Your first jam

What a jam is

At a jam, musicians who mostly haven't met take turns on stage in small groups, playing tunes most of them already know. There's usually a host, sometimes a house band that plays first, and a signup list. You put your name on the list, the host puts small bands together from it, and you play a few tunes with people you just met.

An open mic works differently. You bring your own act, usually two or three songs or about ten minutes, and perform it yourself, solo or with whoever you brought. Songwriter nights are open mics for original songs, and some run in the round, with writers taking turns.

Before you go

Pick a jam that fits where you are. Each genre page explains how those jams run. If you're not sure, go and watch one before you play.

Learn the tune you'll call from memory. When your turn comes, the host or the band will ask what you want to play. Pick something common for that jam's style, in a key you've practiced, and know its form, meaning how many bars it has, where it repeats, and how it ends. One tune you can play all the way through is enough the first time.

Before you leave the house, check the card and the event's own page for the signup time, the cover, any age restriction, and what gear the venue provides. If the jam posts a song list, pick from it.

When you get there

Find the list and sign up early, because the popular jams fill before the first band finishes. Then watch a few sets to see how many tunes each group gets, how solos get passed around, and how players get on and off the stage. Buy something from the bar or the kitchen while you wait.

When you're called up

Whoever calls the tune names the key and counts it in, saying "one, two, three, four" at the tempo they want. If that's you, say the tune and the key loud enough for the drummer to hear, count it in at the tempo you practiced, and start. Solos usually go around the stage in order. Take one solo, once through the form, make the end of it obvious, and nod to the next player. Near the end of the tune, watch whoever's leading, because the ending comes from a raised hand or a shout.

When your tunes are done, thank the band, pack up fast, and clear the stage for the next group.

Find a jam in the directory

Open mics: what to have ready

Your set is short, so make it tight. Bring two or three songs you can play from memory, tune up and put your capo on before your name is called, and decide who talks and when. Get there by the signup time, which is often earlier than the start time, because the list can fill before the music starts.

If a verse falls out, keep playing the chords until the words come back, or skip to the chorus. Stay for the acts after yours.