Jamming

  • What you need to bring: Strap, Stand, Pics, Amp (not always needed), Instrument, Tuner
  • Tuning: Remember to tune your guitar when you get to the gig.
  • Tone/Amp Settings: Set your tone knobs on your guitar and amp to a desired tone for you, your band mates and your audience.
  • Changing tone during a Jam: Changing your amp, guitar and pedal settings during a jam is a good idea if you are familiar with your equipment.  It adds diversity to your sound that is fun for you and others.  Remember to be tasteful with your choices and to not over do your effects.
  • Eye Contact: Notice the people you are jamming with and people who are listening to you play.  It is all about the shared experience.
  • Dynamic: Bringing they sound level up and down during the Jam is always a good idea.  This creates dynamic that is fun to listen to.  The same continuous sound gets old for your audience so remember to change it up a bit.
  • Length: Once you feel you are getting bored with a jam your audience is probably getting bored as well, so remember to practice endings that sound good.
  • Finding the Key: You can find the key of the Jam if you know your root notes along the E string. Move from note to note until you get a resonate note that works with the jam.  Then determine if the jam is in a major key or minor key.  Once you figure all that out then you can start rocking! (WARNING: if you can’t find the key or don’t know the chords DO NOT PLAY)
  • Beginning and Endings: Remember to start strong and end strong.  Beginnings and Endings are really what your audience focus on.

5 thoughts on “Jamming”

  3. Mr. Dragon, I think your jamz are pretty cool. You need to start telling your students when and where you will be playing, because I would like to come watch sometime.

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