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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Played in my first jam this week. great fun for me
Played in my first jam this week. great fun for me
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J_Bark
7 posts
May 11, 2014
4:30 AM
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As the title states I went and played in a jam the other night. It was at Club 411 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. There is a band that hosts the jam every Thursday, they play one set and then arrange anyone who shows into groups to play the remaining sets.
I had gone to listen one time before and I was impressed with the quality of those who came to sit in and I enjoyed the host band as well. I also met a guy who played harp that night, Luke, who made me promise to bring a harp and sit in the next time I came.
I decided to practice for a few weeks and then go give it a shot.
Thursday was the shot. When I got there Luke was already there and I went over to see if he remembered talking to me before and he invited me to hang with him. He remembered me and encouraged me to go play. No worries he said all these guys are cool with first timers. Based on the quality of those I had seen before I knew that I was not anywhere near as good as most of them, but I agreed to try it out.
I got put up in the third set with a couple guys from the host band (guitar and drum kit) and three others, including a 20 something young lady who is more talented, friendlier and much better looking than I who fronted the set. I told her quietly that I was a first timer just wanted to play along quietly and not solo. She gave a thumps up and off we went. Unfortunately, or possibly quite fortunately, I plugged into an amp sitting on the stage and I had NO sound. They were already counting off the first song so I just played. It was a basic 12 blues in G so that worked out fine for me and gave me a low stress chance to get comfortable just playing the chords an grabbing onto the shuffle groove.
The next two songs I did not know, on harp or otherwise, and were in keys where I was less confident. So I played a little, and counted a lot. No harm. At the end of song 3 I decided to try switching the mic into another input on the amp and things worked fine then. The front called for John Lee Hooker's Boom, Boom. Well I am familiar with the key and the song so I turned on my mic a bit and did my best. Most of it worked out, a few bad notes but nothing too ugly.
So after 4 songs our set was done, and I had lived to tell the story, gained some good experience and had one h*** of a lot of fun.
After the set Luke, the other harp guy, said that he could not hear me on the first three songs, but on the fourth he could and that I "have some potential." I took that as an honest assessment, and a positive one at that. In my experience when someone does not want to tell you that you sucked they usually give sugary sweet,often glowing, yet slightly patronizing praise of everything you did. Maybe I took that wrong and I really did suck. If that's the case at least I sucked quietly, and had fun doing it.
Cheers
Jerry
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cliffy
83 posts
May 11, 2014
5:14 AM
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Hi Jerry,
I basically learned to play harmonica by playing at a weekly open jam... specifically, Willie Steel's Sunday night blues jam at Mother McGee's in Huntington Station, NY. I'm sure I was awful the first twenty times or so, but after that I got a lot better and things really seemed to click. I know exactly what you mean about how in the beginning, the feedback is overly nice with an undercurrent of patronizing. When players' feedback about my playing became less syrupy, I knew I was doing a better job.
I remember in the beginning, I could sort of play the "rockin' robin" melody a little bit (hadn't heard Piazza do it yet), and I made sure to shoehorn it into every blues shuffle I played. Eventually, I was able to branch out and not just play the same three licks, changing only the timing of how I played them :)
Jamming will teach you how to lead a band. After a while, Willie would let me sing and call the tunes; so, if I wanted the band to stop, I had to motion for them to stop, etc. These skills have served me well in the twenty years since I played that jam and everyone I've played with since has appreciated how I can lead the band when needed. Have fun hitting the jams and definitely make it a regular thing... You will reap the benefits later on while having fun now. Truly a win-win situation!
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Barley Nectar
388 posts
May 11, 2014
6:46 AM
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Well, your experience is a textbook example of how a new jammer should act. You found the right players. Made friends, played humbly and tastefully, and dealt with a problem on the fly. My hat is off to you sir. Now, do it again next week. Before you know it you will be invited to sit in with local bands. And/or start a band yourself. Slow and easy is the key. Feel the music. Do all you can to make the others sound better. Sweet. Great story. Good luck...Goose
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jbone
1609 posts
May 11, 2014
7:09 AM
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Jerry,
You sound like you're right on track. Nice that you have someone who is an advocate. If you keep learning and polishing up what you already know you will make progress.
A big part of playing music with others is manners and etiquette. Sounds like you have a good beginning there as well as with actual playing. When I am a guest I defer to the leader in all things song related. When I lead the band I try to give everyone a turn in the spotlight if they want.
Keep moving forward. Cliffy is on the money, a jam is a great place to make progress.vbhjeq
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harmonicanick
2158 posts
May 11, 2014
7:28 AM
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jbone is so right
Manners matter, not only in music but in life, remember you get out what you put in. Look people in the eyes and smile.
Don't worry about mistakes, pro musicians prefer people who give their best shot and enjoy...good luck bro
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Mirco
165 posts
May 11, 2014
9:34 AM
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Good job, man. Everyone here has some good advice, so I won't add to it. Just wanted to give some more encouragement. It takes real guts to get onstage.
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BC
31 posts
May 11, 2014
10:54 AM
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Last summer I performed solo on stage to a large crowd. However since I could rehearse my material it was not as bad. At the start of this year I began playing at a weekly open jam. Certainly different skill sets needed when you haven't played about 90% of the songs being requested and have to improvise. Know the 12 bar chorus forms and pull as many licks as you can from songs you have played before. Don't throw down all of your good stuff at once in case you're up there a while. As stated above know your jam etiquette. That goes a long way with the pros up there. Keep it up, the practice helps improve you, and you learn a lot from the others musicians. Great way to make contacts, I already have an offer to sit in with a band during some downtown outdoor music venues.
Of course, have fun.
BC
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jbone
1613 posts
May 11, 2014
8:51 PM
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Improvise in my middle name BC. Could not, would not do this music thing unless I could.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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J_Bark
8 posts
May 13, 2014
5:38 AM
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Thanks for the comments and encouragement guys, I wanted to post this to give some encouragement to any other beginners out there. Your responses should also serve to help new players find the heart to go try it once.
On the point of manners I want to remind you all of a thread from a couple weeks ago which pondered: what not to do at a Jam??
I had read that thread and took a fair amount away from it. Including a loud chuckle at the comment that one should "not suck."
I think I am going to work on some new stuff for a couple weeks and then go again for another try. I want to try and work out a half dozen or so licks that I can plug in here and there. I also have a 12 bar riff that I think could make a fair solo if I can work in another lick on the IV chord to add variety.
Cheers,
Jerry
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