The Old Time Jam Survival Guide: Part 1

[@TomCollinsBanjo]

Hey guys! What are your favorite tricks and tips for old time jams? Leave them below so we can create a crowd-sourced knowledge base for those folks who are thinking about going to an old time jam.

[@usmc2msu213]

One of the best tips I can pass on is to have realistic expectations of how you will do in a jam. It can be such a fun experience, but also very frustrating. It is not common for even intermediate players to pick up a tune they’ve never heard before and be able to play it on the fly in a jam. I always thought that was a thing so I was always disappointed when I couldn’t do this. Stay positive and practice practice practice!

[@TomCollinsBanjo]

Great point, USMC! I'll be showing you guys some tricks later in the series that should help you out.

[@banjodulce]

Good tips Tom. Especially like the "adult beverage" portion of the jam. We have a great get together up in Cabot, Vermont every Sunday in a hardware store that serves beer and hard cider. Keep well. I would also add that you should feel free to ask a question or two of a willing sharer. You should be able to find one pretty easily.

[@TomCollinsBanjo]

Hey Tom! One of these days I'd love to drop by that Cabot jam. Sounds like a blast. Hope you're enjoying the early snow! Cheers!

[@banjodulce]

@@TomCollinsBanjo Love to have you come up. We have lots of room (spare house) and maybe I could set up a workshop or gig.

[@marinevet7273]

Hi Tom, I play guitar at church and play the standard jam tunes with another guitar player and dulcimer player in my home for fun. Wanting to introduce a new instrument,I have been watching your videos for a long while to learn 2 finger banjo and also playing around with Clawhammer. I understand playing in different tunings when I play alone My question regarding the banjo, would I play in standard G tuning and capo. And/ or retune my banjo to the correct key when accompanying a fiddle and guitar? I have looked on KZbin but have not found any good mention of how to accompany (playing banjo in designated key ) with other acoustic. Stringed instruments when playing fiddle tunes and the standard sit around jam tunes? Thanks for your videos and advice

[@TomCollinsBanjo]

Hey Marine, This is a really great question. You have different options depending on your tastes, and the musical context. In a worship context, I would imagine that playing out of G standard tuning and capoing for different keys is the fastest, easiest way to accompany others...especially if you know the Nashville number system. Old time jams are different as they tend to stay in a key for a long time. That gives a banjo player opportunity to play in different tunings without having to retune for every other song. Playing in different tunings is almost like having access to different instruments: the alternative tunings are characterful, moody and evocative. If you have an old time fiddler in the mix, the different tunings will meld with and support the fiddler in magical ways. For tunes in the more modern context (folk, pop, rock, worship), working from a single tuning out of chord shapes, and using a capo to change keys would be how I would roll. Standard C (not double C) is another very flexible tuning, with moveable chord shapes. It was used a lot in dixieland jazz styles, and lends itself to a chordal approach. You might look up Standard C tuning and chords to find a chord chart to see if that would suit your guitar background more than standard G. Good luck, and let me know if this helps! Tom

[@marinevet7273]

That is good information to know, thank you for taking time to respond. I have printed out the information for reference. Not a lot of discussion on KZbin about it. Semper Fi, Ron in WA. State

[@charliemoore2833]

Tom, great topic for me. Looking forward to the cheating and vamping tips. Anything that can make jamming more comfortable. Thanks

[@slowerpicker]

Good advice. Some jams will advertise themselves as "slow" jams, so you can look for those. But "learning" jams are different - in my experience there can be a modest fee to the leader of those, and the learning applies to the fiddle part, not the banjo or other parts of the ensemble, so be warned.

[@hal-c]

How do you find a jam?

[@TomCollinsBanjo]

Great question!!! Wish I had an answer for ya. Look at local pubs for old time sessions. Check banjohangout.org. And if there’s not one in your area….maybe you could start one!