Jam Session 103h with D Bm G A

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 103h:

• Jon plays guitar; Ryan plays bass.
• Standard tuning for a four-string bass is like the thickest four of a guitar:  E A D G, but one octave lower.
• For some reason, Jon and Ryan use lipstick mics to record their voices, when these sort of mics are usually used to record instruments, not voices/vocals.
• A 2.0 mm pick is sometimes used during this jam session for the bass.
  

Here are some chords used, in tablature form:

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Jam Session 102k with Gm C Bb

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 102k:

Dunlop-brand Tortex picks have a similar feel as Delrin-material picks from other brands.

    Gm                    C        Bb
e |-3-------------------|-8--------6---------|---------------------|
B |-3-------------------|-8--------6---------|---------------------|
G |-3-------------------|-9--------6---------|---------------------|
D |-5-------------------|-10-------8---------|---------------------|
A |-5-------------------|-10-------8---------|---------------------|
E |-3-------------------|-8--------6---------|---------------------|

Here's one prominent lick used during the jam:

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Jam Session 102j with G D Bm C

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 102j:

More rant about mics (fast-forward if you like). Jon and Ryan talk about picks; both use Delrin-material picks, of different thicknesses.

    G       D   Dsus4     Bm       C/E
e |-3-------5-----------|-4----------------------|-----------------|
B |-3-------7-7-8-7-----|-3-3-3-3--5-------------|-----------------|
G |-4-4-4-4-7-7-7-7-----|-4-4-4-4--5-----5h7h5---|-----------------|
D |-5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-----|-4-4-4-4--5-5h7-------7-|-----------------|
A |-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----|-2-2-2-2-/7-------------|-----------------|
E |-3-3-3-3-------------|------------------------|-----------------|

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Let's expand upon yesterday's G major scale grid with this G major scale/Ionian mode road map:

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Experiment with Guitar Picks

This is just a quick tip for beginners: Test as many kinds of guitar picks as possible to uncover the possibilities of a simple and inexpensive piece of equipment.

1. Pick or no pick (fingers/thumb)?

2. Flat pick or thumb pick or finger pick or coin currency?

3. Shape of flat pick? Small "jazz" teardrop pick, normal "351" shape, larger equilateral, heart-shaped, or a specialized shape?

4. Gauge (thickness)? Some manufacturers tell you the gauge by its fraction of a millimeter, and others use the descriptors "thin," "medium," "heavy," etc. Generally, a 1.0 mm pick is a heavy pick.

5. Material? There are several types of plastic with different feels to them (Tortex, Ultex, celluloid, Delrin, nylon, etc.), as well as rubber, wood, metal, etc. As with specialized pick shapes, there are also picks with varying specialized textures, like ridges, cork rings, holes, etc.

6. Superficial elements? Color sometimes indicates gauge (usually from thinnest to thickest: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet), and other times it is just an aesthetic choice. Some manufacturers/printers can custom print picks with your logo or personalized text.

At around $3 to $4 for a dozen picks, this is an inexpensive way to experiment with equipment and develop a sound that works for you.