jamming

Jammin' code of the road, or,
How it all works

To all fellow jammers visiting The Drayton Court or The Tune Inn, all you have to do is; bring your own instrument, put your name on the jamming list and enjoy the surroundings while you wait your turn to play. The idea of the list is to help the organiser to co-ordinate the night’s proceedings. If you have already arranged to play with some others or are to play as a group, let the organiser know. Jamming players are preferred. Solo performers may be disappointed, it all depends on numbers on the night.
A word of advice - If I can't see you, I may assume you've left the building, particularly towards the end of the evening when time is tight. I may, therefore, offer a jam to someone who is ready, willing and able. I know this is a problem for those who like a smoke, but, sorry we just don't have time to go looking for you, (unless you are really famous).

On the night
As a rule; the house band kicks off the night and also finishes the night. You will be given around 20 minutes or 3 songs (depending on time restrictions) worth of playing time. If you are involved in a single long performance with extended solos, then don’t expect to stay on for 2 more songs, on the other hand if you play 3 short songs / jams you will most likely be given more time. If you arrive early there is a chance that you will be offered an extra slot later, depending on numbers of players on the night. Members of the house band are available throughout the evening to help out.

The Numbers Game
Have you ever been jamming on stage when suddenly someone shouts out “four” or they might hold up five fingers? Did the music then go somewhere unexpected? Read on. It’s known as The Nashville System.
Developed and used by session musicians, the Nashville System is simply a means by which they could change the key of a song without having to re-write the whole chord chart. This is particularly useful if you have a song written in a key that is unsuitable for a different singer.
Substitute the number 1 for the G in a song in the key of G major and it follows that the C is 4, and D is 5. All you do is use numbers instead of letters, making it easy to transpose to a higher or lower key.
It’s also easy to remember the chord sequence for a blues tune eg; a basic12 bar blues in G would use the chords G, C and D, this becomes 1,4 and 5. Change the key of that song to B - B, E and F# , and the numbers remain the same 1,4 and 5. Easy, yes?
You still use M or Maj to indicate Major, and m to show a minor.
In the key of G, the second chord would be Am, written as 2m, jazz it up a little and you could add a 7^th which would give you 2m7.
Roman numerals are often used instead of Arabic numbers to avoid confusion, eg. IIIm7 instead of 3m7 = Bm7 (in the key of G).

Jam session
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For other uses of "Jam session", see Jam session (disambiguation) </wiki/Jam_session_%28disambiguation%29>.
A jam session is a musical </wiki/Music> act </wiki/Act> where musicians </wiki/Musicians> gather and play (or "jam") without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements </wiki/Arrangement>.
The origin of the term jam in this context can be traced back to the 1920s. According to the Online Dictionary of Etymology <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=jam&searchmode=none>, the term originally appeared ca. 1929, referring to a "short, free improvised passage performed by the whole band". The derivation of this usage is obscure, but like other novel terms that came into English through jazz </wiki/Jazz> music -- such as the terms "hip </wiki/Hip_%28slang%29>", "hep </wiki/Hep>" and "hepcat </wiki/Hepcat>"-it is possible that it ultimately derives from the West African Wolof </wiki/Wolof_language> language.
The word 'jam' can be more loosely used to refer to any particularly inspired or improvisational part of a musical performance, especially in rock </wiki/Rock_and_roll> and jazz </wiki/Jazz> music. Jam sessions, however, are generally for the benefit of the performers and not part of a public performance.Jam sessions are often used to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression </wiki/Chord_progression> or chart </wiki/Chart_%28music%29> suggested by one participant, or may be wholly improvisational </wiki/Improvisation>. Jam sessions can range from very loose gatherings of amateurs to sophisticated improvised recording sessions intended to be edited and released to the public.
The New York jazz </wiki/Jazz> scene during and after World War II </wiki/World_War_II> was famous for its after-hours jam sessions. One of the most famous was the regular after-hours jam at Minton's Playhouse </wiki/Minton%27s_Playhouse> in New York City </wiki/New_York_City> that ran in the 1940s an early 1950s. The Minton's jams were a fertile meeting place and proving ground for both established soloists like Ben Webster </wiki/Ben_Webster> and Lester Young </wiki/Lester_Young>, and the younger jazz musicians who would soon become leading exponents of the bebop </wiki/Bebop> movement, including Thelonious Monk </wiki/Thelonious_Monk> (Minton's house pianist), Charlie Parker </wiki/Charlie_Parker>, and Dizzy Gillespie </wiki/Dizzy_Gillespie>. The Minton's jams were legendary for their highly competitive "cutting contests </wiki/Cutting_contest>", in which soloists would try to keep up with the house band and outdo each other in improvisation skill.
As the instrumental proficiency of pop and rock musicians improved in the Sixties and early Seventies, jamming also became a regular feature of rock music; bands such as Cream </wiki/Cream_%28band%29>, The Jimi Hendrix Experience </wiki/The_Jimi_Hendrix_Experience>, The Grateful Dead </wiki/Grateful_Dead> and the Allman Brothers Band </wiki/Allman_Brothers_Band> would feature live pieces easily over fifteen minutes in length.
Some notable recorded jams in the rock </wiki/Rock%27n%27roll> idiom:
The bonus CD of the 25th anniversary edition of the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs </wiki/Layla_and_Other_Assorted_Love_Songs> by Eric Clapton </wiki/Eric_Clapton>'s early 70s band, Derek & The Dominos </wiki/Derek_%26_The_Dominos> includes a number of long improvised jams between members of the group and other musicians, such as The Allman Brothers Band </wiki/The_Allman_Brothers_Band> following the historic first meeting between the two groups earlier that day. As a result of this jam, guitarist Duane Allman </wiki/Duane_Allman> was invited to join the Dominos after having recorded only three songs, and he made a major contribution to the resulting LP.
The extended track "Apple Jam", which appears on George Harrison </wiki/George_Harrison> 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass </wiki/All_Things_Must_Pass> and features most of the session musicians who contributed to the LP.
Nirvana </wiki/Nirvana_%28band%29>'s improvised hidden track </wiki/Gallons_Of_Rubbing_Alcohol_Flow_Through_The_Strip> from album In Utero </wiki/In_Utero> (1993), and 'semi-improvised' hidden track </wiki/Endless%2C_Nameless> from Nevermind </wiki/Nevermind> (1991).