Jamming - What is it and how do you get people to do it?

[tigerstrat]

Hire a replacement for yourself and strike out anew.

...iow strike another match go start anew

[RiverRat]

.

[Tennessee Jedi]

For me, the time and effort of putting a band together means that it better be what I like, or why bother.

True true
I finally got so sick of being the guy who did all the work so I found some guys that needed a guitar and let their guy do all work.He sets the practices up,supplies the place to jam,the gear,etc.Works out good for me - no stress !All Dead too.
Of course I still set up jams on the side and search craigs list for jam mates.
If the bass guy and drummer (i.e the rhythm section)arent swinging - LATER.
Wont matter how good the Jerry licks are or how good the singer is if it aint got that swing.
Good luck

If you realize you are one of the people mentioned, or you may know one of the people mentioned. I can say that it has been a privilege and a pleasure to play with everyone I have played with, and that I have drawn inspiration, knowlege, support and friendship from all of them along the way. My words are not meant to discredit any person or band I have been involved in.

Dude - way to cover your ass !

[Emoto]

To bring this full circle, I did a couple of house party gigs and then split because the music just wasn't working. No musical chemistry. All good guys, and I hope I have kept them as friends.

At this point, I am working on improving my own sound (hence the project guitar thread) and maybe hosting jams at my house from time to time. Things are going to have to be close to "just exactly perfect" before I try putting another band together.

No musical chemistry = no band, as far as I'm concerned.

[Rusty the Scoob]

There are a lot of people out there who simply don't Listen when they play.

Jamming is Jazz and Jazz is jamming.

Before I noticed this thread was old I was going to offer to come to a practice some time and teach your rhythm section how to jam. I'd have had your drummer launched into orbit in no time if he had only a little bit of ears.

"follow me, I'm going to lead things in new directions" should be all it takes.

[Emoto]

There are a lot of people out there who simply don't Listen when they play.

Jamming is Jazz and Jazz is jamming.

Before I noticed this thread was old I was going to offer to come to a practice some time and teach your rhythm section how to jam. I'd have had your drummer launched into orbit in no time if he had only a little bit of ears.

"follow me, I'm going to lead things in new directions" should be all it takes.

I've now written and discarded at least 3 responses to your post, deciding each time that I shouldn't go into the gory details. Suffice it to say that I stayed far longer than I should have, and that I tried more than once.

[Rev_Roach]

some people find it easier to paint creatively on a "blank canvas" of an original and not "paint by numbers" of an existing song.

I think this is important to try. These guys may be alright at jamming when the context is right for them and they let loose. Perhaps they are uncomfortable doing it in songs that they know and feel they have to "play corretly" and "avoid mistakes." If you just start up with something with room for interpretation (one or two chord kind of thing, maybe a vague motif) that's not "a song", perhaps they'll be able to be creative and play new ideas that you can feed off. Once you coax it out of them, then you have something postitive to point to when you want to encourage jamming... "After verse 2 and my solo we caa all just fool around and try new shit, kind of like you did in that fun jam on tuesday, and see where it goes"

Sorry for all "the quotes"