All Good Guitar Jam Tracks Should Have These 5 Things
The overall quality of guitar jam tracks on the internet is quite poor. An important factor in this is that a strong rhythmic element is usually missing. Power chords are so basic and uninteresting that they don’t offer much to base your guitar parts on. Many tracks don’t even have rhythmic variations, and thus, there are no opportunities to change your musical feel. The complexity of the rhythm is an important factor in selecting good jam tracks.
One of the key elements of a good guitar jam track is a well thought out melody. This melody can’t take up all the musical space above the bass, but it should offer a more interesting upper voice to the track. The benefit of having a clear melody is that the player can hear the subtle interactions of their phrases with the melody. This can lead to a more interesting and fulfilling jam because there is a vocal quality to the leads. There is definite call and response characteristics and this puts what the guitarist is playing into more of a muscial context rather then just playing notes.
Many people don’t realize the impact the length of a jam track has on their enjoyment. It is a huge annoyance to anyone playing a solo/jamming when their backing band suddenly disappears out from under them. This could happen to you if you’re not careful in selecting a jam track that is long enough. If you look for three to five minute long tracks, you will probably find that this is the perfect amount of time. Any more and it may start to drag on and any less and you may be cut off prematurely.
The way to get out of the rut you may be in with your playing is to get out of your comfort zone. Look for jam tracks that are something different then you are used to. If you constantly put yourself in different musical settings where you are forced to expand your horizons, you will improve as a player. Even if you aren’t in a rut, there is never a bad thing with trying something different. If you find a jam track that’s interesting you should try it. Who knows, it may be one you keep coming back to and something you can give credit to when you develop your own style.
To help ensure you get the most out of a jam track, look for one that is recorded well. Sound quality is key because you need to be able to hear the subtle details of the track to best understand the rhythm and melody of the piece. Once you can hear and understand these, you can work on composing more interesting phrases and solos. None of which is possible if the jam track was recorded poorly. As well, the tones of the instruments and the dynamics captured play a large role in creating a good jam track.
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