Weekly Bluegrass Friends Jam Sessions

General Information

Every Monday evening I host a Bluegrass jam session at the Saint John Marina with help from my wife (aka the Bluegrass Widow) and some of my Bluegrass Friends. The doors open at 7:15 PM; the jam sessions start at 7:30 PM and finish at 10:00 PM.

The Saint John Marina is located at 2050 Westfield Road in Saint John, New Brunswick.

• Newcomer musicians are always welcome. Please come out and have some fun!
• Spectators are welcome.
• There is a $3.00 admission fee applicable to all musicians and guests. The admission fee is mandatory, not voluntary. It helps pay for refreshments, sound equipment and associated repairs as well as facility rental.
• At the half way mark we take a 20 minute refreshment break. Coffee and tea are served at no extra charge. Bottled water is available for .75 cents.
• The focus of the jam sessions is 100 percent bluegrass music.
• In the spirit of traditional bluegrass music, only acoustic instruments are allowed and should be kept to the normal bluegrass instruments including 5-string banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin, resophonic guitar (Dobro) and upright bass. If you play keyboard, accordion, harmonica, spoons, percussion or some other instrument not usually associated with bluegrass music, you may want to check Other Jams in the Saint John area.
• Microphones are provided for vocals and instrument reinforcement.
• The jam sessions are intended to be family friendly and I ask that you please keep this in mind when in attendance.

Bluegrass Friends Rules

Like it or not, any organized event needs a few rules in order to maintain some semblance of order and to ensure the purpose of the event remains on track. The purpose of the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions is to gather a community of people with a common interest in Bluegrass music for the purpose of learning, playing and enjoying Bluegrass music.

The rules of the Bluegrass Friends Jam Sessions are in place to ensure the jam sessions remain true to their purpose and to ensure respect and common courtesy are given to performers, emcees and announcers.

Rule 1 - Music Content

Bluegrass music only please. Choosing to break this rule on a continual basis may cause you to be skipped when going around the circle.

A music committee was formed recently to make decisions as to whether certain musical selections contain enough Bluegrass content to be played at the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions. Over 2600 songs are under review and the lists of both acceptable and unacceptable songs can be viewed on the Acceptable Music List page. Note  The list grows as more songs are evaluated each day.

Rule 2 - Instruments

Traditional Bluegrass instruments only. This includes 5-string banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin, resophonic guitar (Dobro) and upright bass. If you play keyboard, accordion, harmonica, spoons, percussion or some other instrument not usually associated with bluegrass music, you may want to check out some other jam sessions in the Saint John and surrounding areas. Individuals refusing to comply with this rule may be asked to leave. Some exceptions may be allowed with permission.

Rule 3 - Artist Spotlight Feature

During an artist spotlight feature, no person shall play a musical instrument, except for members of the spotlight band. All talking by spectators should cease during this 10 to 12 minute period. See below for more information about the Artist Spotlight.

Rule 4 - Announcements

When announcements are being made (typically just before, or just after the refreshment break) all talking should cease and your attention should be directed toward the announcer. No instruments are to be played, including tuning of said instruments. This is just common courtesy.

About Enforcement of the Rules

There are very few rules and they are very easy to follow. It is my intention to enforce the rules. You can help reduce the amount of stress in my life and I'll be put in fewer awkward situations if you do your part to comply. Your cooperation is appreciated. If you choose to not comply, you will be asked to leave.

Entering the Circle

The participants of the jam sit it in a circle in the center of the hall. Before entering the circle make sure you are in tune to concert pitch. The best way to achieve this is with an electronic tuner. If you do not have one, more than likely, someone at the jam would be glad to lend you one.

Take a seat in the circle. If you are a novice at jamming you may want to sit next to a more experienced player playing the same instrument. If you wish to just play backup or quietly in the background, that is quite all right. The dos and don'ts of jam etiquette are merely suggestions; there are no hard and fast rules and each situation is a little different.

We generally proceed in a clockwise pattern around the circle. Participants are allowed to sing a song or play one song of their choice when it comes to their turn. If you do not wish to pick a song when it comes to your turn, simply pass on to the next person in the circle.

When it is Your Turn

You may want to bring a list of songs to the jam that you want to play so you are ready when it is your turn. It is usually best to pick a familiar tune or one with not too many changes that is easy to learn by ear. Call out the name of the tune, the key, and any unusual changes before starting. Request harmony back-up on the chorus if you want it. For the benefit of all players, try not start a tune at too fast a tempo.

When it comes to taking an instrumental break, keep eye contact with others. Encourage those who wish to take a break, but do not intimidate those who do not want to do so.

Playing Along With Others

Remember to give the feature performer their turn. We often have lots of instruments playing at once, so be careful how loud you play along. If you cannot hear the vocalist or the lead instrument, please play softer.

If someone motions for you to take a break and you do not feel up to the task, just shake your head or offer the break to the next picker or instrumentalist in the circle. When taking a break, increase your volume and position your instrument close to a microphone. Try not to speed up during your break. If you add harmony, make sure you are in harmony and that you do not overpower the lead singer.

Artist Spotlight

The Artist Spotlight allows people an opportunity to perform up to four songs by themselves along with musicians they choose to make a band, while the remaining jam participants listen in with the rest of the audience.

Anyone wishing to perform in the Artist Spotlight may do so. If jam participants do not volunteer, I may ask people if they are interested in order to keep each week's Artist Spotlight time slot filled.

The motivation behind the Artist Spotlight feature is twofold:

• Many people have been working hard on perfecting songs and tunes to the best of their abilities. The Artist Spotlight gives these people an ideal atmosphere to "strut their stuff."
• Large jam sessions can become very noisy; this can make some songs very difficult to perform. For example, the message in a powerful song would be very much lost in a noisy environment, and the main performer may not be able to put the required "feeling" into the song. Artists that wish to perform these types of songs should find the Artist Spotlight feature a welcome addition to the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions.

During an Artist Spotlight, all talking by audience members is to cease and no one in the jam circle shall play an instrument.

If you would like to be in the Artist Spotlight, submit your name to Michael or Helen Floyd at one of the jam sessions or contact us by telephone or e-mail.