How To Start Playing Guitar With Other People
Playing guitar by yourself is loads of fun as it is, but playing guitar with other musicians brings all kinds of new and exciting possibilities to the table. It seems simple, but knowing how to start playing guitar with other people successfully requires a little thought and preparation.
Don’t worry, though. It’s not that hard. Let’s look at what we can do to make this process less awkward and more fun.
Overcoming Fear
The biggest issue that people struggle with in the beginning is fear.
If you’ve been playing guitar by yourself in your bedroom for a long time, then stepping out into the light of the world can be very daunting. To make this easier you must focus on what you want and not on what you don’t want. If you keep thinking about being embarrassed you will be making it very likely that you will feel that way, even if there is no rational reason to. I’ve seen it happen a lot and even experienced it myself many times in the past.
But the good news is that this can be overcome by focusing on having a great time, laughing, and connecting with others.
The next thing you need to do is step out in faith. Take action. There is no way to fully get over “stage fright” without stepping out on stage while feeling that fear.
Gathering Intel
Most people walk into a jam session to play with others, but don’t take any steps in preparing for it. Not out of laziness, but out of the lack of knowledge that this can even be done. It’s very simple and below you will get some fundamental actions you can begin doing right away.
- Make a list of what you do know and can do on guitar. It doesn’t matter how long it is, just be honest with yourself.
- Make list of the people you will be playing with and what you know they know or can do. You might be wrong about some things and over or underestimate the other musicians.
- Find out what they plan on doing. Most people don’t do this which makes the whole experience very awkward. No one likes awkward.
- If you can get any of the information above on your list then begin practicing to be able to add some value to the jam session. It might be as simple as just brushing up on your rhythm and repertoire.
Most musicians just get together without any plan whatsoever. It’s not like a pickup game of basketball or playing power where you all know how the game works, know all the rules, and can adjust them very quickly.
It’s pretty standard to set, confirm, or modify the rules of a game before starting, but when musicians get together to ‘jam’, typically they end up just noodling aimlessly around on their instruments. which is not fun for the other people.
Nobody is interested in hearing you noodle on your guitar. People want to make music with you and have fun. Some of them may be even hoping that it will go so well, that they will want to start a band with you. You never know what may come of it.
You don’t have to know how to play well or even a lot to get started playing with others. You can get started with whatever you know right now, by following the simple and practical advise above. This will make a world of difference to what you will obtain from the experience.
About The Author: Ryan Duke is a professional musician, guitar teacher, and owner of Seattle Guitar Mentor providing guitar lessons in Franklin, TN