Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music

Young Jammers - Workshops

By Lloyd Holdeman

The Young Jammers Program offers a two-hour monthly workshop. At the workshops we will give general instruction, specific instruction for each instrument, small-group playing time, and time for the whole group to play together. Guest bands may show us how they play when we can arrange it. And there will be free time for the Jammers to get to know each other and exchange what they are learning.

Songs consist of chords and melody lines. Song lyrics usually follow the basic melody lines. It is amazing how many of the songs we know and love consist of three chords played in a predictable progression. At the first workshop the Jammers will be taught three chords in the “key of G” on their respective instruments. They will also be taught a basic strum or fingerpicking pattern. Written instructional materials will be given out, as well as recorded materials with songs in the key of G. In the second workshop we will add another chord and learn a song or two in the key of D. Over a six month period we will expose the Jammers to four major keys G, D, A, and C, work with a minor key (Am or Em), and have a wild-card month to work on Jammer’s requests. At the end of six months, we will go back to the key of G and start the cycle again. Learning to play music, as with most things, involves going from the known to the unknown- becoming fluent with what you know, and applying it to the unknown. As we learn a song or two every month we start to develop a repertoire. When we return to these basic keys, we are somewhat familiar with the songs we have learned, we can do more with them, and we can learn another song (and maybe another chord) in that key.

In the beginning we anticipate totally new beginners – people who have never played an instrument, and also people who have some musical skills and want to join us for the jamming experience. I will be working with the new folks, with the help of FFOTM volunteers. Brian (you gotta believe!) DeMarco of the popular Second Harvest Band will work with players who already know some things and help bring them to new levels.

Jamming happens when a melody line is played over a basic chord progression. The person playing the melody doesn’t always play the melody the same way. They make up variations on the melody. When they are making up the variations as they are playing the song, they are said to be “improvising”. Whether the musicians are playing traditional tunes, blues, jazz, rock, country – the process is the same. They go from the known – the chord progression, and basic melody line, to the unknown – the improvisations on the melody lines. When two or more people play rhythm (chord progressions) and melody (and the variations made up on the fly) and switch between rhythm and melody when their turn comes around, they are said to be “Jamming” and that is what we are after.

Skateboarding happens when folks develop a relationship with their board and the forces of gravity. Music happens when folks develop a relationship with their instrument and the energies of rhythm and melodies. Kids do incredible things when they get into it. If someone gets into the Young Jammers Program they can expect to learn chords and melodies to songs, learn how to read simple music charts, learn how to copy music from recorded materials, get exposed to music in traditional, bluegrass, Celtic, rock, blues and gospel styles, and make music on a monthly basis with people they have come to know. That’s a lot of cool stuff, and a good way to get on with a musical life.