What we’re about
At present the group very small in size and is only meeting via zoom. In the zoom session, in song circle fashion, you will have to pick a song from the group song book and basically play it in front of the other group members. The other participants will be playing along with their microphones muted.
If live meetups resume: Attendance is limited to 8 or 10 people for nearly all events. More than that number makes it impossible to actually work on a song -- skills, harmony, etc. As a consequence we try to keep the group number low. If you really wish to participate, message us privately via MeetUp and tell us more about yourself, your music, etc. We have a special need for people who play something other than quitar! So, if you play fiddle, squeeze box, whistle, flute, dobro, dulcimer, harp, mando, banjo etc., please DO message us! Banjo players -- please no resonators. They overpower everyone else.
This group is for adults who want to get together and play acoustic music -- folk, rock, country, blues, bluegrass, or whatever excites you. Most of us play guitar, but all portable instruments are welcome. We would love to have a couple more fiddle and mandolin players. This is NOT a beginners group; but, this group will help you build skills, assist you in meeting other players, allow you to practice in a group setting, help you feel comfortable playing in front of a group, and maybe get you ready to play in front of family and friends or an open mic somewhere.
We try to meet every Monday evening from somewhere around 6:30 to 9 (sometimes later) at a memeber's house. Some members do have a big screen TVs to display the music for all to see but an iPad or similar device to access wifi and the Drop Box music folder are a definite must. A music stand for your portable device is suggested. That said, if anyone wants to host a session at a different location, or on a different day of the week, Do It!! In any event, feel free to upload songs to the Files folder or bring hard copies to pass around. Downloadable PDF practice sheets and a section for strumming patterns for the songs we've done can be found under our 'Files' link.
We encourage everyone to have a thought for jam session etiquette:
https://www.voyagerrecords.com/arjam.htm
http://www.folkjam.org/resource/jam-guidelines
http://www.shareable.net/blog/learn-to-jam-20-tips-for-making-music-with-friends
Questions? Post them under Discussions or message us. You will need a capo and a tuner. Music stands and tablets or iPads are nice to have too since all our songs are on Dropbox.
**Instruments such as a standup bass, a cello, a keyboard or drum set are too big for the limited space in our living rooms. Bagpipes are too loud, but if you have an electric chanter a bagpipe is great for many trad songs and even some country. If you don't believe us, listen to Battlefield Band doing Six Days on the Road!
This MeetUp Group is currently at capacity and closed to new members.
From time to time we review the membership and remove people who haven't been attending in recent months. So, check back occasionally and see if there are openings. Again, if you play something other than guitar, or have special skill such as slide guitar, please message me privately.
Note: We are NOT instructors and are constantly trying to improve our skills. But we've found we learn better playing with others and we enjoy meeting new people and jamming. It is hoped that we can build a casual fun setting where we can meet, learn, and practice without any judgement or pressure of a live audience. So come prepared to share your experience, learn, and, above all, have fun!
The goal of the this group is to provide an environment where we can come together and work on improving our skills and making songs sound good. We are not a place for brand new players. You need to have a basic skill set with your instrument and be able to work with the group.*
We play many types of music from blues to rock to traditional to bluegrass to folk to swing. We play what we enjoy and we may repeat a song a couple of times so we can get the timing and phrasing right, get the chord progression down and decide on a key that best suits us.
We encourage everyone to contribute to song list and to introduce new material. Our song book list is now quite long and will continue to grow. When you come to a session, please be prepared to lead a couple of songs.
So, come share the joy of playing in a group. Feel free to add songs to the Files folder and bring your guitar or any other small instrument** you like!
*Playing in a group requires certain courtesies some of which are worth reviewing here. Paramount items are NOT playing your instrument when we're discussing the material, NOT playing loudly when someone is playing an instrumental during a song, playing in sync with the group, and not carrying on a loud private discussion while we are playing. If you don't know a song, just listen until you understand what's going on and then quietly join in. Banjo players, please remove your resonator :)