My Big Mistake at That Jam Session

When I was a young lad, I attended jam sessions eager to take all the stuff I’d been practicing and try it out in a real-world playing situation.

There were times when I wanted my turn on the bandstand so badly that I’d falsely claim I knew a tune that someone had called just so I could get a chance to solo.

The result was me butchering the melody and “skating” over the chord changes like an arrogant fool attempting to chime into a discussion about which I knew absolutely nothing.

Now, don’t get me wrong – taking chances and risks is not always a bad thing. In fact, waiting to put yourself out there until you’re “ready” can often hinder your development as an artist.

But taking a chance on a tune that I had not spent any time studying was more disrespectful than anything else.

Here’s the lesson I needed to learn:

A solo does indeed shine a spotlight on the soloist. But the best soloists reflect that light back to the band and the music as a whole. It’s the classic “me” versus “we” dichotomy.

So often we focus on being good at music instead of making good music. There’s a difference. The former is all about the musician and the latter is all about the music.

Now when I go to jam sessions, I do my best to serve the music, which means if someone calls a tune I don’t know, the best thing I can do is sit that one out and enjoy the show.

For more insights and tips on becoming the best musician you can be as a means to making the best music you can make, be sure to check out my course, Perfect Practice, in which you’ll learn my top tips, tools, and techniques for optimizing your practice time to achieve the results you want as quickly as possible.

These tested and proven strategies are appropriate for any instrument and can be applied instantly, no matter what your skill level and experience.

Learn more here:

https://go.jeffschneidermusic.com/perfect-practice

Happy Shedding!

Jeff