You'll Never Guess The Reason Why You Should Go To Jazz Jam Sessions To Get Better

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[@jfar3340]

the philosophical videos are the best! The technical ones are great too but the philosophical ones always touch on technical points anyway. Love your channel

[@jimbo3651]

Thanks Denis , Again 👍🏼

[@JimmyDeLocke]

Jazz Ambassador Denis you are the man

[@fabbro9999]

More ofter than rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your preparation. Good video.

[@gospodine]

I love the philosophy video, merci beaucoup Dennis 👍🏻

[@andyhaynes9457]

Thanks for another insightful video Denis. You must have seen my comment to your last video about getting a good jazz tone on a tele - and responded appropriately in the intro 🤣

[@mr.atticus393]

Great video

[@jimbo3651]

Was the Jam Session Intro at Takadanobaba Denis??

[@bwbillwilliamsbw]

Thanks for getting us thinking about all of these options for improving our music, Denis. Just about everything you say in this video chimes with my own development. Wonder if I'll find the same with your next one where you say you will argue the opposite,

[@dynamo5326]

Yeah I played with the Washington Jazz Arts Institute back in like 2020 and it’s always crazy the difference between practice by yourself and with your band mates. I’ve always tried just breathing and counting the beat

[@BucoBucolini]

I don't know man, I think going to jams with not so good musicians is a much harder way to get better and takes a lot longer than (if you're lucky enough) to jam with people much better than you. But I agree that it's extremely valuable if you learn to deal with chaos and survive in it. I stopped, mostly, going to jams and even gigging because I want to spend the time I have on focused practice. At least for the time being. I realized when pandemic started how much of my time even casual gigs were taking for preparation and such. Which was still learning but it was all kinda surface level learning. This mental aspect is something I deal with a lot and try to come up with ways to lessen the effect of either performing live or hitting the record button. It really shocked me to hear that it's present even with someone like Stochelo. I was in the room with Kurt Rosenwinkel when he said that on a good night he's 70% as good as in the practice room.

[@DenisChangMusic]

You are correct, it’s a bad thing to do , that’s why you gotta wait for next week’s video “why NOT to go to jam sessions”.. It’s all a matter of context… at a certain level, people should not be doing this, but at another level (mine at the time), it’s something that can be tremendously beneficial

[@BucoBucolini]

@@DenisChangMusic ahh you're tricking us, it's when bad is good for you and good isn't but vice versa also applies :)

[@Lamo2100]

I would love to find sucky adult jazz players. In Indiana either ppl don’t play jazz, are middle schoolers, or Professionals Jazzers.

[@jfar3340]

and middle schoolers tend to be pretty good since they play in big band type settings, and are not ashamed to screw up in public/less self conscious and just play

[@DenisChangMusic]

I have a friend, she’s a 25 yr old jazz vocalist, but recently picked up jazz trumpet, and has been practicing with middle schoolers ! She’s making a lot of progress

[@Chris-tp8db]

Who’s the singer?

[@ralphstanfield3734]

Guess I'm a snob "cause sometimes I just stop playing. Very funny stories

[@DenisChangMusic]

Hahaha

[@dynamo5326]

I also believe that some of these musicians don’t practice with a metronome! A big part of music is being on time, and I can’t imagine having to play a solo over people on different beats 😅

[@DenisChangMusic]

I think it’s especially that no one is listening to each other. Learning to play together is a skill that is developed as well on top of just playing at home with the metrnome

[@raulcaldeira8071]

It's a funny thing, you need to really ear what's happening when play with low level musicians, because you need to know: ok piano player is lost and it's on C, bass player is lost went to B but we still on A. And we start to notice some things like: bass player is never wrong 😂 you kinda have to follow the dude, but when everyone is lost you need to have the confidence to say , fuck that! everyone first A 😂, it's a funny experience

[@gerardgutierrez7393]

How do you prepare yourself for a jam?

[@DenisChangMusic]

I started by having a decent list of songs that are likely to be called well memorized , and if I got to choose, I chose the ones where if musicians were going to play very poorly, I could at least somehow still figure out where I am. Songs like Blue Bossa are great because bossa patterns are usually simple and it would take a REALLY bad bass player to turn into a trainwreck, and then the B section has a big key change that is very clear.

[@DSteinman]

Yeah, for your first jams, prep 3-5 tunes, plan to be flexible, people might already have called one of your tunes or someone doesn't want to play one

[@DaniandPietroProjects]

Why aren't more jam sessions held as private togethers? At someone's house? Backyard? Or even at a park? Friendship and more relaxed playing is often easier. Also musical bonds & musical discovery can also more easily result. It always helps to not confuse jamming with gigging. Also, the public would be spared (surely more times than not) from the sloppy racket.

[@DenisChangMusic]

I guess it depends where one lives but I think private sessions do exist if you can find the right people! Those are indeed great!

[@DSteinman]

I've been more and more hosting those or going to ones hosted by friends, they're absolutely awesome. Of course, you usually have to go to public jams to meet those people!

[@SjoerdMentens]

It is not true at all, it is like playin the metronome all that is not mandatory, what is, is imagination hear the notes melodies in ur head flowing on the memory of the song structure and train yourself to translate it seamless on your instrument, hear the music 'big' in your mind, that's the kick of playin music knowing you master it is the kick. Nevertheless the social life is also important of course but that is another piece of cake.

[@justanothernguyen2334]

Advice to go to sessions when you still suck?

[@franssu2229]

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger 😅

[@migmig9406]

Calling Algorithm