Wilfred,
I have three key golden words to offer here: Flexibility, Balance & Respect.

1) Flexibility: Play by ear, especially with new people you've never played with, no one knows where everybody is at in terms of experience & skills. It's almost like a first date.. you have to kind of let things happen, and pay attention to what's going on. You might be called upon to take leadership if the other players are less experienced/skilled, or the other way around.

2) Balance: A successful jam session is like a business deal: it HAS to be a Win-Win-Win for ALL involved. It's not fun when it's always the same ones playing, or taking the lead. This is particularly true when there are a lot of players. I'm sure most experienced musicians on this site can relate to situations where one or two individuals imposed themselves and didn't allow or even have the decency to invite other players on the side (this has happened to me). Remember, jamming is about SHARING and expanding your horizons!

3) Respect: Be sensitive to where you are, who you're with, and what context you're in. Based on the above, you might let a specific individual take the lead based on whatever criteria. If you are new to a group who is used to play together, express your desire to play, but let them invite you in (i.e. take your instrument out, let it sit next to you, listen. If the others players are decent, they should at some point invite you in. If not, c'est la vie. It's up to you to determine if just listening to them is worth more than participating in the jam. If the former applies, then you might pick up some tricks or learn something by just listening. If not, move on!

I hope it helps clarify your question...:-)

Lots of good advise here...I especially like the suggestion
not to "showboat"...I remember a jam I attended at the
Blue Moon last fall and Jesse Lege showed up, when asked
to "jump in", he quitely replied that he would wait his
turn - which he did - and allowed the other player to
finish a few tunes. The "jams" are a main reason I
go to Louisiana from time to time and I suspect there
are more folks like me that use them for practice and experience.

I wonder what you'd think of the guidelines for the Rochester (NY) Cajun jam. It's held at a country bar 10 miles south of the city. Here's the info provided on their Yahoo group website, and it's one version of jam etiquette. I like what's been posted here so far.


WELCOME TO THE ROCHESTER CAJUN JAM!
Monthly Sundays, 2-5 pm (Sept-May)
Mendon Cottage Hotel 1390 Pittsford Mendon Rd, Rtes 64 & 251 585 624-1390
CajunJam_RochNY@yahoogroups.com CajunZydecoDancers_RochNY@yahoogroups.com
Roch Cajun Zydeco Network dances - Harmony House, Webster www.RochesterZydeco.com
Esther Brill 585 244-2815 ebrill@frontiernet.net
Contact Esther re scheduled monthly Thurs evening “House Jams” 7:30–10 pm, for learning tunes.

How Cajun Music Jams work
• Most tunes are in the key of either C or G (because the “C” accordion has the notes to play in those two keys). Tunes are either two-steps or waltzes, and chord progressions are typically I,V and I, IV, V. Most songs have a “B” section (bridge) which is called the “turn.”

• Tunes are “started” by a lead instrument (fiddle,accordion) playing the melody line/core tune (typically 2 A’s / 2 B’s).

• If you start a tune, the group will need to know / you may need to tell them:
- name of the song (often given at the end)
- key - generally C or G
- chord progression if unclear
- source (musician, CD version, folklore) is of interest if you know it…
Your cue of choice will stop the song.

• Order of playing:
- Whichever lead instrument kicks it off with an A & B, also finishes.
- In the middle, players (fiddler 1, 2, 3 etc, vocal 1, 2 etc, accordion 1, 2 etc)
take turns “taking a ride,” ideally not two of the same in a row.
- People who want to take a ride can indicate so by body language / eye contact.
- The person who starts a tune can help people take turns (body language,
eye contact or verbal cues).
- During vocal lead, all instruments defer to the vocalist - if you can’t hear vocalist -
or the melody instrument - you are too loud…
- FYI - Performance groups don't always do complete AABB for each new lead - splitting up can be helpful in an all-instrumental presentation.

• Seconding & Playing Rhythm
- Done by everyone except the lead player
- Can be tuneful harmony notes that combine nicely with the melody
- Can be chord tones in conventional rhythm patterns (eg shuffle bow)
- Especially with old tunes, can be melody a full octave below the lead player
(this is considered “harmony”)
- Every instrument can be part of the "rhythm section." Guitar, bass, triangle,
Banjo (no pick), banjo uke, uke, mandolin playing chords, fiddle playing rhythm-pattern seconding, accordion playing rhythm-pattern seconding.

• Fiddlers wanting to learn the tune… Note: Fiddles tune down one step (from GDAE) FCGD
- Listen to the lead player’s first ride (2A’s 2B’s) – wait to join the melody, but
second if you wish… (Come to the House Jam to learn tunes…)
- Quietly play along on the melody line during the next (lead) fiddle ride and
if/when you are ready, indicate you are taking a ride.

• Triangle: We follow the sign as posted at Mark Savoy’s jam: only 1 triangle at a time!
Fiddle, vocal, mando leads, etc. need to be heard - so other rhythm instruments
for acoustic Cajun music are minimal (rubboard is typically played with non-
acoustic Zydeco music).

LOGISTICS: The audience is interested in listening / eating-drinking / dancing… We play at the typical dance tempos for two-steps & waltzes, and position ourselves so that audience can see/ hear (fiddles stage R) with space for dancing - put instrument cases/coats, off to the far side.

TRADITIONAL CAJUN MUSIC: typically consists of fiddle, guitar, accordion, bass, voice and triangle. Mandolin, harmonica, dobro, fiddlesticks and other light percussion are sometimes heard. Other bowed or strummed instruments work in the jam since it is the rhythm/groove style that matters. Anyone with an interest in learning, promoting and preserving Cajun music is welcome - goal to develop/achieve an authentic sound.

Encourage others to have their turn playing and vocals. You may be surprised of hidden talents that you would never have expected.

The Rochester post looks like an awful lot of rules, but it all makes perfect sense. If you can get everyone to stick to it, it would work very well.

I don't get to play in many purely cajun jams, unfortunately, so my experience is mainly in general music jams. One thing I like to stick to is a strict around-the-room rotation. Gives everyone an equal chance and the less confident ones can pass if they want to. From what I've experienced, the person running the show ( and there should be one ) should be strong willed enough to keep the rotation going, because you will always get at least one player who, as soon as one song is over, will start running through something, and the others will find it easier to join in than get him to toe the line. Then people go home not having led enough songs, and they don't come back next time.

BJ

All the advices are very helpfull. Give eachother space to play with the jam. An collegue of me, a teacher in music and a very good hobo-player once told me, "They play against eachother"

This is my take: for what it's worth...In any jam but especially in a small jam, the instruments should listen to each other and vary the dynamics behind each other's soloing. This is especially true of the accordion, which can drop out all together especially if something quiet like a mandolin or a vocalist with a not very loud voice gets in there. In Louisiana (and elsewhere) it can be frustrating if you are an accordionist, because there are just so many talented players. Too often an accordionist will play on for an hour monopolizing the jam , but one should avoid this even if others don't. I guess one should estimate how many accordionist's there are and play a half dozen songs, then passing on the solo. The idea should be to support the music of the group, not to show off. If one is jamming with players who don't know the customary order of soloing, it's a good idea for the accordion player to call out the solos and to make sure everyone gets a turn!

I`ll keep on practising

Wilfred

Saturday we can do some jamsessions in Friesland.
Don't forget your accordion.

sounds nice Ron, we`ll see what happens.

see you there