Plug yourself into the world of bluegrass jamming. One of the best parts of playing bluegrass music is the ability to make music with complete strangers at a moment’s notice. To the outsider, it might seem like complete magic. In reality, it is all about understanding common tunes, common forms, and following a simple set of jam “rules” – and perhaps a pinch of magic.

This 3-week intensive course will highlight the format, etiquette, and rules of bluegrass jamming. By breaking down the technical aspects of jamming – playing rhythm, taking leads, verbal and non-verbal cues – this course aims to give participants the basic skills to join their local sessions, band scrambles, and festival jams.

Open to all acoustic musicians – fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, dobro, harmonica. Participants will be encouraged to sing in a group setting. Open to vocalists; however, much of this course is geared towards instrumentalists.

Pre-requisites: 

• Comfortable playing open chords, moving between chords, and strumming basic rhythms
• A handful of songs/tunes in any style is recommended
• Guitar/banjo/dobro players will need a capo
• Note: familiarity with your instrument is necessary for this class; familiarity with bluegrass is not!