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Beginner Jam


Tuesdays, 6:30 pm - 8:45 pm

2099 S Century Way, Boise, ID
​


​Everyone’s welcome
FREE
For more info: 
[email protected]
Hello to anyone wondering if the jams are still active. YES! Jason produces new main lists every few months. We meet from the beginning of September to the end of May. (Following the usual school calendar.)
Come and join us at either jam. You are welcome to stop by and observe and see how we operate. It is always fun with lots of laughter.

Revised main song list

12/20/2024

0 Comments

 
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
File Size: 763 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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    Beginner Jam

    started by ​Janene Thomas
    ​


    ​Categories

    All
    0_song List 3-5 2025
    1_Old Song List 2023
    1_Old Song List 2024 June
    1_Old Song List 2024 March To June
    1_Old Song List Beg. 2024
    1_Song List 2025 To Feb
    All The Good Times Are Past And Gone
    A Memory Of You
    A Memory Of You'
    Angeline The Baker
    Away In A Manger
    Banks Of The Ohio
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Before I Met You
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Boil The Cabbage Down
    Buffalo Gals
    Bury Me Beneath The Willow
    Canaan's Land
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cluck Old Hen
    Columbus Stockade Blues
    Cripple Creek
    Cryin' Holy
    Foggy Mountain Top
    Forked Deer
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    Gold Watch And Chain
    Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
    I'll Fly Away
    I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
    I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling
    In The Pines - In D
    In The Pines In E
    Liberty
    Light At The River
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Long Journey Home
    Mama Don't Allow
    Mountain Dew
    New River Train
    Nine Pound Hammer
    Old Joe Clark
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain
    Shortnin' Bread
    Sitting On Top Of The World
    Soldier's Joy
    Sweetheart
    Swing Low Sweet Chariot
    The Crawdad Song
    This Little Light Of Mine
    Way Down Town
    When The Saints Go Marching In
    Will The Circle Be Unbroken
    Will You Be Loving Another Man
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    You Are My Sunshine
    You Done Me Wrong

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  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Honi Deaton Interview
      • Dennis Stokes Interview
      • Gary Eller Interview
    • Articles >
      • Glen Garrett - The Golden Years
      • Sammie Bush - came to Weiser
      • Mark O’Connor - My History at Weiser
      • Barbara Lamb - Fiddler Extraordinaire
      • Charlie Simmons -The Idaho Bluegrass Association from 1975 to 1985
      • Idaho's 19th century Fiddlers
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions ​ 1950s & 1960s
      • ​Byron Berline
      • Dave Frisbee
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions from 1970s and 80s
      • Megan Lynch Chowning
      • Fiddle Champion ​in 1990s and 2000s
      • Tashina and Tristan Clarridge
    • Snap Shot - Videos from IBA members
  • Events
    • Calendar (BCBB)
    • Open Mic
    • Winterfest >
      • Past WinterFests
    • SpringFest 2025
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Beginner Jam
    • Jason's BIBJ
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Songs in 2016
  • Camps & Contests
    • Idaho Bluegrass and Banjo Camp
    • Banjo Contest
    • National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest
  • Idaho Bands
  • Teachers
  • Classified
  • Links
    • General
    • Learning
    • Specific Instruments