I just got off of a five and a half month cruise contract playing jazz with a wonderful quartet. It was a great time, but it feels even better to avoid shaving and donning three-piece suits for a while. In my time home I have visited many open mic jam sessions, and in doing so I have come to realize that sometimes we all make music much more complicated than it needs to be. So this week I want to touch on how we can be better on-the-spot players.
The first thing we all need to realize is that popular music is relatively simple. Record companies and producers make it that way because the average listener responds better to structured music. Now I know there is a lot of great complicated music out there by artists such as Yes, Rush, and Herbie Hancock. But today let us focus on popular music, be it country, blues, rock and roll, or even jazz.
Songs Sections:
If you ever learned to read music you will quickly find out that most songs are broken down into sections that can be subdivided by four. Your verse may be eight your chorus eight or sixteen, and the bridge will usually be a combination of the two. Understanding this simple math will make you a much better on-the-spot player right out of the gate. You will be able to anticipate what will happen next in the song and able to change your feel at that right moment when the songs shifts from verse to chorus to bridge etc.
The bridge:
This is probably the most elusive section for “green” musicians. We all know that someone is soloing, but we often do not know where to go while they are playing away. One of my teachers explained it best. “As rhythm players you provide a couch for the soloist to sit on.” What that means is that we must continue through the form while they solo. This is best heard in jazz recordings where the rhythm section simply plays the changes of the verse and chorus section, they call it the A&B sections, underneath the solo. This allows the listener to hear the original tune with the soloing melody on top.
Communicate:
Dave Matthews Band is known for being great communicators on the stage. They aren’t afraid to make eye contact as they jam away. The same should be true in your pick-up situations. You’d be surprised at how tight a song can be if you are looking at each other or at the very least make visual cues for breaks and endings.
Know the Tunes:
The great bassist Ron Carter once held a clinic for a roomful of eager bassists and other musicians waiting to be passed down his secrets to success. He got up on stage and pointed to an audience member and asked them to name a tune. He then played the tune on the spot. He repeated this process for close to an hour stood up and stated his parting words. “If you want to work that is what you need to do.” Know the songs in your genre, and if you want to play for a living at least learn the most popular ones in each genre. You’d be amazed at how much work you get and hold with such studies.
Well that is all for today. I am off to my practice pad and Pj’s as I await my next cruise ship departure. Talk to you soon!
