Etiquette
On designated Monday evenings we will be hosting FREE open jamming sessions at the Royal Canadian Legion #63, Queen
Remember
these activities are meant to be fun and provide you with a learning
experience.
ABOUT
THE JAM
Country and Western thrown in for variety. The focus of our jam is fun. Acoustic-electric stringed instruments are the dominant instruments
at our jam sessions. If you play keyboards, scrub-board, harmonica or sing and dance, you’ll still be welcomed to join in.
JOINING THE MAIN GROUP The
participants of the jam sit it in a informal horseshoe formation in
the hall. Before entering the group make sure your instrument is
tuned and your amp and Mic is hooked up. The best way to tune your stringed instrument is with an electronic tuner. If you do not have one, someone would be glad to lend you one. If you must tune your instrument during the Jam, please move away from the main group. Keep your noodling (tuning and playing around on your instrument) to
a minimum while in the main group. at jamming you may want to sit next to a more experienced player playing the same instrument. If you wish to just play back-up or quietly in the background, that is quite all right. The dos and don'ts of jam etiquette are merely suggestions; there are no hard and fast rules and each situation is a little different.
the main group
depending on the location of the various instruments. Participants are asked to sing or play a song or two of their choice when it comes to their turn. If you do not wish to pick a song when it comes to your turn, simply pass on to the next person in the group.
|
WHEN
IT’S YOUR TURN
you want to play so you are ready when it is your turn.
It is usually best to pick a familiar tune or one with not too many
changes that is easy to learn by ear. changes before starting. Ask the
group if they are familiar with your choice of song. If not, play it
through once or twice to help the group to pickup the melody. Request harmony back-up on the chorus if you want it. For the benefit of all
players, try not start a tune at too fast a tempo. The goal isn’t always to to make the best music. As you near the end of your tune,
please indicate it by some subtle movement to the group. Usually
kicking up one leg/foot will suffice.
Keep eye contact with
others within the main group. Encourage those who wish to take a break/the lead, but do not intimidate those who do not want to do so.
It’s supposed to be fun as well as a learning experience.
The goal is to enjoy each other and whatever music we can make together.
Another common goal is to keep our old tyme traditional music alive and this is done by encouraging new comers and each other to improve,
take chances and learn new skills.
|
PLAYING
ALONG WITH OTHERS
Remember to give the feature performer their turn. We often
have lots of instruments playing at once, so be careful how
loud you
play along. If you cannot hear the vocalist or the lead instrument,
please play softer. If someone motions for you
to take a break and
you do not feel up to the task, just shake your head or offer the
break to the instrumentalist next to
you.
When
taking a break, increase your volume a little. Try not to speed up
during your break. If you add harmony, make sure
you are in harmony and that you do not overpower the lead performer
The
most important advice we can give anyone is to practise listening.
Listening is the single most important asset to any
instrumentalist
or vocalist. If you are unfamiliar with the song or tune, don’t
play but listen to the chord progression, listen
to the bass and it
will tell you when the chords are changing. When you do try to play,
do it softly to confirm that you have
the correct timing and chord progression.
Our jams at the Dryden Legion are unique in that we allow participants to join us in song and dance. If you wish to dance,
care must be taken
around the instruments as they are in many cases, irreplaceable. We
have plenty of space and if the
need arrives we can venture upstairs. As for the songbirds who do not play an instrument, please do not hesitate to ask the
players for instrumental accompaniment. Your voices and input will always be cherished.
Donations Welcomed
