I don't even like bluegrass that much, but I've been attending the bluegrass jams the local bluegrass society has in the park here in the summer the last three Monday nights.

If your community has a bluegrass society yo might want to look into it, even if you think you're more a blues, rockabilly or country player.

It's a real challenge and educational in learning to play with other people.

They play in a variety of keys, often capoing way up the neck and playing G, C, or D chord positons, but they are really in B or B-flat or other keys, so you have to really learn to play by ear or recognize what a G shape is five frets up.

You get to learn to walk between those chords in nearly every key, play tons of songs you have never heard before or maybe have heard but never played and learn how to keep it simple and drive the music.

In Vancouver here there is nearly too many bass players unless the jam breaks up into three or four groups, but I'll bet in many places they are eager to have a bassist join them.

I highly recommend it for beginners and intermediate players to broaden your skills and develop new ones.

here there is nearly too many bass players unless the jam breaks up into three or four groups, but I'll bet in many places they are eager to have a bassist join them.


yes i can fully agree with a statement like this!!! i have this problem down here on the southend of the west coast. so cal.. go to a jam and there is bassers waiting to play. not all the time but happens alot. i usually get to play, but if you come to it late you might be waiting awhile!!. not enough pickers, espescially guitarist!!! to many banjos with attitudes and fiddlers that just like to play something with a weird name no one has ever heard of!! lol oh well its all fun!!

Here in western North Carolina there are lots of standing jams. There's one in a barbershop in Drexel, NC, every Saturday begining about mid-day. Now this is in the back room and I don't know if they keep any of that "special tonic" like they talked about at Burford's barbershop on the Lester Moran and the Cadillac Cowbys recordings.

In Asheville, NC, there used to be a jam about every night of the week at differing locations. I'm about an hour east of Asheville and haven't attended but a one of them that was held in a music store.

There used to be a listing in Bluegrass Unlimited (http://www.bluegrassmusic.com) that was periodicly published that included information about jams and such in many different states. You may be able to do a search on their site and find it or contact the office and see if they still publish that information. I'm sure they'd be glad to help.

Jams are fun and bass players are always appreciated. But not 2 in the same jam!

The Washington, DC Metro Area (DC, VA & MD) is a real hot bed for bluegrass music - many opportunities for open jams & "pickin' parties" somewhere on most of the seven (7) days-a-week - check out the following link: http://www.dcbu.org/jams.htm

Well, last week for a while there were two of us playing.

I let the other guy hold down the low end and paralleled him an octave up.

There is an open bluegrass jam every monday night at the Conor Byrne Pub in Ballard.

Thanks for the link, Tejano Bass. I'll most likely be moving to the DC metro area next summer, and I like to play bluegrass.

stevk - look forward to meetin' ya . . . can always use another bluegrass bass player

Well, last week for a while there were two of us playing.

I let the other guy hold down the low end and paralleled him an octave up.

Glad to hear that. There were a few times when I was at a jam and when other bass players showed up they copped a 'tude and flat out refused to play with another bass player. This is silly. There's no reason more than one bass can't play at the same time, or trade off between tunes. I even told the guy I would stick to the bow and let him thump. No dice. I have played in a lot of situations with multiple bass players and it's great fun. I even played in a "bass choir" for a while -- TEN basses, all playing different written or suggested parts. It's a much more versatile instrument than some people give it credit for.

. There were a few times when I was at a jam and when other bass players showed up they copped a 'tude and flat out refused to play with another bass player. This is silly. There's no reason more than one bass can't play at the same time, or trade off between tunes. I even told the guy I would stick to the bow and let him thump. No dice. I have played in a lot of situations with multiple bass players and it's great fun.

I hear ya! it is crazy. i dont mind it one bit.. it's a JAM!! its funny cause pickers always ask me, why cant 2 basses play at same time.. i say i do not know! i can see that it could be overwhelming at times. but theres many ways to play.. one guy plays verse, other plays chorus, both play break. or like how you said with " i'll bow and you can thump!" now that sounds like a blast!!


if 2 basses cant play at same time, why can 2 banjos. a guitar guy asked me one night. i thought it was a funny question!!

the 8x10 club in baltimore has open bluegrass jams on a certain sunday every month, with different groups for different ability levels. if anyone is nearby, I highly recommend you check it out.

openmikes.org

jams all over.

openmikes.org

jams all over.

Wow that's a cool sight. Thanks for posting this. Doug