Bluegrass Jam Etiquette
by Patricia GarberHow To Be Popular On the Bluegrass Jamming Circuit
With all the bluegrass festivals coming up, it's time to tune up your jamming skills. Come to this workshop to practice your jam etiquette so you can fit into all the fabulous jamming opportunities that abound as the season unfolds. We will help you learn how to "call" and introduce your tune or song, how to "direct traffic" while playing and singing, how and when to play backup, how and when to take a break, and most importantly, how to have fun at a jam even when you don't know half the songs that anyone is playing. If you've been playing at home for awhile and know some basic chords but want to branch out into bluegrass style jamming, this workshop is for you. This workshop will help you build repertoire and gain confidence. We will provide words and charts for several popular bluegrass jam tunes.
Patti Garber, and her husband, Ted, are experienced bluegrass jammers who can make even the shyist of musicians feel at home. Bring your instruments and plan to play. If you have a favorite tune or song, we will help you lead it. Patti plays upright bass and Ted plays dobro in several regular jams as well as with Grizzly Peak, a local bluegrass band. They play at several local venues, and you can see them in July playing at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival in Hollister. For more information on this and other local festivals (as well as information about the Grizzlies and other local bluegrass bands) check out the California Bluegrass Society at www.cbaonetheweb.org for local jams, venues, and festivals, or the Northern California Bluegrass Society at www.scbs.orghttp://www.grizzlypeakbluegrass.com
