RE: [Harp-L] begginner question about blues jams

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is also a great summary of how to prepare yourself to play at jams,
and what the protocol is, basically the answers to all you asked in the back
of the $5 little book "Music Theory Made Easy" by David Harp. As you might
guess from his name, he's a harp player but the book isn't specific to harp
(although he does use it for an example many times, and while he does
discuss all sorts of music and the associated scales and chord progressions
he does focus on blues). It's a great book that has the basics of music
theory that all musicians should know (and you should if you are going to
jam). I just hate the shape of the book, very tall but easy to fit in your
pocket or case. It's a good resource to bone up on the basics and to keep
handy as a reference.

There's another, much bigger and thorough book that has exercises, etc and
it's *very* good. It's Edly's Music Theory for Practical People (second
edition) by Ed Roseman. 

If you get up there to jam, or sit in with any band, you have to know the
lingo about this stuff - not only to be able to play along and sound good,
but to pick the right harp in the first place (unless you are a position
wizard).

Bill Hines
Hershey, PA

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of csbiro@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 1:47 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] begginner question about blues jams


Hi,

this is my first post here: I usually try to find my answers on the web
without bugging list members, but this time, my question is so basic that
everybody thinks that everybody knows the answer, I guess.

I'm a beginner player, I started to play roughly a year ago, completely by
myself. Some time ago I learnt about some local blues jams, so I went to one
of them. My original (naive) idea about a jam was that it would be similar
to a "jam along" CD: a band plays some backtrack and harp players improvise
over it. Of course I learnt that this was completely incorrect. However I
still don't quite know what a jam is really and how to prepare for one.

It looks like there is a house band, they play a set and then some other
folks will go up the stage and play some songs. I think if I wanted to play
(I don't, because I'm not good enough for that), I should ask the leader of
the house band, as I can see that other guys talk to him. But once you get
on stage, then what? How do you find out what to play with some strangers?
Do you always play based on real, published songs, or sometimes you make a
complete improvisation? It looks to me that they always play known songs
(e.g. as they often have lyrics), but I don't know any of them. If I can
recognize one song a night, I'm happy!

Maybe they play songs in which there is no harp and I know mostly harmonica
based music. I saw a harp player only once. They played 5 songs, I didn't
know any of them.

So from this, it looks to be a good idea to learn some common blues jam
songs, but what are they? I think I know a lot of Little Walter, Sonny Boy
Williamson II, Paul Butterfield, Sonny Terry songs, and the most famous
songs by other harp players, but it seems that this jam favors other songs.

You guys on the list are long-time jammers, if you find yourselves in a town
on an evening and you find out about a blues jam, you just go there and
you'll find your way. Unlike me, who is quite lost. Some time, I will want
to be an active participant of a jam, I WANT TO DO MY HOMEWORK, but what is
the assignment?

Maybe you can a compile a list of songs for me to buy and learn. I would
greatly appreciate it, if that is the way. Or just tell me what to practice,
what to do, to become ready for jam.

All advises are greatly appreciated.

Csaba
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