Jazz Camp Experience

saxon · Post by **saxon** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 9:32 am

Hey Gents, Back from the 1 week Jamie Aebersold Jazz camp in Kentucky. One of my toughest weeks in memory. I ended on a positive note and learned quite a bit. I have only been at the bass for 15 months (6 with my '83 4003) and I was a bit over my head. Been playing a few jazz charts with my band but mostly root 5thing the line and some dominant and minor arpeggios. My audition put me at the bottom of the 42 bassists which ended me up in a combo with another bassist (ugh) and 5 beginning guitars with no drums or piano or horns. Not too fun and kind of embarrasing to be put there. My level probably warranted a beginning combo, but what I ended up with felt pretty leftover. Other parts of the camp like master class and theory were very good, so a mixed result. Motivation for another year. Also the SKB Bass safe recommneded by some of you worked great.

edski · Post by **edski** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 9:42 am

Don't fret about the "ranking"...someone always has to be last.

Reminds me of a story when I first got my fretless. Spent a month or so "getting good" and then decided to go to a jam night at a local jazz club. Thought the attitude there would be "jam in G" sort of thing. Mind you, I had NEVER played jazz on the bass and had been playing folk for years at this point...

Get to the jam, and they're reading charts out of the Real Book. I get a chance to play "Stella by Starlight" - which I had NEVER heard...the charts are using a minus sign for "minor", didn't know that bit about common Jazz notation...I probably played a dozen notes in 6 minutes...left with my tail between my legs.

What made it even worse was one of the guys there was an engineer that I did work with occasionally, a trumpet player. Next time we saw each other he was sypathetic, but I got the impression that he really didn't know the scope of my musical abilities. I guess he figured all I played was bass and I was in over my head.

Well, I was in over my head, but not because I didn't know how to play. Just didn't know the Jazz scene well at all. I bought a Real Book a few days later, and resolved that I'd learn "Stella" first. And I did, and I learned to play (mainly on the piano) quite a few other standards.

But unfortunately I've never had the opportunity to atone for that disaster on bass. I think I could do a pretty good job on that tune by now!

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:53 pm

Just play, man. you have nothing to prove to anybody. You do it to have fun. After you start doing this, you start learning what sounds right, what feel right, and you start incorporating it into your technique. Don't worry about proving anything to anyone. And musicians who come out talking ****...well, I have worked with some of them and where they might not screw up the playing (although it does happen) they end up screwing up by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and getting burned. Just play, listen, and encourage young musicians like you yourself would like to be encouraged. Before you know it, you will be having fun and getting lost in the music. I am no Jaco, Flea, or Michael Manring, I wish...but I can hold my own. You like what you hear, great. You don't? Well, there's a discotheqe just down the street playing CD's. I would personally rather listen to someont screw up and have fun than listen to a freaking CD! Anyway, just play and have fun!

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:49 pm

Hey dude. You said that it was in Kentucky. I live in kentucky. Is it like a yearly thing around here? Id love to go. I love playing with people better then me. Thats why i jump at a chance arn somethto play with older guys. Been playing longer and i can always learn something. I try my hardest not to brag. Im better then most people i know my age. But I dont say much in front of the people that arent as good. I guess just respect people for at least learning or trying to learn. Doesnt matter if your good just if you have the drive to be.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:04 pm

It's like everything else. People who are good don't need to mention it!

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:04 pm

It's like everything else. People who are good don't need to mention it!

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:16 pm

So right he said it twice.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:20 pm

"and this one time, at jazz camp..."

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:25 pm

I went to an open blues jam last week ... I played 4 or 5 songs ... I only knew one of them ... and the one I knew I didn't know what key it was in ... so I figured I was having an off night ... but several people told me I was playing awesome ... so just give it your best effort ... and when you make a mistake play it like you meant to do it, and turn it into something good ... play a lot ... play with confidence ...

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:28 pm

Cool advice Jeff. The worst thing is to stop and let the whole world you blew it! Heck, the blues breaks so many rules, you can always say it was a blues lick!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:55 pm

I got a better story ... I auditioned with a punk band ... they were hardcore ... the guitarist would break a string on his strat and keep playing ... then he broke a second string and kept playing ... then a third and he kept playing ... a 3 string guitar??? oh ya he also smelled bad too ... anyway ... after a while the "I don't care what these guys think of me" attitude kicked in so on one song I disreguarded what the chords were and started played as fast as I could ... it did sort of go with what they were doing ... they thought I was a virtouso ... ya right ... then when they asked me to join the band I declined ...

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:03 pm

Punks don't play Ricks do they? I thought you had to have one of those funky looking Gibsons to play punk!

Anyways, great story!

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:55 am

Punks dont play much of anything if you ask me. But... i hate the genre haha. So no offense to anyone. I wana know what kind of guitarist breaks 3 strings in one day.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 4:07 am

Jared-

Exactly what I thought when I saw this thread! I was gonna post the same words, but didn't have a photo of the girl. Then I figured you'd probably find one and post it. I was right. Thanks for pullin' through!

saxon · Post by **saxon** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:33 am

Thanks for the props guys, I'm jammin onward and upward.