# Do ya'll jam?



## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

So, it's clear we're all experts in music that is written down and pre-conceived...what I would like to know is if any of you partake in the simple pleasure of jamming out...on whatever instrument it is that you may play...I've jammed out with musicians from classical to reggae to jazz; obviously, the jazz folk know how to do this well but really it has a lot to do with one's personality and improvisational skills whether or not you can partake and enjoy this great experience...playing alone only goes so far and playing written pieces does as well...there's nothing quite like creation...of something new...something never heard, prolly ever again...anyway,...do you jam?


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## Wicked_one (Aug 18, 2010)

I do and I quite fancy it. I haven't had the opportunity though to play with one that comes from the "classical" world. Actually, that's what I do with some of my solos in my band, I just improvise whatever comes to mind or whatever I feel. Having the chord progression in mind already it's easy for me to come up with the "right" notes.

That's why now I'm learning more lovely scales to incorporate them into my works or improvisations.

So that would be an yes


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

I wish. I'm a square, very much inside the box of my classical training, and have never really gotten the hang of improvisation. But I do have impromptu sightreading parties with friends, which is fun too!


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm quite good at blues improvisation, I can kind of fake my way through some jazz improv, I definitely wouldn't say I am 'good' at classical improvisation just yet, but I'm working on it.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

Absolutely, I love improvising. Honestly I spend most of my "practice time" just improvising instead of actually doing something to improve techniqe 
I have a couple of other amature musician friends (even more so than myself) who come over and play music with me. I love it, theres really nothing more trancendant than elevating ones consciousness to that level where you've forgotten that you're even playing and the music is all that's there.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

I'm basically a musical illiterate besides what I _hear_ (it's mostly Greek to me on paper), so yes. I'd never call it jamming, but I'd improvise intuitively with every instrument I used without bothering with writing anything or following along. Suffice to say I didn't fare well in grade school band class.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Back in the days when I had long hair and weared clothes a'la Ritchie Blackmore/Jimmy Page I used to play in few bands as bassist and when it turned out that none of us mastered the pieces we agreed to learn, we begun to jam. The longest jam I remember was also the last time I played in rock band and it leasted... I don't know but it was pretty long and didn't make sense. I put my bass on the ground upright and pretended that I'm black jazz contrabassist (including mimics they make). Other time me and the other geezer took two guitars (classical and electric) and recorded some weird stuff with quotations from The Doors and improvised lyrics. All in all those jams never turned into anything you would like to hear.

From more recent times, when I'm tired of struggling with learning piece on piano I start improvising instead.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

so what's instrument you do all jam? violin? guitar? piano is too easy to do free jamming.....


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I play saxophone, so of course, jamming is de rigueur.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

@jurianbai 
Violin mostly, but I'll mess around on pretty much any instrument aside from the ones that require you to blow into them.

No instrument is too easy, you can always improve your playing.

Just look at this: 



not all improv, but a good little bit I'm sure.


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## Wicked_one (Aug 18, 2010)

Only guitar. 

With few exceptions when I have a piano aside and, tbh, you can't really call that a jam  But I try! Lord knows I try!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Meaghan said:


> I wish. I'm a square, very much inside the box of my classical training, and have never really gotten the hang of improvisation. But I do have impromptu sightreading parties with friends, which is fun too!


I apologize in front of my admission that your post reminds me quite strongly of* "The Big Bang Theory"*.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> I apologize in front of my admission that your post reminds me quite strongly of* "The Big Bang Theory"*.


I don't mind; that show is hilarious.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I've done Jam sessions with my Church's worship band. We just play some song, and we toss the melody to each other, ocassionally improvising. However, the only improvising I know how to do is classical (adding non-harmonic tones, grace notes, trills, etc.), not the jazzy kind with syncopation.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

I do most of my improv stuff on bass but also a hefty share on drum set and guitar...while alone I'll usually mess around with the keys, laud, cuatro, tres and banjo...nice to see there are quite a few folk that aren't stuck at the sheet


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## Barry (Jul 3, 2009)

I love to jam, maybe a little too much


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## Stasou (Apr 23, 2011)

Jammin' on sax and clarinet.


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## PhillipPark (Jun 22, 2011)

I guess I 'jam' in the initial part of my composition process. I'll write very vague things on staff paper (scribbles, lines, ect) and try to capture what im feeling at the moment and I'll go back later to actually properly notate the idea and refine it.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

No, I hate jamming and I have very little creativity. When I go to the piano it's to learn a new piece, or to memorize or perfect something.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

PhillipPark said:


> I guess I 'jam' in the initial part of my composition process. I'll write very vague things on staff paper (scribbles, lines, ect) and try to capture what im feeling at the moment and I'll go back later to actually properly notate the idea and refine it.


I really like this idea. I think I'll try this next time I sit down to write something out.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I jam at turntable.fm!

Consequently, I'll rarely ever come to TalkClassical let alone make posts here ever again, I think. 

Farewell all! It's been a great time here!


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

There truly is nothing quite like getting together with a small group of friends and calling out a key or just letting one of them start on whatever key they want and just start to color around it...soon enough, it'll be the next guy's turn to shine and then they'll pass it on to the next and it's really something that can not be taught but is so very rewarding...anyone with sufficient training can learn a piece note for note but it is an unteachable task to just be and relax and let yourself go to express something that has never been and perhaps never will be again heard...like I said, it depends on personality and style and just being able to feel comfortable within yourself and your ability as a musician.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Ravellian said:


> No, I hate jamming and I have very little creativity. When I go to the piano it's to learn a new piece, or to memorize or perfect something.


You're like the antithesis of myself. I've never learnt a written piece for the piano and just improvise whenever I play it. I used to learn pieces on guitar, bass and harmonica but mainly just improvise on them too now. I do play through some compositions now and again, but mainly just to keep my sight reading sharp.

It is hard sometimes not to get stuck in a rut and rely on patterns and progressions you are so familiar with or rolling off tried-and-tested cliches etc. That's when it's time to get out of your comfort zone and try something totally alien.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Argus said:


> It is hard sometimes not to get stuck in a rut and rely on patterns and progressions you are so familiar with or rolling off tried-and-tested cliches etc. That's when it's time to get out of your comfort zone and try something totally alien.


This is true, but I think from a musical standpoint its helpful to be an improviser and a perfecter. Improvisation and 'jamming' I think can open up and develop critical parts of the brain related to music and creativity, but I think it is highly possible (and common) to get stuck in ruts when improvising as well. That is when learning new pieces by other composers is what I find the most helpful for two reasons:

1 - quickly being exposed to new musical ideas that would have taken a long time or have been extremely unlikely for an individual to think of on their own.

2 - To become 'forced' to improve certain areas of one's technique that may need refining that are easy to over-look when constantly approaching things from an improvisational standpoint.

If all people do is improvise I think its just as likely they will ultimately get stuck in a rut, and not have any catalyst that will allow them to rapidly improve in areas outside of their current skill set.

By the same token I think if all people do is perfect compositions, they will be not as well-rounded musically, and will just miss out on a lot of fun. It can be very exciting to just jam with people in the moment, and I think people who never do this are missing out on an enjoyable experience as well as not allowing themselves to grow in certain ways as musicians.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

tdc said:


> This is true, but I think from a musical standpoint its helpful to be an improviser and a perfecter. Improvisation and 'jamming' I think can open up and develop critical parts of the brain related to music and creativity, but I think it is highly possible (and common) to get stuck in ruts when improvising as well.


I agree. I was referring to getting into a rut through recycling elements from previous improvs and filtration of techniques learned from these past improvs. For example, if you were to just jam on a blues progression all the time you'd get very good at jamming over a blues progression but wouldn't have a clue what to in a Carnatic raga or some bebop changes, or, heaven forbid, a free improv session. But also you're blues jamming would be very stereotypical and cliched, which naturally happens when a musician gets overly comfortable improvising.

I don't think learning compositions is necessary to get out of an improvisatory rut, but listening to what you are doing and trying to avoid all the idiosyncracies you've picked up over the years is.

The opposite view of this is that playing the same stuff over and over is good as it creates a specific definite voice. Santana is a good example of this. No matter what style of music he is playing, he always has the same voice when soloing.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

For me the great thing about playing guitar and mandolin is doing both Pre arranged music AND jamming. I couldn't imagine not Performing Jamming or Composing music.


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## Metalkitsune (Jul 11, 2011)

I do,guitar.

Saving up for a Peavey 6505,the amp i have now is a Marshall MG which is as bad as a Line 6 Spider.


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