Hi Robin, You're living on the edge, musically, and having real fun with it! That's also what I like to do. I like to accompany singer-songwriters on their original material, and sometimes they decide to play one of their tunes I never heard before - it's always an adventure. As you say, sometimes it works better than others. But you have to totally live by your ears and let everything else go out of your mind. It can be thrilling and you may find you play things you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
What you are doing will help your overall musicianship, as you will really learn to listen better than ever! Topher On Mon, Jul 5, 2010 at 12:30 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all > This will be stone obvious to most of you I guess, but I am discovering the > benefits of the jam. In Madrid there are few opportunities for playing with > other like minded folks - but now the Americana Music Jam has started and > after the second time I am discovering that this is really the way to learn > to play. There is a semi stable core of guitar, double bass, dobro, frailed > banjo and cajón, and last night a harmonica, irish fiddler, singer > songwriter, autoharp and a couple more guitars. The week before there were > three Scruggs style banjos, dobro, clawhammer banjo, no bass, spanish > guitar... > > We play whatever comes to mind: the guitarist bass and dobro are able to > play anything it seems and do stuff like Old Sciota, and things with lots of > scary looking chords. I suggest Monroe tunes and songs, there are excursions > into plain blues, original songs, folk tunes.. whatever. Some we sing, some > we don't. We have a Facebook page where people can suggest material for next > week. > > Anyway, just diving into a new song with only the chord structure for > guidance is just great practice: it was nervewracking at first, but as my > confidence built, I began launching into solos on unknown material - > sometimes with lamentable results, other times with actual coherence. This > is adding a new dimension to my playing and above all, learning to play > rhythm tastefully and according to each combination of instruments. Also, > listening to better players work their way through solos on unknown material > is great learning. I must admit I could do this all day and all night! > > Best > Robin > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Taterbugmando" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en.
