How to Jam
Part 3 – Jam Etiquette
by Dennis Winge
Jam sessions are really fun. Musicians who’ve never even met before can make great music together with no preparation. Just think about how cool it is to know that you can go to any country in the world and not even be able to speak the language and yet have some very meaningful and mutually fulfilling experiences with people by speaking the universal language of music!
In part 1, we explored ways of deciding what to play. Part 2 discussed melody, soloing length, comping, trading, endings, etc. In this, part 3, we will address ‘etiquette.’ It’s a funny word that people don’t really talk about any more, and I use it here to mean how to be respectful to other players. There are no rules to a jam session, but learning some of these guidelines will prevent you from inadvertently annoying other players and help all the participants enjoy themselves even more.
Manage Your Volume While Accompanying
Part 2 briefly mentioned how someone playing rhythm should not be louder than the soloist, and this is worthwhile to restate here. When someone else is soloing, let them shine! Do not get in their way. Let them be louder than you but of course you still want to be heard and don’t be afraid to be creative with rhythms, voicings, etc. to help the soloist build.
If what you’re playing is contributing to the musical moment, that’s perfect. If you’re just being a robot and playing the same thing over and over, chances are you can do more, but again don’t get in the way too much. If there’s any doubt about how well you are ‘comping’ (playing rhythm), simply ask the soloist afterwards. If they didn’t really notice what you were doing, that means they liked it. J After all, if there was something they didn’t like, they would remember it.
Manage Your Volume While Soloing
We’ve all heard guitarists soloing too loudly. It’s the soloist’s spotlight-time and he/she is going to be noticed! Well, sometimes they get noticed in a way they weren’t intending! If you can hear every note you play clearly AND the rest of the band, you’re probably in the right ballpark.
The best way to manage your volume, I have found, however, is to put a small recording device somewhere on the other side of the room where all instruments can be heard with equal balance, and also remember what setting your amp was on for that night. Listen back and see how your overall volume is and you will soon get a sense of how to set your amp for typical situations.
The Order of Soloists
There are no rules on this, but typically the person playing the melody (or “head” as they call it in jazz) or the one who calls the tune/ progression has the right-of-way to solo first. Obviously, everyone should get a turn. After everyone solos, the person soloed first should play the melody to take the tune out (the “out-head”) or at least do something musically or verbally to indicate that this is the last time through the progression and the end is coming. Lesser experienced musicians, sensing a gap in the music, sometimes take a whole other solo. This is not recommended.
Trading
This was discussed in part 2, but as far as etiquette goes, simply follow the lead of the person who took the first solo or called the tune. If they play 4 or 8 bars and then gesture to the next person, they are attempting to initiate ‘trading’ in which case all soloists who took longer solos now play that same number of bars that the initiator played, and the order of soloists is the same as it was before. This all is done over the ‘form’ of the overall progression, and the leader may have to allow an unequal number of turns per soloist if the top of the progression is coming and he feels like it’s time to take the tune out and accordingly plays the melody or end the tune before the next cycle is reached.
Take turns leading
Everyone should contribute an idea on what to play. In a jam session, it’s everyone’s opportunity to bring to the table something they love, in hopes that other musicians will find it inspiriting as well. So, if you have a ‘passive’ personality, don’t let other musicians dominate the direction and shape of the jam session. If you have something you love to play on, share it! Similarly, if you are a more ‘dominant’ personality, make sure everyone gets a turn. It’s a great experience for all.
Have fun, experiment, and jam with as many different people as possible. Keep a record of easy and fun tunes you like to jam on and it’ll get easier and easier.
About the author: Dennis Winge is a professional guitarist living in New York with a passion for vegan food and bhakti yoga. If you are interested in taking Guitar Lessons in Ithaca, NY, then be sure to contact Dennis!