"The Way of Jamming (2 of 2)"

Transcript
Page 1. Panels 1 through 4. Mr. Long says, "Before you play anything, envision the boundaries of the melodic environment you're about to create. Select a limited range of notes to build your melody. A limited range will make the melody sound more composed." An illustrated footnote clarifies, "The fretboard, by nature, is great for visualization." Panel 5. Text reads, "Likewise, envision a rhythm before you start playing. If it's too dense to tap with your foot, it's probably too dense to sound memorable." A diagram with rhythm slashes provides an example of a simple, tappable rhythm. Panel 6. Text reads, "A melody needs not be just monophonic. Try groupings of two or three notes. Be wary of the available sonic space!" A block diagram of a scale shows how notes can be grouped together in twos or threes.

Page 2. Panel 1. Mr. Long swings on a line as though it were a rope, over the "create a structure" part of the diagram. He says, "With a playable part under your fingers, it's time to build it into a structure." Panel 2. Text reads, "The bottom line is, repeated elements are the essence of composition. Don't worry about overusing this strategy. Have faith in people's attention spans!" We see a disorganized cluster of AAAB type song structure diagrams to illustrate the point. Panel 3. Text reads, "Your next duty is to remember the part you created, come up with another part, or three, and come up with an order for these parts." We see the same set of AAAB type diagrams, except much more pared down and orderly. Panel 4. Text reads, "This does mean that you'll have to commit these parts to memory, which takes mindfulness. But it may force you to keep things simple, and usually better." We see just the AAAB this time.

Page 3. Panel 1. Mr. Long leans into panel over the "listen to your partners" part of the diagram. He says, "You've tossed a rock into the pond. Let's see where the ripples have traveled." Panel 2. Mr. Long, guitar in hand, stands between MacCormac, who brandishes a bass guitar, and K, who sits behind a drum kit. Mr. Long says, "What are your partners playing? How are they responding to you? What are the notes, rhythms, and textures they need to sound complete?" Panel 3. Mr. Long sits leisurely, still the same spot on the diagram. He says, "These are the clues that will point you to your next step." Panel 4. He walks up a staircase back to "assess the situation," He says, "Listening to your partners can mean feeliing the end is near, or that it's time for the jam to evolve."

Page 4. Mr. Long sits on the floor, reclining against a wall, plucking his guitar. He says, "A few more words of advice. Your parts need not be complicated. In fact, most of the time, they shouldn't be. Try a simple ostinato, or chordal part. If you like effects, try washes of sound. The goal of jamming is not to assert yourself, but to create a canvas for everyone to paint on. When you do have an opportunity to stand out, emulate vocal phrasing, or audiate your part. To audiate is to think up your part in your head, without using your instrument. This is crucial to avoid lapsing into rote patterns. You can practice these strategies at home. Finally, don't sweat the small stuff. If you play something that doesn't work, move onto the next thing. Please don't fuss over it."

Page 5. In staff form, Mr. Long's guitar part rises into the air, passes over K, who adds to the part on his drum kit, then over MacCormac, who adds more music still, then over the Earth itself, where the music turns into a crackle of energy that wraps the entire planet, then, finally, back to Mr. Long, who snaps his fingers one more time.

Page 6. Text reads, "The Way of Jamming postscript. From the very beginning of the World on a String, I've wanted to discuss my thoughts on jamming. After a few false starts, I realized it couldn't be done as a normal strip. It was too big a subject, and it defied being broken apart into multiple separate strips. Hence, the Way of Jamming. A reminder: due to the size of this project, the forthcoming third volume of the World on a String will be half length, 12 pages instead of 24. This usually works out to around three strips. Then it's back to business as usual with a full length volume 4. As usual, thanks for sticking around. Volume 3 is coming soon. Ken, 11/11/2019. Ken Alleman composes music, plays guitar and bass, and is the creator of the World on a String.

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