MUSIC JAMS
+++ Current Jam Schedule +++
Making music with others is one of life’s simplest and truest joys. If you sing, play guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass, dulcimer, dobro, harmonica, or any other acoustic instrument, or just want to listen, join us most Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings for music jams in a variety of different genres:
Jam Genres and Day
Bluegrass: We offer 3 different levels of bluegrass jams:
BIBGJS: Beginning and Intermediate Bluegrass Jam Session (but not limited to just bluegrass): This is a great jam for anyone that is new to jamming, or new to Black Rose jams. - 2nd and 4th Saturdays
Festival Bluegrass: Bluegrass jam emphasizing typical bluegrass festival jam etiquette with limited reliance on printed music. Open to all levels, but beginners will be challenged. - 1st and 3rd Mondays
ABAJS: Advanced Bluegrass/Americana Jam Session: For advanced jammers, and we welcome beginner/intermediate players to come listen. There are no written chord charts, each jammer should know how to lead a song and teach it to others. Jammers should be able to take a solo on most songs. Still a welcoming jam, but we ask jammers to help uphold the advanced musicianship. - 2nd and 4th Saturdays
Pop and Rock: Favorites from the 60’s & beyond. - 1st Mondays
Fiddle Tunes: But not just for fiddles! - 1st Thursdays
Gospel: Songs of praise and worship, but not a prayer meeting. 2nd Mondays
Select Handpicked Jam: Different featured songwriter (e.g. Bob Dylan) or special category (e.g. “summer songs”) each month. - 2nd Thursdays
Gypsy Swing: Django Reinhardt gypsy jazz swing (and some western swing). Charts are relatively advanced, but all are welcome - 3rd Mondays
Country: Front porch, country music from the classics to the contemporary. - 3rd Saturdays
Hootenanny: Folk songs - 4th Mondays
Blues: Acoustic blues from 20th century America - 4th Thursdays
Cowboy Campfire: Songs of the west - Occassional 5th Mondays or Thursdays
Kids and Teen Jam: This is for teens and kids old enough to be respectful of fellow jammers. If you have kids interested in the Kids and Teens Jam, please send an email using the template on our Jam Reminder Subscription page and we will email you details on the day, time, and location.
All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced, (with ABAJS limited to advanced only). All we ask is a small donation to help cover room rental.
Need some help finding which jam is best for you? Then check out our Find-A-Jam page.
Special Jams
Other jams are held on special occasions, or to fill out months with 5th Mondays or Thursdays. Be sure and check the schedule below for specific dates as in holiday months and certain other times we have to move some of the jams. AND, in the summer months, we have jams on the Friday evenings just before our concerts at the Black Forest Community Center.
Songs We Play
Most jams are led from songbooks or playlists composed by our enthusiastic volunteer jam leaders, but you are welcome to bring a song to share with others as long as it is in the appropriate genre and level of the jam. Several jams (Festival Bluegrass and ABAJS) purposely do not use written music to help develop the ears and musicianship of the jammers.
In 2023 and 2024 we held a jamfest consisting of all of our weekly genres playing together at the same time in one location. It’s a SuperJam!
Jam-Reminder Emails: You can sign up for up-to-the-minute email reminders on our various jams on our Jam Reminder Subscription page.
