Hi Dennis,

Glad you enjoyed your bluegrass jam.

They're a wonderful way of practising:

playing with others,
learning new material,
improvising,
communicating when solos are coming up,
finding appropriate parts when playing with others,
encouraging others (especially beginners, or those with limited ability),
timing and dynamics and sharing the spotlight.

I take my resonator guitar and regular guitar, and they sure have helped my playing improve.

There's a wealth of songs out there: tragic, touching, fun, and a whole range of styles when you get into it.

Here are my recommendations.

1. Listen to all the "Circle unbroken" cd's from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

2. Anything by Hank Williams - It ain't bluegrass but they'll allow and revere it.

3. Keep to the keys of C G D A - occasionally E

4. Capos are good. Always call out the key, and time if needed (4/4 3/4 sometimes 6/8 or 12/8)

5. Learn Nashville numbering for the chords.

6. Buy one of these books:

Parking Lot Picker's Songbook - Dix Bruce - Mel Bay
Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book - Richard Matteson - Mel Bay
Bluegrass Fakebook - Bert Casey - Watch and Learn Inc

7 Google lots eg http://www.bluegrassnet.com/lyrics

8 Youtube everything Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, Carter Family,

9 Learn Fiddler's Shorthand for sections. AABB ABAB AABBCAA etc

10 My favourite bluegrass songs:

Columbus Stockade Blues
Precious Memories
Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky
I'll Fly Away
Red Wing
Life's Railway To Heaven

11 Keep to 3 chords unless really needed

Take care, Andrew


Andrew Lloyd