Gapnap’s Jamming 101 Guide .
Actually , this is not a step by step program . I am NOT going to tell you WHAT TO DO . But , i am going to ask you the RIGHT QUESTIONS .
If you can answer all of them , your jamming session WILL NOT FAIL .
The basic rule - Time is money . Don’t waste time .
1.Who is the boss?
A band without a leader , has no direction . Somebody have to make that decision .
“Today , We jam at XXX Studio at 9pm . Don’t be late”
“Why the hell you can’t make it ? Cancel your appointment and get your ass right here”
“Late comers will be fined RM1 per MINUTE to reduce our jamming session cost . if you’re 10 minutes late , bring that RM10 .”
“I got us a gig next week!”
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2.What Songs ?
The very basic one , i’ve been to jamming sessions where - right after we tune our guitars we look at each other and say “play what song?” .
. WALAU . OMG .
Then we spend the next 5 minutes to figure out what song to play & another 10 minutes trying to figure out the correct chords .
Waste time . Waste money .
If i ask “What songs are we playing?” you say “Go there and see how lah” …forget it , i am not in .
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3.What Key ?
Something that many people forget . Vocalist , get your KEYS RIGHT . Don’t go jamming and say this key is too high i wanna go lower . bla bla bla bla bla .
Actually , this is still do-able if your band has good musicians where you guys can transpose the whole song in 1 second .
But too bad , this is a noob guide . So get the right key . Original Key ? 1 step lower ? 1 step higher ? Can your vocalist reach every note ? *especially the bridge part*
Most Bridge & Pre Chorus tends to be unpredictable , so take that part seriously .
If you are pro - You can transpose the song in one second . That is great . But remember , in a band , a weaker/slower musician will always exist . They are slower . Adjusting the key for the whole song will take time for them .
If all else fail , play instrumental .
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4.What Chords ?
Paper with Chords- check .
Everybody’s paper is the same - check .
Everybody play the same chord - check .
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Okay , what i think is a waste of time is “debating” which chords is right . That is like comparing whose dick is bigger .
Chord progression : G D C D
Chord progression : G Bm C D
You can debate for the next 5 hours whether D is correct , or Bm is correct .
Seriously , I don’t care . As long as both will blend in the melody . Jalan .
What is important is , don’t one guitarist play D , and another play Bm . Then later both guitarist show face and say you play wrong liao . Aiyo .
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5.What Arrangement?
Follow original , or own style ?
The Timing
How many bars for the guitar solo
How many Chorus after the bridge before you end .
Most of the time , the arrangement is discuss during jamming sessions . This kinda thing needs improvisation .
Some songs cannot copy bulat bulat .
I think it is OKAY to discuss about it . But do not eat up too much time .
The best scenario is , everybody meet up BEFORE the jamming session at a mamak . Discuss the arrangement beforehand and go . This way , nobody comes late too .
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6.How to start the song & How to end the song ?
Thought about this already ? Nothing much to say here . Just a reminder .
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7.How do you connect to the next song ?
Thought about this already ? Nothing much to say here . Just a reminder .
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The End .
After this , you’re set . Go ahead and discuss your dress code , showmanship and all the other random stuff you can discuss during your mamak session .
Oh yeah , there’s just one more thing i need to say .
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THE ULTIMATE TRAP
The unproductive Jamming Session .
A sign where the band is starting to get lazy . - You should end your jamming session right away .
Here is the trap :
The guitarist starts playing some random riff , the bassist follows …then the virus spreads to the drummer , drummer starts playing . and everybody goes “oh that sound cool” . End of the day , you guys wasted 10 minutes wanking to an unknown song . You walked out of the room , forgetting what you just played .
*the good side is , it can be VERY productive if that riff inspired everyone , and the whole thing leads to an original song .
Chun leh my guide ? gapnap ma .
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