Update as of June 12th, 2025:
Starting tonight (Thursday, June 12th), Old-Time Almost Fridays jams will be moving to the Russell Field Playground near Alewife in N. Cambridge. It’s less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The schedule of the jams will remain similar:
7:30 pm Beg/Int Old-Time Jam
8:30 pm Int/Adv Old-Time Jam
And then starting next Tuesday, June 17th, Bluegrass Tuesdays jams will be moving to the same location. Here's what we've learned about jamming at the Russell Field Playground:
(1) There are two parking lots on Rindge Ave. on either side of the little league park (Comeau Field): the lot with the cul-de-sac (to the west of the field) is usually full, but there's tons of space in the lot to the east of the ballpark, which is the lot for the Francis J. McCrehan Swimming Pool at 359 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door).
(2) We often jam near the sprinkler spot (a.k.a. splash pad) near the yellow canopy, which is between the pool, the playground, and the ball field.
(3) There are working port-a-johns right there, so everyone can have that true "festival experience".
(4) Please bring a folding chair (preferably without arms).
(5) It's not as well lit as some people might like, so if you have a small camping lantern, you might want to bring one.
(6) Mosquitos were mostly not an issue, but you still might want to bring bug spray or wear heavier clothes, as long as it's not too hot.
Starting with the outdoor jam on Tuesday, June 17th, the regularly scheduled jams will be shifting to a new schedule:
6:45 pm – Beg-to-Int Bluegrass Jam (email tonywatt@gmail.com to join)
8:00 pm – Kelley's Intermediate Bluegrass Jam
8:15 pm – Ed's Slow-to-Medium Instrumental Jam
8:30 pm – Wayne's Intermediate-to-Advanced Bluegrass Jam
Beginner & Intermediate Bluegrass Jams at Lily P’s
There are now three distinct jams scheduled nearly every week:
(1) The weekly Beginner-to-Intermediate Bluegrass Jam continues to meet nearly every Tuesday starting at 5:15 pm at Lily P's (but you'll have to email me at tonywatt@gmail.com to be sure). This is a "teacher-directed" jam where we never know what songs we're going to play, but we're limited to no instrumentals and no very fast nor very complex songs.
(2) The Intermediate Bluegrass Jam hosted by Kelley meets every week starting at 6:30 pm. This jam is likely suitable for those who have some experience jamming already and can play songs and tunes, recognize chord changes, and play well with others.
(3) The Int/Adv Bluegrass Jam hosted by Wayne usually starts at 7 pm. This jam typically evolves out of the Intermediate Jam and then moves out back unless the weather is nice enough to play outside.
For more information about any of these jams, please email me at tonywatt@gmail.com
Everyone is welcome to join the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam, BUT:
(1) you MUST play quietly at all times other than your solo
(2) you MUST follow standard bluegrass jam etiquette (more info below)
(3) all fiddles, banjos, Dobros & mandolins MUST chop when not soloing
(4) when calling an instrumental, please ask for a show of hands to ensure that at least half of the jammers can play the melody
And if you'd like to learn lots more about bluegrass jamming, please visit our Classes Page.
Starting tonight (Thursday, June 12th), Old-Time Almost Fridays jams will be moving to the Russell Field Playground near Alewife in N. Cambridge. It’s less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The schedule of the jams will remain similar:
7:30 pm Beg/Int Old-Time Jam
8:30 pm Int/Adv Old-Time Jam
And then starting next Tuesday, June 17th, Bluegrass Tuesdays jams will be moving to the same location. Here's what we've learned about jamming at the Russell Field Playground:
(1) There are two parking lots on Rindge Ave. on either side of the little league park (Comeau Field): the lot with the cul-de-sac (to the west of the field) is usually full, but there's tons of space in the lot to the east of the ballpark, which is the lot for the Francis J. McCrehan Swimming Pool at 359 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door).
(2) We often jam near the sprinkler spot (a.k.a. splash pad) near the yellow canopy, which is between the pool, the playground, and the ball field.
(3) There are working port-a-johns right there, so everyone can have that true "festival experience".
(4) Please bring a folding chair (preferably without arms).
(5) It's not as well lit as some people might like, so if you have a small camping lantern, you might want to bring one.
(6) Mosquitos were mostly not an issue, but you still might want to bring bug spray or wear heavier clothes, as long as it's not too hot.
Starting with the outdoor jam on Tuesday, June 17th, the regularly scheduled jams will be shifting to a new schedule:
6:45 pm – Beg-to-Int Bluegrass Jam (email tonywatt@gmail.com to join)
8:00 pm – Kelley's Intermediate Bluegrass Jam
8:15 pm – Ed's Slow-to-Medium Instrumental Jam
8:30 pm – Wayne's Intermediate-to-Advanced Bluegrass Jam
Beginner & Intermediate Bluegrass Jams at Lily P’s
There are now three distinct jams scheduled nearly every week:
(1) The weekly Beginner-to-Intermediate Bluegrass Jam continues to meet nearly every Tuesday starting at 5:15 pm at Lily P's (but you'll have to email me at tonywatt@gmail.com to be sure). This is a "teacher-directed" jam where we never know what songs we're going to play, but we're limited to no instrumentals and no very fast nor very complex songs.
(2) The Intermediate Bluegrass Jam hosted by Kelley meets every week starting at 6:30 pm. This jam is likely suitable for those who have some experience jamming already and can play songs and tunes, recognize chord changes, and play well with others.
(3) The Int/Adv Bluegrass Jam hosted by Wayne usually starts at 7 pm. This jam typically evolves out of the Intermediate Jam and then moves out back unless the weather is nice enough to play outside.
For more information about any of these jams, please email me at tonywatt@gmail.com
Everyone is welcome to join the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam, BUT:
(1) you MUST play quietly at all times other than your solo
(2) you MUST follow standard bluegrass jam etiquette (more info below)
(3) all fiddles, banjos, Dobros & mandolins MUST chop when not soloing
(4) when calling an instrumental, please ask for a show of hands to ensure that at least half of the jammers can play the melody
And if you'd like to learn lots more about bluegrass jamming, please visit our Classes Page.
Here is the complete list of guidelines for the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam:
(1) only the person who calls the song sings the verses
(2) everyone is encouraged to sing on the choruses (in some cases, only 3 people sing on the choruses)
(3) all the mandolins, fiddles, Dobros, and banjos should be chopping together whenever they aren't taking a solo
(4) we want to hear the singer, so everyone needs to play quiet enough rhythm
(5) we want to hear the solos, so everyone needs to play quiet enough rhythm
(6) we take solos in a circle from the person who kicks it off (not from the singer)
(7) we want to hear the kick-off, so everyone needs to be silent before the start of the song
(8) we want to avoid slow-downs or more complex tags (1-1-5-1 is best)
(9) when calling an instrumental, please ask for a show of hands to ensure that at least half of the jammers can play the melody
(1) only the person who calls the song sings the verses
(2) everyone is encouraged to sing on the choruses (in some cases, only 3 people sing on the choruses)
(3) all the mandolins, fiddles, Dobros, and banjos should be chopping together whenever they aren't taking a solo
(4) we want to hear the singer, so everyone needs to play quiet enough rhythm
(5) we want to hear the solos, so everyone needs to play quiet enough rhythm
(6) we take solos in a circle from the person who kicks it off (not from the singer)
(7) we want to hear the kick-off, so everyone needs to be silent before the start of the song
(8) we want to avoid slow-downs or more complex tags (1-1-5-1 is best)
(9) when calling an instrumental, please ask for a show of hands to ensure that at least half of the jammers can play the melody
Here are some singing songs that are commonly called at the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam:
Ain’t No Ash Will Burn
Angel Band
Are You Missing Me
Banks of the Ohio
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Can’t You Hear Me Callin’
Dark Hollow
Don’t this Road Look Rough and Rocky
East Virginia Blues
Gonna Settle Down
Gotta Travel On
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
Head Over Heels
Hit Parade of Love
Hold Whatcha Got
How Mountain Girls Can Love
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
I’ll Stay Around
I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome
In the Pines
I’ve Waited as Long as I Can
Jambalaya
Last Thing on My Mind
Leavin’
Little Cabin Home on the Hill
Love Please Come Home
Long Gone
Love of the Mountains
Mama Tried
Molly and Tenbrooks
Nellie Kane
New River Train
Ninety-Nine Years
Old Home Place
On and On
On My Way Back to the Old Home
Red Clay Halo
She Left Me Standing on the Mountain
Sittin' on Top of the World
Sitting Alone in the Moonlight
Some Old Day
Steel Rails
Tennessee Waltz
Think of What You’ve Done
Waitin’ on a Train
Walkin’ the Dog
Walls of Time
Wandering Soul
Wayfaring Stranger
Where the Wild River Rolls
White Freightliner
Why You Been Gone So Long
Your Love is Like a Flower
You’ve Got to Walk that Lonesome Valley
And here are some instrumentals that are commonly called at the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam:
Big Sciota
Bill Cheatham
Blackberry Blossom
Cherokee Shuffle
Dixie Hoedown
St. Anne’s Reel
Salt Creek
Salt Spring
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Ain’t No Ash Will Burn
Angel Band
Are You Missing Me
Banks of the Ohio
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Can’t You Hear Me Callin’
Dark Hollow
Don’t this Road Look Rough and Rocky
East Virginia Blues
Gonna Settle Down
Gotta Travel On
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
Head Over Heels
Hit Parade of Love
Hold Whatcha Got
How Mountain Girls Can Love
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
I’ll Stay Around
I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome
In the Pines
I’ve Waited as Long as I Can
Jambalaya
Last Thing on My Mind
Leavin’
Little Cabin Home on the Hill
Love Please Come Home
Long Gone
Love of the Mountains
Mama Tried
Molly and Tenbrooks
Nellie Kane
New River Train
Ninety-Nine Years
Old Home Place
On and On
On My Way Back to the Old Home
Red Clay Halo
She Left Me Standing on the Mountain
Sittin' on Top of the World
Sitting Alone in the Moonlight
Some Old Day
Steel Rails
Tennessee Waltz
Think of What You’ve Done
Waitin’ on a Train
Walkin’ the Dog
Walls of Time
Wandering Soul
Wayfaring Stranger
Where the Wild River Rolls
White Freightliner
Why You Been Gone So Long
Your Love is Like a Flower
You’ve Got to Walk that Lonesome Valley
And here are some instrumentals that are commonly called at the 6:30 Intermediate Bluegrass Jam:
Big Sciota
Bill Cheatham
Blackberry Blossom
Cherokee Shuffle
Dixie Hoedown
St. Anne’s Reel
Salt Creek
Salt Spring
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Here are some common conventions that people are typically following in many beginner and intermediate jams:
1a. Songs: common bluegrass singing songs are best, let us know if your song is different
1b. Song Titles: songs may be known by many different titles, tell us any others you know of
1c. Keys: the best keys to play in are G, C, A, and D (easiest) and E, F, Bb, and B (hardest)
1d. Time Signatures: most songs are in boom-chick timing (a.k.a. 4/4, 2/4, and/or 2/2)
therefore you MUST tell us if your song is a waltz (a.k.a. boom-chick-chick, or 3/4)
2a. Chords: many songs use only the three most common chords in every key: the 1, 4, and 5
therefore you MUST tell us if your song has any other chords (BUT don’t tell us about 7th’s)
2b. First Chords: most verses and choruses start with the 1 chord
therefore you MUST tell us if the verse and/or chorus starts with a chord other than 1
2c. Different Versions: some songs have different common versions, which will you be playing?
3a. Solos: solos can be over the verse and/or chorus or other, but are most often over the verse
therefore you MUST tell us what the solos are over if they are over anything other than the verse
3b. The Kick-Off: a full bluegrass kick-off is always preferred over a Mac Wiseman kick-off
3c. Only one instrument plays the melody of a full bluegrass kick-off, while everyone else plays rhythm
3d. A full bluegrass kick-off is typically played by certain instruments more often than others:
Medium-to-Fast Songs: Banjo > Fiddle > Mandolin, Slow Songs: Fiddle > Mandolin > Banjo
4a. Singing the Verses: ONLY the designated lead singer is allowed to sing the verses
4b. Singing the Choruses: everybody is strongly encouraged to sing on the choruses,
unless you are in a high-level jam, in which case, NEVER be the fourth singer
4c. Arrangement: nearly all songs MUST follow the Verse-Chorus-Solo Sandwich
4d. First Singing: singing in most songs begins with a verse, but if not,
you MUST tell us: ① chorus verse chorus OR ② solo after first chorus
4e. Verse Repetition: verses are NOT repeated (rarely the first or last verse only is repeated)
5a. Internal Solos: match the kick-off (verse and/or chorus or other, per discussion in 3a.)
5b. Solo Order: high-level jams use eye contact from lead singer/jam leader for solo order
Solo Order in Beg & Int Jams: in a circle, clockwise (starting with kick-off, NOT lead singer)
5c. Solo Parity: every person who wants a solo MUST be given at least one chance to solo
Solo Parity in Beg/Int Jams: ALWAYS give the person who played the kick-off one extra final solo
6a. Tags: an acceptable tag (playing and/or singing) is ALWAYS preferred over no tag at all
Tags in Our Beg/Int Jams: ALWAYS repeat the last line or two of the chorus once more before
playing the instrumental part of the tag, which is short: “shave and a haircut, two bits”
6b. Complex Tags: Slow-downs or more complex tags should be avoided unless prearranged
6c. Playing the Tag: although only one person plays the melody of the kick-off,
everybody can play the melody of the tag (or the rhythm if they don't know the melody)
1a. Songs: common bluegrass singing songs are best, let us know if your song is different
1b. Song Titles: songs may be known by many different titles, tell us any others you know of
1c. Keys: the best keys to play in are G, C, A, and D (easiest) and E, F, Bb, and B (hardest)
1d. Time Signatures: most songs are in boom-chick timing (a.k.a. 4/4, 2/4, and/or 2/2)
therefore you MUST tell us if your song is a waltz (a.k.a. boom-chick-chick, or 3/4)
2a. Chords: many songs use only the three most common chords in every key: the 1, 4, and 5
therefore you MUST tell us if your song has any other chords (BUT don’t tell us about 7th’s)
2b. First Chords: most verses and choruses start with the 1 chord
therefore you MUST tell us if the verse and/or chorus starts with a chord other than 1
2c. Different Versions: some songs have different common versions, which will you be playing?
3a. Solos: solos can be over the verse and/or chorus or other, but are most often over the verse
therefore you MUST tell us what the solos are over if they are over anything other than the verse
3b. The Kick-Off: a full bluegrass kick-off is always preferred over a Mac Wiseman kick-off
3c. Only one instrument plays the melody of a full bluegrass kick-off, while everyone else plays rhythm
3d. A full bluegrass kick-off is typically played by certain instruments more often than others:
Medium-to-Fast Songs: Banjo > Fiddle > Mandolin, Slow Songs: Fiddle > Mandolin > Banjo
4a. Singing the Verses: ONLY the designated lead singer is allowed to sing the verses
4b. Singing the Choruses: everybody is strongly encouraged to sing on the choruses,
unless you are in a high-level jam, in which case, NEVER be the fourth singer
4c. Arrangement: nearly all songs MUST follow the Verse-Chorus-Solo Sandwich
4d. First Singing: singing in most songs begins with a verse, but if not,
you MUST tell us: ① chorus verse chorus OR ② solo after first chorus
4e. Verse Repetition: verses are NOT repeated (rarely the first or last verse only is repeated)
5a. Internal Solos: match the kick-off (verse and/or chorus or other, per discussion in 3a.)
5b. Solo Order: high-level jams use eye contact from lead singer/jam leader for solo order
Solo Order in Beg & Int Jams: in a circle, clockwise (starting with kick-off, NOT lead singer)
5c. Solo Parity: every person who wants a solo MUST be given at least one chance to solo
Solo Parity in Beg/Int Jams: ALWAYS give the person who played the kick-off one extra final solo
6a. Tags: an acceptable tag (playing and/or singing) is ALWAYS preferred over no tag at all
Tags in Our Beg/Int Jams: ALWAYS repeat the last line or two of the chorus once more before
playing the instrumental part of the tag, which is short: “shave and a haircut, two bits”
6b. Complex Tags: Slow-downs or more complex tags should be avoided unless prearranged
6c. Playing the Tag: although only one person plays the melody of the kick-off,
everybody can play the melody of the tag (or the rhythm if they don't know the melody)