Guitarist Mark Wein riffing during an impromptu guitar lesson at NAMM
SMG’s own Oscar Jordan caught up with guitarist and teacher extraordinaire Mark Wein at the 2010 NAMM show. Mark showed Oscar a few cool tricks that can take any axe picker from sounding average to awesome in minutes. Check out the bluesy Hendrix rhythm lesson that Mark gave us on the spot from the NAMM floor.
Mark has been playing and teaching guitar for over 20 years in Southern California. Check out Mark’s free video lessons on his website. Be sure to watch anyone one of Mark’s excellent video lessons. You might also notice that he has a killer collection of guitars too.
Over the years Mark has played guitar in several bands of various genres including a band called, “The New Originals.” I wonder if they had to change their name to the New Originals when the East End Originals (now the Regulars) threatened a law suit? I guess we’ll have to wait until we run into Mark again to find out.
Don’t get caught up in the snooty psychological dementia that says your guitar can only be played through a certain type of amp. It’s bullshit. When you get up onstage and plug into an unknown amp, you have to make it work. This is part of the challenge. It’s a test. The test is, “Can you sound like you no matter what?” Your home rig and your stage rig will never sound the same anyway so just get over it. Plug in, quickly trouble shoot to dial in what you need to hear, then play. People who bring their full rigs to blues jams are a pain in the ass. It’s just a jam. It’s not an audition for Guns n’ Roses. There’s a reason they call it “Sitting in.” You’re sitting in with somebody else’s rig! High maintenance people who bring all their gear to blues jams clutter up the stage and rarely sound better than the gear that’s already included in the backline. Being a good musician is about being able to communicate. Sure, you might have to turn a few knobs or attack your guitar differently than you normally would, but that’s the cool thing about playing in the trenches. It’s a new experience. It forces you to reveal your soul without a crutch. Everyone else is playing under the same battlefield conditions, why are you so special? Tone is in the hands and Jeff Beck will sound like Jeff Beck no matter what crappy amp he plugs into. Plug in, have fun and make it work. You’re playing a few songs in a crappy little club. It’s not that big of a deal.
Everybody’s Everything
These are just the basics. I recommend you attending your first blues jam without your guitar just to get the lay of the land. Just hang out, have a drink and get a sense of the vibe and level of musicianship. Keep in mind that becoming a better musician is a process. Know that putting yourself in this uncomfortable situation is a positive thing. You’ll only get better playing with better people. Over time you will get comfortable, learn to relax, and have fun on stage. The idea is that you’re improving your musicianship. You’re making living and breathing music in real time with high functioning life forms. You might wind up on stage with musicians with a lot less experience than you, but you still have to make it work. Being on stage is about working with people and finding a unifying sound and groove. You’ll find that it’s not about sweep picked arpeggios and fast scalar sequences with a metronome. Finding tasteful and simple ideas to play in a slow blues guitar solo will have more importance than knowing “The Attitude Song” note for note. It’s about thinking on your feet, giving over to the moment and being an ensemble player. Maybe you don’t want to be the next B.B. King. That’s all fine and dandy, but being able to play well with other people is the whole point of being a good musician.
Share My Guitar has an awesome social network for guitar enthusiasts. SMG is a place where people can come together to talk about guitars, pass around information, and build a community where everyone shares their passion for guitars, no matter who they are or what style of music they’re into. Join up today!
You are the musical director. If you don’t become the leader someone else will, or no one will and nobody will know what to do. There will be chaos. Chaos is bad. Discover the control freak in you. You set the tempos by counting the band in. You decide who takes the solos and when. You also decide when to cut them off so you can return to a verse. You should know how many verses there are and when to insert the solos. Caring means sharing so allow everyone to take a short solo. If there are a too many people on stage, leave out a few soloists and give them the spotlight during the next song. All that note density gets tedious for normal people. You will also decide when the song will end. A song doesn’t need to be twenty minutes long. Think about the audience. Don’t get self-indulgent. Play for the audience. These decisions have to be made. Leading the band through songs that you’ve rehearsed at home will help you sound like the musician you envision in your mind. Lead the band but have fun. Being on stage is supposed to be a good time. Take control but be generous. All bands need a bandleader and it may as well be you.
You Are Not Yngwie J. Malmsteen
You’re not Kurt Cobain either. When the bandleader points to you to take a solo, take your time and do what you do. You’re not expected to create a whole new revolution in guitar playing that alters the time space continuum. Play tastefully with soul and economy and always be yourself. Don’t be a hog and play forever either. Nobody wants to hear sixty-four choruses of self absorbed pentatonic wanking. That’s selfish. Selfishness is bad. Be considerate. Play a chorus then pass the ball. Be a team player. Make eye contact with the singer so he can tell you’re about to finish your solo. Eyes and facial expressions are very important signals on stage when playing with a band. Play the soulful tasty stuff. It takes less effort than you think to please people. That’s all that’s required. You can play “Anguish and Fear” when you get home.
Play With The Drummer
No matter how good or bad the drummer is you have to play with him. He’s the engine of the band. Don’t fight the engine. Ride the engine. You must learn to sit in his groove. If he has bad time, take the ride and just get through it. If he’s limited, find the one thing he’s good at and do only that. If he can only play shuffles, play shuffles. Don’t get mad because he can’t play “Manic Depression” and don’t be a crybaby because he’s not Neil Peart. Nobody likes a crybaby. You’re no Alex Lifeson either. You’re only going to be on stage for about a half an hour. Have fun with it. It’s not life and death. Get with a better drummer next time. Always take the high road and don’t be a dick.
Don’t Be a Dick
Be nice to people. Say “please” and “thank you.” Try to remember people’s names. Thank the host for getting you up on stage. The cooler you are with people, the better they will treat you in the future. Most jams have a clique of regulars and you have to put the time in so people can get to know you. The host is also checking out your level of ability so he can put you up with good musicians. As you get better he’ll discover that you’re someone he doesn’t have to worry about. You want to be known as the solid musician who can carry a band and put on a good little set. This is so the host can sneak outside, smoke a cigarette and hit on the waitress without worries. If you aren’t that good, being a nice guy will help offset your lack of experience. A good host will put together a group of musicians with a solid rhythm section and a strong vocalist. The lesser skilled musicians will benefit from playing with better people. You only get better playing with people who are better than you. You can’t learn this at home. This is the whole point, so be a nice guy. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t be a snob. Don’t put people down. Everybody is there to become better musicians so stay off the high horse. The good karma will be returned to you.
Tune in next time for Part 5 where we’ll wrap it up and get your mind right.
Understanding various ways in which the I IV V can be used will help you fake your way through thousands of songs you’ve never heard before. If a singer takes the stage and announces a song that you’ve never played, knowing that it’s a I IV V in E with a long I chord will save your ass. You’d be surprised how a little blues theory can help you navigate your way through anything from Albert Collins to ZZ Top. Understanding the basic concepts behind blues soloing (phrasing!) and chord progressions will improve any rock or metal styles of music you’d rather be playing. All the best metal and rock guitarists played blues or blues-rock in some form and their soloing is the better for it.
Learn Some Blues Tunes
If you don’t come prepared with a few songs ready to perform, you will be at the mercy of anyone who decides to sing or lead the band. You will sound a lot better performing songs that you worked on at home, rather than waiting for someone to suggest songs that you never heard of. Show up prepared. Or show up with a goal in mind like, “I want to get through “Born Under a Bad Sign” without screwing it up to holy hell.” Goals help you to progress. Be ready to take charge of the band, but also prepare to be led. Be nice and don’t be pushy. Sometimes a singer will suggest a song you actually know. Back them up on guitar. Make them sound good.
The key is to figure out at least three well-known songs that you can either sing or perform as an instrumental. The songs should be popular but easy to play so that any moron can fake his way through it. Stick to three or four chords at the most. You want to find songs that a rusty low level intermediate player can handle, so save “Yours is no Disgrace” by Yes for home practice.
Think “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “The Thrill is Gone,” “Messin’ With The Kid,” or “All Along The Watch Tower.” You can play “Mustang Sally” at your own risk. The songs don’t even have to be popular. You can even get away with memorizing two or three verses from an obscure blues tunes that you think has cool lyrics. Just lay it on top of a straight blues I IV V and you’re all set. What’s important is that it’s easy to play, it’s a good tune and you can perform it well. Stick to the blues based stuff or three chord blues-rock and don’t spend a lot of time teaching songs on stage. Keep it simple. Find two shuffles, a slow blues and maybe something funky. Don’t be the guy who asks, “Hey, do you guys know “Rainbow in the Dark?” Don’t be that guy. It’s a blues jam. Not Devil Jam.
Learn To Sing
You don’t need to be an amazing vocalist. You just need to carry the song. It’s not American Idol. Sing sincerely and do your best to hold pitch. Drunk people are very forgiving. Don’t pretend you’re a black sharecropper circa 1930 either. Nothing is more annoying than seeing a white guy from the suburbs wearing a Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops pretending he just walked out of a gospel church from the Deep South. Be yourself. The reason why you want to sing is to control your set. If you announce that you sing, you get to pick the tunes and you won’t be at anyone’s mercy. You get to play the tunes you rehearsed and you’ll come off a lot better than if you had to play behind a guy who starts counting off “Love Rollercoaster.” Being the singer means you take control of your set and become the bandleader.
Stay tuned for Part 4 where I’ll discuss how to get the most of your blues jam experience.
The reasons you’re likely to blow chunks the first time you attend a blues jam is simple. The construct of the blues jam is set up for people who play blues jams regularly. I’ve seen iconic household name musicians humiliate themselves at blues jams because they only know their own songs. They rarely play covers. Anytime you get a bunch of strangers together who are told to be entertaining by playing popular blues standards, that’s a recipe for excruciating fist biting. All kinds of things can go wrong and usually will. Here’s a short list of reasons why things can go wrong:
1. Nobody knows the same songs.
2. They only know part of a song, but they try to play it anyway.
3. Nobody knows how to lead a band.
4. The drummer is just awful.
5. The drunk chick gets on stage and starts counting off “Don’t Stop Believin’” before she realizes nobody knows how to play it.
You may also have to tolerate the guy hosting the jam. You may have to deal with nepotism, apathy, poor organizational skills or just plain jerkism. You may be thinking you don’t need this because you get plenty of bondage and discipline already. But you do need this. The blues jam is not only the place where you can learn to function on stage, it’s also the place to work on your networking skills. It’s also about social interaction and finding out what it will take to accomplish your musical objectives. Your musical objectives will involve people and you need to learn how to deal with people to accomplish your goals. This is the place to find band members. It’s a start anyway. In the meantime you’ll be crafting your very own little stage show within the framework of 3-4 easy songs.
While you’re showing up week after week enduring chronic sweating and explosive diarrhea, you’ll also want to be at your best so you will attract future band mates. You don’t want to scare people off by sucking. It doesn’t matter how nice a guy you are, nobody wants to play with a guy who totally blows. That’s why it’s important to do some homework and have a basic plan before you arrive. Here are a few tips to prepare you of this ordeal.
Learn The Language Of Blues Music.
You can’t spend all your time listening to Mastodon and expect to play good blues. You have to take some time out to live in Blues World. Pick out some classics and study the various permutations of the I IV V and the artists that made them famous. Stay away from Stevie Ray Vaughn and go right to the crux of the biscuit. Nobody ever wants to hear SRV covers. Nobody. You can’t go wrong with the three kings (B.B. King, Freddy King, Albert King), Buddy Guy or Otis Rush. In this day and age of the Internet, DVDs and guitar instruction, there is absolutely no excuse for not having access to the guitar styles of these fine artists. Learn the twelve bar blues progression until you can hear it in your sleep. The secret is to know a chord change is coming before it actually happens. It shouldn’t be a surprise. Also understand how turnarounds work. Take note of how the masters create introductions and endings and memorize at least three or four of them. You don’t have to act like a seventy-year-old black guy who just fell off a cotton truck, but it’s important to understand the form from an academic standpoint so you’ll always know where you are within the progression.
Tune in next time for Part 3 where we’ll get into specifics about what to work on to step up your game.
Dude, you gotta get out and play. Get away from the computer. Get outta your mom’s basement. I’m not talking about going to Guitar Center and showing off how well you can play “Seek & Destroy” either. Nobody wants to hear that. Those robots behind the sales counter are sick of you. The next time you walk in they’re going to call security because you never buy anything. Time to move on. Step up your game. Be a man…or at least mannish. You gotta get out and play with humans. Sure, you can wait until somebody posts the perfect ad on Craigslist. Good luck finding a bunch guys who play at your level and like the exact music you like. The do-it-yourself home cloning kit is too far off in the future to think about. You gotta get up.
First, pat yourself on the back. You’ve come a long way. Look how far you’ve come. Remember when you couldn’t even tune your guitar? Remember that? Huh? It wasn’t easy learning how to finger those add9 chords either. Remember that? Remember how tough it was memorizing all those pentatonic patterns up and down the neck? It was frustrating. You thought you were retarded at first, but you worked hard and now you can figure stuff out and play actual songs. Give yourself a big atta boy.
Ok, now get over yourself. There comes a time in a guitarist’s life when he needs to escape the safety of the pre-recorded jam track. If you want to take your playing to the next level, you need to play music with sentient beings. You need to stand up, put on some clean underwear, dab on some Old Spice and leave Madison Square Bedroom.
How do you accomplish this without getting stuck in a band with a bunch of malignant narcissists? The answer is simple. THE LOCAL BLUES JAM. It doesn’t matter if you hate blues. You gotta go anyway. Just go. Blues is a vehicle. It’s your first car. Think of blues as “Playing Music With Humans 101.” If you’ve never been on stage with people and tried to make music, this is the place to get your feet wet. The blues jam is a rite of passage, much like when the young boy and future King Leonidas was sent out into the snow half naked carrying only a spear in the movie 300. It might take a while to become victorious, but if you stick with it, one day you’ll come home draped in a wolf skin and be cheered by hot Spartan women.
Until that time there will be public humiliation a’ plenty. Yes, you will experience anxiety, sweaty palms, loose bowels and possibly an uncontrollable nervous tick. Jerks will sit in the audience with their arms folded and abuse you with chronic eye rolling. They may even decide that your time onstage is the perfect opportunity to go to the bar and order another drink. It doesn’t matter. You’re there for you. At some point in a guitarist’s life he must move forward and take a break from his nerdish study of chords and scales and get out in the real world. Call it “First Contact.”
Know this going in. You will suck no matter what. You will suck hard too. If you accept your sucktastic place in life it will be easier to move on from suckatude. You’re guaranteed to get better. Musicians who do well at blues jams are highly revered. They know a lot of performable songs, they have a good on stage persona, they know how to lead a band and they know how to express themselves within a limited framework. These are the lessons you must learn.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where we’ll discuss objectives and strategies to make yourself invincible.
Share My Guitar has an awesome social network for guitar enthusiasts. SMG is a place where people can come together to talk about guitars, pass around information, and build a community where everyone shares their passion for guitars, no matter who they are or what style of music they’re into. Join up today!
Share My Guitar has an awesome social network for guitar enthusiasts. SMG is a place where people can come together to talk about guitars, pass around information, and build a community where everyone shares their passion for guitars, no matter who they are or what style of music they’re into. Join up today!
Photo by Oscar Jordan
