Jam etiquette at the local Jam

Bill McCloskey · Posted 9 Feb 2012 7:53 am

For the last 10 years or so, I've been going to a local jam at a neighborhood bar. It is open to all but there has been a loyal core group that knows each other and each others tunes and it is usually a good experience.

This week, 2 new people showed up who apparently had come the week before. I had missed that week. One of them decided it was alright to start playing a very loud out of tune fiddle over peoples tunes - tunes he didn't know. During some of my usual numbers he decided to start - well, ...howling is the best way I can put it. It literally sounded like a dog howling. The second time he did it right in my ear while I was trying to sing, I stopped mid song, packed up my guitar and left.

The other guy was in his late 50's and said he had just started playing guitar. So if we could just tell him the (what are they called....chords?) before each song, he would appreciate it. He knew his C chord for sure. Smile

When I started at this jam, I sat as inconspicuously as possible, played as quietly as possible until I learned the lay of the land and the regulars standard tunes they played each week.

By the way, when I packed up my guitar, the idiot with the fiddle said, as a way of explaination: I've been playing for 48 years. I wanted to turn to him and say, "well you must have heard this before then: you suck." but I didn't.

Not sure what I'm going to do if these two show up next week. Do I confront them, or just leave the instrument in the case. I wasn't the only regular who was annoyed.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

It's a shame when one or two people ruin the music, but it happens more than it should. I've packed up and left a time or two. It just wasn't fun to play.

It sounds like you need to have someone take charge as the jam leader. They need to let all players know when they are to play, and when it's time to give someone else a turn. They have to be able to tell someone to leave the stage. They need to tell people to turn down. They also need to tell people they have to tune up more carefully and play more in tune, or they won't be allowed to play. That's a hard one, but if someone is driving the good players out, the whole jam will die, and the customers will vanish.

I have attended a number of blues jams in the Sacramento region hosted by the Sacramento Blues Society. They always have a jam leader. The best jam leader of the bunch is a bit of a control freak, but the jams are much more organized and situations like what you described are simply not allowed to continue.

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

It sounds like there are no ground rules.. it's an open jam so I would suggest making some rules and limit the band size for a couple tunes then rotate players. Let the sucky fiddler bury himself by letting him take a bunch of sour leads..

Instead of an open mike or open jam, we ask different players to come up on stage and play a couple and never let more than 2 guitars up at a time. No instrumentals and no extended jamming solos..

There is a BGrass jam in this area that used to be really good, enough players to break into 2 or 3 groups.
Then they moved to a new joint that's way smaller and has the worst acoustics and everyone is in one circle playing the same first position chords. It gets so loud with 6-8 guitar chord bangers and 5 banj0s, and forget about the fiddles right up in your ear.

John Peay · From: Cumming, Georgia USA

Hand this out next time....

The Ten Commandments of Jamming

I. Thou shalt not ever forsake the beat.

II. Thou shalt arrange thyselves in a small circle so that thou mayest hear and see the other musicians. Thou shalt listen with thine ears to the songs and attempt to play in accord with the group; also, open thine eyes betimes to look about thee, lest there be some visual sign someone is endeavoring to send thee. Thou shalt play softly when someone lifteth his voice in song, when playing harmony, and when thou knowest not what thou art doing.

III. Thou shalt play in tune. Tune thine instrument well, and tune it often, with thine electric tuner, lest the sounds emanating from thine instrument be unclean.

IV. Thou shalt commence and cease playing each tune together as one, so that the noise ye make be a joyful noise, and not a heinous tinkling that goeth in fits and starts, for that is unclean, and is an abomination. Whensoever a musician sticketh forth his foot, as though he were afflicted with a cramp in the fatted calf, thou must complete the rest of that verse, and then cease.

V. Thou shalt stick out thine own foot or else lift up thy voice crying, "This is it!" or "Last time!", if thou hast been the one to begin the song, and it has been played sufficient times over. If the one who began a tune endeth it not by one of these signs, then the tune will just go on and on, like the Old Testament, until the listeners say, "Hark! It all soundeth the same."

VI. Thou shalt concentrate and thou shalt not confound the music by mixing up the "A" part and the "B" part. Most songs, but not all, proceedeth according to the ancient law, "AABB", but if thou sinneth in this regard, or make any mistake that is unclean, thou mayest atone - not by ceasing to play - but by reentering the tune in the proper place and playing on.

VII. Thou shalt be ever mindful of the key the banjo is tuned in and play many tunes in that key, for the banjo is but a lowly instrument, which must needs be retuned each time there is a key change.

VIII. Thou shalt not speed up or slow down accidentally when playing a tune, for it is an abomination. (See commandment I)

IX. Thou shalt not, by thine own self, commence noodling off on a tune the other musicians know not, unless asked or unless thou art teaching that tune, for it is an abomination, and the other musicians will not hold thee guiltless and shall take thee off their computer lists, yea, even unto the third and the fourth generation.

X. Thou shalt have fun and play well.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Re-write the commandments in easy to read English. My head started to hurt after the first two and I couldn't finish. Rolling Eyes

A band I play with host a jam twice a month and the jammers only get to get up for 2 songs unless there is time at the end to go around some more. Only one jammer at a time unless they are a duo type of thing (like a singer and harp player that comes frequently).

I keep trying to get the band to stop calling it a "jam session" as it is truly not a jam session. A jam session implies that people can get up as they please for as long as they please, as we are told by many (mostly blues players) that come in. The local blues jams are all cluster f**ks where you have 3 or 4 guitar players and a few harps players all playing on top of each other. What was originally meant to be fun is now torture.
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Carson Leighton · From: N.B. Canada

Sometimes it helps to have someone who knows something about music,,but not connected to the band to step in and make a few rules..This person would be responsible for who gets up on that stage and who doesn't...He may even have to audition them first,,which isn't such a bad thing..People are going to get their feelings hurt,,but that's life..You have to draw the line somewhere,,or you are just going to end up with a hog-wrestle,,and the crowd will just dwindle down to nothing..
I got involved with something similar to this myself one time,,and all I got was a headache,,so I just quietly packed up, went home and never went back...Carson

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

If indeed the out of tune obnoxious fiddle player said he has been playing for 48 years ...it would be obvious that he has repeated the first 6 months 96 times.

sorry for this dilemma...eventually he will be jamming by himself.

I probably would not have left but I would have stopped playing and packed my gear. If he asked me whats up I would have just said, "you go ahead and keep playing..I'm ok with it"

This equates to bands with Harmonica players...or bands that let Harmonica players sit in. Akin' to bands that ask you to sit in on guitar and sing a few and also ask an unknown Harmonica player to sit in at the same time. This is the point where the Universe has reached capacity for "I can't take it anymore"...
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Bill McCloskey · Posted 9 Feb 2012 8:09 pm

LOL Jim. I wish I had thought of that.

The jam itself is an old fashion "everyone in a circle" type jams and we do round robin around the circle for those that lead. We actually did have a jam leader for years but a few years ago he took the easy way out of a bad situation and nobody has stepped up to the plate since his death.

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

The same is true at bluegrass jam sessions. The problem is a good jam is doomed to failure, since the better it is, the more people want to join in till it just becomes a cluster____.
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Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

@ Jim C.. I'll be remembering that one !

Alan Tanner · From: Near Dayton, Ohio

I feel your pain. Last year I went to a jam just to listen a couple of times. Both times as the music was passed from one to another, each one was louder than the last. Pour in some senior women trying to sing some gospel stuff and an out tune pianny player who never stopped, and by the end of a couple of hours my ears were ringing and my fillings were loose. It was NOT enjoyable, but certainly COULD be with some control......which I think is hard to apply without stomping on some toes. A lot of folks think that playing a lot of years equates to being a good musician. You may be the hottest thing ever to hit the tracks, but if you can't play well with others, it just dont count for much.....layout 16 bars...thats a good one...

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

There's no pecking order in open jams. If open to all, one person has the same rights as the other. Unless made known to all others by a leader of some sort, core groups have no more clout than the Joe Blow wannabe fiddle player. That's the way they work in my experience.

I've adopted the philosophy of the great Tony Rice. He said I generally avoid those situations where nothing is planned and the outcome is unpredictable.

I like jams with savvy musicians who know how to share. They can be terrific fun and educational as can be.

Not so much with the free for alls where everyone is welcome, although they can be fun too...just don't expect too much.

I wouldn't expect it to change much there if I were you unless the clueless clods to whom you refer stop showing up.

I've been in these situations. Rather than to hurt feelings or make enemies of friends, I prefer to remain absent.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 11 Feb 2012 7:43 am

Well said, Jerry. Smile

Don Drummer · From: West Virginia, USA

Thou shalt play in tune. Thou shalt play in time. On these two rests all other commandments.

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

It is not that complicated for me. If I am enjoying myself I stay and play. If not, I pack up and leave - respectfully and politely.
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Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

For the similar situation here by St. Bonaventure University, at the local watering hole, the bar owner has some interesting methods to promote ettiquette.

One chance to overstep boundaries then no longer admitted.
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John Ed Kelly · From: Victoria, Australia

Jerry Overstreet writes: ''I've adopted the philosophy of the great Tony Rice. He said I generally avoid those situations where nothing is planned and the outcome is unpredictable.

I'd say rather, that the outcome is generally predictable..............almost always..........it's cacophany.

Joe Rouse · From: San Antonio, Texas

First we have to have a good time. We want the players and the audience to enjoy the afternoon.
At our jam sessions we have a format that all who want to play will play maximum of 2 songs. That includes the band. Start off with each player doing 1 song and then we start over and each plays their second song. We have had singers ask to perform and we do ask about their experience and if they have a song we can do then we allow them to sing one or two depending on time and their ability.
I've found that the best manner for us to have a good jam session is to keep everyone playing and busy. Stay with the format. We may have 10-12 steel players and they all get to play at least 2 songs and usually have a good time. The last jam session we had we had a feature player and that was well received. He played for about 25 minutes and ended up having another player join in his last song(Dale Thomas & Roger Edgington).Keep it moving and try to keep everyone happy...I said "TRY".....remember I said "TRY"...jr

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Our Monday night jam is very organized. My band-mate is the jam leader and he runs a tight ship. We are basically the "house band" and we have 4 one hour sets. All new jammers are assigned to play in the 1st or 3rd sets. They are explained that if they are good or improve they can play in the 2nd or 4th set in the future. Guys like the unruley fiddle player will stay in the 1st or 3rd, and he may even be asked to not play at all if other players in those sets complain about him. This way, the audience gets to hear some good stuff, and the players can have fun too.
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Terry Winter · From: Saskatchewan, Canada

This is a great topic. As I've probably stated before every Friday night we have a Jam dance evening which is most always well attended both with band members and dancers. Basically the rules are each of us get two songs in a set with the same tempo. When playing or singing the instrumental parts are shared between those few who can take them and on instrumentals we all make sure those who can get a turn at each song part. I usually lay back for a split second and if no one is playing or has been gestured to play I will come in. It has worked well for years. by the way Musicians get in free and dancers pay $3.oo ea plus bring some lunch.
Never had too bad of a time with nightmare players.
Terry

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

The first rule to remember is it isn't a concert..Its a Jam..There will always be these things at jams that happen when unknown players ,out of work players looking for a showcase or just plain players that show up to prove they can blow others off the stage with their self implied talents.And lastly not very good players...A good rule is not to put oneself on their level of unprofessionalism..I'm sure that more of an impression is made by walking off than the guy who is showing what he can't do..And thats Fit in..If there is a leader on the stage then these things can be cut off at the pass..My approach at jams was always to have fun and not make a fool out of myself..I'm not saying I always succeeded Laughing

But I always knew the difference between a Job and a party..

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Very well put, Joe.
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