Misfits Jamming on their Own

 

Some of my newest Misfits got together on Saturday to jam—without me—and I asked a couple of them to share their experiences. I hope some of you who are taking lessons from a teacher will consider getting together with some fellow students. All it takes is one person (or in this case one couple) to shoulder the task of making it happen! 

So, here’s what Susan, who has been taking just a few months, has to say:

Saturday some of us adult beginners got together at Mark and Ellen’s house to pick a few. And a mighty few it was too! Four to be exact, because that is all I know! We started with “Banjo in the Hollow,” moved right into “Cripple Creek,” next came “Cumberland Gap” – my personal favorite–and then blew right into “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” where of course mine broke down. Being the newest misfit, I am a little behind my banjo buddies in learning some of the other oldtime favorites, but that did not stop me from practicing my vamping in G, C, and D, with an occasional E minor. Ellen happily accompanied us on my 0-18 Martin guitar and Bass-Man Bob thumped out some good rhythm and then moved on to singing lead with his own Martin guitar accompaniment.

We all inspected each other’s instruments, or at least SOME of us inspected SOME of our instruments – I can’t understand why no one wants to inspect my four-pound Good Time open back in this decidedly bluegrass jam group. If anybody out there can figure out why, let me know! I LOVE the thing! We all ate pop corn and pretzels, compliments of Mark and Ellen, and oooooo-ed and aaaaaaah-ed over Banjo Bob’s Gibson. Tired, happy, and totally banjo-ed out, we again proved true Bass-Man Bob’s comment from our last jam with Murphy, “There are all levels of incompetence here.” And there you have it! (….as Murphy would say!)

And here’s what Bob, who’s been taking a couple of years, has to say.

Thanks for asking. I had a great time and it was a wonderful experience getting together with “The Group” to do a little jammin’. (No, we’re not “Groupies.”)

Well, ‘The Group’ (5 of us that is–or maybe 4 1/2 if you count me!) did manage to gather at Mark and Ellen’s home (gracious hosts they are) to try out our jammin’ skills that you got us started on. It boiled down to 3 banjos, 1 bass, and 2 guitars. Now I know that doesn’t add up, but go figure, I’m not a mathematician!  Everybody took a turn and picked a song that they wanted to  play. We played around trading breaks and then somehow tried to end the songs as if we knew what we were doing. Bob Van Metre was very helpful in trying to keep us (especially me) going through our mistakes. Admittedly I didn’t necessarily do too well in that regard at times. (What else is new?) I’m really going to have to work on that.

I did realize how important it was to not focus so much on myself but to try and pay more attention to the rest of the group in order to keep in time. This will take time for me to learn as playing with others in a group is still foreign to me. I thought it was a great experience and a wonderful time spent getting to know the others and some of the things they have struggled with knowing none of us are alone out there trying to overcome obstacles and improve our skills. I hope that we can get together in the future and continue this (ad)venture. If you ask, would I encourage others to do likewise, the answer is a resounding YES. I now know you can’t just learn these same skills at home by yourself (unless maybe you are a musician wizard).

There you have it. I know I have my work cut out for me and I appreciate your doing what you did to help us get started.

P.S. There was also some great socializing time spent and Susan demonstrated some of her guitar playing skills at the end to amaze us.

I now have to go because my beloved Steelers are about to play. See you on Tuesday.

And this from the Zimmerman household, the gracious hosts of the jam:

The 2008 version of the Misfits – Bob Van on bass and guitar, Ellen on guitar, and Susan, Bob Mc and Mark on banjo – had a Saturday afternoon jam session that turned out to be a combination of great music and true confessions.

First, we spent some time getting to know each other.  How long have you been taking lessons?  How did you get into banjo?  How long have you known Murphy? 

Then we struggled with how not to have Murphy there to coax us along.  So the banjo players took turns selecting songs, playing lead, then vamping as the tune was passed around the room.  Sometimes, we’d go back and play a tune a second time, faster.  This happened with “Cumberland Gap” and there was general agreement that it worked better faster.   

After an hour or so, we stopped to fuel up with beer and popcorn.  That’s when the confessions started.  “I remember when I took out a pen and paper during a lesson.  And Murphy said quizzically, ‘What you are doing?’”  “Well,” said a seasoned member of the group, “you got off lucky, if that’s all she said!” 

Then there were the admissions of who had written down some chording.  Early on, of course.  No one would do that now!

And people opened up.  “What do you like playing best?,” someone asked a banjo player.  He paused, then answered, “Golf!”  [OK, you are SO BUSTED, Bob Mc!]

We got the instruments back out, with Bob Van switching from bass to guitar.  Talented guy! Once we’d played through the banjo players’ combined repertoire – Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Boil Them Cabbage Down, Banjo in the Hollow, and Cripple Creek — Bob led us in a variety of singin’ songs, like Wreck of the Old ’97, Blue Ridge Cabin Home, Will the Circle, Lonesome Road Blues, Worried Man, I Saw the Light, Amazing Grace, and I’ll Fly Away.  Sometimes, he’d call out the notes, if the songs were new to us.

Right near the end, we remembered that Murphy’s technique had been for the banjos to pass the lead around the room, then finish with an all-banjo lead.  So our last two songs, we rocked the place with final versions of Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Cripple Creek. It was a most satisfying way to spend a couple of hours with people who love beer, bluegrass and shootin’ the bull.

Thanks, Susan and Bob, and the Zimmermans! I guess I will now have to contend with Bob Van Metre’s larger hat size now that he has been described online as “very helpful.” Sheesh….I’ll ask him to pick “Old Joe Clark” on the guitar at his next lesson. That’ll cure him…