A bluegrass jam is a group of players who sit in a circle and trade songs. Most jams are not advertised on a billboard. You find them by asking the right people and searching the right places. This guide covers where jams get posted, what to ask before you go, and how to act in the circle on your first night.
Start with a music store
Acoustic instrument shops hear about local jams. Many keep a bulletin board near the door. Ask the person at the counter where people jam in your area. Staff who sell banjo strings and mandolin picks know the players who buy them.
Check bluegrass and old-time associations
Many states and provinces have a bluegrass association or an old-time music society. Look for a calendar or a newsletter on the association’s website. Search for your state or province name plus “bluegrass association.” Some associations list weekly jams, monthly jams, and workshops for beginners.
Walk a festival campground
At a bluegrass festival, the jams happen in the campground after the stage shows end. Walk through in the evening and listen. Circles form around a tent, a camper, or a row of folding chairs. Stand at a polite distance and listen for a few songs. A player will often wave you in if there is room.
Search online groups
Search Facebook groups and Meetup for “bluegrass jam” plus the name of your town. Try “slow jam,” “acoustic jam,” and “old-time jam” too. An old-time jam plays many of the same fiddle tunes as a bluegrass jam. The group plays them together, and players do not pass solo breaks around the circle. Both kinds of jam welcome beginners, but the rules differ.
Try pubs, libraries, and community halls
Some weekly jams meet in pubs, breweries, libraries, and community centers. Search the venue’s own page or call and ask whether a jam meets there. A host who sees a new face is usually glad to hear from you.
Ask a player after a show
Go to a show by a local band. Talk to the banjo player or the fiddler after the set. Most local players jam on their off nights, and most will tell you where.
Slow jam or open jam
Ask which kind of jam it is before you go.
A slow jam plays songs at a relaxed tempo. The host often calls out chord changes, and players take time to explain. This is the best first stop for a new player.
An open jam plays songs at full speed. Players expect you to know the song and the chords. Nobody will stop the circle to teach you.
Some jams sit between the two. The only way to know is to ask.
Questions to ask the host
Ask what day and time the jam meets. Ask whether it is slow or open. Ask whether players bring only acoustic instruments. Ask whether listeners can sit in and watch. Ask whether the venue expects you to buy food or drink. Ask what the host would like a newcomer to know.
Prepare before the first night
Learn the chords to a few songs in the common jam keys. Read what keys bluegrass jams use to pick which ones to practice first. Learn the Nashville number system, because players call chords by number when a song is new to the circle. Read bluegrass slang so words like break, kick-off, and lead make sense when someone says them.
Pick up two or three fiddle tunes that jams play all the time. Salt Creek and Soldier’s Joy are public domain tunes and both turn up at many jams. Salt Creek is commonly played in A. Soldier’s Joy is commonly played in D. Ask the host which keys the circle favors.
If you play violin and come from a classical background, read how a classical violinist can join a bluegrass jam. The technique you have already carries over. The tunes are the part to learn.
What to bring
Bring an acoustic instrument. Leave the amplifier at home. Bring a tuner, a capo, a spare set of strings, and a chair if the host does not provide seating. Tune before you sit down so the circle does not wait on you.
Your first night
Arrive early and say hello to the host. Sit at the edge of the circle, not in the middle. Play softly enough that you can hear the lead singer or the player taking the break.
Watch the left hand of the guitar player and listen for chord changes. Play backup until you know the song. Backup means you play chords or quiet notes under the person who has the lead.
When the break comes to you and you do not know the song, shake your head or nod it on to the next player. Nobody minds. Read how to take a break in a bluegrass jam for the steps when you are ready.
Wait until the group invites you to pick a song. Then follow the steps in how to call a song in a bluegrass jam. Pick a song you know well, in a key you can play, and say the key out loud. If you want to see the whole picture of a jam from start to finish, The Bluegrass Jam covers it.
Stay quiet between songs. Do not noodle on your instrument while another player is talking or the circle is choosing the next tune. When the song ends, the group uses a signal to finish together. How to end a song in a bluegrass jam shows what it looks like.
Go to the same jam three or four times. Players remember who comes back, and the circle opens up each visit.