Jam Session with guitarist only - a GREAT way to improve

Jonathan Curtis

Jonathan Curtis

Silver Member
One half of my band were moving on Sunday, which is when we usually rehearse, so the guitarist and I decided to book a three hour session for just the two of us. We're best friends and have been jamming together for years and years, but this was the first chance in a long time that we've had to play together properly.

What a session! We played fusion, funk, jazz, rock; mainly improvisation, but we worked out some structures that we liked that we'll work into some songs. It was a really great three hours. What we both came away saying, though, was how well it highlighted weaknesses. For example, my groove was very good and I was able to really give some feeling and texture to what he was playing, but I was having a bit of trouble with a fast samba, an ostinato hi-hat pattern, and my soloing and fills were a little flat. He made similar observations on his own playing.

When it's just you and another instrumentalist, especially an instrument that is NOT a bass, it is all you, and any mistakes glare through at you from the relatively few layers of sound. I now have a plethora of things to work on that may have gone neglected if not for sessions like this. I highly recommend them to anyone struggling to think what to practice. Three hours with one other musician and pure improvisation will soon show you your weaknesses.
 
Black Keys.
They are a 2 piece.
I gotta agree with you. When I started playing, it was me on drums and my buddy on guitar. Hour after hour on week ends we played together. just jamming, improvising, learning. 20 years later people were calling us the "encyclopedia of rock" because we could play anything. I would get called with 4 hours notice that someones band had a drummer out sick or he quit and I would come and sit in for the gig like I had always played with them. It is a great way of learning.
 
I still run across guitarists who are not open minded enough to want to play with "just" a drummer. I have had some fantastic sessions in past years with just myself and a guitarist. Great to hear your bandmate is still open to doing this..
 
It's great, no? You find an easy-going, agreeable guitarist who loves the drums...and it's purely inspirational. My first band was just guitar and myself. This cat could PLAY...well respected in the (small) local scene. Pathetic little me had just started 5 months prior to our meeting...he was very forgiving and patient. ;) After two years of this...my playing had progressed far faster than it could have any other way, I think.

We're still great friends and we get together for jams every year when he comes through town. I might try to put something like this together again!
 
I am a new guy here, glad to meet you guys
 
Personally, I love jamming with guitarists; Hell for about 3 month my band's only been me and two guitarists and we've done OK.
 
Last Saturday, friends of ours invited us to their house for dinner. My friend is a guitarist in one of my bands, and he is also a drummer, and has a setup for all instruments in his basement. He invited me to jam with him for about 45 minutes, and it was a blast. You are correct - the drummer is a one person rthym section and must be on their game!
 
Mighty_Joker said:
One half of my band were moving on Sunday, which is when we usually rehearse, so the guitarist and I decided to book a three hour session for just the two of us. We're best friends and have been jamming together for years and years, but this was the first chance in a long time that we've had to play together properly.

What a session! We played fusion, funk, jazz, rock; mainly improvisation, but we worked out some structures that we liked that we'll work into some songs. It was a really great three hours. What we both came away saying, though, was how well it highlighted weaknesses. For example, my groove was very good and I was able to really give some feeling and texture to what he was playing, but I was having a bit of trouble with a fast samba, an ostinato hi-hat pattern, and my soloing and fills were a little flat. He made similar observations on his own playing.

When it's just you and another instrumentalist, especially an instrument that is NOT a bass, it is all you, and any mistakes glare through at you from the relatively few layers of sound. I now have a plethora of things to work on that may have gone neglected if not for sessions like this. I highly recommend them to anyone struggling to think what to practice. Three hours with one other musician and pure improvisation will soon show you your weaknesses.
Click to expand...
When I was auditioning musicians in the 80's i would always freestyle jam just to see how we interacted and can you learn a lot from the musicians personality and if you remember to record everything you sometimes end up with songs.If you get a bass player who is creative you can jam for hours as well
All the best
Tim
 
Mighty_Joker said:
One half of my band were moving on Sunday, which is when we usually rehearse, so the guitarist and I decided to book a three hour session for just the two of us. We're best friends and have been jamming together for years and years, but this was the first chance in a long time that we've had to play together properly.

What a session! We played fusion, funk, jazz, rock; mainly improvisation, but we worked out some structures that we liked that we'll work into some songs. It was a really great three hours. What we both came away saying, though, was how well it highlighted weaknesses. For example, my groove was very good and I was able to really give some feeling and texture to what he was playing, but I was having a bit of trouble with a fast samba, an ostinato hi-hat pattern, and my soloing and fills were a little flat. He made similar observations on his own playing.

When it's just you and another instrumentalist, especially an instrument that is NOT a bass, it is all you, and any mistakes glare through at you from the relatively few layers of sound. I now have a plethora of things to work on that may have gone neglected if not for sessions like this. I highly recommend them to anyone struggling to think what to practice. Three hours with one other musician and pure improvisation will soon show you your weaknesses.
Click to expand...

Maybe it was also that the pressure of a full rehearsal was off? Me and our guitarist played together without a bass player recently. I was initially scepticla because I like playing as part of a rhythm section, but without the bassist the pressure to 'get things done' was off and we both experimented much more, with good results
 
I have done it several times too. The last time I did it, we sort of went through the history of classic rock. He seemed to know 'em all! It took us a long time to find a bass player: my teenage son. He finally became good enough. Now we have a rock trio. Peace and goodwill.
 
I have been playing for 8 years with a guitar player singer. Seems we get together two or three times a month and about half the time we don't have a bass player. We have a couple we use but we're lucky to get either of them to show up to practice.
I love it. I really have to be solid. There is no lazy "playing along" with the bass. If James wants to take off on some crazy lead stuff and leave me as the only rhythm section I'm able to keep a confident, solid groove for him and I know it has helped my playing.
Thought about gigging as a two piece but I don't know about that. It's educational and fun but I dig that bottom end of either a bass or at least another good rhythm guitar.
David
 
When I've jammed with a bassist there's often been the feeling that we were practising to do the real thing, whereas with a guitarist it was just playing.

I've done with with a few guitarists in the past - book a studio and jam for hours. At times the music could get pretty out there!
 
I know that Brann Dailor from Mastodon solely played with guitar players until he was about 19 (I think). No one around him played bass, so he grew up following all of the intricate guitar changes with his drums. If your familiar with his playing, it makes you think "ahhhh, now I see".
 
Playing with only a guitarist is tough as nails but fun. Lately I've been jamming with someone who on the one hand is very skilled but on the other hand never seemed to take the time to learn songs by heart. Interesting fellow who jumps all over the place. Following him is a chore and leading him on is even tougher.

Sometimes I'd start a drum beat and think " man this is gonna be some good funk " only for him to start playing some serious hard rock on my beat. This kind of thing offered a perspective. Either he was bad at interpreting drum beats without the added bass line or I was bad at actually making a drum beat feel the way it should feel. I assumed it was the latter and with a bit of practice I was able to get much better at imparting my feel onto him. Great learning moments like that are hard to pass up.
 
cowgard said:
I have been playing for 8 years with a guitar player singer. Seems we get together two or three times a month and about half the time we don't have a bass player. We have a couple we use but we're lucky to get either of them to show up to practice.
I love it. I really have to be solid. There is no lazy "playing along" with the bass. If James wants to take off on some crazy lead stuff and leave me as the only rhythm section I'm able to keep a confident, solid groove for him and I know it has helped my playing.
Thought about gigging as a two piece but I don't know about that. It's educational and fun but I dig that bottom end of either a bass or at least another good rhythm guitar.
David
Click to expand...
Go gig as a 2 piece.
My and My Singer JUDEA have been touring as a 2 piece band since Late 2007 as we have had the worst luck with bass players.So I play bass tones on the Roland Octopad
check out my youtube channel to see clips if you like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWIBM2-DNvs
Tim
 
So, it seems like there's mostly a positive response to this idea. Does this suggest that bass players somehow detract from the musical experience, or that fewer people allow greater creativity, since there's less coordination/cooperation required?

My funk band rehearsed last night in prep for a gig next week. The bassist had to cut out early for a gig w/ his other band. After he split, it was just myself, keys, and guitar. I have to be honest, I was finally able to cut loose and play *really* creatively for the first time, with these guys! I like our bassist...not dissing him at all, but it does seem like the music opened up considerably w/o him.
 
zambizzi said:
So, it seems like there's mostly a positive response to this idea. Does this suggest that bass players somehow detract from the musical experience, or that fewer people allow greater creativity, since there's less coordination/cooperation required?

My funk band rehearsed last night in prep for a gig next week. The bassist had to cut out early for a gig w/ his other band. After he split, it was just myself, keys, and guitar. I have to be honest, I was finally able to cut loose and play *really* creatively for the first time, with these guys! I like our bassist...not dissing him at all, but it does seem like the music opened up considerably w/o him.
Click to expand...
No NOT All bass players If you have a great bass player they will bbe able to Jam as well.
fewer people allows more space.
I had a few bass players who were very creative and we could jam for hours go in almost any direction
Tim
 
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