Beginner going live

[jeremyjuicewah]

Need a bit of guidance here please, probably reassurance too. Have told the world at large that I am going to do two jam sessions in the new year. First one not a prob, know what I will play and have learned it upside down with variations and clever bits and do not believe I can actually get that much wrong. When I spoke to the guy who runs the other sesh however, and asked for a playlist, he said, aint got one but we do a lot of rock and roll. Smashing, that was the first thought but then I thought about all the keys and am now panicking a very little bit. B minor D maj and A maj all go together well and I am well up in that area but what if they start playing in some other key? I can get by but I want to bone up so what keys would you suggest? Havent got time to get fluent in all. By rock and roll by the way I think it takes in Status Quo and bluesy type stuff too. I didnt hear much real rock and roll. I reckon for tenor I should get C maj, A min, E maj and C# min and G maj and all their associated scales off pat. A long time ago I did some performing on guitar and thinking about it just about everything seemed to be in A. But then key changes on guitar just about do themselves and I may be remembering wrong. Any old hands out there give me a pointer? Or new ones for that matter, or anyone who has actually DONE it. Cheers all. Also, will I need a mic? And, sorry to go on, what is the etiquette with the sax? Do you play along with all or just emphasise a bit and get a solo to yourself? I have not actually seen a sax player live since I worked in the biz selling tee shirts and Alby Donnelly with Supercharge supported Wishbone Ash. One thousand years ago.

By the way I found a memory stick when I was moving with about a hundred backing tracks on it from dim and distant guitar days. If anyone wants them you will have to spell out exactly how to upload and post them and I will do that. They have bits missing where you have to fill in and there is all sorts of stuff and I use them a lot now and they werent easy to get so if youd like em spell it out to me. I have used dropbox but I am not really very sure about it all.

All the best
Mike

 

[ArtyLady]

Hi Mike,

I find on Tenor that most stuff seems to be in A, B, C#, D, E, F# Best bet is to learn your minor pentas and your blues scales in those and as many others as you can.

Rock and Roll would probably mean 12 bar blues up tempo, (Johnny B Goode et al) and I would suggest re ettiquette, that you devise a little simple riff to in fill after each vocal phrase - don't play over him if you can help it and don't play over anyone else's solo. They should nod or call out when it's your solo, you may only get one chorus some will give you two, but if you're not confident just play a few simple rhythmic riffs on the blues scale.

Hope that helps and good luck!

p.s they should supply a mic.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Just use the minor pentatonic or blues scale in the relevant key - don't worry about chord changes, just use your ears. Try asking the guitarist what key he's playing in - you might get lucky and find one that knows. Don't try to be too clever - if you know any tired old rock and roll clichés use them. Rhythm is all important. Don't play all the time - do a few fills if the guitarist isn't doing them. Don't play over somebody else's solo, you'll probably get your own. They'll probably have plenty of mics you can use.

Most common keys at jams are (concert) E, A, G, C - so C#, F#, E, A for alto and F#, B, A, D for tenor. Again, don't think major scales think pentatonics (usually minor).

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Thanks Arty and Nick. Feeling a bit better must have had the collywobbles this morning, or a hangover or whatever. I take all that on board and I can learn those. Ta
Mike

 

[ArtyLady]

Yeah guitarists will try to do all the fills (blues harp players are even worse! ;} ) but don't be scared - just play them anyway otherwise you won't get to play until your solo! guitarists can always carry on with rhythm. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Good grief. 2011 seems so long ago. But, its interesting to see the replies here because now, now that I get away with what I do, its pretty well the advice I would give if I were asked the same questions.

Just goes to show that the help received here is good help and in this case it worked alright. I noticed during set up for a gig on Saturday that I am no longer in the least bit nervous. I look forward to it and enjoy it.

Cheers all
Mike (2011 and still going)

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

I look forward to it and enjoy it

In another 5 years perhaps the audiences will too.

 

[chadders]

I have not actually seen a sax player live since I worked in the biz selling tee shirts and Alby Donnelly with Supercharge supported Wishbone Ash.

Cor Supercharge - What a brilliant group - I have one of the 10 copies of the single "Get down boogie" they must have sold. Saw them playing on their home turf supporting the Ash in Liverpool Empire, and they were stunning . Have seen Alby a couple of time since - he has quite a stage presence

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Cor Supercharge - What a brilliant group - I have one of the 10 copies of the single "Get down boogie" they must have sold. Saw them playing on their home turf supporting the Ash in Liverpool Empire, and they were stunning . Have seen Alby a couple of time since - he has quite a stage presence

Yes they were. And I was a typical semi conscious roadie with nothing but an afghan coat and a very exaggerated opionion of my own cool factor and if it wasnt a guitar it wasnt hip but Supercharge were a blast. They hijacked the sound on the last night of the european leg of the tour and wound the volume up to Ash's level and did few numbers from the Ash set before the roadies got them silenced. I did think that was cool cos once they were turned up to the same volume as the Headliners they were better than the headliners.

Good days and one of the best paying jobs I have had. Lost a few braincells there though.
Mike