Matt Jensen Music

SLOW BLUEGRASS JAM

First and third Wednesdays, 6-8 PM, American Legion #234, 3751 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406 - parking is in the small lot in the back or plenty of street parking. The front door may be locked but they'll buzz you in; the back door is open. Please consider buying stuff and/or tipping them as thanks for hosting us. No sign up needed, drop in any date that works for you, and feel free to come for all or just part of it.

Short version of our rules if you already know good bluegrass jam etiquette:

- Be nice and welcome new folks.
- Only slow and simple songs and tunes.
- Start slow and try not to speed up.
- Most any song (with singing) is welcome in common bluegrass keys.
- Play appropriate backup (chords) quietly enough that you can hear when others are singing or soloing.
- No noodling - you can only play melody during your break, not when others are singing or soloing.
- Pay attention and shake your head quickly yes or no when offered to lead or solo; if you fail to make eye contact you will be passed. Once you know that you are next and you are going to pass, tell the next person “you are next” so they know it is coming.
- No percussion or electric instruments.
- Only the fiddle tunes (instrumentals) listed below are allowed, and pass if you don’t already know the tune.
- If it'll be two fiddle tunes in a row, we'll skip you to do a song and then come back to you.

More info about bluegrass jam etiquette is at the bottom of this page.

CURRENT FIDDLE TUNE LIST:

ANGELINE THE BAKER in D (AABB)
A: |D---|D---|D---|G---|D---|D---|D-G-|D---|
B: |D---|D---|D---|G---|D---|D---|D-G-|D---|

BIG SCIOTA in G (AABB)
A: |G---|G---|G---|G---|G---|C---|D---|G---|
B: |G---|D---|D---|C---|C---|Em---|D---|G---|

BILLY IN THE LOWGROUND in C (AABB)
A: |C---|C---|Am---|Am---|C---|C---|Am---|G-C-|
B: |C---|C---|F---|F---|C---|C---|Am---|G-C-|

BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM in G (AABB)
A: |G-D-|C-G-|C-G-|A-D-|G-D-|C-G-|C-G-|D-G-|
B: |Em---|Em---|Em---|B---|Em---|Em---|C-G-|D-G-|

CLINCH MOUNTAIN BACKSTEP in A (AABB)
A: |A---|A---|A---|E---|A---|A---|E---|A---|
B: |A---|A---|A---|A-|E---|A---|A---|E---|A---|

CRIPPLE CREEK in A (AABB)
A: |A---|D-A-|A---|E-A-|
B: |A---|A---|A---|E-A-|

EAST TENNESSEE BLUES in C (AB)
A&B: |C---|C---|F---|F---|C---|C---|D7---|G---|C---|C---|F---|F---|C---|C---|G---|C---|

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN in G (A)
A: |G---|G---|G---|G---|Em---|Em---|G---|G---|Em---|Em---|G---|G---|D---|D---|G---|G---|

GIRL I LEFT BEHIND in G (AABB)
A: |G---|C---|G---|D---|G---|C---|D---|G---|
B: |G---|G---|G---|C-D-|G---|C---|D---|G---|

JUNE APPLE in A (AABB)
A: |A---|A---|G---|G---|A---|A---|G---|A---|
B: |A---|A---|G---|D---|A---|A---|G---|A---|

LIBERTY in D (AABB)
A: |D---|D---|G---|G---|D---|D---|G-A-|D---|
B: |D---|D---|D---|A---|D---|D---|G-A-|D---|

OLD JOE CLARK in A (AABB)
A: |A---|A---|A---|E---|A---|A---|A-E-|A---|
B: |A---|A---|A---|G---|A---|A---|A-E-|A---|

OVER THE WATERFALL in D (AABB)
A: |D-A-|D---|D-A-|D---|D-A-|D---|C---|G---|
B: |D-G-|D---|D-A-|D---|D-G-|D---|D-A-|D---|

RED HAIRED BOY in A (AABB)
A: |A---|A-D-|A---|G---|A---|A-D-|A---|E-A-|
B: |G---|D---|A---|G---|A---|A-D-|A---|E-A-|

RED WING in G (AB)
A: |G---|G---|C---|G---|D---|G---|A---|D---|G---|G---|C---|G---|D---|G---|A-D-|G---|
B: |C---|C---|G---|G---|D---|D---|G---|G---|C---|C---|G---|G---|D---|D---|G---|G---|

SAINT ANNE'S REEL in D (AABB)
A: |D---|D---|G---|D---|D---|D---|G-A-|D---|
B: |D---|Em---|A---|D---|Bm---|Em---|A---|D---|

SALLY GOODIN in A (AABB)
A: |A---|A---|A---|E-A-|
B: |A---|A---|A---|E-A-|

SOLDIER'S JOY in D (AABB)
A: |D---|D---|D---|A---|D---|D---|D-A-|D---|
B: |D---|G---|D---|A---|D---|G---|D-A-|D---|

TEMPERANCE REEL in G (AABB)
A: |G---|G---|Em---|Em---|G---|G---|Em---|D-G-|
B: |Em---|Em---|D---|D---|Em---|Em---|C---|D-G-|

TURKEY IN THE STRAW in G (AABB)
A: |G---|G---|G---|D---|G---|G---|G---|D-G-|
B: |G---|G---|C---|C---|G---|G-D-|G---|D-G-|

WHISKEY BEFORE BREAKFAST in D (AABB)
A: |D---|D---|G-D-|A---|D---|D---|G-D-|A-D-|
B: |D---|D---|Em---|A---|D-A-|G-D-|G-D-|A-D-|

For any of these just google “[tune name] lesson [your instrument],” and there should be free videos teaching the tune; let me know if you’re having trouble finding what you need. Try to work up to learning tunes by ear; you'll REALLY thank yourself later if you do. All fiddle tunes have lots of variations that all work with the same chord progression, so don't be surprised when people play different versions. For practice, in addition to a metronome, a helpful thing is a backing track of chords, and there are many free ones on youtube by searching "backing track [tune name]," or by using an app like Strum Machine (highly recommended).

I've started recording versions of our tunes, in case it's helpful to anyone:
Mandolin: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplajx9L3Rq0WoZPmiPABn12VVIcxYnrR
Fiddle: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplajx9L3Rq2nJlqQoGsf302ah01vv-t2
Guitar: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplajx9L3Rq15SiCt6gnV0CYxXCIhoeco&si=rk2PvAVkZSi1j5yB
Banjo: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplajx9L3Rq3NhesEFTSx8wbgMrmoJPui
 

WHAT IS A JAM?

What is the difference between a jam and a performance, such as an open mic? A jam/session is an informal gathering of people that want to play music together. Jammers don't really care if anyone else comes to listen, even if people sometimes do. A performance, such as an open mic, is about playing music for an audience, who are listening and not participating in making the music. Some music genres call these gatherings jams, such as bluegrass, while other genres call these sessions, such as Irish traditional music, and others call them jam sessions. Jams are either closed, meaning they are invitation only, or they are open, meaning you don't need an invitation to participate. If you are nice to folks at one jam you will likely get invited to plenty of others.

How to Start Jamming - find a jam, figure out how it works, and then join in.

Finding a jam that is a good fit for you can be challenging. A lot of them are found by word of mouth, and it's not always clear if they are open, and if so, what ability level and music genres they might be playing. Searching the internet and/or asking at your local musical instrument shops are usually your best bets for finding jams. The good news is that once you find one jam, the folks there can usually point you to others, and if you are looking for something specific, they often can point you in the right direction.

After finding a jam that seems to be open and at your ability level, walk in and introduce yourself. You could say something like "Hi, I'm Matt, and I'm a beginner at bluegrass mandolin, can I join your jam?” Something like that will usually give them all the info they need to let you know if it's likely to be a good fit for you. If you're not ready for that, another approach is to go scout it out first by listening for a while. Then, if it seems like a good fit, you could grab your instrument and ask about joining in.

Whether you sit in with your instrument at first or not, it's a great idea to listen and watch the jam for a while, which will usually give you the gist of how that jam runs before you start making noises that may or may not fit it very well. Jams tend to fall into one of two big categories: most folks playing the same melody at the same time, or people taking turns singing or playing instrumental melodies solo. Old time and Irish traditional music jams/sessions have most folks playing the melody at the same time. Bluegrass jams and most multi-genre acoustic jams have people taking turns singing or playing instrumental melodies solo.

JOINING A BLUEGRASS JAM

FIRST TIMER WALK THROUGH

The bluegrass jam format is special because it allows total strangers who might not know any of the same songs to successfully play together. Every jam is different, but I'll try to explain how jams usually work in general in the format of a "walk through" from the perspective of someone coming to one for the first time. This guide will be a work-in-progress, and any suggestions for improvement would be welcome.

In most places there are few strictly traditional bluegrass jams, instead most jams involve multiple music genres and have a pretty loose structure. This is great fun for advanced players looking for a challenge, but tougher for beginners getting started. Most of the main features will still apply, though, so learning the bluegrass jam format can set you up to join many other kinds of jams. If you go to a jam and don’t understand why they are doing something, just ask - most people will be happy to explain the quirks of their jam.

FINDING A JAM AND WALKING IN

Bluegrass has five standard instruments that are always welcome at jams: mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and acoustic bass. At most bluegrass and multi-genre acoustic jams, any other acoustic string instrument would also be welcome, but you should ask first. Lots of jams also allow electric bass played quietly, and sometimes lots of other things. Percussion is usually not a part of bluegrass, but there is no harm in asking. Bring a tuner and tune your instrument before starting, and check it again at least once during the jam. If you are out of tune it can make it hard for other people near you to play.

Usually there is a circle of chairs and you can sit anywhere; if there is a seating arrangement they will tell you. Some advanced jams stand in a circle, and some even stand around a microphone and move in and out for singing and solos like a band. Between songs there may be time to chat, or they may go into the next song or tune right away.

SONGS, TUNES, KEYS, AND CHORDS

When it's time to start playing, someone, usually the organizer of the jam, will start a song or fiddle tune. Advanced jams often involve a mix of songs (with singing) and fiddle tunes (the term used in bluegrass and old time music for instrumental tunes without singing). However, there is a spectrum of this for different jams. Many jams do only songs, and there are rare jams that do only fiddle tunes. Songs tend to be more popular at jams because they are easier to play along with if you don't already know them (more on that later). Usually before starting, the person will say the name of the song or tune, and what key they want to play it in. Most bluegrass songs and tunes are 4/4 time, so that will go unsaid, but there are some in 3/4 time as well, and that will usually be stated.

Most fiddle tunes have a standard key that they are usually played in, but songs may get played in whichever key best fits the singer's voice. Eight of the twelve major keys tend to get used in bluegrass. The most popular keys are C, G, D, and A. Advanced jams may also play in E, B, F, and Bb. Minor keys may also be played, particularly A minor. Bluegrass also often uses keys called modal that involve other scales. There are lots of modes, but in bluegrass the actual keys of these (such as mixolydian) are rarely mentioned, and instead they are often referred to with the category term "modal."

So let's say somebody has started the first song or tune and everybody jumps in "backing them up," which mostly means playing chords in time with the person who is leading the tune (I'll call them the leader from now on). How does everyone know what chords to play? There are several ways. Some people will have played it before and have the chords committed to memory. Some people won't know it, but they have learned to recognize common chord shapes on the hands of guitar players. The reason folks look to the guitar players for this is because their chord shapes tend to be larger and more visible compared to other instruments, and because there are usually plenty of guitar players at most jams. This doesn’t always work, though, because guitar players often get bored playing common chord shapes and start playing more obscure shapes. Of course, if someone else is playing the same instrument as you, you can watch their hands.

Some people won't know the song or tune at all, but they have developed their ear to the point where they can hear the chord changes - this is the goal for all of us. For a beginner, learning to hear chord changes sounds impossible, but for most people it happens naturally over time the more you play in jams. The first step is to hear that one chord has changed to another (and you can watch other player's hand while working on this). Eventually you'll develop the pattern recognition to be able to anticipate chord changes in advance based on what is happening with the melody. The next step is figuring out what the new chord is, which is also easier than it sounds. While there are many possible chords, only a small number are likely to be played during a bluegrass song, most of which only have two, three, or four chords.

Chords are usually discussed in bluegrass using the Nashville number system, where the chords are numbered from 1 to 7 after the notes on the scale of the key. For example, in the key of G, you would use the G scale, so that the 1 chord is the G chord, the 2 chord is the A chord, the 3 chord is the B chord, etc. Most bluegrass songs only use the 1, 4, and 5 chords. For the key of G that would be the G, C, and D chords; for the key of D that would be the D, G, and A chords.

If you learn to play these four chords on your instrument, you will have a lifetime of songs that you could play. Most bluegrass songs start and end on the 1 chord. When you hear a chord change (or see it change on another player's hand), it is likely changing to a 4 or 5 chord, so pick one - if it sounds good, then it is correct; if it sounds bad, then try the other one. Another helpful pattern is that almost all bluegrass songs finish each verse and chorus going to the 5 chord and then back to the 1 chord.

PLAYING BACKUP

During songs (more on fiddle tunes later), at any point either the leader is singing the melody or someone is playing the melody as an instrumental solo. This is that person's time to do their thing, while everyone else backs them up, mostly by quietly playing chords in time as best they can, and not playing melody or "noodling". If you can't hear what the melody person is doing, you are playing too loud and you need to quiet down. This is really important for everyone staying in time together, too - if you aren't listening and "grooving" with everyone else, then there is nothing to stop the natural tendency to speed up, which can become very distracting to the melody person.

Fills are the one exception to the rules above that occur in more advanced jams. Fills are short little bits of melodic stuff played in the empty spaces of verses when the singer briefly pauses between phrases. Bands figure out in advance who is going to do fills at different parts of the song so they aren’t playing over each other, but this can happen randomly in a jam. If you experiment with fills, keep it pretty quiet and don’t play over the singer.

Harmony singing is part of bluegrass, and usually done just during a chorus, not with a verse. Traditionally, this is done by singing the next chord tone above the lead (called the tenor part), or the next chord tone below the lead (called the baritone part). Just watch your volume so that you're not drowning out the lead singer.

Just before the end of the song, the leader will usually let everybody know by lifting one foot. A "tag" is a repeat of some or all of the last part of the chorus added at the end of a song; this is optional but happens more often than not. The length of the tag varies based on what sounds good with the chord progression, so you have to listen to what the leader does to follow along. Alternatively, if you want to do a tag, instead of lifting your foot you can do a circular motion with your instrument. Rarely, the leader may try something fancier like slowing the tempo before the finish, or singing the end without instruments.

BREAKS

"Breaks" are instrumental solos, and are a big part of bluegrass jams. During a song, the leader will pass out chances to take a break. Most jams do this democratically by going around the circle to give everyone a chance. At some jams the leader will be more unpredictable and hand out breaks in a random order. If you don't want to take a break, you can always pass by shaking your head "no".

The usual bluegrass song structure is break-verse-chorus, repeated until the end of the song. However, because there are many exceptions, you want to be ready for your break at any time by watching the leader. Just before your turn for a break, while the leader is still singing, they will make eye contact with you, which means, "Do you want to take this break?" Answer yes with a nod or no with a shake of the head. You want to do this immediately so that if you pass, there will still be time for the leader to ask the next person. In an advanced jam, if you accidentally make eye contact and the leader gives you the nod before you shake your head no, then you are on the hook for that break whether you wanted it or not.

It's possible that multiple people in a row might pass and a break might come your way sooner than you expect it, so be ready anytime a break is coming up. If you know you are going to pass, it's extra helpful to tell the next person in line, so they know to be ready early. If you fail to make eye contact with the leader or clearly nod "yes," they may pass you by and you don't get to take a break on that song. Do not start taking a break over someone else's break because you weren't paying attention, or you'll be thrown into bluegrass jail, where they'll call you by a number not a name.

A break in a bluegrass jam is usually the same length, and follows the same chord progression, as a verse. If there are multiple breaks in a row, then everyone should repeat the chord progression of the verse. Lots of bluegrass songs have the same chord progression and length for both the verse and chorus, but some have different things for the chorus. Occasionally, the leader will want something different for a break, such as a verse and a chorus, or alternating people doing a verse and then a chorus, or splitting breaks in half - they should state this before they start the song. A few songs like “Nine Pound Hammer" have very short verses and choruses, so at most jams people will do both a verse and chorus for breaks.

Advanced players will often play a break for the length of a verse, and then play some random extra melodic stuff (called "licks") for several more beats. This has been called "bluegrass time," and started because people needed extra time to move in and out from a single microphone, then it became part of the style. It's probably best to avoid this at beginner jams because it may confuse people. If it does happen, everyone should just hang out on the last chord until the leader starts singing, then resume the chord progression.

HOW TO TAKE A BREAK

Playing breaks is both the most fun and the most intimidating part of a bluegrass jam, particularly with songs you don't already know, which will be most of them when you are starting out. This is a lifelong learning process, and the only way to get good at playing breaks is to first play a whole bunch of bad ones in a low-stress setting, like a beginner bluegrass jam. The secret I've learned about open jams is most people do not care at all how many wrong notes you play. In fact, most people aren't even really listening, instead they are busy worrying about their own breaks.

When advanced players take breaks they usually play the melody souped up with embellishments and improvisation. However, a break doesn't have to involve the melody - it could be a free jazz-like collection of totally unrelated notes. Most of the time, though, you want to play notes that sound good with the chord being played at that moment. You can, and people do, play notes that are discordant or unstable with the chord, but in bluegrass folks usually don't like to linger on these.

The easiest way to get started improvising breaks on songs that you don't already know is to play notes from the pentatonic scale of the key of the song. The major pentatonic scale drops the fourth and seventh notes of the scale, which are the notes that can sometimes clash some chords of the key. Because of this, pentatonic scale notes usually sound fine over any of the chords of the key. For the key of G these would be the notes of G, A, B, D, and E. For the key of D these would be the notes of D, E, F#, A, or B.

The next level of bluegrass solo is to play from different scales during the different chords in the chord progression. Notes will usually sound fine if they are from the same scale as the chord that is being played at that time. For example, if the chord progression of the verse is G then C then D, then most notes will sound fine if they first come from the G scale then the C scale then the D scale, while those chords are playing. You could work up to noodling all over the scale by initially just playing the root note of the chord repeatedly (the G note during the G chord, etc), then you could build up to using any of the three notes of the chord (for the G chord that would be G, B, or D), then any of the five notes of the pentatonic scale (for the G chord that would be G, A, B, D, and E), and then the full seven note scale. The important thing, though, is to not stress and just let a bunch of notes fly - you'll get better and have more fun each time you do it.

LEADING A SONG

So you've done back up for other people leading songs, and maybe you've tried some breaks. Now the jam organizer offers you a chance to lead a song or tune. If you don't want to, you can always pass. In a beginner jam, the goal is to play slow, simple, and predictable so that everyone can join in to the best of their abilities. If you get going too fast folks may ask you to start over more slowly so you don’t leave people behind.

There are lots of ways to "kick off" (start) a bluegrass song. In advanced jams this usually involves the leader playing part or all of a verse worth of melody, and everyone else joins in with the chords. Then the leader will start singing and switch from playing melody to playing chords while they sing. If you're not ready for that, you could play the chords for one verse to set the speed and let folks gradually join in, then start singing the first verse, but do whatever you are comfortable with. Don't forget to hand out breaks between bits of singing, and raise your foot just before you finish.

Traditional bluegrass songs always work in a bluegrass jam, but the borders of bluegrass and other types of music have always been blurry, so lots of types of songs can work in a bluegrass jam. At beginner jams, written music is usually allowed, but try to wean yourself off it over time because it gets in the way of nonverbal communication needed during a jam. It will also hold you back from more advanced jams in the future, where sheet music isn't used. If there are songs you want to do but you don't want to sing, you can often arrange for someone else to do the singing,  just talk it over with folks in advance.

STARTER SONGS

If you are new to picking or learning songs like this, I'll list some good ones below. What makes these songs helpful is that they all have one of the most common chord progressions in bluegrass. I think of this as the “default” chord progression, and if you learn this pattern, you can more easily learn other patterns by noticing where they are different. This pattern is one line of 1-4-1-5, and a second line that is the same but then resolves back to the 1 chord. For example, in the key of G, the chords of the first line are G-C-G-D, and the second line is G-C-G-D-G. For the songs below those two lines make up one verse, and these all have the same chord progression for the chorus, too.

AIN'T NOBODY GONNA MISS ME
ALL THE GOOD TIMES
BURY ME BENEATH THE WILLOW
I’LL NEVER SHED ANOTHER TEAR
I’M ON MY WAY BACK TO THE OLD HOME
THE OLD HOME TOWN
ON AND ON
WILL THE ROSES BLOOM
YOUR LOVE IS LIKE A FLOWER

Once you get comfortable with this "default" pattern, the next step that opens up lots of other songs involves the same pattern for the verse, but the start of the chorus skips the 1 chord and goes straight to the 4 chord instead. This chorus pattern is one line of 4-1-5, and a second line that is 1-4-1-5-1. For the key of G, the first line is C-G-D, and the second line is G-C-G-D-G. Below are some songs with this pattern.

BEFORE I MET YOU
DON'T THIS ROAD LOOK ROUGH AND ROCKY
JESSE JAMES
LITTLE CABIN HOME ON THE HILL
MY CABIN IN CAROLINE

The following two or three chord songs don't have a shared pattern to their chord progression, but they do have a good amount of space between chord changes, so they can be nice while you are working on the speed of chord changes:

BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY
BLUE RIDGE CABIN HOME
EAST VIRGINIA
FIREBALL MAIL
HOW MOUNTAIN GIRLS CAN LOVE
I SAW THE LIGHT
IT’S MIGHTY DARK TO TRAVEL
LONESOME ROAD BLUES
MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW
MOUNTAIN DEW
ROLL IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS
SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
WABASH CANNONBALL
WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN
WORRIED MAN BLUES

FIDDLE TUNES

Fiddle tunes usually start differently than songs with something called “potatoes.” Which is a bowing or picking pattern that involves playing the note of the key (such as the note G for a tune in the key of G) for two or four measures. This is usually played with the “shuffle bow” pattern, which (for a tune in 4/4 time) is one, two-and, three, four-and. This communicates three pieces of information: the key, the speed, and when the tune starts so that everyone can join in right on the first downbeat.

Fiddle tunes usually have a different structure than songs: AABB, where there is an A part and B part, each of which gets played twice. Usually the leader would play the tune once as a solo, then it goes around the circle giving each person the chance to play it once as a solo if they want to, and then the leader plays it one more time to finish. Alternatively, when it comes back to the leader they could call out "everybody" and then everyone that wants to can play the melody together. At a beginner jam, if someone wants to try playing the tune but it is going too fast when it comes to them, it's often OK for them to raise their hand to stop and restart the tune at a speed that works for them. While one person at a time is soloing the melody, everyone else is quietly backing them up with chords.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If the person taking a break during a song loses track and stops part way through, then it's usually best for everyone to keep going through the chord progression of the verse, and look to the leader for what happens next. Sometimes the group will get out of sync with each other and the rhythm becomes unclear - when this happens usually everyone should just try to follow the leader of the song as best they can to get back in sync. Sometimes the leader themselves will get off track with the rhythm - usually the best thing for that is for everyone to stop playing until the leader gets themselves sorted out, and then everyone can gradually join back in. Sometimes the leader doesn't start singing the next verse on time (often because they are trying to remember the words) - when this happens everyone should just keep playing whatever chord they ended up on until the leader starts singing, then resume the chord progression. If you are the leader and forget the words, instead of coming back in late it's better to just hum the melody, repeat the last verse you can remember, or just sing some gibberish.

MOST IMPORTANT

Be nice, relax, and have fun. Be open to learning new things, and ask questions between songs so that everyone can learn from each other.