We be Jammin'

Warning: this is a stream of consciousness post…  I took part in my first guitar Jam session this past weekend. I have some friends down in Norfolk that were having, of all things, a Ground Hog’s Day party.. Any excuse to invite friends over will do, I guess. This was a thrill for me…. Because it is very, very different than the way I typically play music. This was 6 guitarists with 6 different styles with 6 different interpretations of the same songs. The results were a lot of fun. This next statement may just be my own lack of self confidence in my playing…. But, I was the most inexperienced player there. Which basically means I learned A LOT. This type of playing was more about playing together… simple 3 chord tunes like “Mustang Sally” that everyone knows. I am typically playing by myself in my living room.. working a song towards my perception of perfection. Lack of perfection was more than acceptable in the jam session. Sitting in the garage in a circle of chairs, 5 acoustic guitars, one electric. One guy would start out the rest would pick up with the rhythm … the next guy would start singing.. Then another would take on the lead guitar role… at the end of that tune, the next person in the circle was expected to start the next song. And so it would go all the way around til it started over again. During the playing, everyone was encouraged to wail out the chorus… some would sing just the way that they had last heard the song on the radio…. Others would try very hard to harmonize… others would just loudly hum a muffled version of the words. It became a menagerie of sound that somehow made sense. Beatles tunes; Van Morrison; Old Soul; Buffet… all were represented really well. Our host for the evening is a relatively new friend of mine, Mick. He and I had played together several times before with the first time being when we met with our Significant others while on a trip to Keywest. This is another story in itself. (for another time). He had not played music with most of the others. They were well seasoned performers that had played together frequently at local pubs etc. Mick was beside himself at having them play in his garage. It became his turn. Now you should know that Mick is no slouch at the guitar, He usually but not always, fingerpicks and always sings. Every song that he takes on becomes his very own. He started enthusiastically with the Doobie Brother’s “Long Train Running”… and the group just fell in behind him, but the show was all his. He was so into it that his guitar strings began making sparks… This is not a joke. No one could believe it… also, no one got a picture of it. Turns out that he was using a pick, which is rare for him… and this pick was made of Jade. It was a very cool thing to see… and the sound it produced was incredible. When he finished…. Everyone cheered loudly.. it was one of those exciting moments that comes without warning and everyone.. the 6 guitarists and the 20 people listening were in awe. As for me… I realize I have a lot of work to do… I enjoy my playing, but like I said earlier, I'm working a tune to perform it… not that this is bad.. and I do really enjoy it. I want to be able to take more of a role in this type of an outing too… So, I’ll be working on my 3 chord tunes… and my timing and my singing and my memorization of the Keys and… and… and… well, working on just allowing myself to have fun playing just for fun’s sake. I am however thrilled to have been involved in this event. I keep learning new ways to have fun.. Dave