impromptu jams
I love it when these things happen.
My ex-bassist was playing with his new band last Friday. A couple of our friends were coming back from another show up north, and stopped by. Unfortunately at that point, both bands for the night had already played.
So bassist and I were smoking outside, and he suggested that we \"go jam\". At this point it's 1am (quiet time is 1:30), and I have been drinking, which is a serious affair. I don't have a guitar, and we haven't played together in months - in fact, I haven't really been playing much lately, period.
So I said, OK.
We went and talked to his singer/guitarist, who lent me his guitar - a $5000 Gibson. Once I figured out how to get the wireless device to work, I realized that his strap length is such that the guitar ends up dangling around the knee area. I like mine somewhere near the lower chest. I couldn't figure out how to work his strap, and didn't research it further, given my drunkedness and expensiveness of the instrument on my shoulder.
Then there was the issue of a pick. I didn't have any with me. Normally I use Dunlop Jazz III, which are small, thick, and sharp. Guitarist uses more common picks; they are big, thin(er), and round on the end. I kept missing strings.
And, the guitar is tuned to Eb. I'm not good with flats. The bassist uses a standard tuning on his 5-string, so everything I played was one fret up.
All in all, it went great! We got the drummer from the second band to throw a beat, and pulled out two unrehearsed improvisations. Everyone thought it was awesome - people were dancing, the singer girl from one of the bands looked like it was the happiest moment of her life, and my brother commented that we \"kicked butt\"!
In a time and place where everything seems to be wrong, there's nothing better than an impromptu jam coming out right.
Just thought I'd share.
My ex-bassist was playing with his new band last Friday. A couple of our friends were coming back from another show up north, and stopped by. Unfortunately at that point, both bands for the night had already played.
So bassist and I were smoking outside, and he suggested that we \"go jam\". At this point it's 1am (quiet time is 1:30), and I have been drinking, which is a serious affair. I don't have a guitar, and we haven't played together in months - in fact, I haven't really been playing much lately, period.
So I said, OK.
We went and talked to his singer/guitarist, who lent me his guitar - a $5000 Gibson. Once I figured out how to get the wireless device to work, I realized that his strap length is such that the guitar ends up dangling around the knee area. I like mine somewhere near the lower chest. I couldn't figure out how to work his strap, and didn't research it further, given my drunkedness and expensiveness of the instrument on my shoulder.
Then there was the issue of a pick. I didn't have any with me. Normally I use Dunlop Jazz III, which are small, thick, and sharp. Guitarist uses more common picks; they are big, thin(er), and round on the end. I kept missing strings.
And, the guitar is tuned to Eb. I'm not good with flats. The bassist uses a standard tuning on his 5-string, so everything I played was one fret up.
All in all, it went great! We got the drummer from the second band to throw a beat, and pulled out two unrehearsed improvisations. Everyone thought it was awesome - people were dancing, the singer girl from one of the bands looked like it was the happiest moment of her life, and my brother commented that we \"kicked butt\"!
In a time and place where everything seems to be wrong, there's nothing better than an impromptu jam coming out right.
Just thought I'd share.
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