OLD TIME TRADITIONAL MUSIC JAMS
We have been gathering around the Valley sharing tunes and songs for over 20 years. We play a mix of traditional fiddle tunes, Appalachian Mountain music, Canadian, Irish & Scottish tunes (jigs, polkas, reels, waltzes, hornpipes) and more.
Click here to see some of these tunes.
All are welcome
Please join us for our open Old-Time Jam Sessions. Players of all ages and ability come together in the time-honored tradition of gathering and playing music.
We encourage acoustical instruments to share in these traditional tunes. Fiddles, dulcimers, banjos, guitars, harps, accordions, mandolins, dobros, zithers, upright bass, Irish whistles, flutes, bodhrans, rhythm bones, spoons, and more.
Pictures from
THE GLENDALE FOLK & HERITAGE FESTIVAL JAM
Saturday, March 1st
Another great turn-out of musicians (and spectators) at the Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival.
Thank you to Ellen O'Hare for sharing these pictures.
<Click on Slide Show to enlarge>
FEATURED HIGHLIGHT | Make Music Day in the West Valley June 21, 2025
Our upcoming Old Time Music Jam at the Glendale Foothills Library has been selected as one of the premier events for this year's "Make Music in the West Valley"
About Make Music Day:
Originally started in France in 1982, Make Music Day is a celebration of music around the world, now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.
For more info:
https://makemusicday.org/westvalley/
UPCOMING JAMS
JUN
7
Glendale
Foothills
Library
JUNE
21
Glendale
Foothills
Library
JUN
14
North
Mountain
Visitors
Center
JULY
5
Glendale
Foothills
Library
First and Third Saturday of Each Month:
Glendale Foothills Library
19055 N. 57th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85308
10:30am - 12:30pm
(Pre-jam set-up and tuning from 10-10:30am)
Second Saturday of Each Month:
North Mountain Visitors Center
12950 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85022
(7th Street, just south of Thunderbird
10:00am - 12:
(Pre-jam set-up and tuning from 9:30-10 am)
CHECK OUT THE 2ND ANNUAL BARN JAM VIDEOS
OLD TIME VS BLUEGRASS | ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
Musicians in an Old-Time Jam Session play together from start to finish, without any solos. In a typical Bluegrass Jam Session, each musician performs a solo during the tune, also referred to as "taking a break". Additionally, Bluegrass music is played much faster.
Our sessions are played at a moderate tempo, allowing for each musician to practice and improve their skills. Each player has an opportunity to choose (and/or lead) a song, ideally from our tune book so that everyone can participate.
WHAT IS THAT INSTRUMENT?
The Mountain Dulcimer, also known as the Appalachian Dulcimer, first appeared among Scots-Irish immigrants that settled in the Appalachian Mountains. According to history, it was an invention of musical necessity and a solution to the challenges of crafting more complex instruments. It is considered a uniquely American instrument.
This beautiful instrument belongs to member Marcia Larson.
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