Class Description

Playing music with others - whether with one other person, a small group, or a full jam – is an enriching and joyful part of our growth as musicians. When we learn the skills of ensemble playing our musical horizons are immensely expanded. This class is created to offer acoustic musicians a fun path to mastering these skills. This class is open to any acoustic musicians who play guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, fiddle, or acoustic bass. If you’re able play basic chords through a song or two (in keys of G, C, or D) this class is for you, whether you want to focus on accompaniment and rhythm or if you want to learn melodic breaks as well. Musicians at any level will be able to thrive in this class. We’ll cover the two most common types of jams: Bluegrass and Old Time. Each of them has some distinctive elements, but it’s easy to move back and forth between them. We’ll discuss how beginners can participate in jams, and how to play along with tunes you don’t know. The entire repertoire for the class will be only five tunes! They will be chosen from both the bluegrass and old-time repertoire, picked because they are done at jams everywhere, are universally playable with three chords and - if you’re interested in working on melodic leads – have accessible, straightforward melodies. Prior to first session registrants will receive a packet with detailed information about the five tunes, including chords, instrument-specific tablature, standard music notation, a simple sound file with the melody, and other relevant material about the tune. * On April 2, participants may want to attend the Montpelier Community Jam, a wonderful supplement to the class, next door at the Montpelier Senior Activities Center.