Advise

[Shibby]

yah, i'm trying to start a band...or more like a basic jam session...i'm having a bit of trouble though. We have two guitarists (me and my friend) and a bass (my other friend). not a drummer yet. well anyways, evertime we try to write music or jam we will each go off doing our own things and not work together, much less play together. what can i do to get everyone to stay focused?

[Muckquaiker]

Learn a song you all like practice it. Talk to them about your intrests go away each write a riff then come back and try and figure out other parts for them.

[drumstix128@aol.com]

Lol, I think every band has that problem. A good solution would be prior to practice, tell everyone a set of songs to learn and make them learn them BEFORE they come to practice. If everyone is still goofing off and doing their own thing, I wouldsuggest some band mates.

[hereisdan]

localshibby?

[Shibby]

yes, local, considering i'm only 14. i just found out that my friend is gonna start taking drums lessons. yay http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif. Anyone know how long it takes for a drummer to get good enough to actually lay a good beat?

[TomN]

Depending on his natural rhythm he could start playing basic rhythms to hold a beat almost immediately.


You guys should learn what is called a 12 bar 1,4,5 progression. It used for literally a million and a half songs and it's a great way to jam, because it's a preset pattern, but you can do it in whatever style you like. Establish which guitar is going to play rhythm first and than go through the 12 bars and switch.

Here is the basic progression. It can be done in any key in any style, with power chords, full chords, single note riffs whatever you want, just be creative.

I don't know what level you are out so here is some info.


/E/ = plays an E chord for one measure or 4 beats.

/E/E/E/E/
/A/A/E/E/
/B/A/E/B/

That is a super basic 12 bar chord pattern. Now you can play the chords however you want as fast as you want as agressivey as you want etc etc.

Here is some tab that you can start with.


Play this for the E chord

------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
--2-2--4-4--5-5--4-4----------
--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0----------

Play that 4 times for E

Than play

------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
--2-2--4-4--5-5--4-4----------
--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-0----------
------------------------------

Play that twice for the A chord and than repeat the one for the E chord twice.

Than play this for the B chord

------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
--4-4--6-6--4-4--6-6----------
--2-2--2-2--2-2--2-2----------
------------------------------

Than play
A once
E once
B once
And repeat until someone passes out or starts tuning in the middle of the jam and tinkering with overdone flange effects.

If you don't understand the progression, just ask amd I will try to clarify.

If it's way beneath you, sorry, I didn't mean to insult you.

A 12 bar progression is great to know, because everyone knows it. And you could get together with people you never met and never played with before and say "Hey let's play a 12 bar in E, and everyone will know what to do.

Be creative. This is just one of hundreds of thousands of ways to play the chords in a 12 bar progression. Apply everything you have learned to it and experiment. It's a great Jam riff and leaves plenty of room for people to be creative and just jam.

If you want more variations just ask.

BTW: play E minor pentatonics on top of it.

-----------------------------------------------------12--15
--------------------------------------(11)-12--15------
---------------------------12-14-(15)----------
--------------------12--14-----------------
---------12-(13)-14---------------------------
--12--15--------------------------------

Use that scale to jam on top of the chord progression.
The notes in parentheses is optional and is all the same note.


As far as getting everyone to actaully stay focused and stay on that same page. Good luck.

Just wait till you add a drummer.
It's amazing any bands ever make it and stay together at all.


[This message has been edited by TomN (edited March 25, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by TomN (edited March 25, 2003).]

[drumstix128@aol.com]

I ersent that remark. It's true, but hey, give us a break, we'll be deaf before the rest of the guys in the band will.

[TomN]

Uh Oh, drummer on board.

http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/tongue.gif~~~~~~~~~


How do you know when a drummer is knocking at the door?
When in the middle of the knock it speeds up and slows down.

How do you know if a drummer's stool is not level?
The drool only drips out of one side of his mouth.

What do you call a person that hangs out with a bunch of musicians?
A drummer.

Sorry bout that. I could go on and on, but I'll stop there. I just couldn't resist.

[Muckquaiker]

lol! Very good! I've heard the first one before, never heard the rest of them though.

[drumstix128@aol.com]

Yea great tom, ive heard all of those....you should try harder to resist next time...give me a break, im sensitive, you know....http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[TomN]

Yeah I need new material. Those are pretty old. But hey I'm a guitar player it's hard to learn new stuff, I just enjoy doing the same old things over and over.

[Lazarus]

Tom, that was decent of you to write all that stuff down.