Front Porch Pickin'

[street music]

3 mile from my house is THE COUNTRY HIGHWAY MUSEUM, they have started on every Thursday night having Front Porch Pickin'. Everyone is welcome to come out and just join in with whatever instrument you play (and -or) sing.
I listened in wo weeks ago and was invited to come last night to play with the gang. Now you must understand that I am still very much in the learning stage and have had only about 5 lessons 2 years ago, the rest I'm at home trying to learn on my own playing mostly classic rock or country.
So last night there were 15 different players who came-2 playin country the rest BLUEGRASS. I felt like a fish out of water but I just tried to strum my way rgrough most of it and kept my mouth far away from any vocal mics. I played my Takamine which got the attention of several who where playing Epiphone, COULD HAVE BEEN MY POOR PLAYING ! Anyway we picked for 2 hours with about 60 people coming just to listen.
It made me nervous for awhile , and it also made me realize that I need a lot more of playing along with others or following track. They made me feel right at home after the 1st 30 minutes and the last jam session was 3 old gospel hymns where everyone played and sang. I will go back but I need lots of improvement.
It's nice to have a chance to play out.

[oldguy]

Good for you, having the initiative to go! Making you feel right at home says a lot about the caliber of people there, also. Glad to know you're going back, it'll be great fun and the practice and learning experience will go 'ya good.:)

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey, that is cool! I wish we had an event like that around here. Maybe I could call a few folks I jam with and start one!

[street music]

Sun, I bet you could get it started, find a building to use and let everyone know it's just an open jam session, there was a couple of fiddles, two upright bass, banjo, resonator, three mandolins, and 6 guitars and man we had fun.:rockon:

[Plank_Spanker]

It made me nervous for awhile , and it also made me realize that I need a lot more of playing along with others or following track. They made me feel right at home after the 1st 30 minutes and the last jam session was 3 old gospel hymns where everyone played and sang. I will go back but I need lots of improvement.
It's nice to have a chance to play out.

It doesn't get much better than that - a chance to jam with some open minded musicians and have fun...................and it motivated you. Enjoy the experience, and watch yourself grow as a player. :AOK:

[Robert]

That's awesome. Keep doing that - great experience from that you learn, as Yoda would have said.

[mcgreggor57]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[Algonquin]

That sounds like a great little happening you've come across Streets :AOK: ***insert envious face here ***

It's been a long time since I've played along with other folks... it sounds like a great social event! Glad to here you're out there and enjoying it.

All the best,
David

[street music]

Just got back from my 3rd Thursday night of Front Porch Pickin'. Man I'm having fun but I'm certain that this fast bluegrass music has got to be the hardest in the world to learn and keep up with. I'm still trying to keep up with them on my strumming but gosh almighty it's hard for me. I'm going to try and work more on it here at home but I don't have speed in my chord changes yet to stay with these guys on many of their songs so I wing it by just hitting the base notes where possible.
I can stay with them on most of the country songs, if I know them, but it is helping me to condition myself.

[sunvalleylaw]

Keep at it! That sounds like great experience.

[Jipes]

Hey Street Music too bad that I'm overseas otherwise I would have loved to join :bravo: That's an excellent way of progressing in your rythmn chops :D

[Childbride]

wonderful, Street!

keep going... lots and lots of positive things can come of this!

:)

[street music]

CB, I have sore fingers today, that is one thing I got last night. Last week we had 21 players and last night 12 showed up. You never know what song anyone will kick off and the way some of these bluegrass players chord is a big change to me. The one banjo player we have inthe group is 15 and can make sparks fly, and the rest of the group range up to 80 years old. Lots of song writers, full and part time artist and many have current cds on the market.
I feel lucky to be able to sit in with such a great bunch of players, I have gained a huge love for mandolin and banjo.

[markb]

Sounds like a great session, Street! Have a listen to some old-time guitar players like Riley Puckett or Roy Harvey. They don't even try to form full chords but instead play partial chords and runs around the chord to support the fiddle lines. Well worth investigating.

Look for recordings by Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers or Charlie Poole and his North Carolina Ramblers for the players I mentioned. The guy in Old Crow Medicine Show also plays in this style. Their recordings are probably easier to find.

Of course, modern bluegrassers may look down at it but I find it a more organic way of supporting a tune than banging out the boom-chick thing.

[street music]

thanks Mark, I'll check some of that stuff out. Yea the boom chick thing gets me through some of it right now but I want to learn more about pickin and improv.:rockon: