Workshops

Bluegrass Lead & Harmony Singing

Saturday, August 15, 2026
10:00am – 3:00pm

Location: St. Paul’s Christian Church (Raleigh, NC)

Tuition: $100

Instructors: Jodi Harbin, Susan West, and Leslie Dare

Jodi Harbin is a career musician who teaches singing, mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass, and piano. Based in the Knoxville, TN area, Jodi is a gifted performer and teacher, in demand at bluegrass and old time camps and festivals throughout the southeast. Susan West & Leslie Dare have found great synergy in working together to teach others the essentials of bluegrass jamming. Both grew up with music but after being musically inactive for many years, jumped into bluegrass, re-discovering the joys of music.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Willingness to sing with others
  • Ability to play basic bluegrass chords on your instrument

Interested but have questions? Contact us at: howdy@waywardstrings.com

What You’ll Learn

  • Finding and staying on pitch
  • Determining your singing range
  • Finding the right key for songs you want to sing
  • Taking care of your voice
  • Roles of the lead singer and harmony singers
  • Bluegrass harmony stacks
  • Lead and harmony singing etiquette in jams
  • Building your song repertoire

Registration

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
if one of us (Jodi, Susan, Leslie) doesn’t already know you from a previous class, camp, or jamming together, please tell us a bit about your singing experience.
Anything else you want to tell us or ask us?
Workshop Fee(Required)

Bluegrass Jamming Essentials Workshops

This series of workshops has something for everyone. Select the ones that will help with your bluegrass goals and fit your schedule. Attend 1, 2, 3, or all 4 sessions!

Saturday, July 25: Jamming Jump Start – complete beginners welcome!

Thursday, August 20: Song Leading – learn the #1 jamming skill

Thursday, August 27: Finding Melody – learn to find and play breaks

Thursday, September 3: Gettin’ Fancy – all the extra stuff

Tuition is $60 per session, 3 for $165, or all 4 for $200. Your $60 deposit covers one session. If you attend more than one, the balance due will be collected in August. Tuition refunds for cancellations handled on a case-by-case basis.

Session #1: Jamming Jump Start

Saturday, July 25, 2026

10:00am – 3:00pm

St. Paul’s Christian Church (Raleigh, NC)

Tuition: $60

Minimum Qualifications

  • Beginner-level proficiency on your bluegrass instrument (banjo, bass, dobro, fiddle, guitar, or mandolin)
  • Play basic chords (or notes for fiddle and bass) of G, C, D, and A (slow is OK!)
  • Keep basic rhythm (even if the notes aren’t correct; correct rhythm is more important than correct notes)

Topics

  • Role of each instrument in a bluegrass jam
  • Types of songs in bluegrass jams
  • Standard song format
  • The music number system
  • Playing by ear
  • Jam etiquette
  • … and more!

Not sure if you qualify? We offer a free lesson or consultation to assess your skills and get you started.

Session #2: Song Leading

Thursday, August 20, 2026

10:00am – 3:00pm

Community United Church of Christ (Raleigh, NC)

Tuition: $60

Minimum Qualifications

  • Beginner-level proficiency on your bluegrass instrument (banjo, bass, dobro, fiddle, guitar, or mandolin)
  • Willingness to sing
  • Experience attending bluegrass jams OR attending Session #1: Jamming Jump Start

Topics

  • Role of song leader
  • Song selection
  • Finding your singing key
  • How to practice your songs
  • Typical chord progressions
  • How to start songs
  • How to end songs
  • How to hand out breaks
  • … and more!

Need jamming experience? Check out our twice-monthly Guided Jam.

Session #3: Finding Melody

Thursday, August 27, 2026

10:00am – 3:00pm

Community United Church of Christ (Raleigh, NC)

Tuition: $60

Minimum Qualifications

  • Beginner-level proficiency on your bluegrass instrument (banjo, bass, dobro, fiddle, guitar, or mandolin)
  • Experience attending bluegrass jams OR attending Session #1: Jamming Jump Start

Topics

  • Understanding chord structure
  • Finding chord tones by ear
  • Finding and playing pickup notes
  • Single-string breaks (instrument solos)
  • Chord-shape breaks
  • Melody breaks
  • Kickoff breaks
  • Improvised breaks
  • … and more!

Need jamming experience? Check out our twice-monthly Guided Jam.

Session #4: Gettin’ Fancy

Thursday, September 3, 2026

10:00am – 3:00pm

Community United Church of Christ (Raleigh, NC)

Tuition: $60

Minimum Qualifications

  • Beginner-level proficiency on your bluegrass instrument (banjo, bass, dobro, fiddle, guitar, or mandolin)
  • Experience attending bluegrass jams OR attending Session #1: Jamming Jump Start

Topics

  • Licks and fills for each instrument
  • Walks for bass and guitar
  • Stops, diamonds, potatotes
  • Split breaks
  • Tempo / time signature changes
  • Vocal techniques
  • Fancy songs
  • Performance tips
  • … and more!

Need jamming experience? Check out our twice-monthly Guided Jam.

Interested but have questions? Contact us at: howdy@waywardstrings.com

Registration

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Primary Instrument(Required)
Other Instruments
if we don’t already know you from private lessons, a previous class or camp, or otherwise jamming together, please describe your experience with bluegrass jamming, and on your instrument(s).
Sessions(Required)
Check all that apply. You will be charged $60, which covers one session. If you attend more than one, the balance due will be collected in August.
Anything in particular you are hoping to work on during any of these sessions? Any questions, comments, or other info to share?
Workshop Fee(Required)

We offer several workshops each year. Join our mailing list to get all the details, plus info about our classes and camps and more!

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