musical milestones: spontaneous jamming...

[dianec42]

Actual spontaneous jamming broke out yesterday. We were (and technically still are) trying to figure out the chord progression for the fadeout of that fine Police tune "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"; Dan had found something he thought was it, but no-one could work it into the actual song. The next thing I know, we're playing the song and Dan and I are actually playing the same thing. Everyone else sort of tailed off in stunned or confused disbelief -- I nearly did too!

"Don't stop, we've got it!"
"We've got something... what the hell is it?"

Comments

[scooterbird.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how much I've made it clear that I envy you for getting the gumption to get good at your instrument. I've considered bass guitar in the past, as well as my current guitar "stylings", but I just simply can't play any more and between my job, my possible business, the Green Party, and my budding acting career, I don't have the time or patience to sit down and teach myself anything.

[dianec42.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

For me, context has been everything. 2 jobs ago, there was an office band, and my boss was tired of playing bass and wanted to mess about with keyboards. So I borrowed his bass to try it out, and was instantly hooked. I was helped tremendously by having a great bunch of guys to jam with every week, not to mention an office with a door that shut. (-:

While I lived in the UK I did absolutely nothing musical. I bought a tiny practice amp and used it ONCE (the day I bought it).

At the current job, I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and overheard a conversation implying that the current office band was in need of a bass player. I spoke up -- okay, THAT took gumption. I gave all the usual caveats about how out of practice I was, and the guys have been really patient with me, and I'm mostly keeping up.

But if I hadn't found groups of like-minded people, I never would have done anything with it. If a band springs into existence near you, jump in! That is (pathetically) the only real advice I have.

[And there have been moments when I wonder why they let me play, when everyone else is so much better. After Dan gave my bass a particularly good thrashing one day, I even wondered this out loud. His response? "Just go with it." Okay...]