At the April 2017 youth jam, Jef Walter will be joined by fiddle player and PineCone Bluegrass Camp instructor Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw; this month’s featured song is “Saint Anne’s Reel,” a popular fiddle tune in the key of D.
Mrs. Kinlaw will review the melody of this tune, and Mr. Walter will discuss the idea of chord substitution. This jam session favorite uses the I (one), IV (four) and V (five) chords, and jam leaders will talk about how to replace some of those chords with minor chords. If you’re not sure what these “chord numbers” mean exactly, no problem–that’s one thing the facilitators will review at the jam. Two versions of the chord charts are available via the download link to the right–one in the key of D for “capo-less” instruments (including mandolin, fiddle, and bass), and one for guitar and banjo players who may choose to play this tune with a capo on the second fret (using “key of C” positions).
Of course, there will still be plenty of time for jamming together on a variety of other songs, too (sample song list below). Facilitator Jef Walter typically leads a few songs to get the jam started, then goes around the circle to give particpants a chance to choose a song they’d like to play. Participants are also encouraged to bring a prepared song to sing and/or play with the group, but this is not required for participation.
For those who don’t play an instrument yet, Marbles will have a build your own instrument station set up in Curiosity Square.
Sign up for e-mail updates about programs and opportunities for youth musicians; or call 919-664-8333 x103.
Directions and parking information for Marbles Kids Museum
Downtown Raleigh parking information
About the youth jam facilitators:
Jef Walter performs regularly on bass and guitar with a “who’s who” of North Carolina acoustic musicians, including Charles Pettee and the Iron Mountain Messengers. He is also the band mentor for The Carolina PineCones, a youth bluegrass band based in Raleigh. Walter will facilitate this year’s youth jams with a rotating group of special guest co-facilitators.
Special guest Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw began playing the violin at age four and received her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogue Certification from East Carolina University, studying with Joanne Bath and Ara Gregorian. Kinlaw is an extremely versatile musician with a tremendous talent for fiddling as well as classical violin. She has studied with fiddling legends Bobby Hicks and Mark O’Connor. She is passionate about the education of young fiddlers, and she is certified in the Mark O’Connor American Violin Method. She resided in Asheville, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee playing regularly on Broadway while helping to start the Bluegrass Underground Project in McMinnville, TN. Kinlaw has made appearances at a variety of music venues on the East Coast, and she has made special guest appearances with famous and talented musicians including Don Helms, Bobby Osbourne, and Charlie Daniels. She currently holds two private studios in North Carolina and is frequently invited to teach workshops throughout the United States for both fiddling and classical instruction. She performs regularly in the Eastern United States and is currently a member of multiple ensembles including the Trent River Chamber Players; The Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; bluegrass and Americana projects the Lynda & Pattie duo and The Kickin Grass Band; and Hank, Pattie, & The Current in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kinlaw will be the instructor for PineCone Bluegrass Fiddle Camps, as well as one of the 2017 PineCone Bluegrass Jam Camp instructors.
Songs played at past youth jams have included:
Instrumentals:
- Angeline the Baker (D)
- Arkansas Traveler (D)
- Soldiers Joy (D)
- Whiskey Before Breakfast (D)
- Liberty (D)
- Old Joe Clark (A)
- Cripple Creek (A)
- Salt Creek (A)
- Cherokee Shuffle (A)
- Blackberry Blossom (G)
- Billy in the Lowground (C)
Songs with Lyrics:
- Bury Me Beneath the Willow
- Nine Pound Hammer
- Long Journey Home
- I’ll Fly Away
- My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
- In the Pines
Newer songs the group has worked:
- Clinch Mountain Backstep (featured song in Feburary 2017) – Key of A
- Nine Pound Hammer (featured song in January 2017) – Key of A, Key of C
- Hot Corn, Cold Corn (featured song in December 2016) – Key of G
- Down the Road (featured song in November 2016) – Key of A
- Meet Me By the Moonlight (featured song in March 2016) – Key of G, Key of E
- (A) Worried Man Blues (featured song in February 2016)
- (D) Swallowtail Jig
- (G) June Apple
- (G) Long Journey Home ($2 Bill)
- (G) Red Clay Halo
