Ron,I love it, especially VIII. I'm sending it on to a couple of banjo players I hang out with.

Although I haven't really joined jams since taking on the dulcimer, I used to frequent a couple on the guitar and mandolin.Without trying to mimic the language of the King James Bible, let me offer my own version of the jam circle golden rule: before playing a lick, sit back, watch, and listen. Once you understand the rules of the jam, you will know how to join it. Fitting in is always better than standing out.Other than that, keep pickin' and strummin' and smilin' . . .

--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator

As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie

actually it's Brockinton .... Hunter Walker said:

Here are a few additional random jamming etiquette lists I linked to on my blog a while back, while writing about proper jam manners: Jam etiquette List 1 Jam etiquette List 2 Jam etiquette List 3 Jam etiquette List 4 Jam etiquette List 5 Jam etiquette List 6 If you still have poor jam manners after reading all these, then there's really no hope for you! LOL

--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 03/23/16 09:30:48AM

Hunter.. yep I got it from Linda... Hunter Walker said:

The Ten Commandments of Jamming
(with a few apologies to the Old Testament)

I Thou shalt not come to the jam to impresseth others with thine owntalent for this is an abomination. The music shall be the star aroundwhich all musicians rotateth and not viceth-verseth! Attempts to makethine own star shine, shall surely lead thee into darkness!

II Thou shalt not forsake the beat. Thou shalt not speed up nor slowdown accidentally when playing a tune for this shall be considered anabomination.

III Thou shalt arrange thyself in a small circle so that thou mayest seeand mayest hear all the other musicians. Thou shalt listen with thineears to the songs and shall attempt to play in one accord with thegroup. Also, thou shalt lift up thine eyes to look about thee, lestthere be some visual sign that someone endeavoureth to render untothee.

IV Thou shalt play softly when someone lifteth his voice in song, when theguitar taketh a break, and when thou knowest not what thou art doing.

V Thou shalt play in tune! Tune thine instrument well and tune it often withthine electric tuner lest the sound that emanateth from thineinstrument be unclean!

VI Thou shalt commence and cease playing each tune as one, so that the noiseyou make be a joyful noise and is not an abomination. Whensoever amusician sticketh forth his foot, as though he were afflicted with acramp in the fatted calf, thou must complete the rest of that verse andthen cease. Thou shalt stick out thine own foot or else lift up thyvoice, crying, "This is it!" or "Last time!" if thou hast been the oneto begin the song and it hath been played sufficient times over. If theone who beginneth a tune, endeth it not by one of these signs, then themusic goeth on in repetitious fashion until the listeners shall say,"Hark, it all soundeth the same!"

VII Thou shalt concentrate and shalt not confound the music by mixing up the "A"part with the "B" part. Most songs, but not all, proceedeth by theancient law: "AABB". But, if thou sinneth in this regard or make anymistake that is unclean, thou mayest atone not by stopping, nay, but byreentering the song at the proper place and playing on. Thy fellowmusicians will support thee in this regard.

VIII Thou shalt be ever mindful of the key that the banjo is tuned in, and shallplay many tunes in that key, for the banjo is but a lowly instrumentand must needfully be retuned every time there is a key change.

IX Thou shalt speak gentle words of encouragement to those nourished on themilk of music, but not the meat, lest a harsh word turn oneagain to the darkness that is pop music.

X Thou shalt not, by thyself, commence noodling off on a tune that the othermusicians knoweth not, unless asked or unless thou art teaching thattune for this is an abomination, and the other musicians shall not holdthee blameless, and shall strike thee from their computer lists, yea,unto the third and fourth generation.

- Author Unknown

Just had to share this sure a few don't fit .. any way... many are very true..

updated by @rod-westerfield: 08/03/23 02:24:38PM