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Ok so here's my jam report...I think this will be natural in no time.
Sometimes the music doesn't sound good because certain players/vocalists are pushy with their style and the tune goes nowhere. I've learned that I need to assert what I want to do with the tune. I get pushed around and the tune is at the wrong tempo and I had TWO guitar players playing over me. I COULDN'T HEAR what I was playing. It was like random hitting of chords and I couldn't even get a solo in. And the tune was F...ing AL. Something I should be able to do in my sleep. And I had to play at a vocalist tempo.
So part one sucked. I played My Foolish heart with a guitar player/vocalist and no bass or drums (because they weren't ready). The next two tunes were AL and Solar as pre-agreed but the Guitar player didn't know the melody. Anyway, that part is best forgotten.
But I learned a lot. Later on in the jam, I said NO VOCALISTS on my set and I played Invitation. Turned out really great and they even changed from Bossa to Swing off and on so it was a lot of fun.
Then I said Giant Steps and the bass player said "I'm taking a break!" and the guitar player also took a break. LOL Now I know how to intimidate. So I just did Giant Steps with the Drummer who had a latin beat going. Anyway it was fun and I thought it sounded ok. Though it was at a slower tempo than I intended.
Later on, I got some people wanting to jam with me so looks like I may have a separate jam going with a drummer, bass player and maybe a singer too. I'll see what happens and maybe we'll record ala Knotty. (audio only please )
I suppose it's only appropriate that we progress to real combo playing in the advanced thread. I'll see later if a recording was made.
Do you have the luxury to have folks come over your place? If so, give that a shot. I had another band yesterday and it was great fun again. I've had about 20 people come so far, and really nothing but great stuff.
Yesterday, the bass called me "accomplished pianist" and asked if I had been playing all my life. That's always good to hear.
Plus, the atmosphere at home makes it easy for everyone to be comfortable.
Yeah, I'm booking this drummer to come over and he's bringing his bassist friend and possibly even a vocalist. That might happen this weekend actually.
This Jam has been a great introduction. I'm finding that playing well, for me, requires a rhythm section (so much improvement from the IRealBook App), and just learning to relax when playing in a group. If I'm not relaxed, I play as stiffly as in the earlier recording of the first jam.
If the musicians talk in advance of a plan for how to handle the tune, endings, solos, tempo, etc. all the stress seems to disappear.
At my first sitting on the Jam (I was on first), it was so disorganized because of all the setup issues. Cables not working. Speakers not pointed in the proper direction (pointed at me). Multiple guitars. Singer starting the tune without setting a tempo.
Later on when I took more control, suddenly, I was relaxed. We had to do the tune Invitation twice as there was a little disagreement on how to handle the Coda. But we just stopped and discussed it for a moment so we did it right the second time. (If you know this tune, it's not an easy one to play. The bass player actually declined to play it at first)
If I let someone drive the tune without having clarity, then everything implodes. That was the biggest lesson of the day.
So the issue is less of my ability to play/solo as one can always do something simple at first. No one in the jam so far has played a solo at any level remotely what I could call unreachable.
I've noticed that in your group playing Knotty, that you've achieved a relaxation that allows you to play at your capacity very easily.
Custard, I don't even think of the first part. It was so distgustingly bad. All I could hear were two guitars dueling for attention. Neither I nor the the drummer and bass player could hear the piano.
So I was plunking chords blindly without knowing what it sounded like. I realize now you can't solo if you can't hear what you're playing. For a moment there I was just playing mechanically (within a scale) with zero melodic content or rhythm.
I might bring my own monitor next time and mike the piano for myself.
>>Yeah, I'm booking this drummer to come over and he's bringing his bassist friend and possibly even a vocalist. That might happen this weekend actually. You'll enjoy that. Although I don't like vocalists myself, they really help when it comes to finding places to play.
>> So the issue is less of my ability to play/solo as one can always do something simple at first. No one in the jam so far has played a solo at any level remotely what I could call unreachable. I think you'll find that guys like us are better than many that you'll find playing out. The ability is there for sure.
>> I've noticed that in your group playing Knotty, that you've achieved a relaxation that allows you to play at your capacity very easily. Thanks. I don't tend to stress out with that too much.
>> I might bring my own monitor next time and mike the piano for myself. Really, if you can't hear yourself, noone can. So there's another problem. Kindly ask that when you solo, people lower the volume.
knotty, two LOUD guitars with the amp speaker right behind me. After the tune, I just had to stand up and complain. Man, that was awful. I felt I was just adding to the noise.
All these past years, I'm been practicing as a soloist jazzer not an accompanist but clearly the gigs come when there's a vocalist. That's why these jams I've been doing have been unusual and enlightening experience.
I don't get to play the Dolphin Dance or other instrumental stuff too much so it requires more thinking. It's a good variation.
In a way, playing in this environment means simpler solos. No blazing 16th notes are to be heard. More emphasis on better chord voicings and better comping.
My Foolish Heart (no solo) http://www.box.net/shared/d4zh6s3a96 This builds up from piano/guitar instruments to 2 guitars, drums, bass by the end.
Invitation http://www.box.net/shared/ik5rt3ajkk The intro section was not discussed so it wasn't clear how long I was to do rubato. The change from Latin to Swing was done on the fly. The ending was also done on the fly between drummer and bassist.
Ah the joys of jamming. I once had a sax player jam who wanted to work through every song in the Fake book. I said forget it! Last time I ever saw him.
Ah the joys of jamming. I once had a sax player jam who wanted to work through every song in the Fake book. I said forget it! Last time I ever saw him.
What's wrong with that ToT? Could have built up your comping chops
His approach was playing it like exercises where you just run through each one. I'd rather play a few songs well and with meaning. And comping ain't my favourite thing. I don't play with singers much cause of it.
Landed another gig for an arts exhibit in a few days. I'll throw in some X-mas tunes and jazz em up.
jazzwee, you had 2 guitarists at the same time? Could be overkill. I like to keep jams small, 3-4 max.
One time we had 3 saxs, 1 guitar, 1 piano... unless it's big band and people are playing off charts I don't recommend it.
jazzwee, you had 2 guitarists at the same time? Could be overkill. I like to keep jams small, 3-4 max.
Not my choice. This is an example of pushy people forcing their way into the ensemble. This guy (the one singing in My Foolish Heart) forced himself as a vocalist, thus overriding our planned tunes, and then I was surprised when he plugged a guitar in (with no volume control).
ToT--I know you like to play solo piano more but I think it's a different learning process when playing a combo. There's no faking the time, rhythmic feel, groove, swing, etc. I know of no equivalent. That's real jazz you know. You're missing out IMO if you avoid it.
I've even learned so much just from adapting to Latin Beat vs. Bossa, vs. Medium Swing, vs Upswing. Different animals. I can't play well in all environments yet. Part of the practicing.
JW, nice stuff on invitation. That sounded good. ++
BTW, Knotty, if you listen to that, it was interesting how the group interaction was developing. The bass player did not know the tune. There's a little misunderstanding of the form because sometimes the Coda is only taken after 2 choruses and here we took the Coda at 1.
Then the rubato intro just happened. I was wondering how to set the tempo so I just shifted from rubato to a beat. It just happened naturally.
Then the change from Latin to Swing was unexpected too.
The ending, as you can hear was happening ont he fly.
It's obviously not a clean tune but something came out of what would be considered complicated. I probaby learned more from Jam interaction with this than anything else.
Now I know how to intimidate. So I just did Giant Steps with the Drummer who had a latin beat going. Anyway it was fun and I thought it sounded ok. Though it was at a slower tempo than I intended.
