Hi everyone,
Cahill will be leading the beginner jam this coming Tuesday. (Jan. 28th)
The song of the week is 'Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms' in the key of B.


Recordings
Flatt & Scruggs - key of Bb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UvSJcqJeyc

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9eIctniT0U


Jam Videos
Jason Homey - keys of Bb and B
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology

Janene Thomas & Jason Homey - key of E
Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms [E] (youtube.com)


Progression 
1111
1155
1144
5511
(Prog. W2 on the Basic Chord Progressions chart.)
In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D.
In the key of Bb: 1=Bb, 4=Eb, 5=F.
In the key of B: 1=B, 4=E, 5=F#.
In the key of C: 1=C, 4=F, 5=G.
In the key of D: 1=D, 4=G, 5=A.
In the key of E: 1=E, 4=A, 5=B.


Song List
13 songs were played at last night's jam: 10 from the main list, and 3 from the additional songs list.

Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Columbus Stockade Blues - G
Forked Deer - D
In The Pines - D
Long Journey Home - A
Nine Pound Hammer - G
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms - B
Shortnin' Bread - A
Wreck Of The Old '97 - C
You Are My Sunshine - A
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane - G
Soldier's Joy - D
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - G

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
Dan will be leading the beginner jam this coming Tuesday. (Jan. 21st)
The song of the week is 'Forked Deer' in the key of D.


Recordings
Jeff Autry, Wayne Benson, Aubrey Haynie, Rob Ickes, Mark Schatz, Rickie Simpkins, & Scott Vestal - key of D
Forked Deer - YouTube

Berline, Crary, & Hickman - key of D 
Berline, Crary, & Hickman - Forked Deer - YouTube

There is a lot going on in these recordings of the tune. You may find it useful to look at the jam video (below) first, to get a more basic sense of the tune, before listening to the recordings.

Jam Video
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Progression
A-Part 
1    4    1    5
1    4    1/4 5/1

B-Part 
5    5    5    1
5    5    1/4 5/1

In the key of D: 1 = D, 4 = G, 5 = A
(In the key of C: 1 = C, 4 = F, 5 = G)


Melody & Breaks: fiddle, mandolin, and guitar
In the attachments, I have included two versions of the melody for fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, a simpler stripped down version of the melody to help get one started on the tune, that gives one interpretation of the more essential notes in the tune, and then a more developed version of the melody. Players of instruments besides fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, can also make use of this material to get ideas for playing breaks for the tune.

I have written all these melody sheets in a manner that makes them playable as bona fide bluegrass breaks, without the need to add anything more to them for them to sound like proper bluegrass breaks. 

If you find that a 'more notes' version of the melody is too difficult to play smoothly at the speeds that Forked Deer is sometimes played at jams, then I recommend taking a 'fewer notes' version of the melody as one's basis for playing a break for the tune, and selectively adding into it a few passages here and there from a 'more notes' version. 

For instance, once one has a 'fewer notes' version of the melody down-pat and up to speed, then as a next step, one might work on getting measures 1, 3, & 5  of the A-Part (all three of these measures are identical with each other in the versions of the melody I have given in the attachments) in a 'more notes' version of the melody also up to speed by looping them over and over again, so that one can substitute these in place of measures 1, 3, & 5 of one's 'fewer' notes version of the melody/break.

The slower the tune is being played, the more desirable it is to play more consecutive 8th notes, and try not to have too many quarter notes back to back. The faster the tune is being played, the more desirable it is to break up a long series of 8th notes with quarter notes. (There are some versions of the A-Part, for instance, that consist almost entirely of 8th notes: more notes than the 'more notes' versions of the melody I have offered here.) For this reason, I recommend that even if one is able to play smoothly at a reasonably fast tempo a 'more notes' version of the melody, to work on being able to mix it up with a 'fewer notes' version of the melody in various different ways. This helps to keep one's playing flexible, so that one is not stuck with just one way of playing a break for the tune; but rather, how one plays a break in any given situation can be influenced by the tempo and feel with which the tune is being played at the time, and also by what one might feel like doing in the moment.


Melody & Breaks: Banjo
In the attachments, I have included both a very stripped down version of the melody for 3-finger banjo, and an example of a straightforward Scruggs-style break. The stripped down version of the melody is not intended to function as a break for the tune, but rather just gives the main melodic content of the Scruggs-style break. This version of the melody is just one of many possible interpretations of the more essential notes of the melody that are desirable to include in a melody-based Scruggs-style break. 
The melody sheet and break are written for C tuning: banjo tuned: GCGBD. Capo the 2nd fret and raise the fifth string up to an A note in order for these to come out in the key of D.

Clawhammer banjo players can also get some ideas from this material, but may prefer to tune to double C tuning: GCGCD, in which case, for reading the skeletal melody sheet, substitute 0 in place of 1 on the 2nd string, and 4 on the 3rd string in place of 0 on the 2nd string.


Intros & Endings
I have also included in the attachments, 8 Potato Intros and Double Endings suitable for Forked Deer, and for many other key of D fiddle tunes. 


Song List
16 songs were played at last night's jam: 11 from the main list, 3 from the additional songs list, and 2 that are on neither list:

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - A
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Cluck Old Hen - A
Forked Deer - D
Gold Watch And Chain - C
In The Pines - D
Shortnin' Bread - A
Sitting On Top Of The World - G
Way Down Town - E
Wreck Of The Old '97 - D
You Are My Sunshine - Bb
Angeline The Baker - D
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - C
I'll Fly Away - G
God's Bluegrass Band - G
Long Black Veil - E

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Files:
Forked Deer - banjo tab - Scruggs-style break
Download File

Forked Deer - banjo tab - skeletal melody
Download File

Forked Deer - guitar tab - fewer notes
Download File

Forked Deer - guitar tab - more notes
Download File

Forked Deer - mandolin tab - fewer notes
Download File

Forked Deer - mandolin tab - more notes
Download File

Forked Deer - melody - fewer notes
Download File

Forked Deer - melody - more notes
Download File

Key of D 8 Potato Intros
Download File

Key of D Double Endings
Download File

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

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Blue Ridge Cabin Home' in the key of D. 


Recordings
Flatt and Scruggs - key of Bb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcZN9x4q4kg

The Bluegrass Album Band - key of Bb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htxGouge9-g


Jam Videos
Janene Thomas - key of D
Blue Ridge Cabin Home [D] (youtube.com)

Jason Homey - keys of A and Bb 
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Progression
1144
5511
1144
5511
(Progression W8 on the Basic Chord Progressions chart.)
In the key of D: 1=D, 4=G, 5=A
In the key of C: 1=C, 4=F, 5=G
In the key of Bb: 1=Bb, 4=Eb, 5=F
In the key of A: 1=A, 4=D, 5=E  
In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D


Song List
16 songs were played at last night's jam: 10 from the main list, 5 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list:

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - G
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Cluck Old Hen - A
Columbus Stockade Blues - G
Forked Deer - D
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - D
Nine Pound Hammer - G
Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong - F
Wreck Of The Old '97 - C
You Are My Sunshine - Bb
Angeline The Baker - D
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - C
Soldier's Joy - D
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - C
Away In A Manger - C

Happy Pickin',
Jason


Files:
Blue Ridge Cabin Home - banjo tab (C+2=D)
Download File
​
Blue Ridge Cabin Home - guitar tab (C+2=D)
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - guitar tab (low C+2=D)
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - guitar tab (D)
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - guitar tab (low D)
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - mandolin tab (D)
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - melody in D
Download File

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - lyric cheat sheet
Download File

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Away In A Manger' in the key of C.


Recordings
Ricky Skaggs - key of G for first two verses and break, key of A for third verse. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPwYOo1rPE  

Jason Homey & The Snake River Boys - key of G (starts at 3:40) 
Jason Homey and the Snake River Boys, IBA Open Mic, 12_16_19 - YouTube


Jam Videos
Janene Thomas - key of C
Away In a Manger [C] - YouTube

Jason Homey - key of G 
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Progression
On the melody sheets attached here the progression given for Away In A Manger is:
1141
5511
1141
5151

...but it is desirable, in a bluegrass context, to add an extra measure to the bottom line of the progression, so as to allow room for fill-ins to be played, so the progression becomes:
1141
5511
1141
51511

In the key of C: 1=C; 4=F; 5=G.
In the key of G: 1=G; 4=C; 5=D. 
In the key of A: 1=A; 4=D; 5=E


Song List
13 songs were played at last night's jam: 9 from the main list, 3 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list:

Canaan's Land - B
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Columbus Stockade Blues - G
Forked Deer - D
In The Pines - C
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - D
Way Down Town - A
Wreck Of The Old '97 - G
You Are My Sunshine - Bb
Angeline The Baker - D
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms - C
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - C
Away In A Manger - C

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Little Cabin Home On The Hill' in the key of D.

​
Recordings 
Bill Monroe - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GbU45MyMFc

Osborne Brothers: key of B 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwwaWhxaYs


Jam Videos
Janene Thomas - key of D
Little Cabin Home on the Hill [D] (youtube.com)

Jason Homey - key of A 
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Progression
The chord progression for the verses and breaks is:
1141
1155
1141
1511
(Prog. V6 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout)
 
The progression for the chorus is:
4411
1155
1141
1511
(Prog. X6 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout)

In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D
In the key of A: 1=A, 4=D, 5=E
In the key of B: 1=B, 4=E, 5=F# 
In the key of C: 1=C, 4=F, 5=G
In the key of D: 1=D, 4=G, 5=A 


​Have a happy Thanksgiving,
Jason

Files:
BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - banjo tab (C+2=D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - guitar tab (C+2=D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - guitar tab (D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - guitar tab (low C+2=D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - guitar tab (low D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - mandolin tab (D)
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - melody in D
Download File

BBJ - Little Cabin Home On The Hill - lyric cheat sheet
Download File

Hi everyone,
Janene will not be available to lead the beginner jam this coming Tuesday (Nov. 19th) and Tuesday after that (Nov. 26th).

None of this affects the High Beginner - Low Intermediate Jam that I lead on Thursdays. I'll be leading that jam both tomorrow evening (Nov. 14th), and on the Thursday after that (Nov. 21st).

The next beginner jam that Janene will lead will be on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd.

Attached here are the new song lists that will replace the current ones for the beginner jam when the jam resumes on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd. These will be used for the months of December, January, and February at the beginner jam. I have also attached here the other handouts used for the beginner jam. No changes have been made to these.

I'll send out the song of the week email for the Dec. 3rd jam when it gets closer to that date.

Song List
13 songs were played at last night's jam: 11 from the (current) main list, and 2 from the (current) additional songs list:

Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Cluck Old Hen - A
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - C
Gold Watch And Chain - E
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - D
Long Journey Home - G
Mountain Dew - G
New River Train - B
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms - D
Shortnin' Bread - A
When The Saints Go Marching In - B
I'll Fly Away - G
I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes - C

Happy Pickin',
Jason