Bluegrass Jam Along
Matt Hutchinson
The IBMA Award winning podcast for anyone and everyone who loves bluegrass.
Free fiddle tune backing tracks and interviews with amazing people from the world of bluegrass.
For every tune we give you four brand new tracks:
- Backup 4 times through (you play the tune or improvise breaks)
- Tune 4 times through (you play backup)
- ‘Jam Along’ (4 complete run throughs, alternating backup and tune)
- Full performance
For more info and chord charts, visit https://bluegrassjamalong.com. Hope you find these tracks useful (and thanks for listening!) - Matt
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Top 10 Bluegrass Jam Along Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Bluegrass Jam Along episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Bluegrass Jam Along for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Bluegrass Jam Along episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Intro to Bluegrass Jam Along
Bluegrass Jam Along
03/04/21 • 3 min
Hi and welcome to Bluegrass Jamalong, a new podcast of fiddle tune and bluegrass backing tracks.
I play guitar and mandolin and love jamming along to backing tracks when I’m learning a fiddle tune. But, I struggle to find backing tracks I like.
First up, most backing tracks are too short. It generally takes me one or two runs through a tune to really settle into it – by that point most backing tracks are over.
Secondly, they only give you the backup. I want to work on rhythm, not just lead (and maybe even sometimes work up a harmony)! That means having just the tune to play to.
Finally, backing tracks don’t prepare you for a jam session. When you jam with people, you take it in turns to back each other up and play the tune or take breaks.
So...I started making my own backing tracks and now I’m releasing them as a podcast, one tune a week, so you can use them too!
They work with whatever instrument you play. Guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, bass, banjo...even if you’re a bluegrass cellist (I have actually met one!)
Here’s how they work.
Every week I pick a fiddle tune and give you three brand new backing tracks:
- I play backup and you play the tune
- I play lead so you can work on rhythm
- A 'jam along' track where we swap between the two.
Each track is four times through to give you time to really get stuck in.
I’m not a pro musician – I’m just a regular picker like you who has a day job but loves playing bluegrass. So these tracks aren’t note perfect, or state of the art recordings, but they hopefully feel like exactly what they are, jamming along with another picker who loves bluegrass.
Also, I’m not teaching you anything – we’re just jamming. There are so many amazing resources for learning fiddle tunes out there and so many better qualified people than me to teach them. I’m just your picking buddy and the great thing is this podcast lets you use any version of the tune you’ve learned, wherever you learned it (from a book, DVD, YouTube, your teacher, at a local jam...)
For more info, or details of how to connect on social media or get in touch, head to bluegrassjamalong.com
Thanks, and happy picking,
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
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Saint Anne's Reel in D at 2 tempos - 75 bpm & 85 bpm
Bluegrass Jam Along
04/12/23 • 15 min
This week we're playing another tune back to back at two different speeds - once at 75 bpm then again at 85. We're doing Saint Anne's Reel and we're in the key of D.
We're using the jam along format - that means I'm kicking off playing backup and you're on the tune, then we swap and go round 4 times. Then, after a quick pause, we do the whole thing again at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to grab a chord sheet if you need one from bluegrassjamalong.com
Happy picking!
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
1 Listener
Earl Scruggs 100th Birthday Tribute part 2 - Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown and Tim O'Brien
Bluegrass Jam Along
01/24/24 • 85 min
This is part 2 of the celebration of Earl Scruggs' 100th birthday.
Earl's influence on bluegrass is huge, as you'll hear from my guests this week.
You'll hear from:
- Jerry Douglas, on Earl being one of the first sounds he heard and why starting The Earls of Leicester felt like a calling
- Alison Brown on why the timing of Earl's arrival on the bluegrass scene (and the wider music scene) had such an impact on the music, and on Earl's career
- Tim O'Brien on Earl's role in the development of bluegrass and the part Louise Scruggs, Earl's wife, played in his career
All of these are brand new interviews carried out for these episodes. They've been an absolute joy to put together and there's still more to come. In the meantime, don't forget to check out part 1, featuring Tony Trischka, Kristin Scott Benson and Alan Munde.
Happy picking (and happy birthday, Earl)!
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Bluegrass Briefing - January 27th 2025
Bluegrass Jam Along
01/27/25 • 8 min
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
Pod news
- Daniel Kimbro interview
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
- Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
- The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlist
- Full list of interviews
- Peghead Nation
- Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course
Happy picking.
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Bluegrass Briefing - October 16th 2023
Bluegrass Jam Along
10/16/23 • 8 min
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
Bluegrass Jam Along News
News and announcements (Church street News)
- Celtic Connections
- Oh, Didn’t They Ramble - Rounder Records book
- Blue Ridge Guitar Camp
- Charlotte Carrivick interview
- Bela Fleck ‘My Bluegrass Heart’ transcriptions
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
- Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
- The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
- Full list of interviews
- Peghead Nation
- Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course
Happy picking.
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Sarah Jarosz - Blue Heron Suite Reissue Special
Bluegrass Jam Along
11/13/24 • 43 min
My guest this week is Sarah Jarosz.
Sarah joins me to talk about one of my favourite albums, 'Blue Heron Suite', which is getting a physical reissue on November 22nd.
We chat about how the record developed out of a FreshGrass commission, what that process was like, the central themes that underpin the album, the decision to arrange it for a trio rather than including drums and how it fits into Sarah's journey, both personally and as a songwriter.
Getting to chat about new records is always fun, but I also love getting to dig into a record that's been out for a while and I've had a chance to really get to know - it makes for a different type of conversation and I loved this one.
We also chatted briefly about I'm With Her and the good news is that Sarah has been writing with Aoife and Sara and we can look forward to another album (although there are no specific dates yet).
'Blue Heron Suite' is being reissued as a CD and LP - you can pre-order your copy here, where you'll also find links to the album on streaming services.
For info and updates visit sarahjarosz.com and follow Sarah on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook
Happy picking,
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Bluegrass Briefing - February 17th 2025
Bluegrass Jam Along
02/17/25 • 13 min
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy/In my ears
Other bits
- Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
- The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlist
- Full list of interviews
- Peghead Nation
- Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course
Happy picking.
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Oliver Burkeman on Why Now is the Time To Do the Things You Love
Bluegrass Jam Along
05/15/24 • 57 min
My guest this week is Oliver Burkeman, best-selling author of the book 'Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals.'
'Four Thousand Weeks' isn't a book about bluegrass, or American acoustic music...or even about music. But, it addresses so many of the the things that can trip us up and stop us from making the space in our lives for the things we love, like music.
I'm not entirely sure this podcast would exist if I hadn't read Oliver's book. The fact that it's lasted long enough for this to be episode #388 is definitely down to me staying on the bus (Oliver will explain what that means in the interview!)
We tend to defer our happiness to some unspecified point in the future, when all our chores are done, or work is finished, or the kids grow up or we retire. But Oliver argues strongly in favour of doing the things that make us happy right now.
I struggle with that, and I presume many of you do as well, so I decided to invite Oliver to come onto the podcast to talk about it and offer some advice.
This was a really fun conversation, full of big, but simple ideas, which I'm sure will resonate with many of you. I got a lot out of this one and I hope you do too.
You'll find more info on Oliver and the book at www.oliverburkeman.com. While you're there, I really recommend signing up to his mailing list, 'The Imperfectionist', for regular smaller doses of inspiration on how to build a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.
Happy picking!
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Bluegrass Briefing - November 18th 2024
Bluegrass Jam Along
11/18/24 • 10 min
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
- Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
- The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist
- Full list of interviews
- Peghead Nation
- Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course
Happy picking.
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
Roots Revival - A Black Stringband Symposium, with Lillian Werbin & Kristina Gaddy
Bluegrass Jam Along
10/09/24 • 40 min
My guests on the podcast this week are Lillian Werbin and Kristina Gaddy. I caught up with them at IBMA to chat about Roots Revival : A Black Stringband Symposium, a collaboration between IBMA and The Banjo Gathering.
Hosted at IBMA's World of Bluegrass, the symposium celebrated and explored Black contributions to Bluegrass and other traditional music, both historic and continuing, featuring contemporary conversations about diversity and inclusion in traditional music and the ways in which Black musicians, builders, and researchers navigate bluegrass and traditional music spaces.
We talk about how the event came together, some of the themes it explores and how discussions and events like this can become part of the continuing conversation about traditional music.
For more information on The Banjo Gathering, and to sign up for the 2024 event, which is happening this month, head to The Banjo Gathering website.
If you missed it, check out my interview with Kristina about her fabulous book Well of Souls : Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History. You can buy Well of Souls at Elderly Instruments (which Lillian is also CEO and co-owner of!).
I really enjoyed this conversation and it helped me think about some of the issues we touched on with fresh insight and understanding. I hope you enjoy it.
Happy picking.
Matt
Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Review us on Apple Podcasts
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FAQ
How many episodes does Bluegrass Jam Along have?
Bluegrass Jam Along currently has 453 episodes available.
What topics does Bluegrass Jam Along cover?
The podcast is about Music, Bluegrass, Practice, Podcasts, Arts, Music Interviews, Performing Arts and Guitar.
What is the most popular episode on Bluegrass Jam Along?
The episode title 'Intro to Bluegrass Jam Along' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Bluegrass Jam Along?
The average episode length on Bluegrass Jam Along is 20 minutes.
How often are episodes of Bluegrass Jam Along released?
Episodes of Bluegrass Jam Along are typically released every 1 day, 21 hours.
When was the first episode of Bluegrass Jam Along?
The first episode of Bluegrass Jam Along was released on Mar 4, 2021.
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