What Have These Jams Done For You?

I agree. They are good tools to get a person out of a rutt, and push themselves to learn or try something new. I know they have for me.
On top of that, there's all the technology involved. I had never recorded to a pc before, and these jams have forced me to learn how ot use the technology needed to do so. Hosting a jam gave another new dimension to the learning curve. All in all, I find them to be alot of fun, and you might learn something if you're not careful. :wink:

Dan

Honestly, as someone who has been playing for only two years, I find it intimidating to be involved in a project with much more experienced and talented players. My first online jam was a blues jam that Smokindog posted around a year ago, and it really helped me get over a fear of being "in the spotlight" so to speak. Even if I sucked, it was a confidence booster which I think has since helped my playing.

I fully expect my part in the current Funk jam to sound amateurish next to what the others will provide, but I don't really care. I learned something about funk music, playing octaves, and (unfortunately) latency in computer recording. And I had fun!

I highly recommend newer players get involved as well. It is often said that "playing with others" is a good way to quickly get better, and the jams are very similar to that.

Increased confidence - I dont worry about the mistakes as much

Relationships - Got closer to some great players who PM or email me now and then

More critical of my final product - Maybe a contrast to my first point but I spend more time making my final cut acceptable to me.

Learned recording - As someone else mentioned

Its been a great experience every time. I probably need to take on some genres that I am not used to now.. Like the funk jam, next time.

Jim

The Metal and Funk jams are my first ever online jams, and I'm finding them fun because, well, they're 'jams' - jam sessions - in a more or less classic sense; just play what you play when it's time to play it, and that's pretty much all. The stuff I've been involved in in the past few years has always been worked out, rehearsed, or done for CD purposes only (or all three), and though that has its own sort of fun, it's not really...informal, if you know what I mean.

These jams have opened it up a little for me to simply play the guitar - something which has been lacking for quite awhile now.

And when I think about organizing an actual, everyone-physically-present sort of jam - putting ads out, gathering people, getting a rehearsal area, and then dealing with schedule conflicts and everything - it reminds me too much of putting a band together, and...a lot of us know what that can be like in real life. :roll:

This on the other hand is really refreshing!

Thanks!

Mitch, I know what you mean exactly. I've only been playing for two years and I know my parts to many of these jams aren't very good, but like you I don't care anymore. I had fun, I learned something (a lot usually), felt a part of something with some online friends. What's not to like about all of that? I think it will be neat to look back on these jams in say a year and see how much I've progressed.

Everyone here is great as well. Nobody bashes you and generally only give sound, constructive advice.

Dan, Jim, the recording aspects I hadn't really thought about when I posted. Good call. It is easy to take for granted the ability to record our own stuff, in fairly decent quality, now-a-days. That's my ultimate goal with guitar is to write my own songs, record them, and have a CD that I can give to friends and family. These jams help learn the skills to do that.

Jason

Demo, these are fun and addicting! They won't be able to get rid of me now! :)

Jason

Yep me too I'm afraid :)

It'd be cool if someone would figure out how to do it live, but for me, it's 'live enough.' 8)

I haven't managed to find time to do one yet, and I'm already improvising more - cheers guys :mrgreen:

The jams have done everything for me. Given me direction when I'm in a rut. Focus to learn something I may not know. Pressure to meet a deadline and not let my fellow guitar mates down.

New found friends and acquaintances. New accomplices in music. :twisted:

Respect for what every other musician has to offer.

It has done everything for me.

I've gone to places that I would never thought I would have gone with my playing..funk.. metal (twice) Folk.. rock... Stone country, and Punk blues("Dead Beatles Blues"). every time you play "out side the box" You discover that you have something in you that didn't have a clue you had until you just freakin just laid it down :twisted: We have a lot of great guys and gals her who are of one mind...to create and share there music :D I think we are just getting started and the best is yet to come :!: We are the Guitarnoise CO-OP. lots of folks with ideas to share :D Bring on the jams :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: --the dog

Well just about everything that's been said already.

Most of all learning the recording and mixing along with getting
to produce finished product for some of my own ideas.

I am beginning to feel more like a "Musician" than just a "Guitar Strummer"

Best of all I think we have all had some fun and made some good friends
along the way.

Thank You All

John

Now I feel like I need to get into a jam. It's been over a year since my last.....

I want to get in on a jam myself. Waiting for another hard rock/metal jam.

Question, are all the jams improvising leads over backing tracks or do we ever improvise rhythm stuff?

OWA: well, normally it's backing over which you play, and over most backings lead works better as the rhytm section is alreadt provided. But you always team up with some people and make your own backing so others can play lead over it. An example from a dutch foru"m:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=629429&songID=4730175

I wrote the progression, someone else turned that into a backing and yet another person played the lead guitar. If you like to play rhythm there's bound to be a way to do so here.