20 Tunes that will Rock the Jam

There's nothing more fun than getting into a jam with a bunch of trapezoids! In between Ken Kolodner's instruction and M.J.'s food there was plenty of time to play music with friends at the Sandbridge Dulcimer Workshop last week. It was great to have a variety of instruments to enhance the experience ... guitar, mando, banjo, fiddle, piano, a shaker or two. Over a crabby dinner at Margie and Ray's last Friday night a group of us at the end of the table brainstormed our favorite jammin' tunes. As one might expect, there's some overlap with the list I generated myself and posted last March, "Today's Top 20 Favorite Jam Tunes." Looking to enhance your own play list? These tunes are hard to beat!

1. Bill Cheatham
2. Booth Shot Lincoln
3. Granny, Does Your Dog Bite?
4. Hangman's Reel
5. John Brown's March
6. John Ryan's Polka (dum dum)
7. John Stenson's #2
8. Leather Britches
9. MacDonald's Reel
10. Missouri
11. Nail that Catfish to a Tree
12. Oklahoma Rooster
13. Rock the Cradle, Joe
14. Roscoe
15. Sandy Boys
16. Sandy River Belle
17. Shenandoah Falls
18. Snake River Reel
19. Waynesboro
20. Willafjord

I bet we missed a "few" good ones. Don't see YOUR favorite here? Add it in the "Comment" section below!

Monday's Muse

Overheard at Sandbridge Dulcimer Week #3

I'm recently back from a week of intense instruction with Ken Kolodner and 18 other experienced hammered dulcimer players. Despite the raging wind and rain storm that settled in over Sandbridge Beach (see last week's national weather map) it was an awesome week!

Be sure to read more about the Sandbridge Dulcimer Workshops on Ken's web site. In the meantime, here are some silly and profound quotes that I overheard from the back of the classroom ...

"I thought this was a surfing class." ~ Confused

"I'm here for the food."  ~ Hungry

"Is that all there is to that tune?" ~ Advanced

"We're all going to practice this, right?"  ~ Optimist

"Surely I'm in tune this morning. I just tuned last night." ~ Hopeful

"It's so hot in here ... really hot!"  ~ On the Spot
"It's going to get hotter."  ~ Teacher

"We've got one more note to add to this thing."  ~ Ambitious

"I'm more afraid to do this than make a felony arrest!" ~ Manly

"Remember, the count I give you should have some relation to what we play."  ~ Finicky

"Slow ... it works!"  ~ Triumphant

"There's an unbelievable amount of talent in this room."  ~ Awed

"I don't know which was more fun ... rehearsing or performing!"  ~ Satisfied

"We're in search and destroy mode." ~ Determined

"If you don't read music it's time to learn how. If you read it's time to start using your ears." ~ Smarty

"Put it in crab cake terms and I'll get it."  ~ Still Hungry

"Leave him on the beach in the nasty weather!"  ~ Sunken Sailor

"You're crazy!"  ~ Astounded
"It's been mentioned."  ~ Passionate Fanatic

"Let's go to the easy version."  ~ Friday's Child

"This tune is exactly like that tune, but different."  ~ Helpful

"Tombigbee went to the Falls of Richmond and Sawdade."  ~ Telephone Operator

"God grant me the serenity to accept the tunes I cannot play; Courage to play the tunes I can; and Wisdom to know the difference."  ~ Zen Master (w/apologies to Reinhold Niebuhr)

"Uh oh ... Sunshine!"  ~ Incredulous

CTO ... Look Who Crashed the Party!

She couldn't stay away!

Check This Out ... That face next to mine? That's the face of dedication! Mary Lynn made an appearance at all three Sandbridge Dulcimer Weeks. Beat that!

Feelin' Groovy

I'm at Sandbridge Beach, enjoying a week of instruction with Ken Kolodner and 18 other awesome hammered dulcimer players. It's great to have time to learn new tunes and practice arranging ideas. We spent today's morning session working on our "groove".

What is "groove"? It's not the easiest thing to define in words. Think of it as a rhythmic pattern, repeated. The groove is enhanced by the accentuation of certain notes. It's the swing ... the flow ... the beat of the tune. You have to feel it, then learn to play what you feel.

But how does one go about learning how to feel the music?

• Listen
• Loosen Up - light grip, relaxed posture
• Move - Tap your foot, sway, nod, whatever! Move your body to match how you feel.
• Count - Feel the pulse. Identify where the patterns start and finish. Develop your inner clock. Practice!
• Don't Emphasize Every Note - "Groove" comes from accenting some beats and holding back on others. Leave off some beats. Sometimes less is more.
• Jam with Others - Especially others who have a good feel for the music! If you don't have a music buddy play along with recordings. You can even record yourself playing a melody, then have your own personal groove-along. Mess around until you find something that fits.

Now, better get back to that groovy bunch of trapezoids!

Monday's Muse

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you're feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an ending." ~ Neale Donald Walsch

CTO ... "Drug" of Choice

Check This Out ... I'm not sure about the "non-addictive" claim!

The Passage of Time

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."  ~ Frank Zappa

It's my birthday, a day to celebrate the passage of time. In the midst of meeting deadlines, I think I'll do a bit of decorating today!