12 Skills You Need to Enjoy Jams and Benefit from Music Camps
Today I will explain 12 skills you need to enjoy jams and benefit from music camps and workshops. It might take years to master all these skill, but by the end of this workshop you will know what to focus on in your practices and workshops.
This workshop is based on the online course for newcomers on https://www.searsportjam.com/ . This online course provides practice to help you develop these skills mentioned today.
Intro
Not the usual
Folk singer
School bass
Ando, Midcoast, Searsport Jam
Skill 1: Be prepared
Will you be welcome?
Do you have music if needed?
Skill 2: Recognize chord changes
Talented musicians are trained to play music as written. Jams and Music Camps demand other skills that require careful listening.
Can you hear the chord changes in the sample? More complex songs are more challenging.
This workshop is based on the online course for newcomers on https://www.searsportjam.com/ . This online course provides practice to help you develop these skills mentioned today.
Intro
Not the usual
Folk singer
School bass
Ando, Midcoast, Searsport Jam
Skill 1: Be prepared
Will you be welcome?
Do you have music if needed?
Skill 2: Recognize chord changes
Talented musicians are trained to play music as written. Jams and Music Camps demand other skills that require careful listening.
Can you hear the chord changes in the sample? More complex songs are more challenging.
Skill 3: Accompany a song given the chords to play
Now we are all going to play Golden Slippers. The music for the song is on the handout.
Jam groups and camps sometimes supply written music, but there is no standard format. Below are three common formats for the song Golden Slippers.
Verse – Play TWICE
|G |G
Oh, my golden slippers am laid away
|G |D
‘Cause I don’t expect to wear ’em til my wedding day
|D |D
And my long tailed coat, that I love so well
|D |G
I will wear up in the chariot in the morning
Chorus – Play ONCE – The ending changes the second time
|G |G |C |C
Oh, them golden slippers Oh, them golden slippers
|D |D |G |G
Golden slippers I’m goin’ to wear To walk the golden street
|G |G |C |C
Oh, them golden slippers Oh, them golden slippers
|D |D |G / D / |G
Golden slippers I’m goin’ to wear To walk the golden street
A more standard fiddle tune notation for chords
Golden Slippers in G
{A} G G G D D D D G
{B} G G C C D D G G
G G C C D D G|D G Note: G|D – two beats of each
And another notation – with slightly different chords
Which chord progression in correct??
Which timing is correct?
Now we are all going to play Golden Slippers. The music for the song is on the handout.
Jam groups and camps sometimes supply written music, but there is no standard format. Below are three common formats for the song Golden Slippers.
Verse – Play TWICE
|G |G
Oh, my golden slippers am laid away
|G |D
‘Cause I don’t expect to wear ’em til my wedding day
|D |D
And my long tailed coat, that I love so well
|D |G
I will wear up in the chariot in the morning
Chorus – Play ONCE – The ending changes the second time
|G |G |C |C
Oh, them golden slippers Oh, them golden slippers
|D |D |G |G
Golden slippers I’m goin’ to wear To walk the golden street
|G |G |C |C
Oh, them golden slippers Oh, them golden slippers
|D |D |G / D / |G
Golden slippers I’m goin’ to wear To walk the golden street
A more standard fiddle tune notation for chords
Golden Slippers in G
{A} G G G D D D D G
{B} G G C C D D G G
G G C C D D G|D G Note: G|D – two beats of each
And another notation – with slightly different chords
Which chord progression in correct??
Which timing is correct?
Let's play along to Golden Slippers using the chords listed on the first two formats.
Skill 4: Understand the logical structure of Fiddle Tunes
Most fiddle tunes are based on songs written for country dances. There is a strict structure most tunes follow.
Play A Part (8 measures) twice
Play B Part (8 measures) twice
At a dance, tunes are interchangeable because they all follow this pattern.
Sometimes, the second time the B Part is play, the last measure is slightly different so the song comes to an end. This happens in Golden Slippers.
Experienced players just "know" the second time through the B part, the end is adapted to end the song, so its counts as playing the B Part twice.
Identify the A Part twice and the B Part twice in these recordings.
Most fiddle tunes are based on songs written for country dances. There is a strict structure most tunes follow.
Play A Part (8 measures) twice
Play B Part (8 measures) twice
At a dance, tunes are interchangeable because they all follow this pattern.
Sometimes, the second time the B Part is play, the last measure is slightly different so the song comes to an end. This happens in Golden Slippers.
Experienced players just "know" the second time through the B part, the end is adapted to end the song, so its counts as playing the B Part twice.
Identify the A Part twice and the B Part twice in these recordings.
Skill 5: Accompany fiddle tunes at typical pace
Play along to Golden Slippers at different speeds using the chords you just practiced. Change your strum pattern if needed to keep up.
BPM (Beats per minute) depends on situation -a sing-a-long is different from a dance which is different from a concert.
Play along to Golden Slippers at different speeds using the chords you just practiced. Change your strum pattern if needed to keep up.
BPM (Beats per minute) depends on situation -a sing-a-long is different from a dance which is different from a concert.
Skill 6: Understand the structure of Bluegrass Tunes
Listen to Bury Me Beneath the Willow – Emmylou Harris
Introduction, verse, chorus, instrumental, verse, chorus, etc.
Listen to changes (addition of harmony, instruments) during the song
Listen to Bury Me Beneath the Willow – Emmylou Harris
Introduction, verse, chorus, instrumental, verse, chorus, etc.
Listen to changes (addition of harmony, instruments) during the song
Skill 7: Understand keys, associated chords, and switching keys.
The Key and chords used in a fiddle tune are determined by the ease of playing the melody on a fiddle – usually consistent from group to group
The Key for bluegrass tunes is determined by vocal range of singer – little consistency
The Key and chords used in a fiddle tune are determined by the ease of playing the melody on a fiddle – usually consistent from group to group
The Key for bluegrass tunes is determined by vocal range of singer – little consistency
Most fiddle and blue grass songs start and end with the same chord. This is the root chord or number ONE chordthat determines the key of the song.
Each key has 7 chords associated with it – one chord for each note in the scale. Most fiddle and bluegrass tunes use the 1, 4, 5 chords as a base. The root chord is number ONE. Use your hand to determine 1, 4, 5 chords for different keys. (Nashville Number System)
Bluegrass songs are often presented using the Nashville Number System rather the specific chord to play because there is no standard key for the song.
Bury Me Beneath the Willows
{V} 1 4 1 5 1 4 1|5 1
{C} 1 4 1 5 1 4 1|5 1
What are the chords in the key of C?
The chart below summarizes the information:
Key of: A | C | D | G
Chord 1: A | C | D | G (Root) I
Chord 4: D | F | G | C (Fourth) IV
Chord 5: E | G | A | D (Fifth) V
Play along with Harris in the key of C using the chords described here.
Skill 8: Memorize the I, 4, 5 chords in different keys
It is useful to memorize the 1, 4, 5 chords for common keys, but it is beeter to get the knowledge into your hands so change chords is smooth and automatic.
What is the chord progression of 1, 4, 5, 1 in A? in D?
Play along to Great Speckled Bird in A ( 1, 4, 5, 1). You can now play I'm Thinking Tonight of my Blue Eyes, The Wild Side of Life, It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.
Play along to Texas Two Step in D (1, 4, 5, 1)
It is useful to memorize the 1, 4, 5 chords for common keys, but it is beeter to get the knowledge into your hands so change chords is smooth and automatic.
What is the chord progression of 1, 4, 5, 1 in A? in D?
Play along to Great Speckled Bird in A ( 1, 4, 5, 1). You can now play I'm Thinking Tonight of my Blue Eyes, The Wild Side of Life, It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.
Play along to Texas Two Step in D (1, 4, 5, 1)
SKILL 9: Determine the key by ear for a song
Once you know the root chord, you know the key, and now the most common chords associated with that key.
When a song begins:
• Play the A chord first. If it is a match to the root of the song, you know the key is A, and the 1 ,4 5 chords are A, D, E.
• If the A chord sounds slightly off, try the D chord. If it is a match to root of the song, you know the key.
• If the A chord sounds way off, try the G chord. If it is a match to root of the song, you know the key.
• If the A, D, and G chords don't match, try the C chord.
• At a jam, songs are usually in A, C, D, or G. But not always.
• Another approach is to finger a movable chord (like F on guitar, Bb [B flat] on uke) and play on each fret as you move across the neck. When the chord you play matches the root chord, you have found the key.
• Both approaches require much practice. The exercises below are a good start.
In a jam, the chords change quickly and present a major challenge.
Fiddle tunes often have a two bar introduction called a Potato that gives experienced players the key and the tempo.
Listen to Potato introductions to determine the key.
Once you know the root chord, you know the key, and now the most common chords associated with that key.
When a song begins:
• Play the A chord first. If it is a match to the root of the song, you know the key is A, and the 1 ,4 5 chords are A, D, E.
• If the A chord sounds slightly off, try the D chord. If it is a match to root of the song, you know the key.
• If the A chord sounds way off, try the G chord. If it is a match to root of the song, you know the key.
• If the A, D, and G chords don't match, try the C chord.
• At a jam, songs are usually in A, C, D, or G. But not always.
• Another approach is to finger a movable chord (like F on guitar, Bb [B flat] on uke) and play on each fret as you move across the neck. When the chord you play matches the root chord, you have found the key.
• Both approaches require much practice. The exercises below are a good start.
In a jam, the chords change quickly and present a major challenge.
Fiddle tunes often have a two bar introduction called a Potato that gives experienced players the key and the tempo.
Listen to Potato introductions to determine the key.
SKILL 10: Identify chord patterns by ear
Each verse or part OFTEN starts with the root (1) chord and is the key for the song. The next chord is OFTEN the 4 or 5 chord. The next chord is OFTEN 1, 4, or 5.
The track below starts on G and has only two chords. What might come next? Were you right?
Each verse or part OFTEN starts with the root (1) chord and is the key for the song. The next chord is OFTEN the 4 or 5 chord. The next chord is OFTEN 1, 4, or 5.
The track below starts on G and has only two chords. What might come next? Were you right?
Sometimes it pays to listen to the bass. If the bass player is playing runs up to a chord and down to a chord, the bass can be a helpful way to determining chord changes and the chords themselves. The following track starts in C and contains only one other chord. What is that chord? When is it played? What song do you know that uses this chord progression?
Skill 11: Determine chords in Backing Tracks
Play along to the back tracks after you determine the root chord and then the chord progression.
Play along to the back tracks after you determine the root chord and then the chord progression.
SKILL 12: Play Along with Recordings
Play along to recordings to learn to keep time with a group, practice different strums, and enhance you ability to identify keys and chord progression.
Play along to Wall of Time (in C)
Play along to recordings to learn to keep time with a group, practice different strums, and enhance you ability to identify keys and chord progression.
Play along to Wall of Time (in C)
Blue Ridge Cabin Home in A
SearsportJam.com has a huge list of fiddle tunes with the standard chords listed and links to specific YouTube recordings. Check your skills by listening to the recording first, and then checking the chord progressions YOU heard against the accepted chords for the songs. There are also many bluegrass tunes listed on the site.
If you master these 12 skills, Jams will be much more fun, and you can learn a great deal more from workshops and camps.
Be sure to visit https://www.searsportjam.com/introduction-to-the-music---1.html to work on these skill in an organized approach.
If you master these 12 skills, Jams will be much more fun, and you can learn a great deal more from workshops and camps.
Be sure to visit https://www.searsportjam.com/introduction-to-the-music---1.html to work on these skill in an organized approach.