Out of tune in jam sessions

Bobby M

Blues Newbie
Any ideas? I play along fine with Griff by myself. Every time I'm in a jam session every note I play seems out of tune. Verified the guitar is in tune. It's not an expensive guitar: Yamaha Pacifica. Is one trait of a higher end guitar that all the frets are in tune when the strings are tuned? Suggestions?
 

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
Honestly, sounds like you are talking about multiple things.................

"Is one trait of a higher end guitar that all the frets are in tune when the strings are tuned?" = well, if the guitar is intonated correct, then all the frets are properly tuned when you tune it. Easy quick and dirty check, tune your guitar, then check the tuning at the 12th fret, all the strings should read the same as their open counterpart, but thats ANY guitar, a $1000 or a $199 all get the same basic set up

" I play along fine with Griff by myself. Every time I'm in a jam session every note I play seems out of tune" = I think, and I am guessing, what it is here is the difference to playing with a jam track vs live, a jam track it stays the same, its consistent, your ear knows what it needs to hear. At a jam, people are playing different things that compliment each other, and it throws many people off, maybe the drummer throws in a fill you are not expecting and suddenly you miss a barre


A suggestion, if working in the key of A, go to youtube and find every jam track, and play over them, all the different timings, rhythms, everything, it will help to get used to things on the fly, and of course, practice your canned solos until you can order Chinese food while playing it
 

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
Ummmm maybe get a recording so you can listen back later?

Accomplished people can switch easily and fairly effortlessly between major and minor pentatonics in a blues song ( im slowly trying to get there ) so if others are on major and or switching keys you could sound off on minor.

Best advice ask the people you are playing with what happened and did you go wrong?
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
If your guitar is in tune with itself and everyone is using A440 as a reference and you are all playing the same progression, you may not be playing in the same key or "mode" as everyone else or may be using a scale that doesn't "work".

Do you sound "in tune" over Griff's backing tracks?

If not, an example of what you thought you should be doing would be helpful.
 
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PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
I play along fine with Griff by myself. Every time I'm in a jam session every note I play seems out of tune. Verified the guitar is in tune.
How comfortable are you in a jam? I've seen people who go into "death grip" mode on their guitar when they play. Pressing too hard on the strings and sometimes doing a slight bend on them without realizing it.
I know a couple people who have Yamaha Pacificas. They are a well built guitar, so unless your intonation is way off, as @sdbrit68 mentioned in his post, that shouldn't be an issue. Honestly, if intonation was the issue, it would be as noticeable on backing tracks as it is in live jams.
 

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Is the rest of the band tuned to YOU?

If you're the only person using a tuner and they're not, then you may be spot-on but they aren't.

Are they all tuned to "Eb" maybe?
Lots of guys like to play in Eb and if you're in E it will sound horrible.

Have someone play you an "E" and see where your "E" is at. If you're sharp or flat then tune down or up as needed then tune the rest of your strings relatively.

It's worked for orchestras for centuries. :)
 
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MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Be sure that you know what key they are jamming in. Is it A or A minor? If you are following the "in blues Am pentatonic will always work" plan, but you aren't playing Blues, Am pentatonic may not always work.
s you can see, we probably need a little more information. A John suggested, a recording of your jam with notes on where in the recording you are playing and exactly where it doesn't sound right to you, would be a big help.
 

tommytubetone

Great Lakes
I think Mike S. nailed it. Before it’s your turn to solo, turn down a little and play a few notes from major or minor and see what sounds good. Then you’ll know what to play when your solo comes around. Tennessee Whiskey is one of those songs where minor pentatonic doesn’t work.
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
I can't imagine that intonation would be off so much to cause that noticeable of a difference on everything you play. It sounds as though you are either playing in the wrong key, or you are playing a major scale against a minor blues or a minor scale against a song that should be major. In a jam situation, I used to routinely mess up Red House in Bb as I would somehow creep up one fret into B and then wonder why my playing sounded so hideous.
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
I can't imagine that intonation would be off so much to cause that noticeable of a difference on everything you play. It sounds as though you are either playing in the wrong key, or you are playing a major scale against a minor blues or a minor scale against a song that should be major. In a jam situation, I used to routinely mess up Red House in Bb as I would somehow creep up one fret into B and then wonder why my playing sounded so hideous.
I have a bad habit of doing that, too!
 

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
Every time I'm in a jam session every note I play seems out of tune.
I was thinking death grip except this sentence leads me to think maybe the jammers are tuned down. It’s easy to check at the next jam, have one of the players play an open string and see if your pitch matches it. If it matches then maybe death grip, wrong key, or major vs. minor. If it was intonation it would sound out of tune at home too, I’d be inclined to believe.

I think JohnHurley’s suggestion of a recording at a jam session would be easier for diagnosis than guessing :Beer:

Eric
 
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