Remember that a jam session is a collaborative musical experience. The band is more than just accompaniment, they are your musical partners! A little preparation will help you feel comfortable, connect with the musicians, and have a great time.

  • Choose songs you know and love. Sing from memory rather than reading lyrics. Avoid reading lyrics from your phone. Knowing the song well will help you connect with the band, the audience, and your own performance.
  • Choose a comfortable key. Know what key you want to sing in before you start, and choose one that works well for your voice. Whenever possible, use a key that is commonly played for that tune. If you prefer an unusual key, bring printed chord charts for the rhythm section with the chords transposed to your key.
  • Think of the band as collaborators. Listen to what the musicians are playing and respond to them. If there is a horn player, for example, they may play fills or musical responses around your melody. The more you listen and interact, the more the performance will feel like a shared musical experience.
  • Know what happens after the melody. Typically, you’ll sing the melody and then the instrumentalists will take one or more solos. The solos will follow the form of the song, so keep track of where you are in the form. When it’s time to return to the melody, come back to the microphone and be ready to jump in at the appropriate spot. You might return at the beginning of the form, or, especially with a ballad, you might come back on the bridge.
  • Communicate with the musicians. You can briefly talk through the plan before the tune begins, but you don’t have to figure out every detail in advance. Eye contact, gestures, and other visual cues can help you communicate with the band during the performance. Don’t be afraid to trust your ears and respond to what’s happening in the moment.
  • Scat singing can be a lot of fun, but it is a different skill from singing a melody. Unless you’ve spent some time studying and practicing scat singing, it’s generally better to focus on tunes and melodies that you know well.
  • Ballads can be beautiful, but they don’t always work as well in a jam-session setting. Be sure to have some medium-tempo swing, bossa nova, and up-tempo swing tunes in your repertoire as well. Often, songs you might think of as ballads can also be performed in a swing style or other style such as bossa or funk (ex. “My Funny Valentine”)