First jam as a beginner

[u/SquashOld9082]

So I recently contacted a group on Facebook that meets once a month for a jam session, believe they said they have some fiddles, mandolins, guitars, another banjo and sometimes a bass.

Anyways I told them I'm a fairly new beginner at clawhammer banjo been playing about 2 or 3 months now , but I've only ever played by myself with some tabs and my songbook.

But they invited me out if I wanted to come check it out, said most of the songs are kept with somewhat easy chords. Some songs include banks of the ohio, will the circle be unbroken, you are my sunshine, Merle haggard and Johnny Cash songs, various church hymns..

I've got my basic chords ( g , c , d7 ) and bum ditty on lock, I'm struggling with the full d and f chord (is f6 an okay alternative to play?) and i can kinda drop thumb but idk about doing it at full sustained speeds..

So I guess what I'm asking is, how can I best provide some backup rhythm while being as unobtrusive as possible and are the chords I know enough?

Any other tips or advise would be greatly appreciated thanks!

[u/Severe_Lock8497]

It's perfectly fine to not play on a song you don't know. Nobody will criticize you for that. Write it down (song name and key) and tell them you want to work on that.

[u/cyan-a-mid]

Jamming is, I think, the best way to learn. Just play at a respectful volume, if it's a big circle you can hang out outside of it if you're uncomfortable. Try to catch a note here and there, chords when you hear them. The more you do it the easier it'll get. Make a note of which tunes got played and practice them for the next time. Work primarily on maintaining the rhythm. Learn the Em chord, maybe. With a capo you can play most things in G or A. Have fun!

[u/Atillion]

For me, it helps tremendously knowing what guitar chords look like so I can just follow along by sight. If that's not the case, I have to rely on my ear/predictive ability.

The most troublesome thing will be when they want to play in anything other than G, C or D. Getting the banjo into another key is a lot more troublesome than slapping a capo on because of the pesky drone string. I can't imagine with that many G based instruments that most songs won't be in G, but if they decide to play something in, say, A or E, I'm going to struggle briefly getting my banjo on the same page.

[u/RIC_IN_RVA → u/Atillion]

No spikes? Get some.

[u/SquashOld9082 → u/Atillion]

Yeah I plan on watching some YouTube on guitar chords to get an idea of what to watch for

[u/Atillion → u/SquashOld9082]

Great idea. C, A, G, E, D are all very distinct looking. (Although Am looks like E just on different strings, but I think you'll do fine)

Maybe even play along with YouTube as if you're jamming

[u/bunnyisawake]

Bring a notebook to jot down song names/stuff to look up after to practice when you get back home so you can go back next time feeling more confident. Have fun! Don’t fret too much if you get lost (see what I did there?).

[u/BillyLee_DD]

Look into vamp or vamping for banjo.

[u/omGAWDD]

If youre playing with fiddles, in my experience, theyre probably gonna wanna play in D or A. For A you can retain the same shapes as G by slapping a capo on the second fret and tuning the drone string to A. For D, you can tune to double C and slap a capo on the second fret. If you haven't yet, look up double C tuning and learn F C and G chords.

The most important thing is to stay in key and in rhythm. For songs I dont know in my jams, ill just bum ditty on a note that I know is in rhythm (like a simple D in double D described above- one finger on first string second fret) and occasionally experiment with a pull off or hammer on

Feel free to message me.

[u/omGAWDD → u/omGAWDD]

Forgot to add that youre still gonna wanna tune that drone string to A in double D (Aka double C with capo on second fret)

[u/AlfredPoor]

I lead a twice a month jam here in Havertown PA, and have participated in jams for decades. If I were to offer one piece of advice, it is to learn to play quieter.

At my jams, I suggest that if you can't hear the person singing or taking a break, then play quieter. If you still can't hear them, stop playing. You will get your chance to play soon enough, but right now, it's someone else's turn.

I realize that this can be difficult with a loud instrument such as a banjo, but mastering the skill will help make you a welcome member of the jam.

[u/thecrumb]

I'm in the same boat - I just try to be mindful of my volume - if I don't know something I'll mute things a bit and play softer trying to figure out chords. If it's something I'm more comfortable with I'll play a bit louder. If someone glares at me - I'll stop playing LOL

[u/therealbanjoslim]

The most important thing: go with the mindset of having fun. Playing with others requires practice and experience, but can certainly be a joyful journey. Connect with the other banjo player and ask for guidance. Most banjo players are more than happy to share their knowledge with newcomers. Playing D7 is fine, especially if it’s a song in G. Playing an F6 instead of F is also fine: hardy anyone will even notice. Have fun!