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Second Saturday
Contra Jam
Sessions
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 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 for "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:
All
three are available from CDSS;
the first two are
available from
the Button Box.
Click here for a rather
outdated
playlist.
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.
Rules For Ensemble Playing
- Everyone should play the same piece
- If you play a wrong note, give a nasty look to one of
your partners
- 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
-- J.W. Swing,
with some alterations
Contact
For more information, please
contact Rob at (860) 232
2504 or by
email.
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