Jam Sessions-Restraint & Common Sense

By Ronnie Nichols

 

      The Writer: I am an amateur musician, singer, and songwriter. I also build and repair some acoustic stringed instruments. In my 40 plus years of playing music, I’ve been involved in a lot of jam sessions. Some were a lot of fun and some were awful. I often go to local music venues or festivals just to jam. I have been going to some jam sessions at the Nine Mile Bluegrass Festival (about 50 miles away) near Pikeville, TN for quite a few years. These outdoor festivals are held 4 times a year. We usually seem to have a great time jamming there. I’ve met some great folks and made some good friends. For some reason, my trips to the local jam sessions in this area usually left something to be desired for me. At these jam sessions they often pass around a microphone and they always seem to form a BIG circle. They go around the big circle like a bunch of 4 year old kids and give everybody their “turn”. It doesn’t seem to matter to them that some folks are out of tune or out of time. It seemed to me that they are more concerned about including everybody than they are about the quality of the music. A few years ago, we tried to have a monthly all-day jam session as an addition to The Snow Hill Bluegrass Jamboree near Chattanooga, TN. Although the early all-day jam session idea did not work out because of a small turnout, I have formed some opinions on jam sessions in general through my years of playing music.  I thought I’d write down some of my observations and see if I could describe what makes a jam session enjoyable to me and the things I dislike. I’m sure everyone has a different idea on how these events should be run.

       The Definition: A jam session is a small group of folks who are not necessarily in the same skill level but who share a love of this type of music and an interest in the same kind of songs. Some will have a lot more skill than others. The key is that the one with the least skills, training, or musical ability is able to comprehend when to be quiet and not hinder the more skilled ones. This is just a common sense idea. There is room for a less skilled person in a jam session if they just understand their place. A good group of musicians will recognize the different talents and they will try to accommodate all individuals involved. I don’t think a jam session needs to be labeled with such terms as “Slow”, “Fast”, “Beginner”. Intermediate”, or “Advanced”. I believe any reasonable person can find a group of people where they feel welcome no matter what their skill level. If I were learning to play golf, I’d seek out someone like Nicklaus, Trevino, or Player or the best players I could find to play with because I know I could learn a lot from them. If I were learning to fish, I’d try to find Bill Dance or someone like him to fish with because I’d stand a better chance of learning the right way to do it. I’ve always tried to seek out the best players who would tolerate me in a jam session. If the folks don’t want you in their jam, you’ll figure it out soon enough (if you will listen). You must be willing to be quiet or play softly and listen a lot until you become more skilled. A good jam session should reflect the combined interests of everyone together. If most of them want to play fiddle tunes or banjo tunes, then that is what should be done. If most of the group want to sing, then that is what should be done. The freedom to move from one group to another at any time allows these groups to evolve into whatever type stuff they want to do.

        The Place: A jam can generally be held anywhere that you can group a few folks together. It is nice to have a place where the temperature is controlled. I don’t think you have to be miserable to have a good jam session. I’ve been to places where you had to go in the rest room to jam. I’ve been to a jam session at an old dairy farm where you had to go in the “milk room” to jam. I’ve been in jam sessions where you had to stand in cow manure or grass up to your knees. I’ve been in jams where it was 100+ degrees or so cold your fingers couldn’t feel the strings. I’ve been in jam sessions where there were no chairs and you had to stand for hours to play. I’ve been in jam sessions where it was so dark you couldn’t see where to place your hands on the neck of your instrument. I’ve been in jam sessions where the cigarette smoke was so thick you could not breathe. I’ve been in jams where there was so much background noise that you couldn’t hear yourself. I’ve seen another band walk up and start playing so close to you that you had to stop your jam because you couldn’t hear yourself. There are several local venues around our community where they jam. Some of them don’t have a large enough facility for folks to split up and jam. When two groups try to jam and play different songs in the same room, it makes it unbearable because nobody can hear. I will never understand how folks could be so thoughtless as to come into a room where a bunch was already jamming and start another jam with a different group. Are these folks that dumb or do they just not care what it sounds like? If I were playing a radio in a room and you came in and turned on your radio on a different station and turned it up loud, it would be the same situation. We recently remodeled part of our facility at the Snow Hill Bluegrass Jamboree. We now have at least 12 or more different rooms or hallways where jammers can split up and play. At our last show, I had a rare opportunity to do a little jamming in one of the new rooms with some friends and would you like to guess what happened? Another bunch of musicians came into this room and started playing and singing. They did not ask or offer to join in with our jam but immediately started their own. I could not hear myself singing and I know they couldn’t either. It’s hard to believe that these folks couldn’t find a secluded place to play without ruining our jamming. So, here I was after 15+ years of working at Snow Hill. We finally had a clean, warm, comfortable jamming place in a facility that the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department had just spent about a million dollars remodeling and faced the same old problem. Some thoughtless, selfish, or just ignorant people managed to ruin things for everyone. So, it is clear that it doesn’t matter how nice a place you have to jam if the people don’t cooperate.

My choice of places would be one where there were some comfortable seats and it is relatively quiet and the temperature is comfortable. An outside jam session can be a lot of fun if the weather is nice. I think an inside jam session is best when you have a lot of different rooms or areas to play in as long as they are far enough apart to not interfere with each other. This allows you several different choices of small groups to join. If there are 10 different groups, you’ll probably be able to find one that you will fit into and feel comfortable.

      The Size: In my opinion, if a jam session gets to be more than 8 or at the most 10 people it turns into something else besides a jam session. I don’t know what to call these large circles of folks but I hesitate to call them a jam session. If you only have around 8 or less, you can generally hear what everyone is doing. It is easier to get in tune together and stay in time. In the large circles that make up some jam sessions, you can’t hear what the one who is 30 feet away is doing. It makes it almost impossible to keep time and stay in tune. Having too many instruments makes it hard for a singer to sing loud enough to be heard.  I have noticed that the large groups always seem to want to arrange their chairs in a big circle. If they would only crowd up together instead of making a big circle, they would stand a better chance of hearing what is going on. I wonder if some of the less-skilled individuals think that being in a large crowd will cover up their mistakes. I believe this is flawed thinking. Out of tune or out of time times 10 just makes it sound 10 times worse. I’m assuming that everyone has a desire to make the music sound as good as possible.

      The Format: I believe that an informal setting is the best way to conduct a jam session. I don’t believe that you have to go around the circle and let each person have a “turn”. I went to a jam session once where they went around the circle and gave everyone their ”turn”. Some of the folks didn’t want their “turn” and said they wanted to let old Jim sing for their “turn”. Well, old Jim ended up singing about half of the songs. I believe that a small group of like minded folks will work out the details of who will sing or play next without having to go in order or be told it it their “turn”. Everyone in the group may not be capable of picking a lead break or singing. If someone wants to sing 4 or 5 songs in a row, let them do it. They’ll probably get tired and let someone else sing in a few minutes. It is more fun when it is spontaneous and the singer can put some feeling into it. If someone makes a hog of themselves, one solution is for everyone to move to another location. I realize that there are some folks who will take advantage and try to take the spotlight all the time. There must be some self control used in order to make it fun for everyone. If an individual makes a big enough hog of themselves, (in extreme circumstances) it would be advisable for someone to call them away from the crowd and try to explain to them (privately) that other folks want to play, also. I believe that most good musicians will be willing to swap around and allow everybody plenty of chances to pick or sing. If the group you are jamming with is so selfish that they won’t allow everybody a chance to play, maybe you’re in the wrong group. Personally, I think the lesser experienced musicians and singers would learn a lot more from listening to better musicians than they would by singing and playing out of tune.

      The Proximity: I believe that a jam session needs to be in close proximity to the other musicians. As I previously stated, a large circle of folks makes it hard (if not impossible) to hear and stay in tune or in time. If the jam is in a large room or outside, I suggest placing the chairs as close together as you can. Don’t make a circle with the chairs. Arrange them in a small group even if someone must be directly behind another one. This will improve the jam because you will be able to hear better.

      The Microphones: A microphone is a good tool. It is really handy for speaking, singing, or picking in a place where you need amplification. I believe that a microphone has NO PLACE in a jam session. If you have a large enough crowd to need a microphone, you need to split them up into smaller groups. If the room is so large that you need a microphone, you need to bunch everybody together and get rid of the large circle.

      The Smells: If you follow my advice, you will end up with folks bunched together pretty closely. This brings up another problem. Some folks may not have a pleasant smell. Some folks will have breath that smells like dog manure. Some folks will have been to the Chinese Restaurant and will have that stink on their breath. Some folks will have that stinking garlic breath. There will be some who smoke cigarettes. Most inside jam sessions will not allow smoking. I have left a lot of jam sessions because I could not tolerate the smell of cigarette smoke. These things should be considered by all. A little common sense will go a long way on this. Take a bath and try to control your breath. There are few things worse than singing with someone and having to smell their foul breath.

       The Pickers: It is normal for a jam session to have several different instruments represented. I suggest that any time you have more than one of the same lead instruments you be sure that everyone is comfortable with the arrangement. More than one banjo will often make it hard for the other instruments to be heard. It is also possible that more than one banjo or more than one fiddle will take the jam session in a direction that isn’t pleasing to all. If everyone wants to play fiddle tunes, then that is fine. Just don’t let a bunch of singers be forced into playing fiddle tunes all day if they had rather be singing. It is the same with banjo pickers, mandolin players, or Dobro players. The jam session should reflect the desires of all involved. If some picker hogs up everything, the simplest solution is to find a different jam session where you feel more comfortable. Generally one banjo or fiddle or mandolin or Dobro or bass is adequate. If two or more players are playing the same instrument be sure that they can do so without any conflict and without disrupting the jam. This goes back to having some common sense.

        The Singers: Generally the singers are the main focus but there are times when the picking is featured. A singer needs to be accompanied in their singing. The musicians need to show some restraint while someone is singing. I’ve been in a lot of jam session where the pickers play so loud that you can’t hear yourself singing. The pickers should quieten their picking down while someone is singing. It is not necessary to play as loudly as possible all the time. This is another reason for the small group. The harmony singers need to be able to hear the other singers’ parts in order to get their notes right. If the picking quietens down while the singer is singing, then it will make the lead breaks stand out more when the time comes for them.

         The Listeners: There will often be times where listeners are involved in a jam session. It is nice to have an audience who likes what you are doing. Usually folks who come to listen are hard-core fans who really want to listen. I once played at a local nursing home where this lady got right next to me while I was singing and sang so loudly (out of tune and the wrong words) that I could barely hear myself. I am sure she thought she was adding to what I was doing but I had to quit playing at this nursing home because of this. There are times when someone will insist on talking while you are singing. Sometimes the listeners in a jam session will talk louder if you sing louder. It makes it really hard to sing if someone is trying to talk louder than you sing. I’ve had people to walk in on a jam session while I was singing and start talking so loudly that I’ve had to quit singing before. If you are a listener and you want to talk during the music, go somewhere else to do that. If you are a listener and you want to sing along, be sure that the singers want you singing with them. This goes back to that old common sense thing.

       The Drunk: There are times when you will encounter someone who has had a little too much alcohol. Besides the smell, it can be something that will ruin a jam session. It is nice to have a place where this isn’t allowed. I’m not against folks drinking, but I don’t think a public jam session is the proper place for it.

      The Electric Instruments: Most bluegrass type jams will not allow electric instruments. I believe that proper restraint should be the main factor. An electric bass can be an asset to a good jam session if it is not abused. A good bass player will not play so loudly that it ruins it for everybody.  As we said before it needs to be done with some common sense.

      The Harmonicas: A harmonica can really add a lot to a jam session if it is played well. Sadly, a lot of times the harmonica players are not well- trained in their craft. I’ve seen a lot of jam sessions broken up by an unskilled harmonica player. If you wish to join a jam session, you should always ask if they mind you joining in.  I recently was in a jam session where I was trying to sing a song in the key of “A”. This harmonica player got right in my ear and started playing his “D” harmonica. The sad thing was that he didn’t realize the difference. After enduring this for a few songs, I finally called him aside and told him privately that either he or I would need to go somewhere else. He decided to move somewhere else. That seems like an extreme measure, but this was not the first time this guy had ruined a jam session where I was playing. When someone doesn’t realize that they are hindering the music, you aren’t left with too many options. It is sad to have to hurt some one’s feelings but why should 6 or 8 people have to be miserable because someone has no common sense?

      The Dulcimers (Hammered or Otherwise): A dulcimer has a pleasant sound and can fit into a jam session. Everybody should be in agreement to having this instrument in the jam. The dulcimer will not work well with all songs. If you don’t want to play with a dulcimer, find a jam session that doesn’t have one. You may end up with a jam session that features several dulcimers. As long as everybody is happy with this sound, I think it is good.

      The Washtubs: I have heard some folks play a washtub bass and make it sound relatively good. I’ve also seen some folks play a washtub bass and ruin the music because they didn’t play anywhere close to the right notes or timing to match the music. I’d recommend someone who plays a washtub bass to be sure it is acceptable to all the folks in the jam session before joining in. This advice would apply to any instrument. Remember the common sense we discussed?

      The Kitchen And Household Appliances: I have seen folks try to play rub boards and other kitchen or household appliances in a jam session. This is another situation where all the folks involved should be allowed to decide whether it is appropriate. Something that looks cute the first time you see it can get to be obnoxious after a few minutes.

      The Spoons & Bones: Here again some proper judgement is needed. I’ve heard some folks play these things and do a really good job. Other times I have seen them ruin a good jam session. Years ago folks would use whatever they had to keep the rhythm flowing smoothly. Everyone should be in agreement on this if these items are played.
    The “Other” Instruments: People may bring anything to a jam session and try to join in the playing. I’ve seen Jew’s Harps, toilet seat guitars, bed pans, kazoos, and all kinds of weird things that people want to play. Just because something looks cute the first time you see it, does not necessarily mean it will add anything to your jam session. Use that old common sense to determine if it is appropriate.      

      The Out of Tune Ones: This gets down to where it is really hard to control. We all try to do the best we can and some can tune better than others. When do you say something about some one’s tuning? Electronic tuners have allowed some folks to play stringed instruments who can not tune by ear. Often when capos are attached to instruments, they pull slightly out of tune. Some folks don’t hear the problem. I once thought that you either could hear when an instrument was in tune or you could not. After years of struggling with this, I have concluded that you don’t have to be born with this talent. You can learn to tune if you will train your ear to do so. When the U.S.Secret Service trains their folks to recognize counterfeit money, the agents spend a lot of time studying real money. If they know what the real thing looks like, they can easily recognize a fake. The same applies to tuning. If you are around folks who play in tune, it can train your ear to hear the beautiful sound of strings harmonizing with each other. If you play out of tune, you may not ever understand the beauty of the music. I had a good friend (who is now deceased) named Newell Angel from Pikeville,TN. Newell had the ability to tune a guitar so well it was a real pleasure to hear it. He would not play very long in a jam session if everyone was not tuned properly. Just being around him and hearing the sound of a guitar that is really in tune has been a real education to me.  I suggest using an electronic tuner as a teaching tool to train your ear. Do not simply rely on some electronic device to tell you whether it is right or not. If you see that someone is having trouble staying in tune in a jam session, try to help them get in tune. If they truly want the jam session to sound good, they will appreciate your efforts. This all goes back to having some common sense and trying to work together to make a good sound. Most good musicians would be willing to help a not-so-skilled musician get in tune.

      The Out of Time Ones: I went to a jam session once where everybody had to put up with this one fellow who was consistently out of time. He would also try to sing in one key and play in another. It made for a miserable time. I don’t have a solution for this except to move to a different location if it gets so bad you can’t stand it. Someone needed to explain to this guy that he was ruining the music for the rest of the folks involved. I can understand everyone not wanting to hurt his feelings. This guy had apparently been ruining this particular jam session for a long time and nobody would say anything to him about it. I believe a lot of jam sessions have failed because of this type of problem. If it is a one-room jam session and nobody is willing to take charge and correct the problem, the best option would probably be to go home and play with the CD player. You can usually count on the CD player to be in tune and in time.

      The Ones Who Play Too Loudly: A banjo or fiddle has the capability to drown out the other instruments. Some restraint is necessary by the musicians. A good musician will try to blend his instrument with the others. It is possible for these lead instruments to be so loud that no one else can be heard either singing or playing.

      The Ones Who Try To Sing Their Original Songs: A jam session can be a place to introduce or try out original songs. You must be sure that you don’t spend too much time exposing folks to your original compositions. I’ve seen people who sung songs one after another which were unknown to anybody else but them. One of these every once in a while is fine. I don’t think you should use a jam session for too much original stuff unless everybody is agreeable to it. You will do better to sing some songs that are familiar to everybody.

      The Gospel Singers: Gospel music is a definitely a part of bluegrass. I’ve seen a lot of people who were used to singing in church who came to a jam session with a lot of songs to sing. I just don’t think it is appropriate to make a jam session all Gospel unless everyone in the group is agreeable to it. Don’t try to turn a jam session into a Church service. The type of music should be determined by what everybody wants to play.

      The Ones Who Won’t Give You Time To Get In Tune: Often in a jam session they will do a song in ‘G’ then go to “A” or “B”. If you are playing an instrument and you have to attach a capo, you will usually need to re-tune your instrument slightly because the capo has a tendency to stretch the strings. I’ve been in some jam sessions where someone slaps a capo on their guitar and starts out singing. They won’t wait until everybody gets in tune. This often leads to a jam session where everybody is not in tune together. If you are going to change keys, give everybody (including yourself)  time to get in tune. If you use an electronic tuner, don’t take the capo off and tune the instrument and then put the capo back on. Most chromatic tuners will tune the instrument with the capo in place. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen guitar players take the capo off, tune with their electronic tuner, and then clamp the capo back on. (which normally pulls it slightly back out of tune) If you are playing in “A” and capo-ed at the second fret, tune the guitar with the capo at the second fret. It will help if you try to arrange your songs together where you don’t have to move the capos every time you do a different song. A little thought in grouping the “G” tunes together and the “A” tunes together can save a lot of re-tuning for everybody.

      The Little Kids Who Only Know 1 or 2 Songs: If you have a small child or anybody who is just learning, be sure that you don’t allow the whole jam session to be ruined by this. It is good to allow beginners to perform in a jam session. This is a big part of the learning process. It is good to see young folks learning this kind of music and I realize that folks are proud of their children or grandchildren and want to share them with all. Just don’t let the jam session be pulled down to the beginner’s level. Let the beginner do a song or two as things progress. Don’t turn the jam session into a beginner’s lesson. I’ve been in jam sessions where someone tries to start giving someone else a music lesson. If you want a music lesson, a jam session is not the place for it. Use some common sense.

      The Question- Do You Fit In?: If you come into a jam session and you don’t know the folks, it is wise to sit and listen a few minutes before you commit yourself to playing. If the folks want you to join in they will probably ask you. I think you should ask if they mind you joining in prior to getting your instrument out of the case. If they are practicing for a show or something, they may not want the distraction of having you playing along. You can usually listen a few minutes and determine whether they are anywhere near your skill level. It is nice to play with more skilled musicians whenever you can. You will learn more from them than you will, otherwise. Just be sure that you are welcome and that you are not hindering them.

      The Other Question-Is Everybody Enjoying Your Contribution?: After you’ve joined in for a song or two you should ask yourself if you belong there. If nobody asks you to sing or play after a few minutes, you can probably conclude that you are not welcome. You’d do better to find a jam session where you can take part and be appreciated. If everyone starts leaving for a new group whenever you start picking, maybe you should consider taking some lessons, playing quieter, learning to get in tune, or maybe you should take up fishing or golf.

      The Last Question- What do you do when things go bad?: If you have listened to all these observations and followed the advice offered, what can you do when other folks don’t show the proper restraint or common sense? The suggestions listed in this article may help you to be a better participant. You don’t have much control over the rest of the folks involved. If you are in a jam session where you really don’t want to move somewhere else or it is a one-room jam, someone in the group must be willing to take charge. Normally problems  will work themselves out, but, there is going to be a time when somebody will act up and be obnoxious to all. Someone in the group needs to take charge and say something (preferable in private) to the offender. These problems must be handled on an individual basis, but you can bet that, sooner or later, you’ll encounter this problem. Paul Harvey used to say, “You Can’t Legislate Morality”. You can’t make everyone be “selfless” and not “selfish”. My brother used to say that there is a limit to how smart someone can be but it seems like there is no limit to stupidity.  I’ve been amazed through the years at some of the things I’ve seen people do in a jam session. I hope these discussions will make everyone consider how to make a jam session more fun for all.