The 10 Jamandments

As a public service, below are the “unofficial” rules of a bluegrass jam.
By Larry Carlin

  1. Thou Shalt Tune Thy Instrument.
    ~ Electronic tuners make this easy.Acoustic jam instruments
  2.  Thou Shalt Keep Steady Rhythm.
    ~ Count beats if necessary.
  3. Thou Shalt Take Turns Choosing Songs.
    ~Announce the key. Vocalists always choose their key.
    ~ Choose a song you can complete.
  4. Thou Shalt Not Speed.
    ~ Start songs at a reasonable tempo. Speed up according to abilities.
  5. Thou Shalt Signal Who Has The Solo.
    ~ Follow a pattern when taking solo leads.
  6. Thou Shalt Listen To Others.
    If you can’t hear the lead, consider yourself too loud.
  7. Thou Shalt Welcome Others.
    ~ Include everyone in your jam. Help everyone sound as good as they can.
  8. Thou Shalt Not Steal Other Musicians From An Active Jam.
    ~With time, players move around anyway.
  9. Thou Shalt Try New Material.
    ~ Original & different tunes are OK occasionally.
  10. Thou Shalt Be Considerate Of Pickers  (and Others).
    ~ Explain when you’re rehearsing, not jamming. Help beginners.