How to Make Your Amateur Jazz Blues Band Improve
It’s understandable that the deep love you and your friends, family, or colleagues share for jazz blues have made you decide to form your own band. But after that, what’s next?
Confirm Commitment
For your jazz blues band to improve – and maybe even enjoy a couple of outstanding performances in the future – every member has to be committed. That means sacrificing a bit of your time and effort for regular practice.
Determine Roles
It’s important to establish every member’s role and function in a band. This isn’t just about which member will play which musical instrument but also about every member’s role in the decision-making process and other non-musical issues.
You need to determine, for instance, who’s responsible for contacting members for practice schedules and other important announcements. Someone should also serve as treasury as well as handle public relations.
Band Music Exercises
Playing music on your own is very much different from playing music as part of a band. It’s not just about playing the same notes together. Every member’s music has to blend together and this means segregation and harmony at the same time. Some members will have to play the melody while others will have to provide the main beat for the song.
Search online for band exercises for jazz blues to help you and others learn how to play as a band. You need to perfect timing to achieve harmony. You need to know when you have to start playing and when you should stop and another member comes in.
Create Set
Brainstorm to come up with a list of songs that everyone in the band would be excited to practice. If even just one of you is greatly unhappy with a particular song, it’s best to look for one that has the whole band’s approval to ensure that every member will be playing with the same level of enthusiasm and intensity.
Quality Time
Members must bond with each other not just over band practice but also in other occasions. A great camaraderie among band members will lead to an improvement in your performances since you’ll be able to develop a greater feel for the nuances of each other’s music.
No Hurry
Don’t be in a hurry to improve. These things take time and the fact that you’ve already been able to compose a jazz blues band with committed members is a feat in itself. Just continue practicing.
Have Fun
Last but not the least, don’t forget to have fun. Remember: you’re doing this for the love of jazz blues!