Bring your instrument, a clip-on tuner, a capo if your instrument uses one, extra picks, and a short list of songs you can lead. That covers a weekly jam at a pub, a hall, or a music store. A festival campground jam needs a few more things, such as a chair and a light.
The short checklist
Instrument in its case
Clip-on tuner
Capo (guitar, banjo, and Dobro)
Picks, with spares
Strap
Spare strings
Rosin (fiddle and bass)
Song list with keys
Water.
Tuner
A clip-on tuner reads the vibration of the instrument, so it works in a noisy room. A phone tuner app listens through the microphone, and it struggles when ten people are playing.
Tune before you sit down. Check again every few songs. Bring a spare battery if your tuner uses one.
Capo
Guitar, banjo, and Dobro players need a capo. The key changes with each song, and the capo is how you follow it. Banjo players need a way to raise the fifth string too. Keep the capo clipped to the headstock between songs. Read how to use a capo in a bluegrass jam.
Picks
Bring three or four of each pick you use. Flatpicks fall into sound holes and under chairs. Banjo and Dobro players need a thumb pick and two finger picks, plus a spare set.
Strings and small tools
A string can break in the middle of a song. Keep a spare set in your case, along with a small string winder and cutter. Fiddle players need rosin. Bass players who use a bow need rosin too.
A soft cloth for wiping strings and a pencil fit in any case.
Strap
Some jams have no chairs, and some players stand by choice. Guitar, banjo, and mandolin players need a strap to play standing up. Check that the strap is secure before you leave home.
A song list
Song choice moves around the circle. When your turn comes, the circle waits for you. A blank mind at that moment is common.
Write down five songs you can lead. Next to each one, write your key. Keep the list in your case or on your phone.
Pick songs with three chords that most players know. See easy bluegrass songs for your first jam and how to find your singing key.
Your phone
A phone is useful for three things: a backup tuner, your song list, and recording a tune you want to learn. Ask before you record. Put the phone on silent.
Do not read lyrics from a screen during a song if the circle plays from memory. Ask the host what the custom is. Read bluegrass jam etiquette.
What to leave at home
Amps and electric instruments. Bluegrass jams are acoustic.
A music stand, unless the host says the jam uses them. Some slow jams do.
Drums and loud percussion. The bass and the mandolin keep the beat.
Extras for a festival campground
Festival jams happen outdoors, often late at night.
A chair with no arms. Arms on a chair get in the way of a guitar or a banjo. A folding chair with a straight back works well.
A light. A small lantern or a headlamp helps you see your case and your strings. Point it down, away from other players’ eyes.
Warm layers. Nights get cold, and cold hands are slow on the strings.
A case you can close fast. Dew and rain are hard on instruments. Do not leave an instrument out on a chair when you walk away.
Bug spray and water.
Spare strings and a tuner battery. The closest music store may be an hour away.
Heat and cold change your tuning. Check it more often outdoors, and keep your instrument out of direct sun and out of a hot car.
Extras for a jam at a pub or hall
Bring cash for a drink or a snack if the jam meets at a business. The venue gives the jam a room, and buying something is the polite way to say thanks.
Arrive a few minutes early. You can tune in peace, meet the host, and choose a seat. New players do well in the outer ring.
What to bring in your head
The gear matters less than what you know. Before your first jam, be able to do these things.
Play the 1, 4, and 5 chords in G, A, C, and D. Read the Nashville number system for bluegrass jams.
Keep a steady rhythm through a whole song.
Sing or play one song from memory.
Say “pass” with a smile when you do not want a break.
Pack the night before
Put the tuner, capo, picks, and strings in the case pocket and leave them there. Players who keep a jam kit in the case do not forget things.
Ready to go? Read how to find a bluegrass jam near you. If you want an easier first night, read what a bluegrass slow jam is.