How to Lead a Song

Leading a song at a bluegrass jam is a lot of fun for most people. It can be intimidating, but with a little preparation anyone can learn this skill. The organizers will review this occasionally during jams, and others are welcome to share their tips for this as well. Watch how others do this, and read through the guidance below to get ready to lead your first song!

Prepare

1. Pick a song that you like.
2. Find a key that you can sing it in.
3. If the song isn’t in a book you have, create your own song chart with the lyrics, chords and any other notes you want to make. Some beginners find it helpful to note where the “breaks” (instrument solos) go in the song. Here’s an example.
4. Practice singing the song, including the chorus and verses. Other jammers will typically join in for the chorus, and the leader (that’s you!) will sing the verses solo.
5. Make sure you understand the chord structure well enough that you can describe it in the jam. Knowing the Nashville Number System is helpful for this!
6. Decide how you want to start the song.
   1. The simplest method is the Mac Wiseman method; start the “boom chick” at the tempo you want (or ask the guitar player to do it for you) on the 1 chord; wait for everyone else to get into the groove on that 1 chord, then start singing.
   2. Or, you could “kick off” the song with a break (instrument solo) if you know one, or ask if anyone else has a break to start the song.
7. Decide how you want to end the song. A typical end is to repeat the last one or two lines of the chorus. Or you might want to just to end without the repeat.
8. Create and print copies of a song chart to share at the jam. This is optional, but very handy if the song isn’t in any of the standard bluegrass books.

At the Jam

1. Be brave and offer to lead your song when your turn comes around!
2. Announce the key first; banjos often need to retune if it’s a different key than the last song, and this extra time will be appreciated. “We’re going to be in the key of A.”
3. Provide the name of the song, and whatever else you might know about it. “I’m going to sing Little Georgia Rose. It’s a Bill Monroe song.”
4. List any song books you know the song to be in. “This song is in the Fakebook and the Parking Lot Pickers book.”
5. Describe the chord structure if there are jammers who are unfamiliar with the song. “The song goes from 1, to the 4, back to the 1, then to the 5 and back to the 1.” Or, hand out your song charts.
6. Describe any unusual aspects of the song. Examples include:
   1. Any chords other than the 1, 4, and 5 chords. “There’s a 2⁷ chord in the verse.”
   2. If the chorus or verse start on anything EXCEPT the 1 chord. “The chorus starts on the 4 chord.”
   3. If verses are doubled up before the chorus (a number of songs follow this structure)
   4. Any particular tempo you have in mind “Let’s keep it peppy, but not too fast.”
7. Ask who wants to take a break. It’s typical to follow each chorus with a”break”  (instrumental solo) .Find out who does or does not want to take a break.
8. Describe how you will start the song. “I’m going to kick it off with a break.” or “We’re going to Mac Wiseman into the song.”
9. Start the song. “Is everyone ready? OK, here we go.”
10. Direct the breaks.  As you are singing the chorus, make eye contact with someone who is willing to take a break, and nod at them to indicate they have the next break. It may be easiest to just go in clockwise (or counter-clockwise) direction to keep it simple.
11. Indicate the end of the song. Stick out your foot, or raise your instrument during the last line of the song so everyone will know to end together. If you are going to repeat the chorus or repeat the last line, announce that quickly (you’ll have to stop singing for a moment to to do that!)  – this is usually a good signal that the song is going to end, but for good measure stick out your foot as well as you approach the end.
12. Ask for feedback. After the song is done, ask the other jammers what went well, and what you could have done differently.

Remember

1. Everyone was a beginner at one time. The experienced jammers around you who seem to lead a song effortlessly shared the same anxiety that you may feel as a beginner. They are proof that it can be done!
2. Set a goal to lead one song at the next jam. Take the time you need to prepare as outlined in the steps above.
3. Create a list of songs you can lead. Make a note of the key and anything else that might be helpful (such as the first note that you will sing, or any unusual chords). It might only have one song on it for now, but that’s all you need to get your start!

Leading an Instrumental (“Fiddle Tunes”)

Leading an instrumental song (often called a “fiddle tune”) in a jam is very much like leading a singing song.

1. Select a song.
2. Explain the key and the chord structure if it’s new to players.
3. Determine who wants to take a turn playing a break.
4. Set the tempo [usually by playing “potatoes” (repeating the first note of the tune in rhythm for a few beats).
5. Take the first turn at playing the song – yours will be the first break.
6. Signal the next person who will take a turn so that they have time to be ready.
7. Direct the breaks.
8. Take the final turn and finish the song.