Session variations and adjusting at a live session.
I see this has been discussed before but perhaps not quite the same angle I’m inquiring about.
What do you do when you play a tune you’ve learned well with someone else for the first time that clearly knows a different version of the tune well? I feel like there are two choices: You can simply play it confidently the way you know it and not worry about them – they can either adjust to you or let the contrasting parts be as they are or, you can ghost out the parts you know are different and try to learn them for the next time around. I tend to go for the later but it is very difficult for me to pick up variations that quickly. It seems like the polite thing but I fear it makes me seem like I’m ‘faking it’ too much. The other thing I struggle with is playing through the phrase when other players are playing different dissonant notes. My instinct is to play softer but sometimes the other players may need me to play strong to help them through the tune. My goal is to be a strong enough player to adapt on the spot in the best way and make the whole ensemble sound tighter.
I suppose I shouldn’t worry so much but I know everyone goes through this to some extent and I’m curious what you might have to say on the matter. Thank you