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How The Beginner Jam Works

12/30/2018

0 Comments

 
Hi,
On Jan. 3rd, I'll be starting a new weekly beginner bluegrass jam at Revitalize Juice Bar in the Pioneer Building (6th and Main downtown Boise) on Thursday evenings from 6:30pm to 9pm. 

How The Beginner Jam Works: Song and Key Selection
For the first phase of the new beginner jam, we shall, for the first half of the night, play only songs on the 'Main List' and only in the keys specified for each song on that list (see the attachments). In this phase of the new beginner jam, I'll lead the singing on all songs called during the first half of the evening. 

For the second half of the night, people are welcome to call and lead the singing on any beginner-friendly bluegrass or quasi-bluegrass songs that they would like to play at the jam, and with most of the key restrictions removed, including for songs that are on the main list. For the person leading the singing on a song ought to choose a key for that song that suits his or her voice for bluegrass-style singing.

The Beginner Jam Handouts
To help give a clearer idea of what kinds of songs will tend to work well at the beginner jam in its initial phase, I have attached here, in addition to the Main List, another list of songs titled 'Additional Songs'. 

On this list, there are a number of songs that are more associated with genres of music other than bluegrass, but which lend themselves well to being played as bluegrass songs, and most of these are well-known both inside and outside of bluegrass circles. I have also included some songs on the additional songs list that are virtually unknown outside bluegrass circles for those who might prefer to take the approach of finding specifically bluegrass songs appropriate to introduce into the new beginner jam rather than songs already familiar from other genres. But most of the songs on the list fall somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum. 

Also included in the attachments are two other handouts for the new beginner jam: a chart of 'Basic Chord Progressions' that the song lists are keyed to, and a handout titled 'Nashville Number System Charts' in which the number names of the chords are translated into letter names for each of the keys that songs will be played in at the jam. Additionally, I have also included an explanation of the handouts in the attachments.

Have a happy New Year!
Jason
Jan. - June 2019 - Main List
File Size: 443 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Jan. - June 2019 - Additional Songs
File Size: 422 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Explanation of the Handouts
File Size: 2438 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Basic Chord Progressions

Download File
​

Nashville Number System Charts
Download File
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021

    Weekly on Thursdays
                   6:30pm

    at Revitalize Juice Bar in the Pioneer Building (6th and Main downtown Boise)
    started Jan 2019
    ​with Jason Homey

    Picture
    Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails.  (from Renee)

    ​
    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order

    ​

    Categories

    All
    0 - Song List 2020 Jan.
    2 - Song List 2019 Sept.
    3 - Song List 2019 Jan.
    4 - How The Jam Works
    5
    A Few More Seasons
    Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
    All The Good Times Are Past And Gone
    Amazing Grace
    A Memory Of You
    Angeline The Baker
    Auld Lang Syne
    Away In A Manger
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Boil The Cabbage Down
    Buffalo Gals
    Bury Me Beneath The Willow
    Camptown Races
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cluck Old Hen
    Columbus Stockade Blues
    Come Back Darling
    Cripple Creek
    Down The Road
    Foggy Mountain Top
    Forked Deer
    Gathering Flowers
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign
    Golden Slippers
    Good King Wenceslas
    Goodnight Irene
    Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
    Handsome Molly
    I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore
    I Have No One To Love Me
    I'll Fly Away
    I'll Live On
    I'll Still Write
    I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand
    I'm Goin' Back To Old Kentucky
    I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open
    I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home
    I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
    I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
    In The Pines
    Jambalaya
    Jesse James
    Jimmy Brown
    Jingle Bells
    Katy Daly
    Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
    Let Me Be Your Friend
    Liberty
    Light At The River
    Little Birdie
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Little Girl Of Mine In Tennessee
    Little Joe
    Lonesome Road Blues
    Long Journey Home
    Lost And I'll Never Find The Way
    Love Me Darling Just Tonight
    Mama Don't Allow
    Molly And Tenbrooks
    Mountain Dew
    My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
    My Main Trial Is Yet To Come
    New River Train
    Nine Pound Hammer
    No Hiding Place Down Here
    Old Joe Clark
    O Susanna
    Paradise
    Poor Ellen Smith
    Rain And Snow
    Riding On That Midnight Train
    Roll On Buddy
    Rose Of Old Kentucky
    She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain
    Shepherds In The Field
    Shortnin' Bread
    Silent Night
    Soldier's Joy
    Sun's Gonna Shine In My Back Door Someday
    Sweet Chariot
    Sweetheart
    Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
    Swing Low
    Take This Hammer
    The Crawdad Song
    The Prisoner's Song
    There's More Pretty Girls Than One
    The Walls Of Time
    This Land Is Your Land
    This Little Light Of Mine
    Tom Dooley
    Way Down Town
    We Can't Be Darlings Anymore
    When My Time Comes To Go
    When The Saints Go Marching In
    Wild Mountain Flowers For Mary
    Will The Circle Be Unbroken
    Will You Be Loving Another Man
    Worried Man Blues
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    Y'all Come
    You Are My Sunshine
    You Done Me Wrong
    Your Love Is Like A Flower

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​Idaho Bluegrass Association
PO Box 6074
Boise, ID 83707

Email

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  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond 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
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • 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