Monthly Jams

Come jam with us

Hoover School (October thru June) First Sunday Month Jam

  • 1:00 – 5:00 – Open jamming. Any genre is good.
  • 1:30 – 2:30 – Slow Jam
  • 1:30 – 5:00 – Bluegrass Jam – Intermediate/Advanced
  • 1:30 – 4:30 – Open Mic
  • 5:30 – “Afters” – After the music, gather to share conversation, food, and good cheer

Jam Location:

Herbert Hoover Middle School Cafeteria & Playground
1474 Naglee Ave
San Jose, CA

Admission: by donation

Suggested donation: $5.00 more or less as you are able 

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3rd Sunday Jam

Every 3rd Sunday we host a free jam at a local  park (unless it’s raining, which cancels…)

This is a roving jam and will be held at different local parks throughout the year. So, sign up for our mailing list—or better yet, join the SCVFA for early notices for this jam location.

This is a casual up-tempo jam.  There is no slow jam on 3rd Sundays.

Receive Monthly Jam Annoucements

If you’re not a member, we are happy to add you to our email list.

(if you enjoy the jam, we encourage you to become a member!)

First Sunday Jam in the Park (July – September)

Municipal Rose Garden Park
1649 Naglee Ave, San Jose, CA

Jam location: Corner of Naglee Ave & Garden Drive

Bring a chair. Bring a sweater.

Even in summer, shade under the redwoods may be cool.

Invite your family and friends. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of music.

Donations at the jam are always welcome.

1:30 – 2:30  – Slow Jam

1:00 -5:00 – Bluegrass, Old Time, Americana, Scandinavian, Celtic.  The possibilities are endless.

Choose your voice (genre of music), gather with friends and enjoy the afternoon with music. 

5:30 – “Afters”  After the music, gather to share conversation, food, and good cheer. 

Slow Jam

Just starting out with traditional music, or haven’t played in a while?    The Slow Jam is a good place to begin.   When you are comfortable with these few basics; tuning your instrument,  playing basic chords or simple melodies slowly, you are ready to join the slow jam. 

Leaders of the Slow Jam keep the tempo at 60 to 90 bpm (beats per minute). 
A mix of old-time and bluegrass styles are played.   Old-time style is when everyone plays together.  Bluegrass style allows each musician a turn playing a “break” (solo). One or more may sing while the others play chordal or rhythmic backup.

Besides offering a place to play more slowly, we help players become more comfortable
• playing by ear (music notation is commonly used),
• jamming with others,
• building confidence and repertoire.

Tunes played for the Slow Jam can be found on our Tunes Page.     Practice at home with the slow jam sheet music or compile in a binder to bring to the jam.

Up-Tempo Jam

Bring your favorite old time or bluegrass instrumentals and songs!

Geared for advanced beginners to advanced players, you can expect to hear tunes played at a faster pace.

A mix of old-time and bluegrass styles are played.   Old-time style is when everyone plays together.  Bluegrass style allows each musician a turn playing a “break” (solo). One or more may sing while the others play chordal or rhythmic backup.

(Everyone is invited to the Slow Jam — also a good place for advanced players to warm-up and to help the new players — just remember to slow down!)

Jam pics

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Bluegrass Jamming Guidelines

  • The leader chooses the next soloist and when to end. For songs, that’s the person who sings the verses.  For instrumentals, it’s the person who kicks it off.
  •  Use signals to offer, accept, and pass on solos and to end the tune. Signals are body-language only!
  •  Pick tunes that people know or are easy to learn (easy key, standard chord progressions, simple lyrics).
  • Don’t use sheet music or an electronic device.
  • The soloist is always right – if the soloist changes tempo or starts late, follow them anyway.
  • Support the soloist.  Give them room to be heard and to improvise by:
    •  Playing quietly with basic, unsyncopated rhythm.
    • Singing harmony on verses only when asked.
    • Not singing during instrumental solos. Instrumental solos are just instrumental.
  • Listen to the music and watch for signals.  The more advanced the jam, the more this matters.
  • When in doubt, ask questions (but don’t argue with the answers).

For more on why bluegrass players around the world follow these rules, see the article, “Bluegrass Jam Rules:  What are they and WHY??” in the November 2023 issue of the Fiddler’s Rag – the SCVFA monthly newsletter.

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