Open Mic

[skootchy]

So a friend of mine has invited me to attend, (as in "bring your horn") an open mic nite at a club about an hour away. My friend is a very accomplished improviser (sax) player and I, on the other hand, am not. I'm pretty much a section man and although I have been known to "take it" (or "fake it"??) for a few bars I am not the next Miles Davis. lol. I plan on leaving my horn in the car until I check it out. The horn may end up in the car all night, I'll wait and see on that one. So what can one expect on an open mic venue? I am under the impression this is an instrumental thing probably blues/jazz.
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[Donjon]

Get in there and get playing!

Ok, so there's far more to it than that. It's always good to have a few tunes which you're fairly comfortable with. Even playing a few heads would be worth while, especially if you're adding harmonies (like the beautiful ones in little sunflower).

Also get up with friends who you've played with before, that always keeps me at ease!

Don't worry about what other people think, a few bum notes mean nothing. Some (idiots) may disprove, but don't let them worry you!

Play heads if nothing else!
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[trpthrld]

Most def get on stage & play a few tunes that you know backwards and forwards.

You can become a practice room virtuoso (especially with jazz), but until you get on stage and learn to deal with that situation you'll never truly progress and then enjoy the fun of playing jazz.

Hints:

- Have several blues chorus' fully memorized so that you can fall back on them if needed.

- Keep things simple, use SPACE.

- Acknowledge the other players when they solo.

- Don't add any background riffs unless you've heard the band do them with other soloists.

- Don't feel that you HAVE to play on everything or more than you want. 1 chorus, 2 at the most is fine. There's nothing worse than a player trying to play what he obviously can't or a player hogging all the time.

- Stay away from high notes.

- Play a few tunes, thank everyone in the band & step down. They will not only understand but appreciate what you've done.

- Above all, HAVE FUN!

ps. Let us know how it goes.
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[shofarguy]

Here, shake hands with "Embarrassment." If you can make friends with this guy and feel comfortable (okay, not comfortable, but at least decent) when he's around, you can grow as a player and soloist. Quite often I spend a significant amount of time with this dude and he ain't as bad as people say. Not that I want to be close friends, mind you, but he seems to be able to open certain doors for me that I would never go near on my own.

Brian
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There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds.

[scottinvt]

Two words, Skootchy: Do it! I agree with the excellent advice you've gotten from the other posts here. I am an intermediate player. My solos range from nailing it to pathetic when I fumble with the changes, to even more humiliating when I fumble the rhythm.

I went to a jam in another town last week and the only other trumpet player there wiped the floor with me (a bit deliberately, I thought, but sometimes it's like that). Even so, I held my own on "Joy Spring" despite a few stumbles.

I'm talking to myself as well here, trying to get up my nerve to go to club tonight where some seasoned players invite others to sit in on the second set. They've been friendly and gracious when I sat in before. Small, hip audience, and I didn't get booed last time (lol). I'm my own worst critic.

But the point is: you gotta do it. I gotta do it! What's the worst thing that could happen? You'll f---- up! Well, so what? That's what open mics are for. You can't just sit at home learning licks and play-alongs (talking to myself again); you've gotta get out there and face your fears - and, almost forgot, HAVE FUN! End of sermon.

ADDENDUM: take a little note pad with you and write down the tunes you hear or play so you can go home and work on them. Always try and steal licks from other players (it's okay; where do you think they got them?).

[EBjazz]

You guys are assuming it's a jazz jam and from the sound of it (open mic) it's probably a blues jam and there'll be 1000 guitar players there and you'll be the only trumpet. You can probably just play section although you may get to solo for 12 bars in B and the harmonica player will cut you off.
Play man! And if you don't feel comfortable, head to the bar and stay there until you do feel comfortable.

Eb
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[BobD]

I was at a Jazz Jam one time(not playing) and a trumpet player went up and played a few tunes but only did the heads. He was a solid player. After he played he sat down to listen and shortly after the guy running the jam asked him back up. So you don't need to improvise. If it's a blues jam then practice your blues scales and use those to improvise.
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[veery715]

I agree - do it!!

It's a bit unnerving the first few times, but it is worth the "risk." And it is REALLY, REALLY FUN.

By all means play the heads. Sometimes, even if you do take a chorus (or 2), the melody will do. It is the melody for a reason. Don't think too much - that can be dangerous. Don't fret wrong notes, if you don't show it most won't know it. You can even play one a second time as if you meant it the first.

I think it is best to stay away from the bar until you are done playing.
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[Ed Hernandez]

Yeap...just do it. A few years ago I attended our hospital's Christmas party. We contracted a C & W Band where one of my employees was the drummer. Granted, beforehand he'd asked my boss to bring his guitar and for me to bring my horn. Very skeptically I did, but left the horn in the car hoping that I wouldn't get called up, particularly in front of many, many co-workers. I'll be darn, if in the middle of their second set we got called to the carpet. Well..., to make a long story short, once my boss and I got up on stage, I just said go ahead boys and take off and I'll follow. The look on their face (and mine's) was as if we all didn't know what to expect. They took off with a C & W version of "Mustang Sally", I quickly found the key and just went for it. Initially in the background and about half way through the song followed the lead guitar solo with one of my own X 16 bars. I must admit, it sounded pretty darn good. Neither the cats in the Band or even me thought that a trumpet would sound that good with a C & W. The crowd (co-workers and family) they all thought we had rehearsed it beforehand.
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[silverhorace]

If it is a jazz jam session - there are some (old-school) rules of etiquette that may be of value to you. For starters, it's not such a bad thing to just observe the first time you attend. You can get an idea of the tunes that are called and how the session is run, say hello to the other musicians.

Some jam sessions have a sign up sheet. Some are a free-for-all requiring a little elbowing-in to play. Other times you need to introduce yourself to the leader of the house band to get invited up.

In any case, it's usually best, when sitting-in, not to play long solos. Keep it brief. It's also good to play tunes you know and sit out tunes you don't. It seems like common sense, but often times musicians at an open mic pull out their horns and start playing and never introduce themselves to the house band. Say hello, be courteous, be professional even if you aren't one.

Don't show off, and try to learn something, especially from those more advanced than you.

Open mics and jam sessions are great for getting your stuff together so don't be shy. Public humiliation is a wonderful motivator to practice!

[scottinvt]

I've found that going to a blues jam, as opposed to a jazz jam, is a great way to build confidence and get your ego stroked. "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," remember. You'll probably be the only trumpet there. Just run a pentatonic blues scale over the 12-bar I-IV-V changes and they'll think you're a lot better than you know you are!

The audience and the players won't be used to a trumpet in this context and they'll love you. Trust me. Give 'em a little plunger mute on a slow one and they'll never know you're not exactly Cootie Williams.

The catch: you've got to be proficient in concert E, A and the rest of the sharp keys - not much of problem when you're just running blues scales over simple dominant changes.

Say the words 'B flat' to your average blues guitarist and they'll start quaking in fear (LOL).

[skootchy]

Interesting night. Went down, left the horn in the car. Spotted a sax player and figured he would know my friend (who didn't show up!) so I introduced myself. Turned out we had several friends in common. It was a "Blues Brothers Jam" so it was interesting. Everyone was very good and had something to offer. We had a total of three trumpets and four saxes, not to mention rhythm and a couple of really good harp players. I explained to one of the guys that I am not normally an improviser but he invited me on stage with everyone else. BTW the stage was about as big as most bathrooms. Had a lot of fun, learned a lot, made some new friends and am clearly humiliated just enough to make me schedule a little improv into my daily...well, weekly routine. One of the other trumpet players and I were talking and he felt most of the guys he played with were either section men who spend a lot of time developing their chops and reading and the jazz guys who were good at improv. Could be, but I think I can squeeze in some time to explore the other side. So somewhere during the week I am going to allocate a 1/2 hour to an hour of running a pentatonic blues scale over the 12-bar I-IV-V changes. (as soon as I find out what that means) lol. I will do this faithfully as part of my routine and expand my horizons enough so that I will be a lot more proficient about this next time. I didn't make that many mistakes and I got to see a lot of really really good talent....the musicians were good too.
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Praise him with the sound of the trumpet! Ps. 150:3
>=iii=O

[Arborwaychet]

When it comes to amateurs (and I am one!) I think this dichotomy is kind of valid (kind of because any generalisation has exceptions). Amateurs have a day job and not too many are able to practice up to 4 hrs and beyond per day.

Result is ... section players 'doing enough' to maintain their chops and stay accurate ... whereas hobby jazz players (like me) favour pattern exercises and ii V i's as well as trying to get fluent in the alt and diminished scales (no mean feat!).

I admire you for jumping out of your 'safe' zone. When it comes to 'improvising' I feel pretty confident and honestly even if I don't know the chart well as long as it's not a change every two measures I can very often 'hear it' and get by. But ... put a sheet infront of me and sit me down with other players (where I MUST be ACCURATE ... and maybe hit a G above the staff after a 3 bar rest!) and I just feel intimidated and uncomfortable. I can never 'pre hear' those 3 and 4 trumpet parts and as someone who tends to be an 'ear' player I find it an exercise in frustration.

One thing though ... one practice session a week for improvising is not going to even scratch the surface ... the theory is deep / the concepts re substitutions and the kind of line (scalar or arp') are endless. Being able to play meaningful patterns over the changes - let alone long flowing eighth note lines that connect the changes ... is a quest for the holy grail. be careful about embarking on that journey.

[Donjon]

IMO ignore the warning above.

Don't ever avoid doing something because it's hard. Jazz isn't only about fast lines, it's also about slow lyrical ones, or rather about your own creativity.

If it interested you, do more. Don't worry that you may never master it, how many on this site think they will ever 'master' the trumpet?
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[mrsemman]

Although I am not in the same league as my honored colleagues, I say do it. My first experience was at a company party, where an acquaintance spotted me and asked my to play with them. I had to use his horn, an Olds Menedez with a plastic Kelly mouthpiece. I was just beginning my first comeback and did not feel comfortable. The band was gracious, and my friend, let me use his fake book. It was great!

Do it! If you make mistakes, no one except the band will know it, and they won't tell, as they were all in the same boat at one time.
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[kehaulani]

I'd like to add that sometimes a bit of caution is not a bad idea. The OP had a good situation and many are just like that - but not all. Unless I know the musicians involved and get a pretty good feel from them beforehand about the jam session, I will usually go to my first one without horn and strictly as an observer.

Not all are friendly and not all are constructive learning situations. If it's an unknown for me, I like to get a feel for the audience, the musicians on stage, how the participation is handled, i.e. sign-up sheets or everyone on stage when/as they wish, tempos, tunes etc. and just have fun listening that first visit. Then, if I decide to participate the next time around, these are things I don't have to also be concerned about when I go to play and can just concentrate on the music.

Like I wrote, many sessions are warm and brother-sisterly. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from jumping in and having fun, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to lull them into thinking that they will always be welcomed with open arms.
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[Arborwaychet]

Couldn't agree more. the jams here are certainly not sessions to 'jump in just to have fun'. I've heard the pro keyboard players and drummers coin 'a jam is a chance to perform NOT practice'. Going along and listening can be a smart move IF it's a regular session (and like me) that you really want to be an ongoing part of.

When guys are playing at a good pro level and there is a good groove happening jumping in and 'spoiling the groove' is not so cool. Do that a few times and you wont be invited back. In my opinion it pays HUGE dividends to play with a great section, but you have no choice but to do some homework and get your playing to a level where you kind of know what you are going to do before you step up. Opening up a fake book doesn't work around here, you've got to know the chart if you call it.

My feeling is that as trumpet players we should sometimes exercise caution because if you start really blowing on something you don't know well the result can be obnoxious. The poster above has got it right.

[Craig Swartz]