Alright! It's about time that I started one of these things. And before I begin with my very first blog post thing ever! I must say that I've never done this before. I still struggle to find the difference between a blog and a scrapbook. BUT! I don't care. I'm doing this anyway! And it's going to be very long and probably very annoying!
And to kick this blog off, I had my first Jam Session with a few other instrumentalists and singers last Wednesday.
I'm unsure of how many of you remember me talking about making my own band and everything, but whether you remember now or not, now you know. With some help with some people in my scrapbook and in chat, I have narrowed my band name choices to Ghosts Don't Sleep, Strike the Cover, and Fables Story/Ruin. I'm not officially deciding on the name yet simply because I don't have all my band members yet. And I want the band name to be something we all agree on so yeah. Right now, though, it appears we're calling ourselves Ghosts Don't Sleep, but that might change! I don't know yet!
Right, right, back to the Jam Session.
So, not too many people showed up to the Jam Session, but there were about 5 others there (2 being adults who have had their own band before) so it was pretty cool. I'm not totally awesomely fantastically good yet, let me just say now. I only know a handful of songs on the guitar and only one or two (fully) on the piano. And don't ask about the violin. The only thing I'm actually good at is the clarinet but I'm not going to play the clarinet in a band. So coming into this Jam Session, I'm not the best. I'm hardly even decent. But let me explain how things went down.
I came early. I always do. It's a habit I get from my dad. I bring my guitar, unaware they had plenty of guitars to spare. I sit down on the couch in front of the stage waiting for it to start. There are a few people already there getting set up and all. Not too long after that, one of the adults (he's my Youth pastor, his name is James) asked if there was any songs we would like to play and jam on. Seeing as we were playing at a church, and this Jam session is really to help people be a part of the worship team, we couldn't really play any Rock songs like Three Days Grace or Breaking Benjamin. So it was worship songs mainly. We had to pick worship songs.
Anyway, we started off with This Is Amazing Grace, the Phil Wickham version. You can look the songs I mention up with you want, but they are Christian worship songs so just keep that in mind. But anyways, James hands me one of the church guitars and I get up on stage ( and I've been up on the stage before so it wasn't that big of a deal to have the 10 something spotlights on me) and once I get on stage and tune my guitar, James tells another one of the players (his names is Joel, he's my age) to help me with the fingerings.
I'm going to say this now that I am absolutely horrid at remembering the names of notes. Like, I know how to play a G, it's just I don't remember that it's called a G. And I told James before the Jam Session that I know the notes just not the names so that's why he had Joel help me. The notes in This is Amazing Grace is G,C,Em7,D. I know all of those notes from playing with my dad, but again, the names. So he showed me and once I got the strumming pattern down, we started.
You could hardly hear James who was singing because he wasn't using the might, but the cues in the song are pretty clear. I'd like to think of myself as a fast learner so I managed to go throughout the song without any horrifying mistakes. Sometimes I did a C instead of G because they are similar and all, but that's fine. You could hardly hear me anyway because I wasn't plugged in like everyone else. But after we played the song they plugged me in and then had someone else sing the song. You still couldn't hear me because James was on the drums this time and he was hitting them as if his life depended on it. (His a singer in his band, not a drum player) Again, not too many mistakes made.
After we played it the second time, we decided to play Hosanna. And I'm going to let you guys in on a little secrete here. 90% of all worship songs ever is made up of G, C, Em7, and D. They are played at different times and sequences and all that, but if you know those notes, you know 90% of worships songs. BUT! Hosanna is not one of those songs. It has E C#m, F#m7, B, G#. So when James gave me the sheet I had no idea what these notes were. I know you could probably tune down the guitar and have the notes be the same as G and all that stuff (or whatever), but I had no clue. And I didn't want to have Joel spend another 10 minutes teaching me the notes to this song when he was already mad at me for not getting the strumming on the last one.
Then James had a brilliant idea.
James gives everyone a sheet and then he turns to me and goes,"Why don't you lead us in the singing this time?"
Now I know I'm not someone who could audition for American Idol or anything, but people have always told me that I'm a decent singer. At least decent enough to be on a worship team. And since Hosanna is often times sang by a girl, I guess it was a perfect fit since I was the only girl there. So I didn't decline, I wanted to do it, it's just I don't use mics often. The only time I ever use a mic is when my dad brings out the karaoke machine, and even then, the mic isn't even on. It's just there.
So I was nervous but I set the guitar down on the stand (since there was no one I was going to sing and play at the same time). So I go up and we start.
And for those of you unfamiliar with Worship songs, a lot of the songs have some sort of musical cue to start singing. Either there is a pause in the music, a quiet part, or a distinct beat. Something. Hosanna, again, is not one of those songs. You start singing on, like, the off beat or something (I still don't know) so unless someone else who is singing starts off, you have really no idea when the singing actually starts. So I was late with my intro. Very, very late.
But after James told me where we were, I finally started.
Woooooooooweeee! Like, holy cow, I could not believe it was me singing. I understand that you sound different to yourself than you do to other people. But Jee wilickers! I sounded like a-a-... I don't even know but daaaaaaang! It was high. It was high for me. Because to me, my voice is pretty deep for a girl. Deeper than many I thought. But holy cow, that scared the crap out of me.
But I can understand why people say I wasn't too bad. I mean, it surprised me, but I didn't think I was horrible or anything either. But, I was so nervous. I was terribly nervous. Not only is this the first time I've been to a Jam session, but it's also the first time I've sang on stage, sang with the mic turned on, hearing myself, everything. So I wavered a lot and all that so, in my terms, I sucked pretty bad.
But everyone was really encouraging because they understand and said that once I get used to it that it'll get better and all that. So I really need to practice that. We did another few songs, like From the Inside Out and Love Came Down and such and all of those I played the guitar. Once we were done with that, we kinda just hung out and talked and all and then we all went home.
Overall, I had a great time. It was fun, I learned a lot and I finally know what I need to work on.I have new songs to practice and all that so I think that it went well.
So now I'm practicing and waiting for James to make the next Jam Session and I'm still looking for more member and such. So yeah.
My parents got me professional guitar lessons for my birthday and it's sort of a camp like thing and all where we do a big concert on the last day and stuff so my next blog will probably be about that, so, yeah.
Again, long, probably annoying, but I promised I would be doing blogs and updates on the band stuff so I am. Thanks for reading!
And to kick this blog off, I had my first Jam Session with a few other instrumentalists and singers last Wednesday.
I'm unsure of how many of you remember me talking about making my own band and everything, but whether you remember now or not, now you know. With some help with some people in my scrapbook and in chat, I have narrowed my band name choices to Ghosts Don't Sleep, Strike the Cover, and Fables Story/Ruin. I'm not officially deciding on the name yet simply because I don't have all my band members yet. And I want the band name to be something we all agree on so yeah. Right now, though, it appears we're calling ourselves Ghosts Don't Sleep, but that might change! I don't know yet!
Right, right, back to the Jam Session.
So, not too many people showed up to the Jam Session, but there were about 5 others there (2 being adults who have had their own band before) so it was pretty cool. I'm not totally awesomely fantastically good yet, let me just say now. I only know a handful of songs on the guitar and only one or two (fully) on the piano. And don't ask about the violin. The only thing I'm actually good at is the clarinet but I'm not going to play the clarinet in a band. So coming into this Jam Session, I'm not the best. I'm hardly even decent. But let me explain how things went down.
I came early. I always do. It's a habit I get from my dad. I bring my guitar, unaware they had plenty of guitars to spare. I sit down on the couch in front of the stage waiting for it to start. There are a few people already there getting set up and all. Not too long after that, one of the adults (he's my Youth pastor, his name is James) asked if there was any songs we would like to play and jam on. Seeing as we were playing at a church, and this Jam session is really to help people be a part of the worship team, we couldn't really play any Rock songs like Three Days Grace or Breaking Benjamin. So it was worship songs mainly. We had to pick worship songs.
Anyway, we started off with This Is Amazing Grace, the Phil Wickham version. You can look the songs I mention up with you want, but they are Christian worship songs so just keep that in mind. But anyways, James hands me one of the church guitars and I get up on stage ( and I've been up on the stage before so it wasn't that big of a deal to have the 10 something spotlights on me) and once I get on stage and tune my guitar, James tells another one of the players (his names is Joel, he's my age) to help me with the fingerings.
I'm going to say this now that I am absolutely horrid at remembering the names of notes. Like, I know how to play a G, it's just I don't remember that it's called a G. And I told James before the Jam Session that I know the notes just not the names so that's why he had Joel help me. The notes in This is Amazing Grace is G,C,Em7,D. I know all of those notes from playing with my dad, but again, the names. So he showed me and once I got the strumming pattern down, we started.
You could hardly hear James who was singing because he wasn't using the might, but the cues in the song are pretty clear. I'd like to think of myself as a fast learner so I managed to go throughout the song without any horrifying mistakes. Sometimes I did a C instead of G because they are similar and all, but that's fine. You could hardly hear me anyway because I wasn't plugged in like everyone else. But after we played the song they plugged me in and then had someone else sing the song. You still couldn't hear me because James was on the drums this time and he was hitting them as if his life depended on it. (His a singer in his band, not a drum player) Again, not too many mistakes made.
After we played it the second time, we decided to play Hosanna. And I'm going to let you guys in on a little secrete here. 90% of all worship songs ever is made up of G, C, Em7, and D. They are played at different times and sequences and all that, but if you know those notes, you know 90% of worships songs. BUT! Hosanna is not one of those songs. It has E C#m, F#m7, B, G#. So when James gave me the sheet I had no idea what these notes were. I know you could probably tune down the guitar and have the notes be the same as G and all that stuff (or whatever), but I had no clue. And I didn't want to have Joel spend another 10 minutes teaching me the notes to this song when he was already mad at me for not getting the strumming on the last one.
Then James had a brilliant idea.
James gives everyone a sheet and then he turns to me and goes,"Why don't you lead us in the singing this time?"
Now I know I'm not someone who could audition for American Idol or anything, but people have always told me that I'm a decent singer. At least decent enough to be on a worship team. And since Hosanna is often times sang by a girl, I guess it was a perfect fit since I was the only girl there. So I didn't decline, I wanted to do it, it's just I don't use mics often. The only time I ever use a mic is when my dad brings out the karaoke machine, and even then, the mic isn't even on. It's just there.
So I was nervous but I set the guitar down on the stand (since there was no one I was going to sing and play at the same time). So I go up and we start.
And for those of you unfamiliar with Worship songs, a lot of the songs have some sort of musical cue to start singing. Either there is a pause in the music, a quiet part, or a distinct beat. Something. Hosanna, again, is not one of those songs. You start singing on, like, the off beat or something (I still don't know) so unless someone else who is singing starts off, you have really no idea when the singing actually starts. So I was late with my intro. Very, very late.
But after James told me where we were, I finally started.
Woooooooooweeee! Like, holy cow, I could not believe it was me singing. I understand that you sound different to yourself than you do to other people. But Jee wilickers! I sounded like a-a-... I don't even know but daaaaaaang! It was high. It was high for me. Because to me, my voice is pretty deep for a girl. Deeper than many I thought. But holy cow, that scared the crap out of me.
But I can understand why people say I wasn't too bad. I mean, it surprised me, but I didn't think I was horrible or anything either. But, I was so nervous. I was terribly nervous. Not only is this the first time I've been to a Jam session, but it's also the first time I've sang on stage, sang with the mic turned on, hearing myself, everything. So I wavered a lot and all that so, in my terms, I sucked pretty bad.
But everyone was really encouraging because they understand and said that once I get used to it that it'll get better and all that. So I really need to practice that. We did another few songs, like From the Inside Out and Love Came Down and such and all of those I played the guitar. Once we were done with that, we kinda just hung out and talked and all and then we all went home.
Overall, I had a great time. It was fun, I learned a lot and I finally know what I need to work on.I have new songs to practice and all that so I think that it went well.
So now I'm practicing and waiting for James to make the next Jam Session and I'm still looking for more member and such. So yeah.
My parents got me professional guitar lessons for my birthday and it's sort of a camp like thing and all where we do a big concert on the last day and stuff so my next blog will probably be about that, so, yeah.
Again, long, probably annoying, but I promised I would be doing blogs and updates on the band stuff so I am. Thanks for reading!