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Spooge
The Nutter
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Fundementals of playing with other musicians
#6126028 - 10/02/06 08:17 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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I'd really like some opinions on this. As a guitarist, what do you think are the most important skills needed for playing with a drummer and/or bassist?
I ask because I've had troubles with this since I can remember. A lot of my friends are musicians and I can't count how many times they tried to even just fool around one drunk night.
I feel like I'm missing something important. I freeze up. Like, if they start playing something, I can't even begin to comprehend of what to play. I can MANAGE playing something I've created and let them try to figure something out to it, but that's as far as it goes.
What kind of exercises or theory can I learn to help this problem of not being able to jam?
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Great Scott
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Spooge]
#6126300 - 10/02/06 09:02 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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sharing is caring and don't worry about fucking up just experiment, trial and error, and dont be afraid to make mistakes
my guitarist friend was telling me once... playing music with other musicians is the highest form of meditation. It's when you are fully focusing/listening to the music, and your notes just flows from your fingers.
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Osker246
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Spooge]
#6126386 - 10/02/06 09:16 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Practice your scales. After you get them down you can let your fingers do all the work.
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knumb
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Osker246]
#6127186 - 10/03/06 12:38 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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i think the most important thing is to
listen.
play with confidence dont be afraid of dissonance. learn how to drag it out and how to resolve it. learn how to use repetition and repetition. a lot of times if a note sounds wrong the first time the best thing to do is play it again. it can take the music in a different direction. play a lot
k
-------------------- ---------------------------------------- we hope that you choke
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stefan
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Spooge]
#6127217 - 10/03/06 12:56 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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what everyone else said, and if you want them to play something more easy/basic to start with, so you can figure it out better, just ask
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MLBjammer
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: stefan]
#6130507 - 10/03/06 09:47 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Ensemble playing is about being a good listener, figuring out where to fit in musically. Play along with some of your favorite music and try to develop parts that are different from what is being played but still fits the music. You are just psyching yourself out playing with your friends. The less you think about what you are doing, the better you will do. You should not play anything you do not feel. Peace.
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SneezingPenis
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: MLBjammer]
#6130872 - 10/03/06 11:21 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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when i see someone sit down trying to jam with other people, and everyone just fiddling with crap, hoping something amazing comes out, i usually see people trying to show off, and they want you to "jam out" with them on some random song they made up.
You need to start out playing things that everyone knows. Would you ask someone to sing harmony with you with lyrics they are hearing for the first time?
play 12 bar blues, in E.... and if you cant jam on that, you need to put your instrument down.
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Nixtrus
Registered: 12/14/05
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: SneezingPenis]
#6130908 - 10/03/06 11:35 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Listening is probably one of the most important things you can do when playing with people(as I echo what 100 other people just said)...
One thing I worked on alot, is gaining relative pitch. Once you have reasonable relative pitch, you can figure out what key someone is playing in(after a few moments of messing around for me, at least). And if you know your scales, and even a little bit chord theory, you can 'prolli at least throw a little something out that'll sound cool.
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Spooge
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Nixtrus]
#6131217 - 10/04/06 02:29 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks for the advice people.
But I think I have a feeling why it's a little more complicated then that for me.
quote]play 12 bar blues, in E.... and if you cant jam on that, you need to put your instrument down.[
I honestly only have a vague idea how that's done. Playing in E, or 12 bar blues or anything like that. I don't know much about that. I mean, I probably almost definetely play in all sorts of keys and scales...but I don't have a name for them. When I picked up a guitar, I learned by ear and was fooling around making my own stuff early. Since then, I've created my own little rythms and songs and find it much more enjoyable then trying to jam to my favourite tunes. I feel so out of place when I do.
Maybe I need some theory...
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MLBjammer
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: Spooge]
#6131522 - 10/04/06 07:38 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Again, you are psyching yourself out. Just because you don't know what something is called does not mean you cannot play it. 12 bar blues is just 4 bars of each chord--E (1,2,3,4), A (1,2,3,4), B (1,2,3,4)--or whatever key you are using. It's one of the basics of rock and roll. Most any early rock tune is basically 12-bar blues--Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, etc. Hang in there, man, and just have fun at it. Don't let anybody tell you to put the guitar down if you enjoy it. I will say that there are some people whose rhythm is odd because he or she plays alone a lot. Play with recorded music; that will get you into standard rhythm better than anything else. If you have questions, PM me. I am happy to help.
Edited by MLBjammer (10/04/06 07:39 AM)
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tomk
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: MLBjammer]
#6140581 - 10/06/06 02:07 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Uh.
Listening to each other and all is great, knowing how to jam is great, but the very first place to start is learn how to count really well.
-------------------- "I am eternally free"
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solarstone
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: tomk]
#6140618 - 10/06/06 02:15 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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STOP THINKING SO MUCH!! Music is to be felt from within and thinking about jamming is just not on. the idea of a jam is to let loose....forget it all and just play!!
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Delta9Hippie
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Re: Fundementals of playing with other musicians [Re: solarstone]
#6141403 - 10/06/06 07:31 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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listen to these cats. I had the same problem when I came from 3 years of playing my own shit, by myself everyday with maybe 3 days of trying to play with other people. When I broke through, I thought I was in heaven, when you stop thinking, and you already know what is coming in the oncoming now, from everyone you're around, you can really feel it too. And you will always want to play with someone who can feel too. Try not to structure your playing so much, don't think of a song, but just a rythmn that feels right, and go off after a few repeats. Basically im just reiterating everything said here, but it's all good. Start simple, maybe bass notes?, and expand. basic drum beat, and expand....and so on and so on, and keep going on. The first time you hit that level, consciously, you will have a huge smile on your face that you can't get rid of . Have a blast!!
-------------------- "During evolutionary time, the avenues of possible progress have become progressively restricted, until today only one remains...Man...has been suddenly appointed managing director of the biggest business of all, the business of evolution." Life begins the day you start a garden. Check out my trade list in My Journal...
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