FAQs

What instruments are welcome at the jam?

The traditional bluegrass instruments include guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, and dobro.  All instruments should be acoustic (un-amplified), although electric basses (u-bass, electric stick bass) are ok.

Other acoustic instruments, such as autoharp, resonator guitar, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, and harmonica are also options.  If you have a question about instrumentation, just ask.

Can I bring an electric bass?

Yes, electric basses (u-bass, electric stick bass) are ok, but players should plan to bring an amp.

Do I have to sing?

We will play a combination of singing songs and instrumentals.  Singing is a great way to foster participation in a jam and can really help keep a song on track.  You don’t have to have a great singing voice to be a good bluegrass singer. However, some people don’t sing and that’s ok.

Jams work best when everyone is willing to share in leading songs.  If you don’t sing, please plan to lead the group in playing an instrumental song.

I’m new to jamming and kinda anxious about playing and singing in front of others. Help!

It’s understandable for you to be nervous when you are new to any group or any new activity.  The important thing to keep in mind is that everyone in the group was new (and nervous!) at some point. Here are some pointers on how to play in a jam.

Jams work best when everyone is willing to share the load of choosing and leading songs.  If you are new to jamming and need help with choosing a song, picking your key and leading the song, we can help.

I like to tune by ear; do I really need to get a tuner?

Yes.  Being out of tune will make even a well-played song sound “off”.  If you don’t have a tuner, you can probably borrow one from another member of the jam, but for the long run, you will want to get an electronic tuner.  Having your own tuner allows you to get tuned up before the jam starts and then quickly re-tune as necessary during the jam. If you are a banjo player, it’s particularly important to re-tune whenever you use a capo.

What is OnSong?

OnSong is an app for iOS devices that allows you to store, manage, and manipulate a set of songs.  OnSong lets you store songs with associated chords, manage lists of songs, transpose to other keys, and send songs to fellow players.  Here are instructions on how to get OnSong and access the Wolfpack Pickers files.