OK - you've been practicing for a long time, you're at the point where you can actually tolerate your own playing, and you want to get into the local scene and start jamming with other musicians of similar (or, ideally, somewhat better) ability. How do you go about this search? There are several ways to encounter guitarists and other musicians:
- There are several on-line communities whose sole purpose to to enable musicians
to meet each other. They include MeetUp, AMMO (Amateur Musicians Meeting Others), Musicians Meeting Everywhere (a subgroup of MeetUp), Free Musician List, several large forums (from Craigs' List, Jam Session), and an intriguing new development where musicians from different cities jam together in real time: eJamming AUDiiO (reviewed in Technology Review), JamBands.com, Synthopia, and Internet Jamming.
- IMNSHO, the best of them all is Bandmix.com, which I have used extensively myself.
You enter a short profile of yourself, list your influences and
equipment, and decide what you're looking for - a band looking for a
guitarist? Other musicians just wanting to jam? Some who
wants to form a band that might get a record contract? Or someone
who just wants to jam occasionally, with no additional
commitment? You can search their large database on these and
other criteria. The best way to limit your search is to enter
your zip code and decide how many miles you're willing to go (or expect
someone else to come).
- Start
going to "open mike" sessions at local clubs/bars where live music is
featured. If you like, at first, don't bring your instrument - just go in and
see what the scene is like, how people are chosen to play, whether they
play alone or in small groups, the average level of proficiency (if
it's an established jazz club and every single guitarist could blow you
away, it's probably not a good choice for you at this point), and other
characteristics of the session. Keep looking until you feel
comfortable, and could envision yourself playing with the other players
without being embarrassed; next time, bring your axe!
- Hang out at your local guitar store! Personally, I (and quite a few others I know) have found this to be an excellent way of meeting other guitarists - I just grab a guitar, sit down and start playing a few jazz riffs or something similarly cool, and sooner or later, some people will start wandering over to see where the music is coming from. You then can strike up a conversation with whomever you get good vibes from. I've actually made my most valuable and enduring associations just this way. It costs nothing in time or money, and as long as you don't spend hours every day there, the staff usually won't mind at all. (It's a good idea to buy something occasionally, so they recognize you as a paying customer, not just a hanger-on who plays their demo instruments but never spends any money.)
- Make an eye-catching flyer, laying out who you are, what your qualifications are, and what you're looking for, and ask the local music stores and music clubs/bars if you can hang one wherever other have hung theirs. Be sure to include a bunch of tear-off strips at the bottom, with not only your phone number and email address, but your name and what you are ("electric guitarist" or something similar). Many people put only their phone number on the strips, not thinking that when someone who liked what they saw on your flyer and tore off a strip won't remember anything about you when they get home and find the strip in their wallet! On the flyer, it's not time to be humble. Don't boast or brag, just state simply what your level of proficiency is, how long you've been playing, who your main influences are, and how you'd rate yourself ("6 out of 10", etc.). But be honest - if you're very good, say you're very good! (As Buddy Rich used to say, "it's not bragging if you can back it up!")
Don't be discouraged if you aren't swamped with phone calls the first
week you start looking. These things take awhile, but you can
have faith that you will score what you want, if you have some patience
and follow through on anyone who contacts you. It has never taken
me longer then a couple of months to connect with a few excellent musicians when
I start looking in a new location.