Jazz Jam

Axe_meister

Well I have the opportunity to join in with a Jazz Jam. Now all the other musicians are all highly talented professionals one of them a world renouned classical volinist.
Me I'm a blues widdler with a bit of modal knowledge.
Any tips so I Don't make a total fool of myself.

viz

Try to convert it to a blues jam.

frankus

he said "not make a total fool of himself"

I'd say, keep it simple and understated lots of space... notes don't matter as much as the rhythm.

viz

Actually, here's a proper thought: on the 4th and 8th bar of your solos, assuming they will be the dominant (V) chord, play the octatonic half-dimished (or symmetrical) scale: let's say you're playing in E (actually you will probably be playing in Bb or something horrid), anyway say it's in E, so the 4th bar will probably be the dominant, B chord. So play a B with your first finger on the D string (9th fret); and use the following fingering, with the 1st finger always on the 9th fret:

D string: 9 11 12
G string: 9 10 12
B string: 9 11 12
Top E: 9 10 12

Axe_meister

I was thinking stick to the 1st 3rd(minor 3rd) 5th of the underlying chords.

Lots of space and embellish using volume swells, bending and whammy bar.

If I play a bum note, play it again (so it sounds like it is deliberate) and bend up a semi tone

 

mike_l

viz said:

Try to convert it to a blues jam.

And follow viz's lead, and turn that into a metal jam.

 

Me I'd stick with what I know, and stay within my comfort zone.

frankus

viz said:

Actually, here's a proper thought: on the 4th and 8th bar of your solos, assuming they will be the dominant (V) chord, play the octatonic half-dimished (or symmetrical) scale: let's say you're playing in E (actually you will probably be playing in Bb or something horrid), anyway say it's in E, so the 4th bar will probably be the dominant, B chord. So play a B with your first finger on the D string (9th fret); and use the following fingering, with the 1st finger always on the 9th fret:

D string: 9 11 12 G string: 9 10 12 B string: 9 11 12 Top E: 9 10 12

I was reading an interesting book today - Bounce - it's about training and performance psychology.

When performing you need to be using aquired skills subconsciously - those are movements trained into the body - ears and hands in this case. When you're programming or acquiring skills you need to use the frontal lobe to monitor progress.

Where people freeze/choke it's because they're using their frontal lobes to perform a task consciously and failing - because that's how we train subconscious skills not how we recite them.

One way of using the brain to learn skills and one way of using the brain to apply skills.

An example: a sports psychologist gets baseball batters to call out the names of coloured cards while hitting a ball - no problem easy... now they're asked to call out if they're hitting the bat up or down to the ball ... big problems, they played like total amateurs - the frontal lobe starts interfering with the process. It's been shown many times over in sports and other fields - Pat Metheny says when he's playing he's a listener that means his body is doing what he knows and he's checking out the groove - he can't be doing that whilst doing the math so it's inate and being vaguely directed.

It can take 6 months to get all the ingredients learnt for a basic skill... so unless the Jazz Jam is quite a ways off, getting the OP to recognise bars 4 and 8 and the Bb chord and a diminished chord is going to cause rather massive interference unless he's really experienced in it. (IMO)

The recommendations are really useful as part of an ongoing commitment to expand repertoire but maybe not so useful for catching as catchers can" - that's about finding out what's familliar and how it can work in a new setting. (IMO).

Stuff like simply using arpeggiated chords in solos... (the basis for many Charlie Christian solos) OR the bebop scale (same as mixolydian with an extra note) the reason for that is it's an 8 note scale so it's easier to hit chord tones simply bimbling about in it.

frankus

Axe_meister said:

I was thinking stick to the 1st 3rd(minor 3rd) 5th of the underlying chords.

Lots of space and embellish using volume swells, bending and whammy bar.

If I play a bum note, play it again (so it sounds like it is deliberate) and bend up a semi tone

 

The bass player will want root and fifths... 3rds and 7ths would be fine though

Catthan

Well done, imho it takes guts to sit in a Jazz jam with pros.. 

I agree with everything above. Good playing tips but they will just confuse you until you can recall them subconsciously.

Our bass player who sits with most of the Jazz jams house bands says : "Hey, it's a jam night, we play a lot of blues.."

So stick to the blues you can use (that's a book ain't it) and leave space where you don't feel comfortable.

Tasty rhythm will get you far more than you think.

Also, jazzers want to hear good music coming out of their bandmates' instruments. They appreciate note selection and rhythm, even if you play a single note. They won't care how well you shred etc.. They appreciate a few-but tasty notes gtr player as much as a Pat Martino (long 16ths lines)

Technical skill and knowledge may bother you later on if they tell you "here we'll do a bII sub, watch out during your solo"

So don't treat it like an exam or evaluation. Go have fun and try to play what you know, when you can and as tastefully as possible.

And let us know how it went.

frankus

Good points .. blues you can use... check out Jazz Players like Ronny Jordan - very bluesy, very focussed on a small number of cool licks..

Oh one thing... try and avoid bending a bit - it's known as a guitar players crutch

viz

Don't pick up the violinist's instrument and strum When I'm cleanin' windows.

Axe_meister

I doubt I'll be let near his violin, it's worth 100 of thousands of pounds.

viz

Go on then who is he?

bigjon

Play this chord shape at random moments at random places on the fretboard.
xx7788
If it sounds drastically wrong, slide it up a fret.

Jalapeno

Axe_meister said:

I was thinking stick to the 1st 3rd(minor 3rd) 5th of the underlying chords.

Lots of space and embellish using volume swells, bending and whammy bar.

If I play a bum note, play it again (so it sounds like it is deliberate) and bend up a semi tone

 

Good plan. Play 7ths as well - Apreggios rather than scales/modes are goodness.  But minimise the bends/whammy bar action - it'll sound really bad.

Check out some Jazz Blues chord charts - it's more elaborate than I/ IV/ V.

Blues/Pentatonic shapes will serve you well UNTIL they start on ballads, these have to follow the changes as the tonal centre (or key) can wander all over the place.

Good luck !!!!!!!!!

Branshen

Just remember one thing: It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing. Play your blues, but swing it!

Barney

viz said:

Try to convert it to a blues jam.

lol....this

Barney

seriously though....if your playing the chords maybe use really basic chords regardless of what else is going on ...as long as they are in tune and key make them into simple maj...min ...7th...but not barre chords ..try 3 note triads ...so for a 7th maybe..1 3 b7
keep it basic ..alternatively get a a few notes that fit what they are doing and repeat making some rhythmic Motif...or alternatively tell them to start playing in tune and iff they dont you will put your guitar away and go home..   and iff they start playing Giant steps or something get your jacket and go home..

Cacofonix

Brush up on your 7ths and minor 7ths.  Get the music well in advance.  If improvising, try to avoid 4ths.

The bassist will take the roots so you can fudge it by playing in a higher mode.  So say it's  a chord of Bb, you could play D phrygian (same scale but starting on the 3rd) or 1,2 and 5 notes of D minor blues scale.

if it's a minor chord, you could play the third major pentatonic over it but miss out the second position note. (in the case of Bbm play Db major penta but miss out the Eb).

p.s. it can take me weeks to master a song so take the above with a pinch of salt if it doesn't help.

If you're going down the jazz route,I'd take lessons from someone who will give you proper theory.

Axe_meister

I just winged it used lot of second open inversions ala Eric Johnson. Then we ended on a slightly jazzy blues, I avoided tripplets played flurries on note then left lots if space with the odd single note thrown in