Jan 112009
The two-chord jam, as perfected by Neil Young on his Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere album! This version of one of that album’s primo jams is from a 1970 concert at the Fillmore East. Neil can’t wait to get jammin’! I’m sure you can’t wait yourself, so hey man, don’t let me hold you back.
Neil Young, “Cowgirl in the Sand”
The two chord jam is easy to start and hard to go anywhere with. Guitar players hate playing over a progression that has limited options and too many bassists and drummers feel the need to overplay to compensate for the simplicity of the jam/song.
I actually like the two or even one chord jam for it’s hypnotic effect, but more as a player than a listener.
Favorite jam is still “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin'” or “The Torture Never Stops” (though Zappa would claim that this was not a jam but a “conducted” extended guitar solo.
Feelin’ Nerdy today…..
Is anyone around here allowed to talk football any more, or are we all too public and artistic and all about the music for that? Please put up at least one thread for it that those who are too cool are more than welcome to ignore. Tie it into music if you must.
Manning looked like the Manning I expected in LAST years’ playoffs.
And ‘Cortez the Killer’ is my favorite NY jam. Man.
jungleland, i can’t make heads or tails out of your comment. do you like two chord jams, or don’t you?
You talk about two chord jams as “limited,” from a playing standpoint, but then you go on to say you like it for its hypnotic effect “as a player.”
i couldn’t agree less with your first statement. I’m a guitar player and I definitely DON’T “hate playing over a progression that has limited options.” In fact, I feel the opposite way about it. Who are YOU to say what all guitar players think?
I don’t remember jungleland’s comment, but I think it’s possible to enjoy playing something and not enjoy listening to it. I feel that way about the blues fairly often. I enjoy playing them quite a bit, but my tolerance while listening is pretty limited. Same goes for the two-chord reggae jam. Fun to play over, dreary to listen to.
In general, for me, “jamming” is a fun, but largely selfish, experience.
A little selfish fun can be good for the soul. Isn’t that part of the reason we celebrate JAMuary?
hvb wrote: “I don’t remember jungleland’s comment.”
I write: try scrolling to the top of the screen and reading it.
I agree with your playing vs. listening assessment (but jungleland’s seemingly contradictory comments are both from a playing standpoint, i think). I personally like both playing and listening to some long form jams very much.
i try to get around the selfish aspect of it by making it melodic rather than a finger noodling exercise comprised of stock licks. listening to this era of neil young is what helped me conceive of it that way. phrasing and listening to your inner ear to hear what melody to play are the most important things to remember. and they’re hard to do. hvb, that night that you saw us play in d.c. i just couldn’t get to that place. too much inner clamor.
ps: the “NLF playoffs”?
Saturnismine wrote:
Fierce reply! Did you eat a bowl of Brian Dawkins for breakfast this morning.
i’m all kindsa pumped up, mod!
I’m not a big fan of jamming. I’m not a huge Neil Young fan, either, but I really like his long songs. It never seems like someone is just wanking off, it seems like the band is playing together for the song, not for the solo.
I’ll send in a Stones Jam. They don’t do it often, and I’m trying to decide which one I want to use. I’ve got a pretty good idea, and it’s possible I’ll send in two, depending on the sound quality of one of them.
I knew we could count on you for a Stones jam, 2K. Thanks!