My first sit in experience.

[Linky Lee]

Coming home yesterday from a short shopping spree, I walked past the local boozer to catch a glimmer of a soprano sax through the window and the sounds of jazz.
This was my local boozer which features ghastly hardcore nights and reggae bands...
I took my shopping home and decided to delay dinner to grab some live jazz as I assumed it would be stopping in about an hour (6pm).
When I got over there I was pleasantly surprised to find a Tenor as well and a great pianist.
A quick word with the bar lady and an introduction to the bass player, Eric Ash got me an invite to sit in for a couple numbers.

That was something very exciting but also very scary. I've never played jazz in a small band format and certainly never sat in with a very good band or anything. I don't really know any standards off by heart either.

I decided to give it a try, ran home, got my alto (probably a mistake thinking about it now, as they didn't have any Eb music. No need for it with a soprano and tenor) and ran across the road back to the pub.

I was told they were going to play a Blues in Bb to start off and get me in to it with a basic chord progression. So I got out my horn after a few warm up songs and joined in playing counter melodies and took a solo. I played it safe, nothing to dangerous just relax those nerves and project a good sound. Job done there.
They decided to do a different number this time, Autumn Leaves.
So again I joined in and took a solo, slightly more interesting rhythmically and harmonically and they seemed to really like it and asked me if I'd like to stay on for some more numbers which I agreed to.

They decided to play a bossa style number, can't remember the tune but it was much harder for me as it started in C# and moved to E and I promptly got lost half way through and produced a decidedly rubbish solo.
We played a few more standard tunes and I produced some better solos and backings and was rising in confidence as it went on and they asked me to stay on for the last number. A piece which put me in B minor and progressively gets faster as it goes on.
That was fantastic, I played easily my best solo by far in the pieces and was able to keep up with the tempo throughout and provided some backing lines for the other saxophonist who was playing some very cool and quick soprano lines.

It was a great half hour or so and a fantastic experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I've also been told to come along to their other local gigs and sit in towards the end if I want.

So I'm going to set about learning a few standards that I like and the changes in the hope of next time, starting off where I finished yesterday.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Well done Linky, this is great. I remember when I first "sat in", same thing - some great moments and a few embarrassing ones, but you come out of that learning a lot. Now you just need to get a big arsenal of standards. Sounds like you also got lucky with some helpful musicians. Very nice.

 

[peter_fitton]

Great stuff Linky and well done 🙂

Cheers

Peter

 

[Dylan]

Fantastic! Well done that man.

Sounds like you had a great time - and the offer to come back. You musr have gone down well.

D

 

[jools]

Aw, dude... nice one bro. It's a great feeling isn't it!? I have to agree with Pete and say it's a fantastic way to learn about being 'a musician' faster than any college can give you. There's a moment where 'animal instincts' kick in. I've also likened it to trying to catch a moving stream train: achievable but tricky. As you run alongside, you figure out where it's going and and the right moment you jump on. As soon as you are caught up in it you have to keep up or you'll fall off. Survival brings out the deepest and almost subconscious thoughts and theoretical ideas, but... should you loose sight of where the train is going, you get to fall off!. The trick is to 'cover one's tracks' at times like these with an assortment of heavily practiced 'corkscrews' that you can fill in with, till you figure out where you are. The skill lies in knowing just how to get out of trouble and back to where you should be to ride the train.

Besides, you also get experience in 'working the crowd' and honing up on, not only overcoming nerves but also becoming a 'performer'. Classic scenario, handled with style, my man!. Once bitten.. you'll want more though, I'll warn thee 😉

 

[Taz]

Nice one Linky, sounds like you had a great time. I hope next time is an even better experience for you 😉

 

[Bobby G]

Good one Lee! I imagine 'sitting in' is harder than taking part in a jam as the expectations are higher on all sides. Well done for doing it, and it is a great way to learn, and you will want to do it again, and again. That's proper music-making, that is 😉 🙂

 

[Tenor Sax]

Nice one Lee.

From boy to Man. 8)

 

[Linky Lee]

Thanks everyone for all the kind words,
I certainly got the bug straight away!

It's interesting what you said Jools. I had a chat with Eric the guitarist and he had an interesting approach to playing. He said "you can play from theory, you can play by ear, a mixture of those two or you can play with your heart. All you need to do is close your eyes and somehow you'll know what to do". He reckoned that's why all the great jazz players close there eyes whilst playing.

I don't really agree with that entirely, but I do find that closing ones eyes does focus me intensely and is also very relaxing. I tend to close my eyes quite a lot when playing. Something I noticed from gigging with the reggae band.

Your Moving train analogy is rather good, it's no problem to get on, all you need is the key. But staying on is much harder, you need to know the destination otherwise you feel unsure and will panic or become unstuck or completely abandon ship... that'd be 'train' in this case.

It happened a few times, and everytime where it was a pivot chord of some kind. A chord that took it away from the key centre to a different one. (I think because I didn't know the chords I wasn't ever prepared to change key centre) I just need to really 'learn' the chords to 3 or 4 tunes for next time and practise 'making the changes' not just being able to play over the chords but play through the chords.

I managed it a few times. Either pure instinct or luck I don't know but it sounded awesome when it worked! There's no better feeling than playing something as you create it, enjoying it, then hearing it resolve and blend back into the chords and satisfy itself.

On the nerves front it's something I wasn't suspecting and suprisingly affected me greatly. I'm not one to get nervous. I've played to a thousand people in a theater, though as part of a very large ensemble. And I was performing solo from 8 at the maidenhead music festival. So in that sense I've experienced the pressures and don't get negative nerves anymore, just excitement from the buzz.

This time though, it was something I really wanted to nail, it's essentially what I've spent the 3 years on my saxophone learning how to do. Play jazz with others. Because I was so surprised at being rather nervous, they kind of affected me more than they should of done. I don't think the pint had helped either.

 

[jools]

Oh.. a pint always helps! 🙂 not three tho. (remember kids: "enjoy drink responsibly')

The stakes do seem a little higher in a 'small band' setting to a small audience and nerves can do some strange things. One of the best bits of advice came to me from my brother, who played in military bands for many years. He said:
"Practice as though you are performing in front of a thousand people, but perform as though you are at home practicing. That tends to bring out a lot of 'intimacy' and relaxation in playing, and makes private practice more focussed too.

"Ordinary folks practice until they get it right. A professional practices until they cannot get it wrong"

Another trick I often hear players do, is ... to learn how to play through a simple 3-6-2-5-1 so that when you get "lost" you can continue playing your own 'imposed bridge' over that section (usually 4, 8 or 16 bars anyway) and arrive back to the root in time for the pick-up and the end. The bit that's 'off-key' might sound 'out there' but at least it will have it's own internal logic to pull you through.

 

[visionari1]

Jools wrote:
One of the best bits of advice came to me from my brother, who played in military bands for many years. He said:
"Practice as though you are performing in front of a thousand people, but perform as though you are at home practicing. That tends to bring out a lot of 'intimacy' and relaxation in playing, and makes private practice more focussed too.

Great Posts Linkey and Jools.....

I just attended my first open mic night...solo, performance, had been practising hard and strangly had no nerves...... however I lost my way a couple of times, and fumbled my way to the end......

Good on you Linkey, your focus on theory seemed to hold you in good stead for that sit in Jam...top marks for focus and gumption!

Jools......Great advice there mate. From one whose learned & got some nouse!

Train anology Brilliant (a fair turn of steam you have there)

Cheers

Jimu

 

[jazzzzz8]

Yew great post all our nerves are with you. God I went to an open mic night at my local. Open mic my ass. The band where just playing all their own numbers, when somone got up to play sing. The dominant bass player, She who happend to look like a rotweller, would say we'r play it in c. The singer would say I sing in D. It was awful. She'd play her bass in C. the singer who you could see was out. How embaressing for them. I took my sax. The rotweller ask what I wanted to play. I said Girl fron Ipenema F for them G for me. So off I go ba baba ba ba ba baba. She stops me; saying I'll sing it and you do a solo; nightmare. when I come to do my solo they'v changed Key. Felt sorry for all the other people that turned up to play, who did't get the chance.......

 

[phil_edwards]

jazzzzz8 wrote:
........ Felt sorry for all the other people that turned up to play, who did't get the chance.......

Sounds like the ones who didn't get a chance were the lucky ones...

Name and shame so we can steer clear of the place (or take it over one night with our legendary open-mic sax gang :laugh: )

Phil