Sitting In

[zombywoof]

With the every other Thursday night thing I have been playing at shut down for the winter (no heat in the old mansion at a State Park we were occupying), I have come into the habit of playing at a small music shop most Saturday nights. Certainly not a big deal thing. Generally starts off with the guy who owns the place taking the stage (and I use the term loosely) by himself and then me and a few others joining in. Left to my own devices I will play Blind Blake's "West Coast Blues," Rev. Davis' "Cincinnati Flow Rag," Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues," Willie McTell's "Searching the Desert," and the like. More often as not, however, I find myself joining in on rock tunes. So last Saturday night, as example, I ended up doing the Beatles "Revolution," and "Dear Prudence," CCR's "Born on the Bayou," Petty's "Louisiana Rain" and others. This is all stuff I love listening to so do enjoy the songs. The real key is I have to adapt the way I approach songs to be able to join in. Not only do they want songs that people are familiar with so they can join in but as I tend to get the bass, rhythm and melody lines all going together it causes us to trip all over each other. In a way this is nothing new to me. After I walked away from bands, when I came back after a fairly long break I pretty much limited myself to backing singers which generally meant although I could cut loose on maybe one song of my choosing a set, I was there to support the singer.

 

So what say you. Anybody else find their comfort zone in informally sitting in?

[blindboygrunt]

Main reason I now play alone

[MorrisrownSal]

I don't have your pedigree ZW...

 

But I have started playing out regularly starting about three years ago with my buddy Mike. We always draw a crowd... the bars advertise us in advance. So many Brooklyn "older folks" come out to see us because they know we will play songs they grew up with (mixed in with some newer stuff, and some off beat stuff). They also know we are generous and welcoming in terms of music sharing. On any night we play, likely at least 2 or 3 will come up and join us on tunes. I'll hand off my guitar, and hang out by the third mic - add a harmony where I feel appropriate.

 

I guess I am saying that our "gigs" are real informal... and very interactive and laid back. It's all informal. Pressure is gone. We make set lists, but I cant remember the last time we stuck to a list... Moods change in the bar based on who is there... and folks say "do you know xxxxx?", to which we will respond... "Mike knows that one well... grab Sal's guitar and come up here."

 

It's a great way to play and share. We do these gigs almost exclusively now. They dont pay as well as the nice restaurants and grills, but they are a heck of a lot more fun.

[Lars68]

Playing music is a one man hobby situation for me. I would very much like to find others to play with one day. However, at this point, I'm just not good enough to ”sit in” with anybody else. Any music I make need to be practiced a lot in advance. Also, my main interest is developing my own songwriting, and it would likely be very hard to find others who would get enough satisfaction out of supporting my stuff. Maybe one day...

 

Lars

[NighthawkChris]

Unless the songs are pretty simple, most musicians who play together for the first time - especially in a performance-like scenario - it's going to be a little difficult. That's why the best informal joinings during say an open mic I find to be the best are things like blues progressions, because I already know what to play. Comfort also depends on the talent level of the individuals you are joining is at as well... I guess if you practice a lot and play a lot of songs that fit the group you are playing with, you will do alright - again, if you aren't the one tripping up the songs (practice, practice, practice). I know I wouldn't volunteer myself for a performance unless I know EVERY part of a song. But then again, I might if i just feel like it, then comfort zone is already there

[dhanners623]

I don't play lead, so my opportunities for sitting in with others tends to be limited unless they need a rhythm guitarist. I've usually enjoyed it, though. No heavy lifting.

 

On the other hand, I can be very picky about who I want sitting in with me, even to the point of being a jerk about it. I've been fortunate through the years to play with some excellent and tasteful musicians, and I guess they spoiled me.

 

It is a particular problem now that I live in Kuwait. People want to sit in all the time (even to the point of inviting themselves) and most of the guitarists here have what I call "Kuwait-itis." There are so few opportunities to play in public that when they do play, they go all-out all the time. They play every note they know, as fast as they can. They step on lyrics. They have little sense of dynamics. Some of them are excellent technical musicians and can play any bizarre scale there is, but they have no feel for how to accompany a song. They make the song all about them and what they are playing, and I've just stopped dealing with it. I have no reluctance to letting an accompanist show his or her stuff, but you don't go to town while I'm singing. That basic point is lost on these guys.

[zombywoof]

Most will let me have my own set. But I really do not want to put on a "concert." Part of my problem is I have never subjected the music loving world to my voice. And lacking the hands of an Eric Schoenberg or someone, I feel playing everything as an instrumental wears real thin real fast. The thing is most of the stuff I play is not really all that complex. I just tend to make it so to keep myself entertained. I have started thinking the winter will be a good time for me to do some re-arranging and go back to some old chestnuts like "St. James Infirmary", "I Know You Rider," "One Meatball" and such.

[blindboygrunt]

I don't play lead, so my opportunities for sitting in with others tends to be limited unless they need a rhythm guitarist. I've usually enjoyed it, though. No heavy lifting.

 

On the other hand, I can be very picky about who I want sitting in with me, even to the point of being a jerk about it. I've been fortunate through the years to play with some excellent and tasteful musicians, and I guess they spoiled me.

 

It is a particular problem now that I live in Kuwait. People want to sit in all the time (even to the point of inviting themselves) and most of the guitarists here have what I call "Kuwait-itis." There are so few opportunities to play in public that when they do play, they go all-out all the time. They play every note they know, as fast as they can. They step on lyrics. They have little sense of dynamics. Some of them are excellent technical musicians and can play any bizarre scale there is, but they have no feel for how to accompany a song. They make the song all about them and what they are playing, and I've just stopped dealing with it. I have no reluctance to letting an accompanist show his or her stuff, but you don't go to town while I'm singing. That basic point is lost on these guys.

 

It’s nothing to do with Kuwait

Happens here too

Exactly same thing

[Cougar]

....the best are things like blues progressions....

 

Yeah, when I sit in with a group, which is not very often, and it's on keys, it's 12-bar blues. A shuffle. In G. It highlights my playing, but not just me. Everybody gets to solo a couple 12 bars. Can't go wrong!

 

 

[zombywoof]

Yeah, when I sit in with a group, which is not very often, and it's on keys, it's 12-bar blues. A shuffle. In G. It highlights my playing, but not just me. Everybody gets to solo a couple 12 bars. Can't go wrong!

 

When I wore a younger man clothes we used to do a blues in the round thing where somebody would pick out some object and we would take turns making up lyrics. I still recall "Rubber Ducky in my Bathtub Blues" and "Ocelot Skin on the Wall Blues." Would not work in the places I have been going to though. Nobody is really interested in jamming. Both places are about words and songs. The Thursday night get togethers are interesting in that there are generally three rooms going with each having a core group of musicians who have been doing it for a long time. So they are pretty much a band with the rest of us joining in. I gather it takes years to overcome the "Newbie" status. I can get a song or two in there - stuff like Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" and Willie McTell's "Georgia Rag" as there tends the more than a few banjos and fiddles which can easily be worked in.

[uncle fester]

Hey ZW, what is the ideal playing experience to you - a recreation of that blues in the round (i.e. jam session with like minded folks)?

[MissouriPicker]

My "comfort zone" is a coffeehouse I've been playing every Wednesday for almost six years now. It's right up the street from a community college and lots of young people gather there. They sit, they listen, they ask me questions about my songs, and they're smart kids. They call me "Larry," tell me jokes...lol...Kind of makes me feel like the guy in Roger Miller's "Kansas City Star." Every 2nd Tuesday of the month I play a 2hr gig in their student union. I get the same kinds of questions about my music (plus I can do covers). What's also cool is that some of them thank me for not getting political with my songs. Gives me hope that maybe the world isn't lost just yet.

[zombywoof]

Hey ZW, what is the ideal playing experience to you - a recreation of that blues in the round (i.e. jam session with like minded folks)?

 

The blues in the round thing was just goofing round. It was us having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously.

[vacamartin]

With the every other Thursday night thing I have been playing at shut down for the winter (no heat in the old mansion at a State Park we were occupying), I have come into the habit of playing at a small music shop most Saturday nights. Certainly not a big deal thing.

So what say you. Anybody else find their comfort zone in informally sitting in?

 

Yup....I find it strange at my "advanced" age to sit in with people that have the requisite I-Pad, and I just have my acoustic. No matter what the tune, I join in and catch on very quickly with the syncopation and style. I'm always asked to sing...but I reply that I prefer to shun the mic and fill in with my acoustic. Being in the "background" makes me very contented ;)

[Cabarone]

When I wore a younger man clothes we used to do a blues in the round thing where somebody would pick out some object and we would take turns making up lyrics. I still recall "Rubber Ducky in my Bathtub Blues" and "Ocelot Skin on the Wall Blues." Would not work in the places I have been going to though. Nobody is really interested in jamming. Both places are about words and songs. The Thursday night get togethers are interesting in that there are generally three rooms going with each having a core group of musicians who have been doing it for a long time. So they are pretty much a band with the rest of us joining in. I gather it takes years to overcome the "Newbie" status. I can get a song or two in there - stuff like Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" and Willie McTell's "Georgia Rag" as there tends the more than a few banjos and fiddles which can easily be worked in.

 

Hey 'woof, when you go to those which guitar(s) do you usually take? The tunes you mentioned suggest a 12 string (for the most part), but it's been my experience most gatherings hated to see me uncase one 'cause they didn't want to take the time to make sure we were in tune together...

[zombywoof]

Hey 'woof, when you go to those which guitar(s) do you usually take? The tunes you mentioned suggest a 12 string (for the most part), but it's been my experience most gatherings hated to see me uncase one 'cause they didn't want to take the time to make sure we were in tune together...

 

Yeah, the Gibson 12 gets is share of outings. As I keep it tuned down at least a whole step I had to break down and try the G7 12 string capo my wife bought for her Martin. Other than that what 6 string I bring often comes down to which has been restrung recently. I will say a lot of Martin 6 strings seem to be pretty popular at these places.

[zombywoof]

Being in the "background" makes me very contented ;)

 

Bingo! Even though I got tagged with the "lead guitar" moniker early on, I always saw my "job" as being there to back the singer, I was always lucky there. The two I worked with most frequently were ladies and I knew it was they who made us stand out from the crowd. One of the ladies was actually studying opera and performing in a local company. Eventually though she had to make a choice between the two. We lost. But she and I would still get together and hit the coffee houses.