Saxophone beginners Going to jam session tomorrow night

[PigSquealer]

What leg? Geez man don't you know we don't have physical bodies? We are immortal souls trying to find our way home. It will be okay. No legs, man, remember? Just be happy. Peace will guide us. 😀

Old term to….well I can’t say. It’s bad luck to say that. I hope you break a leg too.

https://www.rd.com/article/break-a-leg/

FWIW the SPDJ gig is this Sunday. I’m not planning on going.

 

[AlonW]

Simple for you. The bass player won't thank you. 😁

We ended up doing Autumn Leaves. I flubbed the head pretty bad, played a few wildly long solos, and tried to bring it back. All in all, a learning experience for a newbie for sure. I’ll be going back next week.

I left my music book at the venue. I wonder if it will still be there when I return. Maybe someone will find my hand written notes for my song arrangement “I’m Late” that I wanted to play. I’m not writing that out again. Oh well.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Enjoy this one.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI

 

[PiccoloPirate]

In days of old, when inexperienced players, would ask to sit in at our sessions, Autumn and Summertime, were the tunes they were asked to know.
Rockers got Stormy Monday.
Brass wind players, got mutes. 😜

 

[turf3]

In days of old, when inexperienced players, would ask to sit in at our sessions, Autumn and Summertime, were the tunes they were asked to know.
Rockers got Stormy Monday.
Brass wind players, got mutes. 😜

Hmmm. I find both of those tunes harder to play something useful than more common standards, like say C Jam Blues, or Perdido, Indiana, etc.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Just don't call St Phillips St Breakdown or Tiger Rag. 🙉

Ice cream maybe. 🤔

Top of the list? Apex Blues.... See what I did there? 😉

 

[JSL]

Rockers got Stormy Monday.

I would think Blues players would get Stormy Monday. "Rockers" would possibly botch it.

 

[JayeNM]

Simple for you. The bass player won't thank you. 😁

As a bass player I attest to this. It isn't HARD, per se, but I do get riled a bit when someone calls a 'bass head' tune at a jam...

 

[JayeNM]

We ended up doing Autumn Leaves. I flubbed the head pretty bad, played a few wildly long solos, and tried to bring it back. All in all, a learning experience for a newbie for sure. I’ll be going back next week.

I left my music book at the venue. I wonder if it will still be there when I return. Maybe someone will find my hand written notes for my song arrangement “I’m Late” that I wanted to play. I’m not writing that out again. Oh well.

Explain more, please.
Is it that when you went up , ypu weren't granted to call your own tune ? And someone called Autumn Leaves instead ? And you sight-read Autumn Leaves from the lead chart you had with you ?

Would that be an accurate characterization ?

Or was the situation something else ?

 

[PiccoloPirate]

I would think Blues players would get Stormy Monday. "Rockers" would possibly botch it.

My definition of Rockers, playing anything other than Jazz or Classical tunes.
The other tunes are all
Rock n Roll to me. 🎶🏴‍☠️🎶

I might add, although this is about "jam
sessions", I've never been to one or an open mic night.
When invited to sit in with others while working, always Flute.
Our sessions, piano, two guitars, drums, trombone and Alto sax.
Everyone was schooled and all but me, had Cards.
My day job was music teacher.
A lovely Gal, getting her upright skills together, would join us occasionally.
I knew her since we were kids, gave her a ride home with her bass, and she would say, I'd like you to stay, but I know your Mrs, is Annie Oakley, from Bath Beach. 😵‍💫
She knew the Mrs, and would ask for advice about finding normal men.

At a buddies house, just for fun or getting tunes for work.
I played Bass guitar for Rock/Country Western work.

When they invited a beginner to join us, they advised them to know Autumn & Summertime, be able to read from the fake books, and we would help them as necessary.

 

[lig]

We ended up doing Autumn Leaves. I flubbed the head pretty bad, played a few wildly long solos, and tried to bring it back. All in all, a learning experience for a newbie for sure. I’ll be going back next week.

I left my music book at the venue. I wonder if it will still be there when I return. Maybe someone will find my hand written notes for my song arrangement “I’m Late” that I wanted to play. I’m not writing that out again. Oh well.

A few wildly long solos?

One of the things you learn by playing with others is listening to everyone else and it gets really fun when your solos can spontaneously work with what the guitar player or keyboard player or drummer is doing and then the magic happens.

Reading the room is also something you’ll learn.

If you just get up determined to take a bunch of choruses without regard to what the rhythm section is doing or how they are reacting to what you are playing you may run the risk of not being invited up again.

 

[turf3]

Yep, my rule is two choruses, max.

At the jam I visited for the first time last week, I don't think a single person took more than two choruses, and some of them clearly had the equipment to continue longer and keep playing interesting stuff.

 

[Pete Thomas]

and some of them clearly had the equipment to continue longe

What kind of equipment is it that allows you to play longer solos?

Do you mean like switching from saxophone to flute?

 

[AlonW]

Explain more, please.
Is it that when you went up , ypu weren't granted to call your own tune ? And someone called Autumn Leaves instead ? And you sight-read Autumn Leaves from the lead chart you had with you ?

Would that be an accurate characterization ?

Or was the situation something else ?

No, not at all my friend. I simply prepared two songs, So What and Autumn Leaves. But the bass player couldn't play So What, (so what?) So, we played Autumn Leaves. I printed my sheet music landscape style on my printer by accident and it COMPLETELY SCREWED UP MY BRAIN. So sad about this. Oh well.

A few wildly long solos?

One of the things you learn by playing with others is listening to everyone else and it gets really fun when your solos can spontaneously work with what the guitar player or keyboard player or drummer is doing and then the magic happens.

Reading the room is also something you’ll learn.

If you just get up determined to take a bunch of choruses without regard to what the rhythm section is doing or how they are reacting to what you are playing you may run the risk of not being invited up again.

The problem was that everyone was so damn boring, I couldn't help play over them. I knew what was going on. Most of the other musicians were asleep. So sad but so true and all I could do was be there, in the moment, with complete acceptance, lest I were to suffer too!

My definition of Rockers, playing anything other than Jazz or Classical tunes.
The other tunes are all
Rock n Roll to me. 🎶🏴‍☠️🎶

I might add, although this is about "jam
sessions", I've never been to one or an open mic night.
When invited to sit in with others while working, always Flute.
Our sessions, piano, two guitars, drums, trombone and Alto sax.
Everyone was schooled and all but me, had Cards.
My day job was music teacher.
A lovely Gal, getting her upright skills together, would join us occasionally.
I knew her since we were kids, gave her a ride home with her bass, and she would say, I'd like you to stay, but I know your Mrs, is Annie Oakley, from Bath Beach. 😵‍💫
She knew the Mrs, and would ask for advice about finding normal men.

At a buddies house, just for fun or getting tunes for work.
I played Bass guitar for Rock/Country Western work.

When they invited a beginner to join us, they advised them to know Autumn & Summertime, be able to read from the fake books, and we would help them as necessary.

Thanks, I'll play Summertime next time. They invited me to come back!

I would think Blues players would get Stormy Monday. "Rockers" would possibly botch it.

I Get Stormy Monday. Stormy Tuesday, ain't so bad. Stormy Wednesday, now Stormy Wednesday is rad. But Thursday, Thursday's child is bad. Here comes Friday, all along the watchtower. Saturday seeks nothing. And Sunday, is my day of rest. Today is Friday. But yesterday was also Friday. And tomorrow is also Friday. Every Friday. 365 Fridays a year.

Old term to….well I can’t say. It’s bad luck to say that. I hope you break a leg too.

https://www.rd.com/article/break-a-leg/

FWIW the SPDJ gig is this Sunday. I’m not planning on going.

I had a great time. My legs were not broken.

Wishing you guys the best at the SPDJ jam. I cannot come because it is so far away from my residence.

Yep, my rule is two choruses, max.

At the jam I visited for the first time last week, I don't think a single person took more than two choruses, and some of them clearly had the equipment to continue longer and keep playing interesting stuff.

I get it, but I forgot everything I was doing in the moment, too much anxiety, man. I just can't think when I'm up there. I honestly don't even know what happened. But they asked me to come back, so that works for me.

My local jam and open mic nights have introduced people with similar musical taste but different social groups to each other, spawning some nascent groups.

I've already made friends at this jam. My favorite new friend is Rafeek the trumpet player, who likes Wayne Shorter tunes.

To the "I cannot memorize songs" thing....

1) It doesn't matter....at all....for the playing contexts you work in for time being. Use charts. Fine.

2) Little Sunflower
Impressions
The Blues Walk
Que Pasa
Fly Me to the Moon
Mo' Better Blues
Jive Samba

Easily memorizable...

....most are even..... Hep.


.....you are welcome.....

Eww, the worst songs ever. To each his own I guess. Sorry.

 

[lig]

Yep, my rule is two choruses, max.

At the jam I visited for the first time last week, I don't think a single person took more than two choruses, and some of them clearly had the equipment to continue longer and keep playing interesting stuff.

Proper. 👍🏼

 

[PiccoloPirate]

What kind of equipment is it that allows you to play longer solos?

A mind full of memorized music, well practiced, with the ability to play endless variations of a theme.
Classical studies can be useful, even in modern music.
Take a phrase from a Classical tune, and write a tune, based on that, any style.
Great exercise for budding comp/improv students.

 

[turf3]

What kind of equipment is it that allows you to play longer solos?

Do you mean like switching from saxophone to flute?

that stuff in between the ears.

 

[Pete Thomas]

What kind of equipment is it that allows you to play longer solos?

A mind full of memorized music, well practiced, with the ability to play endless variations of a theme.

Sure but I was asking specifically about equipment

 

[PiccoloPirate]

After viewing that video, of your fall while clogging, non-skid shoes, to prevent a, Bum down, chorus stopping moment ? 😜

 

[cappers]

I printed my sheet music landscape style on my printer by accident and it COMPLETELY SCREWED UP MY BRAIN.

Did you not notice you printed your music in landscape mode before you went to the session?
I'm very attentive about getting everything ship-shape before I play, I need no distractions!

Oh young Jedi Master, as the venerable Yoda says, Planning Proper Prior P*** Poor Performance Prevents ! 😉