Traditional Acoustic Jam

There are actually a lot of different styles of jamming - the main focus here is for people to get together, play tunes, sing songs and hang out. See Jam Formats below to get some insight on the various ways jams can occur.

It's not a hard and fast rule but I tend to separate jam formats into two categories. 1) Unison Jams and 2) Soloist jams

1) Unison Jams: Jam formats like Irish music, drum circles and american old time tend to be played all together. Rhythm players (drums, chord instruments like guitars, ukeleles) all hold down the rhythm while melody instruments (fiddles, whistles, accordion, saxaphone) all play the melody in unison.

if you're looking for folk instrumental tunes, consider checking out the Old Time Jam page for a playlist

2) Soloist Jams: This is where people take turn playing a melody/improvising. Think jazz, bluegrass, rock, etc. These can be vocal songs where someone sings the song, and then intermittently people can take solos.

Basically anything acoustic is fair game. Strings, percussion, wind instruments - basically anything acoustic.

Exceptions to this are keys, if you have an electric keyboard you're welcome to bring it but please keep it at an acoustic volume so we can play off each other.

Also, if you bring a brass instrument, bagpipes, fiddle, etc. Just make sure to check in on your volume. It can be helpful to bring a mute of sorts in case your instrument is significantly louder

Absolutely — whatever your playing level, please come out. You don't need to know the songs ahead of time. The whole point is to figure it out together. If you don't know something, play quietly and find your way in — that's half the fun. If you'd like to call a tune, check out Songs with Easy-to-Follow Chords below for some good starting points.

Yes — if you call it, be ready to lead it. Be prepared to explain the chord structure and bring chord charts or sheet music to share if you can.

One thing to watch out for is a jam buster — a song that's too complicated for people to follow. Ideally a song has no more than 4 chords and 2 parts (verse/chorus or A/B). See Songs with Easy-to-Follow Chords below for some good examples to call.

Here are some songs with simple chord structures that are great to call at a jam. Each song has 2-4 chords.

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

| G / Am / | C / G / |

Freight Train

| C / / / | G / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
| E / / / | F / / / | C / G / | C / / / |

Sitting on Top of the World

| D / / / | D / / / | G / / / | D / / / |
| D / / / | Bm / / / | D / A / | D / / / |

Crazy (Gnarles Barkley)

| Bm / / / | D / / / | G / / / | F# / / / |

Mountain Dew

| G / / / | G / / / | C / / / | G / / / |
| G / / / | G / / / | G / D / | G / / / |

Pistol Packin' Mama

|| G / / / | G / D / | D / / / | D / G / ||

Nails in My Coffin

| D / / / | D / / / | D / / / | A / / / |
| D / / / | G / / / | D / A / | D / / / |

St. James Infirmary

| Dm / A / | Dm / / / |
| Dm / Bb / | A / / / |
| Dm / A / | Dm / / / |
| Bb / A / | Dm / / / |

Wagon Wheel

| G / D / | Em / C / |
| G / D / | C / / / |