Hi Susan,

Thanks so much for your detailed response. Very useful information!

The approach about people learning to function in a jam by listening to themselves first had not ocurred to me.

Each person leading the tune sounds great also.

There is something to be said for following a general pattern of the tune to learn it by hearing a group of people doing it.

At what point does the participant really start to hear what's going on with the others in the group?

I believe as you do that the musical process can "sort itself out" but it's frustrating for me to deal with a room full of folks who are not listening to one another at the outset. I guess this is why I prefer smaller groups of people.



"I think you would expect to deliberately foster what you describe about listening, etc., in a workshop about how to jam,"

This is my focus with a group of people. How to make music regardless of level or experience.

The kind of workshop with fiddle tunes seems to be one in which the melody line is the focus...getting the tune right and other aspects are subordinate to that. I can see that this would have an element of excitement for the participants.

The pedantic approach with the fiddler is the least exciting for me. I think that it becomes too much like rote or a classical music approach, each phrase worked on at a time.

But the idea of bringing the guitarists in afterward seems right to me.

My approach is to get to the point where the group leads itself. It has a dynamic which is discovered and carries forth the music. I determine what key a song is best sung in by having everyone sing the tune without reference to any pitch. Whichever key predominates, then that's what's used.

I'd like to hear about your spiritual orientation to what you're doing. That sounds very interesting.

More later,

Frank