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Beginner - first jam - terrifying!


Lardy
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Uncharacteristically, I put myself up for this. Though a different type of experience, I think I was encouraged by this post [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/281860-beginners-corner/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/281860-beginners-corner/[/url] where 'Ashweb', despite being a beginner, had bravely just ‘gone for it’ . So thanks to him and his (apparent) mentor Bassman7755.

Anyway, I got to hear about a chap who was inviting any musically-interested people in our ‘community’ (work-related) together for a bit of fun. After a few emails (including my reservations as a beginner), a few suggestions of songs, and a three frantic evenings of practice by me, he got about half a dozen of us together in a room he’d booked on Thursday evening. I'm not sure if it was really a jam (how would I know) or just an ad-hoc rehearsal by people who've never met, never played together.

I’m very much a late-in-life beginner, ‘been learning about a year (big gap of 2-3 months when we moved) so I’ve been doing very basic practice routines, and I’d never tried much more than short riffs etc. Whole songs, at song-pace, no way!

It was TERRIFYING! ‘Arrived late (well, in fact, they started early), whilst [real] musicians were merrily singing and playing their way through a song. ‘Set up then couldn’t work out how to play anything bass-like for the remainder of that song (I can read tab at home but I think I went ‘tab-blind’ there). ‘Next one I’d practised - but then they told me they changed key FFS! Later, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black saved the day at the end as I could actually keep up (-ish). ‘Actually enjoyed it (though from the concentration expression on my face you wouldn’t have known it). I was sweating profusely through the whole experience. When I got back home it took me a bottle and a half of wine to recover.

Despite the headache in the morning I was glad I’d done it. I’m always encouraged (and entertained) by what basschat members have to say here on all manner of topics, and I almost certainly wouldn’t have ‘gone for it’ had it not been for basschat, so ‘thank you’ to all.

Now then, so that I don’t get ‘expelled’ at the next session (perhaps the one after), can anyone suggest a really simple way of getting through Crossroads by Cream?! The very capable guitarist has suggested it. I’m completely out of my depth, I know, but I’m thinking of just playing the same riff all the way through (and hoping that I can get to any kind of decent speed), based on following a chord chart* and the chord changes (there’s no way I could read music or tab quick enough, never mind play it). *Sorry, I haven’t really expressed this very well.

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Blues jams are really great fun, Lardy.

My advice would be to forget tabs and charts ... just play along to a bunch of 12-bar stuff until it becomes second nature. I'm not talking months and months of work here, weeks would be nearer the mark.

Crossroads is pretty simple even as played by Jack Bruce, especially the Live! version.If you learn to play it with the octave bounce in the main riff, then you can always drop that bounce to simplify it when playing live if it gets a bit too much.

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Hey, nice one...what you did took a lot of courage, you should be proud of yourself.

I'd agree with what Happy Jack says - if things seem too tough at the start, simplify them. If you're playing roots to drive the tune along then that's fine....whatever you can manage is cool - you can add the more complicated stuff as you go along. It's how everyone learns ;)

Get some practice at home to get your head round the tunes before next time and get down earlier next week !!

Edited by ahpook
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[quote name='Lardy' timestamp='1460223289' post='3023861']... a really simple way of getting through Crossroads by Cream?...
[/quote]

Don't attempt the studio version at all; that relies heavily on being proficient, and having a proficient drummer driving along..! The 'Albert Hall' live version is much more appropriate (even Cream changed it for 'live' performance...). Start off by playing only the root notes over the track, only two notes required (one short, one longer...), slowed down if necessary. Once you've got the structure firmly established, you can add the 'riff' part, again, slowly at first. Keep it simple; just the bare bones. Once that's acquired, you can work out for yourself a couple of chromatic runs (that's to say: climbing up, semi-tone by semi-tone, till you get to the target note, which will be the starting root note of the next line...). These runs don't have to be fast, or even on the beat (playing them in between the beats would be playing 'syncopated'...). Get back here if there are questions or problems, and... enjoy..!
Hope this helps..

Edited by Dad3353
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Brian Eno famously said that, with music, you can crash and burn and still walk away.

Well done for going for it - any preparation you put in beforehand will be time well spent, and the experience you get playing with other musicians just can't be bought. All good!

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[size=4]Here's a Start-up kit for Crossroads...

A pdf to download (and change the file extension; the System messes it up but it's a pdf...) with tab and dots...

[attachment=216607:Cros_Bass_Simp.pdf]

... and a Soundcloud file to listen to, illustrating the contents of the pdf...

[url="http://soundcloud.com/dad3353/cros-bass-simp"]Crossroads Bass, simplified ...[/url]

Hope this helps.

PS: let me know if you want a play-along track to download...[/size]

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='Lardy' timestamp='1460223289' post='3023861']
can anyone suggest a really simple way of getting through Crossroads by Cream?!
[/quote]

I believe Eric, Jack & Ginger used to rely on copious quantities of heroin to get through a performance.
Might be worth a try.

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Thank you for all the advice and encouragement - it makes a big difference at this stage (I'm about a thousand miles out of my comfort zone).

FinnDave - I enjoyed that! Easier to follow than the very 'busy' version of Crossroads that I've got (hmm, Stanford-in-the-Vale. I seem to remember getting stopped there one night by the police on the way back from a Hawkwind concert...).

Dad3353 - I'm overwhelmed - thank you so much. That's given me something that I believe I can really achieve - in steps. I'm now going to annoy the family and get on with it. J.

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[quote name='Lardy' timestamp='1460238495' post='3024016']
FinnDave - I enjoyed that! Easier to follow than the very 'busy' version of Crossroads that I've got (hmm, Stanford-in-the-Vale. I seem to remember getting stopped there one night by the police on the way back from a Hawkwind concert...).
[/quote]

Great minds, etc, I'm seeing Hawkwind in about two weeks!

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Youve cracked it now - your confidence will grow. Try and make it a regular jam so you dont go cold.........and when you feel brave try an open mic jam at a pub.

Well done 😎

Edited by Mudpup
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I'm in a similar boat, first time was terrifying and I did crash and burn, making it harder to try again. But that next time I totally smashed it and the crowd went nuts. They had never heard a precision bass on "loud".
Now my big fear is cocking it up and not being able to hide it, which is a different fear entirely and an easier one to deal with

Edited by Geek99
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Well done Lardy. It sounds like you had a normal and healthy first jam. I am hoping you get some laffs from the whole thing next time because it's never worth beating yourself up just for being a beginner.

I am looking forward to one of my own on Tuesday. The first after being absent from ensembles for about thirty years. It will be interesting to see if I get that same newbie vibe once more.

You know when actors and actrusses say "Break a leg!"? Well I don't yet know what bassists say in the same circumstance but [i]that [/i]anyway. Enjoy.

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Good man..! Don't rush things; slow is the new fast. Don't forget to breath (more important than one imagines, and a permanent problem of mine since infancy...) Take breaks; I recommend Earl Grey and Rich Tea or Digestive biscuits, but a glass of milk is fine, too. Every hour of practise, take a walk around the house (yes, outside...) for 5 minutes. Raining..? Pah..! It's only water; it'll wash off.
As you were; carry on... :mellow:

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