Question for People who are NOT in a band. How often do you jam w/other musicians?

[Yossi]

The last band that I was in was back in college in 1978-82. Since then I've gone into business, raised a family, and done a whole host of other things, but I haven't been in an official band.

I would go to an open mic, get together with some friends, but not much on the playing end until my brother and I decided to turn our lunch hour into a jam hour. Now, I must say that we are getting in almost 5 hours of jam time a week. We even have another guitarist who has become our rhythm section. After I purchased a Sony PCM recorder with some software we decided to record our jams. Here is our web site:
http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=660719&T=9826

For the best sound hit the Artist radio:

What do you do for your jamming?

[chucke99]

Blues jams in the Everett, WA area. I get 20 minutes a week with a full band in front of a live audience. I also sing and get to choose most of the songs because of that. I was trying to do two nights a week of jams, but it got to be too much.

I'd rather have a band, though, that could practice for a few hours once or twice a week.

[Yossi]

Is everyone else in a band?

[greggorypeccary]

I was in a band for the better part of the past year, but it got old quickly (a whole different topic...).

There hasn't been a good open jam around here for a while though, but there are plenty of open mics. I prefer jams so I can play with others but lately they seem to be dominated by classic-rockers who can't really jam - they can only play something if they already know it so there's a lot of standing around looking at each other saying "Do you know (insert song name)?" Not fun...

I've started taking a jazz class though so once a week I get out and jam standards with horn players! That is fun and challenging - actually it's fun because it's challenging!

[semi-hollowbody]

rarely...my only networking is craigslist and craigslist is full of a bunch of crying fighting little beeyotches posting about how he sucks and he sucks...its ridiculous...

[bigdaddy]

Not enough! I am looking for people to jam with in the Mpls area. I was even wondering which forum would be appropriate for a post seeking just that.

[Think Floyd]

I was in a band until last October, and I miss it (but not some of my ex-bandmates). Jamming alone at home gets boring... I really need to find another group of guys for weekly jam sessions or another band. I don't need to gig; I just want to play with guitars, bass, drums, and someone who can sing!

[Jahn]

Insane schedule here in NYC, I can only manage one afternoon a month playing out.

[bobmc]

Last Band was '82, had a great jam thing going that busted up (careers, marriages, kids) about 10 years ago and I miss the hell out of it.

I recently became friendly with a guy that hosts "jams" but he means "open mike" 80s singalongs.

Tried to start my own thing via CL, but it never gelled.

[mikem]

Haven't played out or jammed since August- too long! Too many flakes around here to consider putting a band together. Same old story. I really haven't been playing much at all lately.

Mike

[prsflame]

I played my last gig (guitar related) in June of 2008. Right now, I'm focused more on my violin playing, so guitar is taking a backseat. In this sense, I'm not really interested in jamming with anyone, or performing live with a band right now, but this is subject to change in the future.

[Honga Man]

I was in bands for years. When I wasn't playing with the band I was in, I was out jamming informally with other musical friends - some in bands, some not.

That all faded away as I got older and now I haven't jammed with another human being in probably three years. I have young kids so I probably won't anytime soon, but I'd sure love to find out that a drummer lives down the street and a guitar or bass player lives two blocks over and there's a keyboard guy a mile beyond him, etc.

Some guys play golf. Others get together and watch football. Others go bowling or to lodge meetings. All I want to do is some good ol' three- and four-chord blues/country/rock jamming in the basement a couple of times a month with someone other than my Boss RC-2 Loop Station. Oh well, it'll happen eventually, I suppose.

[Yossi]

I tried the online jamming/recording thing for a while. That's where someone puts a track on line and you download it and add a track.
I don't get into that so much as when playing with others.
I've heard that one hour playing with other musicians is worth many hours of playing on your own. I don't know how scientific that is but it seems to be the case for me. Issues like timing, and collaboration and a sense of the entire group are a big part of playing with others.

We had a great session today at lunch and when it was over I looked at my Sony recorder and saw the message that the memory was full. We didn't capture a thing. :puh

Yesterday's was good though. Check out this tune: http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1296739&t=397

[tnvol]

I haven't been in a band in years. I mostly play with myself.

[gixxerrock]

I play in a couple bands that gig but not every weekend. If I ever go a few weeks without playing with band in front of people I start getting the itch and will hit an open mic with singer or other band mate just to jam. IMO, I way prefer playing with my own band than what you get at an open mic. After the last time, singer looked at me and said she just realized how spoiled she is having her own band. Open mics are great for some things. There are some great players I have learned a ton from, and it is a great place to figure out what flies in the real world vs. the bedroom.

[franksguitar]

I had been in bands for many years but have not the last couple years. I teach guitar, get occasional frelance calls to gig and go to a few open mike jams during the week. I rehearse at home from downloading backing tracks of songs minus the guitar.

[Think Floyd]

Even though I NEED to jam with other people, I won't go to an open mike or blues jam. I have gone to jams just to listen, but I don't like the short amount of playing time that people get. I want to play for at least 3 hours (preferably 4 or 5). To me, it's not worth it to drag my guitar and/or amp somewhere just to play for 3 songs at a jam, or a 2 hour basement jam session.

[cram]

I'll tell this story in the third person since you asked for only people who are not in a band and since I am, I have to step back in time to account for the ebb and flow through my journey here and it sounds better here. If any of you want to play some background music while you read, that's cool. Do whatever you want.

Cram played in bands in hs and college. Then he moved around a lot after college and didn't see the sense in keeping a rig. All of a sudden he noticed that it was a good avenue to playing infront of people to play acoustic at a place with another guy and a few other girls sitting in once in a while.

Well, then he moved again. And again, and again... All the while some of his conversations and interactions were focussed on getting together with people to play. A party here, a chance encounter with someone jamming next door to a friend's apartment; it [jamming with folks] sort of just came along.

A guy at work who was green as can be with music and has since turned out to be quite an entreprenuer in life asked him to sit in with his band and play leads for his new band who would play college gigs and the occasional town pub. That went on for a while, but it was not consistent enough. Cram was hungry, but in an odd series of chance and bad timing he found that the times of playing with other people had dried up.

Cram got married. Cram moved into a house. Playing was usually sparse, but always willing to howl out tunes by the fire or with friends. Then he got a call from a college friend who set him up with a great oportunity. What Cram's friend had for him in the end was about 3 months of playing once a week in a studio with a working band to prep for a festival, one time gig and it was such a kick in the ass for him to motivate the musical flow again.

Cram said, "**** IT! No matter what I have to do, I'll always have music in my life. I'm going to set things in place to foster this. ". Now Cram plays in a band with his own brothers and has a blast. He also built a studio in his basement that affords him the isolation to play whenever the hell he wants to. This also afforts him the ability to have people over to play more often.

-- Ok I'm back now. I'm no longer using my story telling voice that resembles a 1950's style news story on tv.

I'm too social of a person to not play with people. Sure there have been spots where I've been occupied with other interests and those in the big picture of it all, have helped me become a more rounded person. Also, a rounded person that posesses the drive to change things in my life so music has more of a consistent presence.

A side benefit is having people who could literally post the exact words I see in this thread - "not as much as I used to", "band way back in [whatever year of another decade]'". Those people are over to my place to jam these days. It is infectious. The spirit of this thread - searching for ways to make music, means something to me.

[Think Floyd]

I've found that I just don't have the same urge to play when I'm by myself that I used to have. Sure, I should be practicing to get better, but after 30 years I still suck so there's not much hope for improvement. I do find that I play better and sometimes even amaze myself when I'm jamming in a band situation.

[Payne]

I haven't been in a band in years. I mostly play with myself.

:facepalm

[MikeMcK]

2X times a week. There are killer open jams around here. The blues jams are fun, but there are a couple that are more open to different styles, including one that attracts some great players and singers. There's one in Red Bank, NJ that I've left several times thinking, "I'de definitely have paid to be an attendee at that one."

At my ripe old age (and with job responsibilities that put most of my traveling in the past) I may be playing out again in the near future as a result of meeting people there.

[axelfoley]

I haven't been with a band for a few years. My wife and I settled down and had a couple kids so that slowed things down for me.
I do jam with a full (sometimes too full) band at least once a week and sometimes twice. There are three different jams I can go to; the Tuesday Night Stoner Doom Jam which is my personal fav. Heavy riff rock with 2 or sometimes 3 guitar players. That one runs 2-3 hours strait. Then there's the Red Room Jam which is typically a three piece. Alot more groovy laid back type stuff. And then there's the Dead Jam, I think that one is self explanitory.
Beyond that I practice by myself (usually with a looper) for 1-2 hours a day.
I do want to be in a band again but I like the laid back low brow attitude at the jams. No agenda, no band leader, no egos and no clams. You can play whatever you want.

[lakehaus]

I've never been in a band, per se. I did record with a group in England, one album, back in the late 80s.

My son and my daughter's boyfriend play guitar. I play with them when our busy skeds allow it, but mostly I'm by myself with (or without) a looper.

[Jon Silberman]

Even though I NEED to jam with other people, I won't go to an open mike or blues jam. I have gone to jams just to listen, but I don't like the short amount of playing time that people get. I want to play for at least 3 hours (preferably 4 or 5). To me, it's not worth it to drag my guitar and/or amp somewhere just to play for 3 songs at a jam, or a 2 hour basement jam session.
I had just started to agree with you when I reached your last phrase ("2 hour basement jam"). 2 hours is a decent jam session where I come from and I holds 'em when I wants 'em (though I also have a band these days, not that we've played out since September :o ).

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