Bluegrass Jamming Jitters

[Tobman]

Sidenote to Prazz32's post.

If any of you have been to a bluegrass festival like Telluride or Rockygrass in Colorado, you've probably seen the scene after the show in the campgrounds. 11 pm to 4am jamming. There are like 20 to 30 informal groupings of musicians in each campground at all relative levels (not too many beginners in the full-on jams, I don't think) just jamming and having a grand old time. Usually some combination of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass, banjo and dobro. 99.9% of the guitarists flat pick.

I have been playing for about 3 years (90% fingerstyle) and lack the confidence to jump in and jam. Any suggestions on how to develop those skills in a less threatening environment and what do you need to know to do it?

One of my practice focusses lately has been accompaniment (Acoustic Guitar's Lesson Book). Seems like a good place to start. But I don't yunderstand bluegrass theory and man do the pick fast. It'll be years before I can play that fast - won't it, even if I practice everyday?

[bugman]

The music theory in bluegrass is typically a three or four chord progression using I IV and V.

As for flat picking...PRACTICE.

[theozzwomancometh]

My grass is bluehttp://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif


p.s. what's flat-picking?

[bugman]

Bluegrass is chock full of it. It's fun to play, in my opinion.

I guess it's sort of like lots of individual notes picked at a medium-fast to fast pace interspersed with strumming.

Think Dueling Banjos (the Deliverance music)

GREAT example about 12 seconds in (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/clipserve/B0000003O1001005/002-2833013-2616843)

You need Real Player to listen to these clips.

EDIT: Apparantly those links I gave don't take you directly to the sound clip. Click the link that's there now, and scroll down to the section where you can listen to samples. Click "Going Back to Old Virginia"

[This message has been edited by bugman (edited July 31, 2002).]

[zappatude]

I have a friend that went to the festival in Telluride. He brought back photos. I have never seen so many bicycles in one place. That sounded like an awesome place to be.

[J.R. Kannan]

I have been jamming here in Colorado for about 3 years now, and if you live here(esp. boulder) you are in one of the biggest jamming hotbeds in the world, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!!! I am all of 17 years old, and I play guitar, bass, banjo, and mandolin. I am the worst mandolin player in the world, but I plan of taking it to my next jam. The best way to overcome jitters is to listen to a jam sometime, if you watch closely you will notice that only about 60% of guitarists actualy flat-pick, the rest just strum along and sing a little.
Sean Murphy
PS There are enough jams around boulder/denver to go at least 2 times a month

[dmt]

Wow, sounds cool!