Bluegrass 101

On October 30th I followed the advice of my friend Brad and checked out a local Bluegrass Group.  He has been a member for a couple of years and says he learned a lot about playing guitar since he started.  This is the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society and they meet every Wednesday at a local community hall.  

I chickened out and didn't bring my guitar, choosing instead to just watch for the first time.  They start out with Bluegrass 101, a group lesson lead by local artist Darcy Whiteside.  Darcy hosts the Bluegrass Hour on CKUA radio every Sunday at Noon.  At the club he leads a one hour group session that explores how to play, and sing one song.  I was surpised at how much focus is on the vocals.  It is not just for guitar players either...  there were lots of other instruments there including an upright bass, fiddles, banjos and mandolins.

After the first hour, the members break into two groups.  The experienced players form a circle in the main room and jam for a couple of hours.  At this point in the evening a bunch additional players that did not take part in the lesson showed up to join in the jam.

A number of the less experienced players went to a back room and worked on some songs together.

This past Wednesday, November 6th, I showed up again, and this time around I brought along my guitar.  I tried to strum along with all the other players but I am such a raw rookie in comparison that it was a challenge for me to say the least.  At one point Darcy asked me if I wanted to stand up and sing one of the vocal parts.  I had to decline because this was my first time out playing and I was really struggling to figure out the music, let alone try to sing it.  I admire musicians that are able to play and sing at the same time as it is a much bigger challenge than one might expect.

I stayed afterwards and tried to play along with eight or nine others in the back room.  It was a humbling experience and I now realize that I have a long way to go.  But I want to learn, so I will stick with it.  Although I have been playing guitar for nearly two years now, my work schedule and other commitments allows very little time for practice.  Going forward, as I look to slow down at work, I hope to be able to devote more time to the guitar.  In any event I will continue to attend these club events as it has been a lot of fun, and I've learned a bit......