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Tag: goals

  • Get Into a Real Jam – Jason’s Interview in Acoustic Guitar Magazine

    Get Into a Real Jam – Jason’s Interview in Acoustic Guitar Magazine

    p.s. 2011!?!?!?!? Wow, I have been at this for a long time.

    Recently, I was passing along some approaches toward, and conventions within, a sing-along-style jam.  I was reminded of this article from Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

    I was interviewed for the article, and I’m proud to say that a lot of my thoughts were included!  

    ❞ Yet, it’s not a performance. Those people are your allies, not your audience. “It’s more like basketball than theater,” says Jason McInnes, a guitar teacher who leads several regular jams at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. “Everybody wants the game to keep going, so they’re going to do everything they can to keep it going.”

    Read or download the whole article here.


  • NEW CLASS! Music Crew plays The 90s UNPLUGGED

    NEW CLASS! Music Crew plays The 90s UNPLUGGED

    Journey back to the era of flannel, grunge, and iconic acoustic performances in this unique music class for adults! “MTV Unplugged: The Acoustic ’90s” offers a deep dive into the legendary live sessions that epitomized the decade.

      Whether you’re an experienced musician or just picking up an instrument, this class provides a fun and engaging environment to learn and play some of the most beloved songs from the 1990s.

    The Music Crew Unplugged classes run on Wednesdays, 6:00 to 8:00 for eight weeks, beginning July 9.

    We’ll meet at the Saavedra Filing Station, 225 Saavedra RD SW.


    Register in the Knowing Trees Store

    There is more information at the Music Crew: The 90s Unplugged FAQ.

    And, please write to Jason at jason@knowingtrees.com with any questions and/or concerns. He’s very happy to help!

  • NEW CLASS! Grateful Dead Head Ensemble at FUSION

    NEW CLASS! Grateful Dead Head Ensemble at FUSION

    Get on the bus this summer as you, your intrepid teacher Jason McInnes, and your fellow Deadheads gather for this eight-week adult education music class dedicated to exploring and performing the music of the Grateful Dead.

    Designed by considering the needs of beginning, intermediate and advanced musicians, this course offers a deep dive into the band’s rich catalog, from beloved classics like “Truckin’” and “Friend of the Devil” to deeper cuts and extended jams.

    The class includes hands-on instruction, group rehearsals, and opportunities to jam in a relaxed, collaborative setting. Whether you’re a guitarist, bassist, vocalist, keyboardist, drummer, or other instrumentalist, you’ll gain new insight into the Dead’s music through playing it among a generous, encouraging community.

    The class will culminate with a gig during The Days Between; the week of celebration and commemoration between the anniversaries of Jerry Garcia’s birth (Aug.1) and death (Aug. 9). Gig details TBA.


    Register at FUSION!


    Grateful Dead Head Ensemble FAQ

  • C is for Charlie – Learning to Use Loopy Pro

    C is for Charlie – Learning to Use Loopy Pro

    I remember hearing Andrew Bird perform a concert using live looping in, maybe, 2003? I’ve been wanting to learn more about looping ever since.

    I recently purchased Loopy Pro for ipad and a M-Wave Chocolate Plus MIDI pedal with th intention of finally giving it a try.

    This is my first loop, other than the sound of a bunch of random buttons being pressed when I first hooked everything up.

    The title refers to a young friend of mine who is learning so much about our world. This song goes out to her.

    I think this song came out so fun! I’m looking forward to making some more.

    Enjoy!

    Audio Version

    Download Here↓

    C is for Charlie

  • Children’s Hour Podcast Celebrating Ella Jenkins -Features Jason, Maria and the Young Stracke All-Stars

    Children’s Hour Podcast Celebrating Ella Jenkins -Features Jason, Maria and the Young Stracke All-Stars

    A photo of ella playing a drum and smiling with the text, "This time on The Children’s Hour we celebrate the extraordinary life of Ella Jenkins, the First Lady of Children’s Music. We explore her life with people who knew her, loved her, and carry on her legacy in their own lives, and through her own words and music. Our show is full of her songs, stories and memories, sing along with Ella Jenkins and The Children’s Hour!"

    What an honor to be asked to share our love for Ella Jenkins for the Children’s Hour podcast.

    I think the host, Katie Stone, did  a fantastic job capturing the many ways that Ella touched so many lives.  

    When you listen, you’ll also hear the Young Stracke All-Stars perform Ella’ This Train.  What a delight to hear this song on the radio so many years after we recorded it.

    Enjoy!


    Listen here.


    Screenshot of our online discussion with Children’s Hour host, Katie Stone.


    The Young Stracke All-Stars playing at Ella’s 90th Birthday Party.


    Jason and Maria Visiting Ella and family in 2018.

  • Listen to Guitar Crew Play Faded Love

    Listen to Guitar Crew Play Faded Love

    Last night wrapped up the Late Winter 2025 session of Guitar Crew. The Crew was made up of five guitar players with experiences ranging from less than a year to many years. 

    We finished by recording our own arrangement of Bob Wills’ Faded Love. This is a recording of the five members of this sessions’ Crew. I’m accompanying on percussion.

    We covered many skills and concepts this session. Some of those topics, which you can hear in this arrangement, were:

    • Basic chords changes
    • Learning songs by ear
    • The hows and whys of playing songs in different keys
    • Knowing our roots and 5ths of each chord and using that to play alternating bass strums 
    • Working with the major scale and using that to create bass walks in between chord changes
    • Singing and playing at the same time.
    • Playing the chord changes in different locations on the guitar, either with “mini shapes” or using a capo.
    • Ensemble playing (play strong and also make room for the other musicians)
    • Playing a melody and improvising over chord changes

    Here’s Guitar Crew with

    Faded Love


    White board with the written arrangement of the song.
    In class, we work together to make the arrangements of the songs we play. These are the notes from our arrangement of Faded Love.

    I think it sounds so good! Congratulations, Guitar Crew!

    The Early Spring session of Guitar Crew begins in mid-March. We’d love to have you be part of the Crew! Send me a note if you have anyquestions.

  • Guest Post on Banjo After Dark

    Guest Post on Banjo After Dark

    Screenshot of the accompanying video

    I was quite honored when, last summer, Jonas Friddle of Banjo After Dark, asked me to make a guest video.

    The topic  I choose was one we regularly work on in Guitar Crew; knowing which songs are appropriate to bring to the jam.

    In this video I share my thoughts on, why it’s fun to bring a song to lead at an open jam, the types of songs to lead, and a few pointers to smooth the bumpy road that that beginning song leaders alway encounter.

    Do you have any advice to share, or an interesting story from a time when you lead a song, or when you heard someone else lead a song? We’d love to hear it!

    p.s. I highly recommend joining Jonas’ Banjo After Dark Patreon page. It’s free to join (although tossing a few bucks his way is always helpful) and I think you’ll find some fantastic resources.


    Screenshot of the Banjo After Dark Page, featuring Jason's video
    Jason McInnes Teaches How To Choose A Jam Song on Banjo After Dark.
  • Little Birdie with Jason and Frank Hamilton

    Little Birdie with Jason and Frank Hamilton


    Jason McInnes and Frank Hamilton outside playing banjos.

    Frank and Jason Play Little Birdie

    In the previous post I wrote a about recording recording Little Birdie with puja and maria.  That got me thinking about Frank Hamilton who taught me that song when I went to visit him in 2010.

    Here’s a recording of Little Birdie as we sang it that day.

    I talked with Frank the other day and he sounds fantastic.  His enthusiasm and positivity rang through my earbuds just like always.  It had been a long time since we talked and I was very glad to hear his voice.

  • New Music from mx puja singh and Maria McCullough

    New Music from mx puja singh and Maria McCullough


    I’m so excited to share with you some new music from my dear one, Maria McCullough, and a great friend and wonderful musician, mx puja singh. They have a new album which came out this week called an area of the celestial sphere under the pecan tree  

    Maria and puja wrote and recorded this music over about a week’s time at our house in Albuquerque, NM. What a gift I was give, to hang around and watch and listen to the process unfold as the songs were coming together.  

    And, I am honored that they invited me to play my banjo on a couple of the tracks. One of the songs is sītā rām (live) which you can listen to right here.

    Purchase the whole album at puja’s bandcamp page, https://mxpujasingh.bandcamp.com/album/an-area-of-the-celestial-sphere-under-the-pecan-tree

  • “How do you do THAT!?!?!?” Learn a Song By Ear: An Approach (Free Self-Guided Lesson)

    “How do you do THAT!?!?!?” Learn a Song By Ear: An Approach (Free Self-Guided Lesson)

    When I was first taking guitar lessons my teacher told me to bring in a cassette of any song that I wanted to play. I was so blown away when he’d hear it, having never heard it before, and by the end of the lesson have written down how to PLAY THE SONG. How did he do that?!?!?!?!?!?

    He taught me some stuff, but he definitely never taught me how figure how songs for myself.

    In the years sense, I’ve gleaned a lot about how people learn by ear. And, being on the other side of the teacher/student dynamic I often hear my student bewilderment as to how I can play by ear. And, I found that while many hear me be able to do it, they didn’t have a grasp of WHAT I was doing.

    At first the task seems quite daunting but once it’s broken down into a few manageable steps, it’s really not so difficult. It does take time and effort, but I am fully convinced that it doesn’t take any special talents or innate abilities.

    This is a self-lead lesson where I present very short videos that describe the exact process I use to learn a song by ear.  

    Give it a try and listen to how it goes. Drop me a note to let me know how you do, and if you have any questions or concerns.

    Enjoy!

    Learn a Song by Ear by Jason McInnes