By Yvonne Walbroehl, Palo Alto, California.

HOW DO WE BEGIN and end tunes in a jam session? Even for established bands one of the most difficult skills is beginning and ending songs gracefully. In a jam session it is even more difficult since you may be playing with people you don't even know. Nevertheless, it is possible to get your jam tunes started and finished without making a complete fool of yourself, regardless of your level of experience.

Kicking Off a Song or Tune:

Most Bluegrass songs and tunes start with some sort of instrumental introduction. In a jam the person choosing the song may not necessarily be the one who plays the intro. For example, it is quite common for a rhythm guitar player to ask the fiddle or banjo player to kick off the tune. There are a few different types of instrumental intros that work in bluegrass jams. One is the so-called "four potatoes" which can be played on any instrument but is most commonly heard on fiddle. The instrumentalist "shuffles" on the root chord (the 1 chord) for four counts to establish the beat, usually to kick off instrumentals.

Another instrumental intro is the turnaround, where the last line or two of the melody is re-played. This can also be played on any instrument. You can also play the entire melody or the entire chorus as an intro - again this can be done by any instrument.

Some numbers have a special intro which may not have very much to do with the melody. These sorts of intros are usually only effective in a jam session if most of the other players are familiar with the intro. Finally the rhythm guitar player can "vamp" on the root chord for a few counts to get the beat established before the singer starts singing. Although this is pretty basic, it can be a very effective way to get songs started in a jam session. For vocal numbers the lead singer should control the tempo, whether or not he/she plays the intro. If you are the lead singer and someone else is playing the intro, be sure to let them know what type of intro and what tempo you need. For instrumentals it is usual for the person choosing the tune to play the intro, though on occasion another instrumentalist may kick off the tune.

Who Should Play the Intro?

How do you decide who will play the intro? Often it is the person who chooses the number. There are certain tunes that just require a fiddle intro, while others demand an intro played on the banjo, while Guitar is often effective on slower songs. In beginner-to-intermediate level jams the person who plays the intro is often decided by who knows the melody and has the skill to play the intro. If no one really knows how to play intros I suggest the "four potatoes" intro for instrumentals. The rhythm guitar "vamp" intro is perfectly acceptable for vocals. As your skill level improves you can try other more advanced types of intros.

Getting together on vocals:

One aspect of beginnings that people have difficulty with is coming in on vocal harmony. It is extremely difficult for the harmony singers to know exactly when the lead singer will start the first word of the chorus and thus it is difficult for them to start at exactly the same moment. Good bands work very hard at this. However, there is a simple trick that can be used in jams and is often used to great effect by professional singers as well. The trick is for the harmony singers to allow the lead singer to sing the first word or two of the chorus alone. It is much easier for them to chime in on the second or third word. This technique is simple and at the same time sounds really good! The next time you sing harmony with people that you don't usually sing with, give this a try - you'll be surprised how easy and effective it is!

Finishing It Off:

There are as many ways to end tunes and songs as there are to kick them off. For instrumentals it is traditional for the person who kicked off the tune to end it. 'Tag' endings are often used for instrumentals. An example of this is the tried and true "Shave and a Haircut" ending. The traditional 'Flatt' G-run on guitar (or one of its may variants) is often quite effective. It is also quite effective for everyone to simply end together on the last note of the melody without playing a "tag".

Most good instruction books give several good examples of endings for instrumental tunes. For songs a vocal turn-around, where the singers repeat the last line of the song, is often used. Another way to end a vocal is to end it with a strong chord or a 'Flatt' G-run on the guitar. 'Tag' endings are sometime used, but far less frequently than for instrumentals.

In a jam session it is important that everyone has an idea when the song or tune is about to end. The best known visual signal for jam sessions is sticking one's foot out into the circle - crude but effective. Body language is often enough. It may also be useful to give a verbal cue such as saying "One more chorus and out" or "Turn-around ending", if time and co-ordination allow it. Very strong musicians will be able to get everyone to end together without giving a verbal or visual clue. In this case the only clues are musical. However, most folks will appreciate some sort of warning that the end is near, so to speak.

A Few Final Thoughts:

It is not possible to do an adequate job of explaining all of the nuances of beginnings and endings with words alone. You need to hear examples of good intros and endings to know what I'm trying to describe here. The next time you listen to recordings of your favourite bluegrass artists, pay close attention to how they kick off and end songs. Some of the intros they use will be too complex for jams, but you will be surprised to discover that many of the things that pros do are simple but effective techniques that you can use in your own playing.

Until next time, keep on picking!

Yvonne. Palo Alto, CA, USA

1st July 2001