My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains

Hi everyone,
I had a wonderful time leading the jam on Tuesday. Thank you to all who participated in the jam. I am looking forward to next Tuesday evening. (For more on how the jam went, scroll down to the bottom of this email message.)

The song of the week is 'My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains' in the key of G.

On the Idaho Bluegrass Association's website idahobluegrassassociation.org there are a few song of the week write-ups for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains that I have written. The write-ups include youtube links to recordings of the song, melody sheets for the song (written in standard notation, mandolin tab, guitar tab, and banjo tab), the chord progression for the song, plus more as regards explanations and tips about playing and singing the song. Song of the week write-ups also often include general information and tips about playing (and singing) songs at the jams.

Also on the website there are youtube jam videos that I have created for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. There are three of them: one each with me leading the song on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. For those who are new to playing along with a youtube jam video, I recommend starting with the guitar video. In the videos, when I say 'together' this means that we play a break together; when I say 'your turn', this means that you play your break while I accompany you/back you up; but, of course, you are free to play along with the videos in any manner that you desire to. When I raise my leg near the end of the song, that means that the song is about to end.

Remember also that on a laptop, you can slow down and speed up youtube videos without altering the pitch of the audio by clicking on settings and then clicking on playback speed.

In the following link, there are three youtube jam videos for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. In order from top to bottom, I am on banjo, mandolin, and guitar. And below this, there are two identical song of the week write-ups for the song.
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

A more convenient way, though, to access the youtube jam videos is by clicking on the following link, and then scrolling down to the song title, which is listed three times, since there are three videos for the song on the website. Click on the version that you want to play along with, and it will take you right to the point in the video at which I start the preamble to the song. That way you don't have to hunt around in the video to find the song. (Each youtube jam video contains three songs.)
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)
If no instrument is specified beside the song title, then on that video I am playing guitar.

For a shorter song of the week write-up on My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, click on:
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

Finally, here is a live band performance in which I am playing mandolin (instead of banjo) for our song of the week, that is not included in the song of the week write-ups on the website.

Jason Homey and The Snake River Boys, IBA Open Mic, 2_24_20 - YouTube
The song starts at the 3:42 mark in the video.

For a copy of the jam handouts, and an explanation of the handouts, here are the PDF files that can be downloaded and printed off. There are 5 attached files total. (four at the bottom of the page, and one - the Main Song List - that comes earlier than at the bottom of the page)
Idaho Bluegrass Association - Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs

14 songs were played at the jam on Tuesday: 10 from the main list, and 4 from the additional songs list:

All The Good Times Are Past And Gone - A
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Buffalo Gals - A
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - G
Cripple Creek - A
Foggy Mountain Top - G
I'll Fly Away - G
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains - G
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - A
Angeline The Baker - D
Jambalaya - D
A Memory Of You - G
Old Joe Clark - A

There were about 20 people at the jam on Tuesday evening outdoors at the Powderhaus. I think that the jam went really well. Distancing was easy, not awkward, to achieve for all those who desired distance between them and their neighbours in the jam circle. The option of forming an outer ring outside the main jam circle, to help accommodate distancing, was also made use of. As far as I could gather, the jam was a positive and fun experience for everyone involved. People were mindful, respectful, and accommodating of their neighbours. It appeared to me that everyone was at ease, with each person's comfort zone being respected. If, however, you were at the jam, and your experience fell short of my assessment of how the jam went, please feel free to contact me to express your concerns. For, my goal is to provide a positive, healthy, comfortable, and accommodating environment for all who wish to participate in the jam. And, if you were not at the jam, but would like to hear more details as to how the jam went before deciding whether or not to come to future beginner jams that I'll be leading in the weeks to come, also please feel free to contact me with your questions. 

Happy Pickin',
 Jason