'Open to anyone' Jam Sessions

therose789

Got a few ideas floating round at the moment and I had a few questions that only the internet can answer! 

'Jam sessions' 

Do you guys regularly go to them? 

What is the best/most frustrating things about 'open to anyone' Jam sessions. 

Do you pay to go to them? 

This is the important question: Do you find they help you to express yourself creatively? 

Nunogilberto

Yes, I've been a regular at a local jam night for the past few months.

To answer your questions:

Best things are:

You get to play live, in front of people.
It can be a lot of fun
You get to meet some talented folks

Frustrations:

Some people can hog the stage
The sound quality and you actually hearing yourself can fluctuate a bit.
Getting people to decide on a song is hard work, and all the while, people tend to widdle around while you decide.

My local jam night is totally free and they provide the backline etc.

I find it does help me express myself a bit better than playing to myself in a room with a practice amp .

Andy_Fretlocks1

Hey guys - we're trying to build our community of guitar players. Any advice you can give us?

We've got a free jam session on Denmark Street on October 9th. 

We're a commercial company but don't want to try and sell you our products here but just get genuine guitarists to test our new capo.

If anyone is interested, sign up to our newsletter on our website: www.fretlocks.com 

Bw 

Andy

therose789

Well that was a bit shameless 

Andy_Fretlocks1

eek sorry therose789 if I've caused offence. Just trying to get some people involved. 

Strat_a_tat_tat

Andy_Fretlocks1 said:

Hey guys - anyone want to have a jam with our new product - called Fretlocks - a single-string capo that you can place on any string, anywhere on your fretboard.

Come along on the 9th October at regent sounds: http://bit.ly/Fretlockslaunch

Bw 

Andy

Very poor attempt at free publicity.

Hardly likely to endear yourself - or your product - to the community here.

Your post appears to have no relevance to the thread topic.

 

Have a nice day.

Phil_aka_Pip

therose789 said:

Got a few ideas floating round at the moment and I had a few questions that only the internet can answer! 

'Jam sessions' 

Do you guys regularly go to them? 

What is the best/most frustrating things about 'open to anyone' Jam sessions. 

Do you pay to go to them? 

This is the important question: Do you find they help you to express yourself creatively? 

Used to

Best: the challenge of not knowing what you're going to play or who you're going to play with, coming up on the spot with something that works.

Worst: drummers that won't play shuffle beats, guitarists who won't remember a sequence of more than 4 chords in a row, and occasionally the persistent presence of a joker who really can't play but insists on doing some kind of "art" thing (it's only funny the first 2 times)

No

Sometimes

Andy_Fretlocks1

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Andy_Fretlocks1 said:

Hey guys - anyone want to have a jam with our new product - called Fretlocks - a single-string capo that you can place on any string, anywhere on your fretboard.

Come along on the 9th October at regent sounds: http://bit.ly/Fretlockslaunch

Bw 

Andy

Very poor attempt at free publicity.

Hardly likely to endear yourself - or your product - to the community here.

Your post appears to have no relevance to the thread topic.

 

Have a nice day.

Sorry you feel that way Strat a tat. We are genuinely trying to build our community but apols if I did this in the wrong way. We're just starting out in this area so would hate to offend. 

Cirrus

Andy_Fretlocks1 said:

eek sorry therose789 if I've caused offence. Just trying to get some people involved. 

Just in case you genuinely don't know (hey, stranger things have happened!), on forums like this if you want to start a new topic you should start a new thread in the appropriate section. Your product/ event post is nothing to do with "Open to anyone" Jam sessions, and that's what this thread is about.

therose789

I'm still curious what peoples thoughts are on jam sessions 

Cirrus

I don't like them much because a; I'm not good enough to showboat, and b; I think they quite often degenerate down into the lowest common denominator of guitar ensembles - the dreaded 12 bar blues.  :-O

But that's just, like, my opinion.

EricTheWeary

Done some years ago. You are pretty much just playing to everyone else waiting to jam so if you are on last you might be playing to an empty room. Not sure they are highly creative unless you count half arsed blues or strumming through a Bob Marley song highly creative. However, they vary in quality and organisation so go watch a couple to see how they operate.

Panama_Jack666

I've never been to one. I'd be interested at some point in the future.

I think a good idea would be to perhaps publicise a few songs to learn ahead of the date on a website or something and encourage the regulars to learn full songs instead of widdly 12 bar blues. However, still have the widdly 12 bar blues stuff available for the open to anyone as well.

Maybe offer some sort of prizes/reward for people too? Although I dunno how that'd work!

bigjon

Got a few ideas floating round at the moment and I had a few questions that only the internet can answer! 
'Jam sessions' 

Do you guys regularly go to them? 

Yes, once a week on average to one of 3 weekly jams and 5 or so monthly jams in the Cambridge area

What is the best/most frustrating things about 'open to anyone' Jam sessions.

Best: chance to get out there and play, combining with other people

Most frustrating: not getting to play very much even when you were one of the first to turn up.

Do you pay to go to them?

One of the monthly jams is £2 entry to all, pays for the hire of the social club. All the others I go to are free.

This is the important question: Do you find they help you to express yourself creatively?

Yes, definitely. I like to lead sets (vocalist as well as guitarist) so I can provide a bit of structure. Last night I had great fun combining with a drummer who pushed me & I pushed him - together we took the music to another level.

mike_l

Not to mention that @bigjon and myself do an awesome Hendrix set.......

I like jams as anyone can get to play live, xpecially someone like me, who hasn't got the time, or the playing skills to play in a band.

2-3 songs (less than 15 minutes) is about right for 4 people to jam before moving onto a new group.

Getting to play with other definitely helps improve everyone's playing.

Learning to play with a guitar and amp (maybe one O/D pedal) and not having a load of pedals helps focus on what is being played, rather than what pedal is on.