I was cordial and polite, and again they apologized, and the bassest heard me talking and came over and asked me to please come back and he enjoyed playing with me..and I grabbed my stuff, said by to the people i met (They told me to go to this other jam they like) and as I left the same band singer harp player began to play again. So happy to leave, should have brought my ear plugs. WTF
The best thing and what made it worth it was I did enjoy the songs I played on and the other harp player I met we have a lot in common, talked a lot about equipment and plan to be in touch.
Anyone else share this type of experience?
I know that open jams may not always be great, but this one had the potential and dang it pissed me off.
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indigo
364 posts
May 07, 2017
5:36 PM
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I've seen this scenario from both sides,as a jammer and as an organiser.
People who go to jams, just do their thing and then bugger off are not being fair to the other Jammers.If your turn comes and near all of the other guys have left soon as they could it can be dispiriting.
We had some guys who did that regularly so we started putting them on some of the last sets.
(i have to add that this wasn't a 'late'Jam,finishing time was around 10-30pm.)
But as a Jammer i hate that situation where one guy gets to dominate the night,in my experience though it is often because he can sing and play harp.
As an old player once said to me "Rick if you wanna play harp you gotta learn to sing."
Too true.But dammit i still can't sing it and i have missed a lot of opportunities because of it.
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Tuckster
1578 posts
May 07, 2017
10:19 PM
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Well at least you got up for 3 songs. On a night with a lot of participants,that's all you can expect.If it's a night where there aren't many musicians,you should get a chance to play more.The hosts weren't doing a very good job getting everybody equal time(pretty common) and that harp player was a d*** for hogging the stage(less common but it happens). You handled it properly IMHO.I doubt it was a personal affront to you by the hosts.
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ScottK
79 posts
May 08, 2017
7:22 PM
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Thanks for the feedback, perspective and letting me vent! It's all helpful. I'm looking forward to trying out another. There are 2 closer to where I live, that I've heard good things about. And I'm practicing with a couple other musicians so I'm getting to play with others.
Tuck, thanks for the confidence that I handled it ok, For me to be able to express myself that way and not get myself worked up has been a work in progress... The people around me I ended up hanging with I think felt similar as me, and everyone in the audience was cool and appreciative that I played earlier so that felt good.
And I know what you mean indigo about people coming and then leaving. I used to go to a lot of open mics (like 20 years ago...) playing guitar, and ya if you were on at the end it tended to be more empty. So I tried to always stay. And I hear ya about singing. They asked me here if I could sing and I said, sure, I'll sing driftin blues if you want. I'm kind of glad didn't cause I'll be more confident next time, and work with my amp and sound in the meantime...
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Killa_Hertz
2356 posts
May 09, 2017
5:28 AM
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Congrats man. You got more guts than me. Lol.
I need to get on that.
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Spderyak
140 posts
May 12, 2017
5:07 AM
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Indigo..As an old player once said to me "Rick if you wanna play harp you gotta learn to sing."...
with a little humor.. I wonder if that fellow is the reason there are so many harmonica players who think they need to sing..it would be polite to say I wish many didn't...
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indigo
371 posts
May 12, 2017
9:12 PM
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Ha i think that you probably have it right there Spyderyak.
Maybe it's just as well i've never tried it.(onstage)^
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arcticbreaze
4 posts
May 19, 2017
2:40 AM
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my singing's almost as good (or bad)as my harp playing.
one of my first ever public performances (first sober one) was nervous as all hell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDMY8mmKq3I
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