Revised main song list

Hi everyone,
The next beginner bluegrass jam will be held on Tuesday, January 7th, and will be led by Cahill Jones.

I'll send out the song of the week email for the jam when it gets closer to January 7th.  
In the meantime, attached here is a slightly revised version of the main song list for the jam. For each of the songs with vocals, two keys are placed in parentheses. The first one is the key that I usually sing the song in, and the second one is the key that Janene usually sings the song in. 

The purpose of this is not to dictate what key individual singers should sing the songs in, but to be a guide for choosing a key appropriate for one's voice and for the style of the music. For the men: start with the key that is listed first, and then from there, gradually lower or gradually raise the key until you find a key that works for you, if the key that I sing the song in does not work for you. For the women: start with the key that is listed second, and then from there, gradually lower or gradually raise the key until you find a key that works for you if the key that Janene sings the song in does not work for you.

But, something to keep in mind when doing this. The men should not lower the key any more than necessary, for bluegrass singing favours the use of the upper part of the male vocal range. (The tenor range. If you're a tenor, it would be a good idea to try singing all, or most, of the songs a bit higher than where I sing them: for, I am not a tenor, but a baritone who sings in the upper part of my range when singing bluegrass.) Conversely, the women should not raise the key any more than necessary, for the higher that one goes above the upper part of the tenor range (and even more so, when one goes above the highest notes in the alto range), the less bluegrassy the music tends to sound. So, when singing bluegrass music, it tends to work best if basses and baritones make it a point to sing in the upper part of their ranges when singing the melody of a song, and if sopranos and mezzo sopranos make it a point to sing in the lower part of their ranges when singing the melody of a song. 


Song List
15 songs were played at last night's jam: 8 from the main list, 6 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list:

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - D
Forked Deer - D
Gold Watch And Chain - E
In The Pines - A
Long Journey Home - G
Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong - G
Wreck Of The Old '97 - A
You Are My Sunshine - Bb
Buffalo Gals - A
Foggy Mountain Top - A
Mountain Dew - A
Old Joe Clark - A
Soldier's Joy - D
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - C
Away In A Manger - C

Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Jason

BEGINNER BLUEGRASS JAM - Dec. 2024 - Feb. 2025 - MAIN LIST Revised
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File Type:	pdf

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