THE DAILY GRIST…“ IMHO the whole point of a jam is learn to play music well with others. We all have our issues but being a tool at a jam is one of the surest signs of insecurity.”– Talk Bass Forum Post
Lately I’m been playing in a number of jams each week and get asked to play others pretty frequently so I must either be the “Last Bass Player Standing” of maybe doing alright with my chops. Now, I‘m not getting calls to the primo jams, by any stretch, but still getting plenty of opportunities.
Why am I telling you this? Well in my hyper tensed state of everyday living (for instance you wouldn’t want to drive with me), I tend to get judgmental regarding the jams themselves and the players in the jams. I have this flawed sense that the jams I’m not in are always better that the jams I am in based on my biased opinions of who’s playing in them. Logically, based on the number of really good players around, there are jams happening that are better than the ones I’m playing (plying) in but lately I seem to be obsessing on that way too much. Jamming is not a contact sport and is supposed to be fun and not filled with stress and competition. Intellectually I understand this and would subscribe to fun and stress free being the standard for jams. Maybe it is too much coffee or too much traffic or the stock market or 18 months of presidential politics but for some reason or combination of reasons I’m on edge and it is carrying over to the jams I attend.
Most of these jams I’m going to have very mixed levels, with beginners, intermediates and some good players. The jams are mostly tolerant of the different levels and there is usually a jam veteran making sure beginners are encouraged and I’m all well and good with that.
Where I begin my internal gnashing is when on a standard 3 chord song, the four banjo players in the jam are all rolling in a different space and time and the guitars are all picking out slightly different variations on the boom chuck. Thankfully there is a mandolin player chopping but with all the different rhythms going on he/she is listening for me as much as I am listening for them, the blind leading the blind or better said the deaf leading the deaf. That’s the bluegrass version of this. The old time version of this is almost the same but with fiddles on each side of the room in different places in the melody and meter.
So here’s where I’m going with this. Who am I to get uppity about this? I certainly haven’t gotten a call from Nashville to fill in at the Opry. Recently, I have had to step back and tell myself I need to mellow out regarding the jams I’m in and to relax and enjoy the experience. This includes also taking my time on the ride home and driving in the slow lane. Getting all tensed up isn’t doing any good for my bass playing or healthy living.
I continue to attend about 4 jams a week regularly and also attend others if I’m called so I must be getting something from these or I’d quit going.
The people in these jams are there to have a good time and to gain some confidence with their instrument and also to learn the communication skills we use in jamming.
My next move and resolve is to begin checking my ego at the door. Sure there are better jams and better players out there but if by example and maybe some positive suggestions (and good tone and timing) I can help improve the quality of my jams then I should be able to keep my blood pressure down and enjoy myself.
