The best songs for a first bluegrass jam use two or three chords, have a chorus the circle can sing, and come up at jams week after week. The ten songs below fit that list. Each one links to a song page with the key, the chords, and how the song goes in a jam.
The chords are written as numbers. In the key of G, the 1 is G, the 4 is C, and the 5 is D. Read the Nashville number system for bluegrass jams if numbers are new to you.
The ten songs
| Song | Common jam key | Chords |
|---|---|---|
| I’ll Fly Away | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Will the Circle Be Unbroken | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Nine Pound Hammer | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Bury Me Beneath the Willow | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Sitting on Top of the World | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Keep on the Sunny Side | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| You Are My Sunshine | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Blue Ridge Cabin Home | G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Shady Grove | A minor sound | 2 chords |
The key in the table is a starting point. The singer picks the key that fits their voice, so you will hear these songs in A, B, C, and D too. The chord numbers stay the same in every key.
Why these ten
I’ll Fly Away and Will the Circle Be Unbroken are the two songs most circles know. Many jams close the night with one of them. Everyone sings the chorus, which makes them forgiving for a new player.
Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms and Nine Pound Hammer are fast, simple songs with short verses. They are good songs for a first break, because the melody is easy to find.
Bury Me Beneath the Willow and Sitting on Top of the World move at a medium speed. The chord changes come at a steady pace, which helps while you learn to hear them.
Keep on the Sunny Side and You Are My Sunshine have choruses many people know from childhood. Singers who are new to leading often start here.
Blue Ridge Cabin Home uses the 1, 4, and 5 in a pattern that repeats for the verse and the chorus. Learn it once and you have the whole song.
Shady Grove has a minor, old-time sound and only two chords. It gives the circle a change of mood.
Learn the chorus first
In a jam, the whole circle sings the chorus. Learn the chorus words and chords for all ten songs before you learn any verses. That lets you join in on every one of them.
Then learn the verses for the two or three songs you want to lead.
Pick two songs to lead
Song choice moves around the circle, and your turn will come. Have two songs ready. For each one, know these four things.
The key that fits your voice. See how to find your singing key.
The words to at least two verses and the chorus.
How to start it. See how to kick off a song in a bluegrass jam.
How to end it. See how to end a song in a bluegrass jam.
If you are not ready to lead, say “pass.” Nobody minds.
How to practice the list
Play each song with a recording. Change chords on time, even if a chord buzzes. Keeping your place in the song matters more than a clean chord.
Practice each song in two keys. Try G and A first. On guitar, a capo on the second fret turns G shapes into the key of A. See how to use a capo in a bluegrass jam.
Play without looking at a page as soon as you can. Many circles play from memory.
Add a few tunes with no words
Jams mix singing songs with fiddle tunes. A fiddle tune is an instrumental with two short parts. Learn the chords to two or three so you can play backup when one is called. Start with Boil Them Cabbage Down, Old Joe Clark, and Soldier’s Joy. All three have free sheet music on their song pages. For a longer list, read fiddle tunes to learn first for a bluegrass jam.
Where to go next
Browse the full list of bluegrass songs on this site, or read about bluegrass standards. Before your first night, read bluegrass jam etiquette and how to find a bluegrass jam near you.