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Second Saturday Contra Jam Sessions
| After
15 years of monthly jams, the HCD Contra
Jam is "going on sabbatical" for about
year, resuming ~May 2014, because our
jam organizer will be overseas until
then. Please check back in Spring
2014 for information on the resumption
of the jam. |
Contra jam sessions are 5:30-7:30 pm second Saturdays September through July at the American Legion Post, 275 Main Street, Old Wethersfield, CT [map], just before the second Saturday contra dance.
Note: There is no jam before any contra at West Hartford Town Hall, nor before the August jammer dance.
Jam admission is free for jammers who stay for (and pay to attend) the contra dance; otherwise, we appreciate contributions toward the hall rental (suggested donation: $5).
The HCD contra jam
sessions provide a great opportunity for new and
experienced musicians to learn, play, and enjoy the
contra dance repertoire. We play a mixture of standard
contra tunes - mainly reels, jigs, and waltzes. Players
of all instruments are welcome (keyboard players should
bring their own instruments). The jam is most
appropriate for "intermediate" skill levels; we don't
play slowly, but we're not at full dance speed either.
We use an "around the circle" system to ensure that
everyone has a chance to pick tunes. We'll play
anything a jammer wants to play - except "The Irish
Washerwoman" and "The Devil's Dream," which are
forbidden. We honor the tempo of whoever selects the
tune, even if others could play faster.
Tune Lists
Participants
can
use sheet music or play by ear.
Our basic references are:
- Susan Songer & Clyde Curley's "The Portland Collection" Volumes 1 & 2
- Bill Matthiesen's "The Waltz Book" Volumes 1 & 2
Click here to enter the Contra Jammers' private area (userid and password required).
Jammer Dances
The
contra jammers provide the music for two contras each
year - the August contra in Wethersfield, and the last
contra before Christmas in Branford. The jammers
have also stepped in to provide music for other dances
where a band has failed to show or has at the last
moment cancelled.
Here
are some cell phone videos Peter Ohring took of the
December 2011 Jammer Dance in Branford:
- Jamie Allen
- On the Road at Dusk (a waltz by Isaac Ohring)
Rules For Ensemble
Playing
- Everyone should play the same piece
- If you play a wrong note, flash a nasty look at
one of the other players
- The right note at the wrong time is a wrong note (and vice versa)
- A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note; a wrong note played with authority is an interpretation
- A wrong note played once is a wrong note; a wrong
note played twice is jazz
- If everyone gets lost except you, follow someone who is lost
- If you are completely lost, stop and tune
- To win the admiration of sessiun players, strive
for the maximum NPS (note per second)
- If a passage is difficult, slow down; if it's easy, speed it up - Everything will even out in the end
- When everyone else has finished playing, skip any
extra notes you have left over