Our First Bluegrass Jam

[allenhopkins]

Actually, it's not theory I dislike; it's rote learning. I think most of what's called "music theory" is really just memorization. [All normal folks and real musicians, please avert your eyes from this point forward.] For example, part of my frustration/disinterest in keys is I still don't understand the "why" of it. I mean, once you start off with one note/chord, your options narrow as to which notes you can play next in order to sound "right." Play a second note and the options narrow further. Is it the physics of sound? our ears being trained to certain sequences of notes in Western music? is it psychological, i.e., does every note have an "emotion" to it? How the heck does the listener even "remember" the starting note? even subconsciously? and yet it seems to constrain the whole song. Did a lot of noodling around on the fretboard to figure out that, yep, somehow we do "remember" what's come before and "expect" certain things to come after. I also have unanswered questions about the asymmetry of the sequence of whole and half steps, but suspect this is simply the physics of sound, the shapes of the sound waves. I'll probably need to graph it all out--scales, keys--and look for the patterns. Gives me something to do while my index finger heals.

You have a series of wonderful basic questions there -- why almost all of us use the "Western" scale, the tonic/subdominant/dominant chord sequence, and the other common conventions -- and, ya know what? Getting a bit more background in music theory might address them! Who defined the "whole step" and "half step," when other music traditions use the "microtones" in between the frets? Why do we think the "do-re-mi" scale is "right," when it's just one of many possibilities?

Anyway, don't confuse the potential richness of music theory, with the dry rote-memorization way it may be taught. It's a lot more interesting than that (says someone whose background is admittedly sketchy), and it don't necessarily hurt yore pickin' none.

[catmandu2]

I think most of what's called "music theory" is really just memorization.

Theory is a tool: it's just theoretical understanding of the music.

One thng I was going to mention the other day--theory is the gift that keeps on giving: no matter what instrument you're playing, or in what style, theory can make it better. And even if you quit playing mandolin 10 years from now for, let's say guitar (NOT melodeon)...you'll still have your theory--it stays with you.

[JeffD]

Actually, it's not theory I dislike; it's rote learning. I think most of what's called "music theory" is really just memorization. For example, part of my frustration/disinterest in keys is I still don't understand the "why" of it. :

There is a "why" to it, but the why is not simple.

Its all about how to organize all these sounds, so that we can talk about them and do predictable and reproducable things with them. Some of the organization is kind of arbitrary, culturally evolved stuff (think about alphabetical order - who decided the order, what is it based on, where did it come from, why does X come before Y and Z), and some of it is physics of vibration and our response to it. (See this video about how universal our reactions to sound are. It is absolutely fascinating.) Our ear drums vibrate in comparable ways and our physiological and conscious reactions are predictable.

Please don't confuse how boring and dry many of the presentations are, with how rich and useful the subject is. That would be a shame.

Continuing as you are is perfect. At some point you will see that you need some theory to achieve a certain result. You will have some nails that need pounding and need a hammer, and you won't be as worried about how a hammer works or who the heck thought it up.

Like you said yourself, it is important, but it is not yet important to you. Don't worry, you will get there! You are doing fine!

When you are ready, there a lot of resources. One of the best, IMO, is the Music Theory for Dummies book. When you are ready.

[mandolinlee]

Congratulations on your first jam session. It's okay to sit on the edge and learn. Ask questions about chord progressions, about chords for specific tunes and listen to the melody line. Sooner or later someone will ask you to take your turn and call a tune. My suggestion; find a tune you like, learn to play it well and clean so you are ready when they ask. Don't worry about trying to play fancy, just follow the melody at a reasonable tempo and keep playing if you make a mistake. Most important--HAVE FUN!
Lee

[scootergirl62]

I've been trying to keep track of what little progress I'm making - just posted a video in the Newbie group - I've noticed improvement, but boy I wish I had more coordination! Of course I won't post the first video I made just after a week of playing!

I think it might be awhile before I can reasonable Jam with others But it's something I look forward to someday....

[mugbucket]

Crabgrass,

Been there, done that, and had a blast!

Like you - I came away with a good experience and desire to shore up a weakness that wasn't readily apparent until that interaction revealed it...,

Luckily for me, there are just as many generous folks here willing to help out:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...62962-Jam-tips

Cheers!

Ski

[Crabgrass]

Three weeks later we went back, on Sunday. The delay was partly because of my fingertip that won't heal. I was under strict orders not to play too much while privately vowing to play until the darn thing fell off. After all, babying it wasn't working very well. Much smaller group this time and everyone seemed glad to see us. Surprise. Smaller group, less energy maybe, more talking. That was good for the fingertip, and we got to know some of the people better. Even got invited to another jam. I have no idea why, as the core of this jam is two gigging and recording bands. But I just feel better about the whole thing....learning, jamming, being a lowly beginnner....even my fingertip is better. And inspired to really, really work on those chord progressions in every key until they're as easy as G. And the bass chop and strumming, since all I can really do now is play rhythm. Still, even that is a whole lot of fun.

I feel lucky our local jam turned out to be composed of such nice people.

[catmandu2]

Yes that is very cool miss crabgrass. Enjoy the music!

[scootergirl62]

Glad you are having such a good time with that group. I think the nearest jam to us is at the end of the month - I'm hoping we can go......

[JeffD]

I think it might be awhile before I can reasonable Jam with others But it's something I look forward to someday....

Here is a thought. I believe it in my bones, but not everyone agrees with me.

I think that the way to become able to reasonably jam with others is to start attending jams before you are reasonably able. To me it seems like not going in the water till you know how to swim. Well and good, but to learn how to swim you go in the water. To learn to jam, you start jamming, (its ok to hang on to the edges or stay in the shallow end, but ya gotta be there to get better at being there).

Because its not about knowing so much and being demonstrably able to do this and that. Its about the interaction between the music, other people, and yourself.


I would say the only prerequisite, (IMO the only only prerequisite) to attending a jam, is that you know how to tune your instrument. Once you can tune up on your own, get thee to a jam.

[mando-tech]

Actually, it's not theory I dislike; it's rote learning. I think most of what's called "music theory" is really just memorization. [All normal folks and real musicians, please avert your eyes from this point forward.] For example, part of my frustration/disinterest in keys is I still don't understand the "why" of it. I mean, once you start off with one note/chord, your options narrow as to which notes you can play next in order to sound "right." Play a second note and the options narrow further. Is it the physics of sound? our ears being trained to certain sequences of notes in Western music? is it psychological, i.e., does every note have an "emotion" to it? How the heck does the listener even "remember" the starting note? even subconsciously? and yet it seems to constrain the whole song. Did a lot of noodling around on the fretboard to figure out that, yep, somehow we do "remember" what's come before and "expect" certain things to come after. I also have unanswered questions about the asymmetry of the sequence of whole and half steps, but suspect this is simply the physics of sound, the shapes of the sound waves. I'll probably need to graph it all out--scales, keys--and look for the patterns. Gives me something to do while my index finger heals.

....One of the first things to be understood is,...-music 'theory' is NOT THEORY,...it is FACT !...the THREE most important things to do are -homework, homework, homework !. in order to achieve some degree of satisfaction in 'jamming' !

[MikeZito]

My first and only bluegrass jam happened in 1991, at a local radio station. Even though I knew NOTHING about playing bluegrass at the time, they asked me to come because it was a snowy night and it was feared that most of the invited musicians wouldn't make it. As it turns out everyone came and I was more than happy to be relegated to being one of 5 or 6 guitar players who stood in the back and strummed chords.

Several years later I was the MC at a bluegrass show and again got roped into being in the chorus of guitars. At one point the bass player looked over at me playing all of the wrong chords and said 'We could write all new songs with the chords you're playing'.

It's been 20 years since the last show, and I haven't been invited back . . . gee, I wonder why?