Buying Guitars
I often see a lot of people ask questions in forums asking opinions about guitars that they're interested in buying. As an example, one of the themes that seems to come up is something like:
Q: "I'm thinking about buying a Gibson ES175, and was wondering what people think about these guitars."
A: "Gibson quality sucks and they're way overpriced, don't waste your money. Buy a Heritage instead, much better guitars."
I see these kinds of statements all of the time, and they are seldom based in actual fact, they're really just someone's opinion. I think all manufacturers will have some instruments that slip by QC when they shouldn't have, but to make a blanket statement that all <insert manufacturer's> guitars suck, is just not valid. That said, if you're looking for an instrument, go play the ones you're interested in, don't be put off by other's opinions. The best way to educate yourself is to play the instruments that you have an interest in, and then make your own decision as to whether you like them or not for your own reasons. When you find the right instrument, you'll know it. If it has the feel and tone you want, then don't be swayed by other opinions. I also see a lot of folks complain that they played a particular guitar, but the action was way too high. A lot of stores don't set the action since it's a personal preference for so many people. Some people like high action, some like low action. This shouldn't be a reason to dismiss a guitar since any quality instrument can be setup to provide low action. If you're interested in buying the guitar, see if you can get them to set the action up for your taste and then you can make the final decision as to whether you want to buy it or not. Same thing holds true for amplifiers. The best thing is to go play through different amplifiers that you're interested in, and decide yourself if a particular amp meets your needs or not. I'm not saying that opinions can't be valid, but I think folks should take them with a grain of salt since tone etc. are very subjective things. Happy hunting!!
Learning Licks
A lot of folks spend a lot of time copying other players licks off of CD's. In some cases, it can be a valuable tool if used to analyze how a particular player approached a particular passage. I've always been of the opinion that it's of little value otherwise. The time spent copying someone else's licks is time detracted away from developing your own style and voice. If copying licks is your thing, then consider modifying them a bit so that they become your own. I've never approached playing from the point of view of learning licks. In most cases, it becomes awkward trying to force a lick into a song somewhere. Rather than being focused on just going with the groove, your focus is distracted to where you can slip the lick in. If you really want to become a good improviser, focus on ear training. Learn what different intervals sound like so that mentally you can hear them. That way, when you hear an idea in your head, you'll be able to transfer it to the guitar easily. Sing an idea that you have, then mentally try to envision playing it on the guitar. Then pick up the guitar and try playing it as you envisioned. With a little practice, you'll find that you will start getting better at doing this. Improvisation is after all the ability to hear something in your head, and play it as you hear it. So rather than spending hours trying to learn someone else's licks and sound like them, spend the time developing your own style and voice. I believe the rewards of doing so are much more satisfying ultimately. Just my humble opinion of course, which is what this page is all about.
Jamming
In my eyes, jamming is the art of making spontaneous music with some fellow musicians. However, there are some protocols that need to be followed. One of the key skills in jamming is to be a good listener and to be alert for visual cues from your fellow musicians. Usually, the solos are passed in a roundabout manner from one player to the next. One of the worst things you can do is to step on someone else's solo before they're done. Usually, a player will imply musically when they're done with their solo and usually give some sort of a visual cue like a nod to the next player. Sometimes there are predetermined rules that you need to be aware of, perhaps related to the sequence of who solos next, and perhaps related to how many choruses are acceptable. For example, maybe everyone plays two choruses, and then the next soloist takes two choruses and so forth. Most jams I go to don't have a predetermined limit on how many choruses one can take, but that doesn't mean you should just keep playing chorus after chorus. If the choruses are long, 1 or 2 times through should be plenty. You don't want to overplay your welcome by playing several minutes over choruses. I think it's better to play a couple of choruses and make your statement, than to go for several choruses and eventually run out of things to say. It can be tiresome to the rest of the participants when one player seems to go on forever as well. Also, stick to the genre of music that the jam is geared to. Most jam sessions tend to be blues or jazz oriented since these styles lend themselves to improvisation. If you're at a jazz jam, don't suggest playing a rock tune or you're going to get a lot of dirty looks :) I only mention this because I've seen it done before. Listen to what the other players are doing, and try to find a way to compliment what's going on rather than trying to force your own direction, the other players will appreciate this. This is merely my opinion, but in a good jam session, you should be free to try different things in your solos without fear of making mistakes. It's not a rehearsed gig after all, it's a jam session. Step out on a limb a little bit and see what works. You shouldn't attempt to jam until you've at least developed some decent musical skills and the ability to improvise. Then jamming can help to take these skills to the next level. Jamming should be fun and inspiring, so if you're not having fun, go find another jam to go to. A lot of players will offer constructive criticism, take it gracefully and it will be of great benefit. The first time you attend a jam can be pretty intimidating, but as you get to know the people and start to feel a bit more relaxed, you'll start to enjoy it. So grab your gear, find a good jam, and have fun and make some new friends at the same time.
My Formula For Success
I've played in a number of different bands where somebody felt it was important for us to do some complicated tunes to impress the musicians in the crowd. We could do a tune like In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed and nail it, but the audience response was very subdued. But if we did a simple tune like Mony Mony, the audience would go nuts. Eventually, I arrived at the following philosophy. If you play tunes that are highly danceable, and very recognizable, the audience will love it, and you'll end up with a lot of work. Playing songs strictly for the musicians in the audience is a waste of time since they will rarely appreciate it, and they make up a very small perecentage of the audience. The average non-musician-listener typically has no clue whether a song is difficult or not since they don't know anything about playing, all they know is that something either sounds good or sounds bad. Keeping folks dancing all night and having a good time will keep you working. Just my humble opinion of course.