Sandy Spring Bluegrass Jam Song Archives February 2026 Songs played on February 22, 2026 Click Here January 2026 Snow Day Click Here December 2025 Songs played on December 21, 2025 Click Here November 2025 Songs played on November 23, 2025 Click Here October 2025 Songs played on October 26, 2025 Click Here September 2025 Songs played on September 28, 2025 Click Here Willow Grove Cultural Commons Grand Opening Songs played at the Willow Grove Cultural Commons opening on September 20, 2025 Click Here August 2025 Songs played on August 24, 2025 Click Here July 2025 Songs played on July 27, 2025 Click Here June 2025 Songs played on June 22, 2025 Click Here May 2025 Songs played on May 25, 2025 Click Here April 2025 Songs played on April 27, 2025 Click Here March 2025 Songs played on March 23, 2025 Click Here February 2025 Songs played on February 23, 2025 Click Here January 2025 Songs played on January 26, 2025 Click Here December 2024 Songs played on December 22, 2024 Click Here November 2024 Songs played on November 24, 2024 Click Here October 2024 Songs played on October 27, 2024 Click Here September 2024 Songs played on September 22, 2024 Click Here August 2024 Songs played on August 25, 2024 Click Here July 2024 Songs played on July 28, 2024 Click Here 2024 Heritage Days Jam Songs played on June 30, 2024 at the Heritage Days Jam. Click Here June 2024 Songs played on June 23, 2024 Click Here May 2024 Songs played on May 26, 2024 Click Here April 2024 Songs played on April 24, 2024 Click Here March 2024 Songs played on March 24, 2024 Click Here February 2024 Songs played on February 25, 2024 Click Here January 2024 Songs played on January 28, 2024 Click Here December 2023 Songs played on December 17, 2023 Click Here November 2023 Songs played on November 19, 2023 Click Here October 2023 Songs played on October 22, 2023 Click Here September 2023 Songs played on September 24, 2023 Click Here August 2023 Songs played on August 27, 2023 Click Here July 2023 Songs played on July 23, 2023 Click Here April 2023 Songs played on April 23, 2023 Click Here March 2023 Songs played on March 26, 2023 Click Here February 2023 Songs played on February 26, 2023 Click Here January 2023 Songs played on January 22, 2023 Click Here November 2022 Songs played on November 20, 2022 Click Here October 2022 Songs played on October 23, 2022 Click Here September 2022 Songs played on September 25, 2022 Click Here August 2022 Songs played on August 28, 2022 Click Here July 2022 Songs played on July 24, 2022 Click Here June 2022 Songs played on June 26, 2022 Click Here May 2022 Songs played on May 22, 2022 Click Here April 2022 Songs played on April 24, 2022 Click Here

The Sandy Spring Bluegrass Jam! If you're in the Washington, DC/Central MD area, come join the Sandy Spring Bluegrass Jam. We usually meet on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2pm-4pm at the Sandy Spring Museum. All ability levels are encouraged to attend! Advanced registration is strongly encouraged. Jam Etiquette Sandy Spring Bluegrass Jam Archives

< Back Banjo The 5-String Banjo, played in the 3-finger "Scruggs" style is one of the defining sounds of bluegrass music. Banjos have a long history and have gone through many changes since first coming to the Americas on slave ships from West Africa. Because of this, it is important to make sure you're playing the appropriate banjo for each style of banjo music. Left - Gretsch G9400 Broadkaster Deluxe - This 5-string resonator banjo is what most people think of when discussing bluegrass banjos. It has 5 strings - including the short 5th string that gives it the distinctive sound, a resonator on the back - to project loudly in a bluegrass ensemble, and a flathead tone ring under the head for a increased depth of sound. This banjo is normally played with a thumb and two finger picks in order to get the characteristic attack of the bluegrass banjo. Middle - Gretsch G9451 Dixie Deluxe - This 5-string open-back banjo should not be confused with its bluegrass sibling. Although it still has 5 strings, it is usually played with bare fingers in a clawhammer or frailing style - often heard in old time music. Lacking a resonator, it doesn't project as much and has a much more "round" sound to it. Right - Stromberg-Voisinet Tenor Banjo - Notice that this banjo is missing the 5th string that is characteristic of bluegrass and old time banjos. They are most commonly played with a pick, similar to guitar. Tenor banjos find a ready home in jazz, jugband, and celtic music. Previous Next

Concert Pitch - Man of Constant Sorrow.p Nashville - Man of Constant Sorrow.pdf

Dobro/Resonator Capos Shubb C6b - This is often the "first" capo for dobro players because it is so similar in form to a traditional guitar capo - in cost as well . One major advantage to this style capo is that the brass bar sits on top of the fret so it is always accurately lined up to play in tune. A considerable disadvantage is that each capo needs to be adjusted and set up for the guitar it is going to be used on. If you're using a Shubb, consult their website to make sure it is properly adjusted for the resonator guitar on which it's being used. Charlie's Slide Pro Capo - This capo ignores the neck of the guitar and attaches directly to the strings. Charlie's capo also has great one-handed adjustment with the wedge mechanism it uses to tighten the capo to the strings. It is small but heavy - a good thing - to get the most tone out of the instrument. Since it is attached only to the strings, a tuner - or very good ear - is essential to making sure it is positioned in the correct place. Sometimes perspective can cause it to be askew. It is expensive, but is sold directly from the manufacturer so there's never the hunt to find it "in stock" somewhere. *Not Pictured - Beard Wave Capo - This capo functions in a similar manner to Charlie's. The main difference is that the Beard Wave uses a screw/wheel to tighten the capo to the strings. This capo is a little more refined looking than Charlie's, is slightly more affordable, but can be difficult to find "in stock" at this time.

Concert Pitch - Blue Ridge Mountain Blues.pdf Nashville - Blue Ridge Mountain Blues.pdf

Concert Pitch - Blue Ridge Cabin Home.pdf Nashville - Blue Ridge Cabin Home.pdf

Nashville - Dark Hollow.pdf

Nashville - My Home's Across the Blue Ri

Bluegrass Guitars In bluegrass music, the guitar plays an integral part of the ensemble as the basis of rhythm and chord-structure for the songs. That's one reason why many bluegrass jams tend to follow the guitarist. As bluegrass music has formed over the years, the guitar has taken on more of a role as a melody instrument as well. Due to these roles in the ensemble, bluegrass guitarists seek guitars that are loud and have a lot of bass response - for the rhythm guitar - as well as treble presence for solos to cut through the mix of other instruments. Far Left - The Martin D-18 is an iconic bluegrass guitar. This standard model of the Martin lineup features a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, and ebony fingerboard and bridge. It is made in Martin's "dreadnought" size and has forward-shifted scalloped bracing to give it a robust sound. This guitar does not have a ton of complexity to it, so it is a good choice for the bluegrass ensemble. 2nd from Left - The Recording King RD-328 is modeled somewhat after the Martin HD-28 . It pairs a solid Adirondack spruce top with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. The Adirondack spruce is a very stiff wood that can be played hard and responds well in a bluegrass setting. The rosewood back and sides are a very "reflective" wood that add a lot of complexity to the sound of the guitar. This is another great option for a bluegrass ensemble and is another color on your sound palette. Middle - Pono DS-20 - This is a variation on the typical square-shouldered dreadnoughts listed above. Whereas those guitars have the body meeting the neck at the 14th fret, this style moves the bridge back into a more centered position in the lower bout of the guitar. This gives it a loud, full sound but also makes the neck of the guitar shorter - meeting the body at the 12th fret. This guitar can be a good choice for musicians who want the large body size, but have difficulty reaching the neck of a 14-fret dreadnought. While it isn't as ubiquitous as the D-18 and D-28, there is some tradition of 12-fret dreadnoughts being played in bluegrass music with Norman Blake being a notable example. 2nd from Right - The Recording King ROS-11 is modeled after the Martin 000-18 and while it isn't a "typical" bluegrass guitar can be a good option for certain guitarists. It still has a relatively large body shape but the more narrow waist can make it more comfortable to play, especially for musicians with shoulder issues. It has a very balanced tone and is more commonly seen in Old Time ensembles. Far Right - Epiphone Olympic - Definitely not a typical bluegrass guitar, an archtop guitar can be a good choice for a bluegrass jam that already has a number of guitarists. The arched top and f-holes give it a sound that is punchy and occupies a different aural space than the dreadnought guitar does. That's one reason the Epiphone Olympic - made famous by Dave Rawlings - paired so well with Gillian Welch's Gibson J-50. *It is important to note that Epiphone released a modern version of the Olympic , which lacks some of the definition of its namesake.

Bluegrass Jam Songs Bluegrass songs often have varying lyrics from version to version. Included here are an approximation of lyrics that will get you through most jams. Don't get too concerned if the verses come up in a different order or if some lyrics are different. It all follows the same structure - and that's what's most important in a jam. Speaking of structure, bluegrass songs typically follow a verse/chorus pattern. In the following tunes, the chorus is indented and only written out once - to save space. It should be repeated and inserted where appropriate. Additionally, instrumental breaks usually follow the structure of the verse. The following tunes have been transcribed in a "transposed" version for instruments using a capo, a "concert pitch" version for instruments not using a capo, and a "nashville" version that uses chord numbers instead of letters. They have been formatted in a PDF file so that they're easy to download and view on one sheet. The video links should match the key provided for that tune so you can play along. Some older recordings might be slightly off from our electronic A=440 standard tuning. *Please send a message if any "dead" links turn up. Since the videos are sourced from YouTube, their owners may occasionally make changes that have impacts here. **More songs are coming. Please send a message if you'd like a particular tune in this format. 'Til the End of the World Rolls 'Round A Few Old Memories A Hundred and Ten in the Shade Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me Are You Waiting Just for Me Banks of the Ohio Big Spike Hammer Blue Night Blue Railroad Train Blue Ridge Cabin Home Blue Ridge Mountain Blues Bootleg John Bury Me Beneath The Willow Cry, Cry Darlin' Dark Hollow Endless Highway Going to the Races Hard Hearted Head Over Heels Hello Mary Lou High on a Mountain Top Honey You Don't Know My Mind How Mountain Girls Can Love I Ain't Broke (But I'm Badly Bent) I Haven't Got the Right to Love You I Saw the Light I Wonder if You Feel the Way I Do I Wonder Where You Are Tonight I'll Stay Around I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome I'm Gonna Sleep with One Eye Open I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home If I Lose If I Should Wander Back Tonight In the Gravel Yard In the Pines It's Might Dark to Travel Jambalaya Keep on the Sunny Side Knockin' on Your Door Let Me Be Your Friend Little Cabin Home on the Hill Long Gone Long Journey Home Lost Highway Love, Please Come Home Man of Constant Sorrow Molly and Tenbrooks Mountain Dew My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains My Little Georgia Rose My Rose of Old Kentucky My Walkin' Shoes Nine Pound Hammer Ninety-Nine Years Old Train Pig in a Pen Raised by the Railroad Line Rocky Road Blues Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms Salty Dog Blues Sitting on Top of the World Some Old Day Steel Rails Sunny Side of the Mountain The Train that Carried My Girl from Town Think of What You've Done Those Memories of You Toy Heart Uncle Pen We Live In Two Different Worlds Dear White Freight Liner Blues Wild Bill Jones Will The Circle Be Unbroken Will You Be Loving Another Man Worried Man Blues Your Love Is Like A Flower

Concert Pitch - We Live in Two Different Worlds Dear.pdf Nashville - We Live in Two Different Worlds Dear.pdf