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What are some rules or guidelines for jamming?

Sure you can just do whatever you want when you jam. But, having some rules or guidelines (including ones you create) can be helpful – even if you break them sometimes! 

Think About

  • What are the “rules” or guidelines of improvising, or jamming?
  • Why have rules or guidelines at all?
  • What do you really need to jam, to improvise?
    • Is it a beat? A mind-set? An instrument? A skill? None of those things? All of those things?
  • What if you create a really awful jam, or if you just can’t do it at first?
  1. Watch this video of Dave Morris on improvising:

Dave Morris’s “way of improvising” could be considered a set of “rules” or “guidelines.” He calls it a “way” of improvising.

Whether you call it rules, guidelines, or ways:

How can you apply some of these suggestions in your own improvising? 

For example: How does “yes” or “yes and” work when you are improvising or jamming with music?

  1. Go back to trying the basic jam you were doing earlier.
  • Try to apply 1 or 2 of Dave Morris’s way of improvising as rules or guidelines.

Share What you Learned

If you are using the LRNG platform:

  • Go back, find out what to submit, and complete the XP

If you are not using the LRNG platform:

  • Continue below and share with your teacher or organization:

Sharing What You Learned

Post your own List of Rules for the kind of jam you’re interested in doing.

      • Put it on real paper and post it on a real wall (like in the room/place where you’re going to jam), or
      • Post it virtually to a page of yours on the web (FB, Instagram, Twitter, etc.).
        • Consider making a video explaining the rules.

Return to the XP: What are some rules or guidelines for jamming?