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Hi dear AM-fellows,
In a few weeks, I could have another tryout with a Blues band, and in August I’ve scheduled a rehearsal with a band that claims to play “everything” – though it sounds like it’s mostly rock, from the ’70s up to today. Id love that!
Over the last few years I always tried to stay somewhat prepared in case some band thing would come up, but it really hits different once you’ve actually got a date on the calendar.
Since I don’t have much of a rock repertoire (just bits and pieces of a few songs), I figured I’d start by focusing on rhythm. And to be honest: I actually find rhythm playing harder than lead! Not that soloing is easy (just look at my lead in this video 😉), but keeping a steady groove throughout a whole song and making it sound interesting feels like a bigger challenge than throwing a pentatonic solo on top.
Bottom line: I probably need to practice both. Luckily, AM has a lot of fantastic material for rhythm AND lead. I didn’t really know where to begin, but I ended up doing EP239 for now – it’s a great rhythm workout and I honestly have to tell you, it’s addictive!
I play it once with a short improvised solo and then the first half again. Plus some rhythm improv in the end – just to make it feel a bit more realistic.
Warning: purists might cringe a bit – I don’t stick 100% to the tab. For me, keeping the groove was my primary goal. But I think I did alright on that front.
Curious how you all approach it – do you spend more time on rhythm or lead parts when you’re preparing for a band situation?
Anyway, thanks for watching and don’t hold back with your opinion or tips!
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Hi all, Thanks for commenting!
I just noticed that I forgot to play the A and B-part in Brian‘s rhythm lesson! Also, the Solo definitely needs a work over. I know I can do better than this!
I don’t want to miss the May-challenge, so it may take some time before I have worked out a solo and record the whole thing again, but I plan to re-post again as soon as possible.
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This actually sounds pretty good to me Tremelow. I really do like that low fat sound you are getting out of that guitar of yours.
Unless the band tells you what songs they want you to play, I am not sure there is any way to prepare for a band session. Is this just a jam session or something more structured ?
FYI : I was thrown into a band situation last year with a bunch of people I had never played with before. Thought I would be intimidated but it was just a bunch of fun. The one thing I could have done better there was to keep it simple – there is always the temptation to do more than is strictly necessary. Just my 2c.
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Hi Geoff, thank you for taking the time to listen and comment. I’m glad you liked it 😊
The first meeting is indeed “just” a Blues jam. I played with the group before and I enjoyed it a lot. The group is playing on very mixed levels, ie some were utterly inexperienced and others true oldtimers.
The August event will be a tryout to see if the group gels and if we all meet expectations. Come what may, I’ll take the bull by the horns. My plan is to play as much rhythm and lead as possible until then as possible, just to buld up enough trust in myself.
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