The Music Activity Pages
So, you want to jam.
Great! This is where you start teaching yourself the art of jamming.
This area was developed for those of you who play band and orchestra instruments, and who are interested in branching out beyond the music you play in school. Any number of young players want to get into jazz and pop music, but it often requires that they be able to play by ear, improvise a solo or even write music. This is something that you can learn on your own, but most folks don't know where to start. This is as good a place as any.
This is not a course that you just go through and become an instant expert. Successful musicians learn this stuff on their own, by doing similar activities over and over with different songs. And that's what you'll hopefully do here. You can do it with any instrument at any age.
What I present here are some starting points for your exploration. Each activity should be done again and again (with different songs) so that you get better and faster at doing it. Do it every day. One day you'll wake up a seasoned expert.
Starting Points for Exploration - (the learning activities)
Study Materials for Jam School - books, recordings, etc. that can help you in your exploration.
Jam School Technical Guide - The plug-in programs that you're using for Jam School activites and exercises
Overview of Music Activities - Something to give you a general idea of what we're up to.
Jam School Forum - a Delphi message board where jammers can help each other (coming soon)
What Guitar Players (and other rhythm & pop musicians) Need to Know About Horns
Technical Skills for Your Instrument - Your brain tells you what it wants, but your fingers must deliver the product. This section will help you to develop the physical skills that you need. (under construction)
A Virtual Band Using MIDI from the Web - Using a simple MIDI mixer, you can learn much about how to function in Pop Music settings. (under construction)