Electric Guitars

[thecornman]

How many of you do not enjoy jamming and playing with others? Just wondering, because there seems to be alot of people on here that say they have been playing a long time and are just hobby players! Which is all good. I would consider myself a hobby player as well even though I have played in bands and still jam with other people. Playing with others is something I always love to do and is way more fun to me then playing by myself. The other reason I ask is, because many people on here also have said to them training and using your ear is not importent. Why bother using this old technique when there are all these more modern ways to learn? This makes me wonder how do you jam with others without using your ear?

[billythegoat]

I really enjoy playing with others but I tend to get sick of the band drama pretty quickly which makes me want to go it alone. I was in a three piece a few years back that was doing great until we decided to all live in the same house.
Training your ear is job #1 IMO, no matter how many doodads and whirligigs are out there.

[billythegoat]

I really enjoy playing with others but I tend to get sick of the band drama pretty quickly which makes me want to go it alone. I was in a three piece a few years back that was doing great until we decided to all live in the same house.
Training your ear is job #1 IMO, no matter how many doodads and whirligigs are out there.

[Wayne2]

ehh

I dunno once when we were kids I started pretend playing with some plastic bowling pins like they were drums and my lame friend pulled me into a closet and lectured me that I was getting too crazy and bothering the babysitter. Fear of jamming for a long time after that.

Now it's going away and I actually get off a little bit when I launch into some loud crappy playing in front of people.

[Wayne2]

ehh

I dunno once when we were kids I started pretend playing with some plastic bowling pins like they were drums and my lame friend pulled me into a closet and lectured me that I was getting too crazy and bothering the babysitter. Fear of jamming for a long time after that.

Now it's going away and I actually get off a little bit when I launch into some loud crappy playing in front of people.

[Agitator]

Love jamming with others. Anytime, any place. Although my musical progression over the last 20 years has basically been from "semi-pro" to "hobbyist", I still love to gig (even if I only come home with ten bucks in my pocket) and I love to play with anyone who'll have me.

[Agitator]

Love jamming with others. Anytime, any place. Although my musical progression over the last 20 years has basically been from "semi-pro" to "hobbyist", I still love to gig (even if I only come home with ten bucks in my pocket) and I love to play with anyone who'll have me.

[DaveAronow]

You cannot JAM, freestyle groove, just based on riffs, rhythm and common ideas if you aren't using your war. Or at least you won't be very good at it.

There are about 100 different things I love about playing music. Some of those things involve playing alone and some of those things involve playing with other people.

But one of the most awesome things I love about music, is when I am playing with at least one other person, the more the better, really, and everyone is a good or great player and what is happening live is working out so well that the resulting music ends up being even greater than the sun of it's parts. It is a magical musical place that I can't get to by just playing by myself. I love playing with awesome musicians and knowing I can hang in just about any musical situation thrown at me. Maybe I won't be the best in the group but as long as I feel like I am adding to the sun instead of taking away from it, then I feel like the tend and tend of thousands of hours I've spent playing music in my life is we'll worth the time spent.

And besides that, playing with others, in a musical situation. You are happy with and are contributing to, is simply just fun.

I don't always need to involve playing with others to be doing something I feel is worthwhile for myself musically, but it is also one part of music I would NEVER get rid of or overlook for any reason. I know how valuable it is and how fun it is when the situation is right.

One thing I've learned in all these years though, is that there will ALWAYS be good musicians around to play with so I spend very little time and have zero patience or interest playing in a situation I am not entirely happy being in.

It is just too easy to move on and find something better. Tons of great situations out there if you just look, or you can apply put your own deal together if you want.

Playing , jamming, whatever you want to call it, can be one of the most rewarding parts I love about all things dealing with being a musician. It can also be one of the worst, but so what? In those cases, I just move on.

[DaveAronow]

You cannot JAM, freestyle groove, just based on riffs, rhythm and common ideas if you aren't using your war. Or at least you won't be very good at it.

There are about 100 different things I love about playing music. Some of those things involve playing alone and some of those things involve playing with other people.

But one of the most awesome things I love about music, is when I am playing with at least one other person, the more the better, really, and everyone is a good or great player and what is happening live is working out so well that the resulting music ends up being even greater than the sun of it's parts. It is a magical musical place that I can't get to by just playing by myself. I love playing with awesome musicians and knowing I can hang in just about any musical situation thrown at me. Maybe I won't be the best in the group but as long as I feel like I am adding to the sun instead of taking away from it, then I feel like the tend and tend of thousands of hours I've spent playing music in my life is we'll worth the time spent.

And besides that, playing with others, in a musical situation. You are happy with and are contributing to, is simply just fun.

I don't always need to involve playing with others to be doing something I feel is worthwhile for myself musically, but it is also one part of music I would NEVER get rid of or overlook for any reason. I know how valuable it is and how fun it is when the situation is right.

One thing I've learned in all these years though, is that there will ALWAYS be good musicians around to play with so I spend very little time and have zero patience or interest playing in a situation I am not entirely happy being in.

It is just too easy to move on and find something better. Tons of great situations out there if you just look, or you can apply put your own deal together if you want.

Playing , jamming, whatever you want to call it, can be one of the most rewarding parts I love about all things dealing with being a musician. It can also be one of the worst, but so what? In those cases, I just move on.

[thecornman]

Originally Posted by DaveAronow

You cannot JAM, freestyle groove, just based on riffs, rhythm and common ideas if you aren't using your war. Or at least you won't be very good at it.

There are about 100 different things I love about playing music. Some of those things involve playing alone and some of those things involve playing with other people.

But one of the most awesome things I love about music, is when I am playing with at least one other person, the more the better, really, and everyone is a good or great player and what is happening live is working out so well that the resulting music ends up being even greater than the sun of it's parts. It is a magical musical place that I can't get to by just playing by myself. I love playing with awesome musicians and knowing I can hang in just about any musical situation thrown at me. Maybe I won't be the best in the group but as long as I feel like I am adding to the sun instead of taking away from it, then I feel like the tend and tend of thousands of hours I've spent playing music in my life is we'll worth the time spent.

And besides that, playing with others, in a musical situation. You are happy with and are contributing to, is simply just fun.

I don't always need to involve playing with others to be doing something I feel is worthwhile for myself musically, but it is also one part of music I would NEVER get rid of or overlook for any reason. I know how valuable it is and how fun it is when the situation is right.

One thing I've learned in all these years though, is that there will ALWAYS be good musicians around to play with so I spend very little time and have zero patience or interest playing in a situation I am not entirely happy being in.

It is just too easy to move on and find something better. Tons of great situations out there if you just look, or you can apply put your own deal together if you want.

Playing , jamming, whatever you want to call it, can be one of the most rewarding parts I love about all things dealing with being a musician. It can also be one of the worst, but so what? In those cases, I just move on.

Well said!

[thecornman]

Originally Posted by DaveAronow

You cannot JAM, freestyle groove, just based on riffs, rhythm and common ideas if you aren't using your war. Or at least you won't be very good at it.

There are about 100 different things I love about playing music. Some of those things involve playing alone and some of those things involve playing with other people.

But one of the most awesome things I love about music, is when I am playing with at least one other person, the more the better, really, and everyone is a good or great player and what is happening live is working out so well that the resulting music ends up being even greater than the sun of it's parts. It is a magical musical place that I can't get to by just playing by myself. I love playing with awesome musicians and knowing I can hang in just about any musical situation thrown at me. Maybe I won't be the best in the group but as long as I feel like I am adding to the sun instead of taking away from it, then I feel like the tend and tend of thousands of hours I've spent playing music in my life is we'll worth the time spent.

And besides that, playing with others, in a musical situation. You are happy with and are contributing to, is simply just fun.

I don't always need to involve playing with others to be doing something I feel is worthwhile for myself musically, but it is also one part of music I would NEVER get rid of or overlook for any reason. I know how valuable it is and how fun it is when the situation is right.

One thing I've learned in all these years though, is that there will ALWAYS be good musicians around to play with so I spend very little time and have zero patience or interest playing in a situation I am not entirely happy being in.

It is just too easy to move on and find something better. Tons of great situations out there if you just look, or you can apply put your own deal together if you want.

Playing , jamming, whatever you want to call it, can be one of the most rewarding parts I love about all things dealing with being a musician. It can also be one of the worst, but so what? In those cases, I just move on.

Well said!

[Special J]

For me, it's all about playing with others. If I didn't have a busy home life and career, I'd be in a bunch of bands. I love the experience of connecting and creating with other people. As it is, I can barely squeeze in the time for one band and some recording projects. I find my own songs really improve with a writing partner, too.

Some people are happy just buying gear, playing over backing tracks, and talking about it on forums, I guess. To me, this is weird though, even as a hobbyist, it's like only going halfway. It's like buying a bunch of great skiing gear and only ever going down the bunny hill. It's like building a monster hot rod, and never taking it out of the garage.

[Special J]

For me, it's all about playing with others. If I didn't have a busy home life and career, I'd be in a bunch of bands. I love the experience of connecting and creating with other people. As it is, I can barely squeeze in the time for one band and some recording projects. I find my own songs really improve with a writing partner, too.

Some people are happy just buying gear, playing over backing tracks, and talking about it on forums, I guess. To me, this is weird though, even as a hobbyist, it's like only going halfway. It's like buying a bunch of great skiing gear and only ever going down the bunny hill. It's like building a monster hot rod, and never taking it out of the garage.

[Agitator]

Originally Posted by Special J

Some people are happy just buying gear, playing over backing tracks, and talking about it on forums, I guess. To me, this is weird though, even as a hobbyist, it's like only going halfway. It's like buying a bunch of great skiing gear and only ever going down the bunny hill. It's like building a monster hot rod, and never taking it out of the garage.

Yeah, this says it very well. Once, after I had given up any dreams of going pro with my music, I joined a local band that I'd been a fan of for years. Two great songwriters, good vocals, tight horn arrangements, the works.

They told me that their attitude was that it was like a bowling league for them, something to get them out of the house once a week. That was fine by me.

But after a year or two, the gigs started to dry up, and nobody in the band seemed to care, or make any effort to book more gigs. We went from gigging once or twice a month down to once per quarter, or less. They were perfectly happy just showing up at the practice space once a week and playing songs, and we never gigged unless someone contacted *them* for the gig, which, needless to say, was happening less and less as time went on.

For me, that was like being in a bowling league that never even played against another team, and I got out before too long. Damn shame since they were a great band (and still are, technically speaking, although they're down to about one gig a year now).

[Agitator]

Originally Posted by Special J

Some people are happy just buying gear, playing over backing tracks, and talking about it on forums, I guess. To me, this is weird though, even as a hobbyist, it's like only going halfway. It's like buying a bunch of great skiing gear and only ever going down the bunny hill. It's like building a monster hot rod, and never taking it out of the garage.

Yeah, this says it very well. Once, after I had given up any dreams of going pro with my music, I joined a local band that I'd been a fan of for years. Two great songwriters, good vocals, tight horn arrangements, the works.

They told me that their attitude was that it was like a bowling league for them, something to get them out of the house once a week. That was fine by me.

But after a year or two, the gigs started to dry up, and nobody in the band seemed to care, or make any effort to book more gigs. We went from gigging once or twice a month down to once per quarter, or less. They were perfectly happy just showing up at the practice space once a week and playing songs, and we never gigged unless someone contacted *them* for the gig, which, needless to say, was happening less and less as time went on.

For me, that was like being in a bowling league that never even played against another team, and I got out before too long. Damn shame since they were a great band (and still are, technically speaking, although they're down to about one gig a year now).

[DaveAronow]

Originally Posted by thecornman

Well said!

You mean well said other than all the idiotic auto spell corrections my phone made that make absolutely no sense, but thanks.

[DaveAronow]

Originally Posted by thecornman

Well said!

You mean well said other than all the idiotic auto spell corrections my phone made that make absolutely no sense, but thanks.

[BrammyH]

Good Jam partners will expose you to new music, styles, and throw you out of your comfort zone.

Bad jam situations, where you end up with egotists that have zero tolerance for fault (whoop, billy was one nanosecond off on that 9th chord on the first go through, YOU SUCK) will send you backwards in progression.

So, by all means, find people to jam with every now and then. Just make sure it's a good fit.

[BrammyH]

Good Jam partners will expose you to new music, styles, and throw you out of your comfort zone.

Bad jam situations, where you end up with egotists that have zero tolerance for fault (whoop, billy was one nanosecond off on that 9th chord on the first go through, YOU SUCK) will send you backwards in progression.

So, by all means, find people to jam with every now and then. Just make sure it's a good fit.

[chipwich]

I own a business, have a 2 year old, and the wife is expecting twins. Still, I manage to get in a couple of hours playing nightly when everyone has gone to bed. But the most fun is getting together with a couple of other guys to jam once a month. The 3 of us have been doing this for about 5 or 6 years now. We've never gigged, and most likely never will, but all enjoy playing together immensely. We think of ourselves lucky.