Jams & Concerts

Jamming

All of SBC’s scheduled jams are led by our banjo, fiddle, guitar and, mandolin instructors. We offer several jamming options:

  • Slow Jams are for relatively inexperienced players (and for others who prefer relaxed tempos). Slow-jam leaders also offer tips on jam etiquette, logistics, and survival skills.
  • Intermediate Jams feature well-known tunes at moderate tempos.
  • “Regular” Jams are for the slightly more adventurous. Instructors may push tempos a bit and suggest somewhat more demanding tunes, depending on the skill level of attendees.
  • Vocal Jams are for folks who really like to sing and pick at the same time (or for those who just like to sing. . .)!! The repertoire at our vocal jams depends on the interests of attendees; songs can be from the bluegrass or old-time genres, traditional or contemporary “folk,” pop music, and more.

Note: Every registrant is encouraged to join in our staff-led jams and all instruments are welcome. They’re not just for banjo players!!

Also Note: Creating successful jams in a camp with so many banjoists takes skill and planning. To make things run as smooth as possible, our fiddle, guitar, and mandolin instructors are on hand to assist. We also find that many SBC students help round out our jams by joining in on guitars, fiddles, mandolins, basses, and other instruments. From time to time, local professional musicians come by and join in the fun!!

Additional Advice: Although our expert and fully well-meaning faculty members are there to facilitate your jamming experience, please understand that to some degree the quality of that experience is up to you. If tunes are too hard or tempos get too fast for the posted level of the jam,  if you get inadvertently skipped over when breaks are passed around, or if you’re simply not sure what your role is, please don’t hesitate to speak up!

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Faculty Concerts

Our Faculty Concerts take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, and you will have a chance to hear all of our staff in concert. If you are a fan of bluegrass music, old-time music, or simply old-fashioned musical virtuosity and good taste, these concerts are simply not to be missed. Many students at our camps have told us that the concerts alone are worth the price of admission.

To hear some samples of previous SBC Faculty Concerts, check out our Suwannee Banjo Camp Youtube Archive

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