Welcome to the JamWithLauren Blog

Many of these articles are inspired by questions from our JWL students. If you can’t find a post that digs into the issues that are plaguing you, consider signing up for lessons with Lauren. When you sign up you will gain access to her amazing curriculum and be able to ask Lauren questions. Who knows, maybe your question will inspire the next post!


 
How Fiddlers and Guitarists Find the Sweet Spot: Where Creative Backing and Expressive Melody Meet.
Rhythm, Technique, Harmony, Jam Session Colin Cotter Rhythm, Technique, Harmony, Jam Session Colin Cotter

How Fiddlers and Guitarists Find the Sweet Spot: Where Creative Backing and Expressive Melody Meet.

Since fiddle and guitar are my primary instruments and I enjoy playing both in a variety of contexts, I thought I’d focus this piece on a tendency I’ve encountered for that instrumentation to lock one musician into the role of the backing player (guitar) and one into the role of the melody player (fiddle) in a way that can ultimately stifle the creative output of both players to the detriment of the overall musical experience.

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Figuring Out the Key: A How To for All Musicians
How To, Jam Session, Practicing, Harmony Lauren Rioux How To, Jam Session, Practicing, Harmony Lauren Rioux

Figuring Out the Key: A How To for All Musicians

When I lead workshops and jams at fiddle camps, one of the most commonly asked questions is some variant of, “How do I know what key I’m in?”

This question often happens when someone has learned a fiddle tune melody and might be trying to figure out the chords, or just tell their guitar playing friend what the key is so the friend can have a go at it.

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