Ohmigod, a jazz gig fell in my lap out of the blue

[AlChuck]

I'm a late-bloomer, former blues/rocker, gradually budding jazz guitarist, and just fifteen minutes ago I got a call from a sax player I never met (via a good word from the bass player in one of my school ensembles from early this year) to come be the harmonic instrument tonight across the bay at a restaurant... my first time doing this... I'm excited and totally terrified all at the same time... no piano, thank God, but also NO PIANO! ohmigod I'll be naked...

I've been playing in a a school setting in a few ensembles over the last fifteen months or so, but I've never yet done anything like this... I guess if I'm going to proceed further along this road, this day has to arrive someday, I just didn't expect it today, and with only three hours' notice...

Wish me luck!

 

[philboyd studge]

Good luck.

Just jam with some easy stuff for awhile and feel it out.

 

[Bass Freak]

first times always the hardest...




just dont stare anyone in the eyes.



the golden rule ive found so far......when you dont know what to play, play scales.







freak

 

[Light]

Well, this is of course too late, but I would suggest you keep it simple. Thirds and sevenths, an occasional tension. That is enough most of the time. That is what piano players do, and it is one of the most useful things when you feel out of your league. At least, that always helps me when I don't know what to do.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[AlChuck]

Thanks, all

"the golden rule ive found so far......when you dont know what to play, play scales." -- LOL. I tried that. Trouble is, they need to be the right scales. I sucked pretty bad for the most part, but at least I went for it. It was a nice bunch of guys, and a very low-key gig. We got a few things going.

"Thirds and sevenths, an occasional tension. That is enough most of the time. That is what piano players do, and it is one of the most useful things when you feel out of your league. "

Yeah, I try to do that but sometimes the chords fly by so fast I'm not able to always do that. So I play my usual voicings but I try to leave out the bass notes as much as possible, and stay up above the fifth fret as much as I can.

It was OK. Not great. I didn't train-wreck anything too horribly. But I was only a bout a five or six on my personal 1-10 scale of ability.

We'll see if I get any more calls like this in the near future.

 

[Toki987]

I imagine it was stressful without a pianist to comp on. Hats off to bravery...

 

[Light]

I always figure I can only play half as well on any gig as I can when I am at home practicing.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi