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Do I have to know some songs
to participate? |
No. In fact, the dynamics of
the jam are such that you will spend more time learning songs in a jam
setting than you will playing songs you do know. We will seek to emulate
this in our jam. |
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Is this for all instruments,
or just the banjo? |
All instruments. I lead the
group typically playing guitar, and I will occasionally demonstrate
something on mandolin or banjo. The camp is designed to get you going on
your instrument, be it a bass or a fiddle, dobro or banjo. |
|
How good do I have to be?
(Will I be utterly humiliated if I try one of these? I just bought a banjo a
couple of weeks ago.) |
Literally, if you can tune
your instrument, know 3 chords and can do a few right hand rolls, you are
ready. You can play hundreds of songs with just the basic level of
knowledge. |
|
How fast do I have to be able
to play? |
Speed is a function of
accuracy and familiarity. Most jams operate pretty slowly because all the
people don't know all the songs. We will go as slowly as we need to, but we
will often play at near full speed. It depends completely on the makeup of
the group. This is not strictly speaking a slow jam, though, as we will
occasionally play songs at nearly full speed. |
|
What forms of payment do you
take? |
Cash or checks, please. |
|
When is payment due? |
I may eventually come up with
semester pricing, but for right now the amount is due each session. |
|
What do I need to bring? |
Just your instrument.
Sometimes people bring recorders, but that is totally optional and up to
you. I'll have coffee, and that's about it, so if you want soft drinks, byo. |
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So, I
have to know the words to the songs we will play? |
No, although
people can and do pick up bluegrass song books. I am pretty much a "no
paperwork" guy. This music was learned and passed down by folks who didn't
use musical notation or tablature. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll
remember the songs. Remember, also, unless you are singling lead, you only
have to know the words of the chorus. Part of learning how to learn songs is
picking up the words for the chorus so that you can sing a harmony part when
the chorus comes around. |
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Do I
have to be able to sing to participate in this jam, and all jams? |
No, although
you don't have to have a "great" voice to sing, either. Bluegrass is a form
of folk music, and as such does not require trained voices. Just bring your
voice, and be willing to share it. But if you are just here for the
instrumentation, that's fine too. |
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