7 Tips for Succeeding At Jam Sessions

In a previous lesson we talked about the importance of getting experience playing music with other people. Learning to play jazz doesn’t happened in the practice room alone, and local jam sessions are a great place to get some experience playing with people, get experience playing in front of an audience and to meet other musicians. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out jam sessions.

Show up early and watch the house band
This is important for several reasons. First of all, it’s important to see/hear live music. It’s an important part of learning music that is far too rare these days. You will learn a lot about your instrument by watching a more experienced musician perform. You can learn about posture, technique, embouchure, expression etc. You can see how the band interacts with and responds to the audience and vice versa.

Secondly, if the house band sees you showing up to support them and enthusiastically checking them out they will appreciate it. And believe me, they will notice if you’re one of those musicians who rolls in right after the band finishes just in time to sit in and then takes off when you’re done. So support their music, and get to know them. In return they’ll take care of you, and make sure you get to play. And who knows, after awhile they may call you for the gig!

Focus on blending and connecting with the other musicians
Make it your goal to make the band sound better. If you’re a horn player try to blend with the other horn players. Use this as an opportunity to learn to play in tune. If you’re a drummer, focus on locking up with the bass player and supporting the soloist. If you’re a guitarist be clear with your comping. Let the soloist know where you are. Aim for clarity. No matter what instrument you play listen for the dynamics. Blend in with band so that you have a presence but be sure not to bury the other musicians.

If you don’t know the tune, sit this one out
If you don’t know the tune that was called you don’t have to play. It’s better to sit one out and jump back in on the next tune than to make the whole band suffer because you don’t really know the changes. This is a sign of confidence not weakness. The other musicians will appreciate it.

Don’t try to show off
After spending hours and hours in the practice room developing your chops and learning some hip new bebop licks it’s very tempting to try to impress the other musicians with your new found hipness. But it’s a dangerous trap. You will most likely come off looking bad and making the music as a whole sound worse. You’re there for the music first and foremost. Do your job as a musician first. This is a sign of musical maturity. After you can do that then worry about being hip or modern.

Be respectful and supportive of the other musicians
This is just simple etiquette. Encourage the other musicians even if (And especially if) you are much more advanced then them. Be positive. Pay attention to their solos and get involved by clapping and cheering them on. When it’s your turn to solo, keep it short. Especially if there are a lot of people sitting in or waiting to sit in. There is nothing worse than that guy who shows up and plays a 25 chorus solo while 10 people are waiting to sit in. This professionalism will benefit you as well. People will enjoy when you show up to play. You will easily meet new musicians to play with and ultimately gig with.

Be proactive- learn the tunes
Learn from the session. If a tune was called that you didn’t know, take the time to learn it during the week. Then at the next session you can sit in on that tune. If you do sit in on a tune and suddenly learn the hard way that you don’t really know the bridge (even though you thought you did) be proactive and practice it during the coming week. Notice what tunes are called each week. There is relatively small group of standards that will be called week after week. The more of these tunes you know the more productive and enjoyable your experience sitting in will be.

Roll with the punches
If you totally bomb at a session, don’t take it too hard. Learn from it. Try to figure out where you went wrong, what you could practice to improve. Remember, jam sessions can be very difficult situations to perform in. You may not know any of the musicians sitting in. The musicians may all be at very different levels of abilities. You may struggle with a tune because the bass player is unclear, or the drummer keeps turning the beat around. By dealing with these realities of music you will become a stronger musician. You’ll learn how to recover when things go awry, and even have a chance to develop leadership skills (Be the guy who holds the band together).

Chris Punis is an active jazz musician in the northeast. He is founding member of the critically acclaimed group Gypsy Schaeffer and a member of renowned saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase’s group The Explorer’s Club. Chris is also an accomplished jazz educator and author of “The Monster Jazz Formula”. For more information about his teaching methods and to receive your free lessons, “21 Great Ways To Become a Monster Jazz Musician”, visit www.learnjazzfaster.com