Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH

[Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

I would start by saying that Thomas McCraig would know better.  I don't know
the locals and he does.  However, my smart aleck answer would be "one at a
time".

The nice thing about a jam is its depth and variety.  You don't have to be
in the circle to participate.  Those in the circle should be ready to try
for leads and such and overtly contributing to the jam.  Right outside the
circle is a level where you can try things, as long as you do not do so in a
fashion that distracts the circle.  It also leaves you in a position where
you can contribute occasionally and observe the rest of the time.  Far
outside the circle, but still within earshot, you can try your hand at what
is being played with less of a possibility that you can distract the
circle.  This is a good place to start when you are still trying to find
your ability to keep up and get around in the music.

Also, some jams have slow, intermediate, and advanced circles.  You
gravitate to the circle from which you can get the most opportunity to
learn.  It doesn't hurt to be at a circle that is too advanced for you, but
you will be more comfortable in a slower circle.  So you can join the slower
circle for awhile, then take a break and watch the faster circle.  If I
understand things correctly, the Friday night jam will have different
circles with different levels -- so the number of harmonica players should
not be that overwhelming, unless we all end up at the same circle.

FYI: Slow jams are very popular for those learning and often are over
balanced by some instruments, especially guitars, banjos, basses, and, in
our case, harmonica players.  It is usually the first opportunity for a
beginning player to learn to be courteous and respectful and play reasonably
with others.  These "mysteries" are usually taught little by little by the
moderator of the jam.  Generally, it is the moderator's job to help
beginners learn to work with one another and keep the jam going so that
everyone has fun and learns.

(Please be nice to the moderator.  The moderator is usually a more advanced
player who has agreed to (or was "roped into") running the slow jam.  It can
be a very hard job to do.)

One of the things that bluegrassers often do is switch to another instrument
if there is already a lot of similar instruments in the jam.  For example,
a mandolin player joining a jam that already has three other mandolin
players, but no fiddle and one guitar, might move to fiddle or guitar to
create diversity in the instrumentation in the jam.  Or, if they were just
as happy watching for a little while, they might just stay in the outer
circle and enjoy the jam.  Once one of the other mandolin players took a
break, he might join the circle.  If they know each other, the leaving
mandolin player may make a point to tell him to take his place.

Once a jam begins to develop sufficient duplication in instruments all the
way around, it is usually also getting to be large enough that one side of
the circle cannot hear the other side very well.  When they get that big,
playing becomes cumbersome and the rhythm and timing gets off and lots of
little train wrecks start to occur.  What usually happens then is, some of
the players leave the jam and form another jam some distance away so that
they cannot be distracted by the first jam, and vice versa.  When a jam is
at that critical size, it becomes increasingly important that the players
lay out to allow a main rhythm player and the lead player or singer to hear
each other.  The other players playing background may simply play very
lightly, or they may completely stop and pick up again when their playing
will contribute.  This is a very important courtesy to the other players and
it keeps the sound solid, even though the jam has nearly reached the point
where it should cleave like an amoeba.

When a jam is small, it is usually ok to join the circle whether or not you
may be able to keep up.  It is hard to know if it is ok, so you join if it
appears open enough, or ask to join if that seems more appropriate, and do
your level best to keep up and contribute without detracting.  Once the jam
starts to get some size and it is still too advanced for you, it is a
courtesy to let a more advanced player take your spot -- but it isn't a
rule.  Sometimes they will tell you that you should stay and keep trying.
If they do, stay and learn.  You will always get a little bit better putting
yourself to the test with more advanced players.  Being courteous in such
situations will usually make you welcomed to any jam.

If you need a rule of thumb, try to not add a fourth harmonica player to a
jam.  Three may be overwhelming to them.  Try imagining three banjos in a
jam, and you will get the idea.  A jam can get away with three or four
guitar players if some or all of them play a lead, and may even need at
least two  guitars if both play lead.  A jam can also get away with 3-4
fiddlers, mandolin players, and even dobro players, but it can only really
use one bass.  Bass players have to take turns.  Banjo players have to take
turns, too.  If the banjo players are more experienced, having 2-3 in a jam
doesn't cause a problem, but if they aren't, cacophony may result.
Remember, you can still have fun and learn a heck of a lot trying your hand
at the music on your harmonicas outside the circle/jam.

Cara
On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 12:13 AM, <sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Cara
>
> I don't recall if you have commented on this already so I'll ask now. How
> many harp players do you think they will tolerate?
>
> Cheers!
>
>
> > My best information is coming from a local: Thomas McCraig.  It sounds
> > like
> > they are pretty generous people, as long as we are as generous and
> > polite/respectful, etc.  He would be the best one to answer your
> question.
> >
> > You have a good start on some good common tunes.  David's CD has some
> good
> > ones that are not on your list that are also pretty common.  As long as
> > you
> > have some common tunes to offer all practiced up and you are polite and
> > respectful of the others in the jam, keep your background playing in the
> > background, use the melody as a road map for the tunes you do not know as
> > well, etc., you should be fine.
> >
> > Different jams are different to beginners than other jams.  In most
> cases,
> > it seems that they are comfortable helping string players, but not with
> > helping harmonica players, and that is what creates a problem.  But your
> > approach shouldn't cause that much concern, except where chords are
> > concerned, since you wouldn't be much use vamping a mandolin chop on a
> > chromatic in more than possibly two keys.  As long as you know your
> > instrument and can handle that part, being a beginner on the tunes
> > shouldn't
> > bother them that much.  Everybody starts somewhere, and nobody knows
> > everything.
> >
> > cara
> >
> > On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 3:47 PM, <sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> David
> >>
> >> I was really hoping to talk with you at SPAH. I have been learning some
> >> Bluegrass tunes for chromatic harmonica and developing my own style. Oh
> >> well. Maybe next year?
> >>
> >>
> >> Cara
> >>
> >> I have only been playing harmonica for about 15 months and have just a
> >> few bluegrass tunes in my repertoire (Read Haired Boy, Cripple Creek,
> >> John Hardy, Amazing Grace, Sweet Georgia Brown, and Old Joe Clark).
> >> Some bluegrass jams are welcoming to beginners and some are not. Do
> >> you have a feel for how tolerant these jams are with respect to
> >> beginners?
> >>
> >> I really appreciate you working on this.
> >>
> >> Cheers!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > We'll miss you, too.  Maybe next year.
> >> >
> >> > Cara
> >> >
> >> > On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 12:59 PM, Richard Hunter
> >> > <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> David Naiditch wrote:
> >> >> <What a bummer.  Cara Cooke is graciously arranging all these great
> >> >> bluegrass jams, and it appears I won’t be <able to make SPAH this
> >> year.
> >> >>
> >> >> Ditto and likewise.  The lineup for this year's SPAH looks amazing,
> >> and
> >> >> I
> >> >> will be unable to attend.
> >> >>
> >> >> Regards, Richard Hunter
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
>