How to Conduct a Proper Jam Session

Every serious musician should occasionally participate in some type of jam session. Whether it be a serious, consistent group who performs gigs or just a group of scrappy up-and-comers in a garage, there is something about a jam session that allows you to grow as a musician in a way that playing in your room by yourself simply can't.

If you have just started playing an instrument, it may be best to hold off until you get basic fundamentals down, such as chords and some basic theory, but once you have some idea what you're doing, it is time to find some others like you (or preferably, others more advanced than you) and begin playing together. Once you've got a group together, there are some basic things you need to remember to conduct a jam session that's both fun and productive. If you do it right, it will be incredibly rewarding.

The first thing is to have all the required instruments for the type of music you wish to play. If it's funk or jazz, you need a bass player, and if it's bluegrass, you might need a banjo in there. Make some calls, bug some people, just make it happen.

Once you're ready to start, it is helpful to have at least some structure, especially if you are in a group of beginner-to-intermediate musicians. It is a good idea to write out some basic chord progressions that you want your rhythm section to play, and then you can change them up and improvise as you see fit. Of course, making chords in advance isn't required. It really isn't that difficult for moderately good musicians to pick up the key and chord structure when someone just starts playing. But it might help if you've never done it before.

Once the jam has begun, just let it flow. The reason it's a jam session and not an actual "song" per se is that there is freedom in taking it many different directions depending on the styles of the different musicians and the general flow as the jam progresses. That's not to say that every measure should have a different chord progression or there should be five key changes, but the point of a jam session, besides showing off your musical chops, is to experiment.

Allow the song to be "open for interpretation" by other members. Don't hog it for yourself. There are some things that other band members may come up with that you would never have thought of, and vice versa. You see, this is the beauty of several musicians getting together and throwing ideas around. It creates a pool of ideas and knowledge that everyone can take from, and learn from, as they see fit.

Finally, don't let the jam go on for too long. Eventually, if the musicians are repeating themselves and the energy has died down, it may be best to end the song and start with something new. (Be sure to write down what you did, though, if you liked it.) The jam should only last so long as the group's creativity is still coming through fresh.