Pete Wernick

Pete Wernick (Niwot, CO) is renowned worldwide for his accomplishments and contributions to bluegrass music: the hot-picking force in several trend-setting bands including Hot Rize, innovative teacher and author, songwriter, and long-term President of the International Bluegrass Music Association. Always active in the teaching of banjo and bluegrass, Pete was the original pioneer of bluegrass music camps in the early 1980s. Having since taught about 200 camps in about half of the U.S. states and three other countries, he continues to host several per year. In 2010, he launched the Wernick Method of teaching bluegrass jamming which as of 2021 has certified over 100 teachers offering classes in 46 states and 11 countries. See Pete’s full bio.

Keeping the Circle Musical

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My friend Mike Jackson, whom I first met when he attended jam camps in Boulder, is now hosting jams around our area. He, like me, is sometimes troubled by jams getting so popular to the point they’re too large for the sake of making good music. He came to me asking for advice about jam hosting, especially how to deal with jams that get so large as to be unwieldy and frustrating for some participants.

Check out Mike’s article, and consider sharing it with jam hosts you may know, or other jammers!

— Pete

Keeping the Circle Musical

Jam Etiquette, Leadership, and the Reality of Big Jams

If you’ve spent any time around bluegrass jams lately, you’ve probably noticed the circles are getting bigger. What used to be a handful of players gathered around a picnic table can now turn into twenty or more musicians packed into a corner of a brewery or festival campground.… More Info!

Hot Rize Inducted into Bluegrass Hall of Fame

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What an honor for Hot Rize to be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame! Since 1978, the band has been a major part of my life’s work as a musician, writer, producer, and teacher. I feel fortunate beyond words for the partnership that Tim, Nick, Charles, and I formed 47 years ago, and the inclusion of Bryan Sutton for another 20 years. I’m proud of our music and its wide acceptance throughout the bluegrass world. It’s been a “dream I never dared to dream”, and it means the world to me.

Congratulations to our fellow inductees, the Bluegrass Cardinals and the late great Arnold Shultz, Bill Monroe’s early mentor and the first African-American in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame!

… More Info!

Songs Others Don’t Know

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Banjo picker writes: Question for you about jams. If I am leading a song, an instrumental, and no one else knows or wants to take a break on it, what do you think is a reasonable number of times to run through it without hogging too much of the floor. Is three times about right or is there any pat answer?

My quickest answer is that if you want to play an instrumental that no one else knows or can take a break on, you may want to skip it altogether. At jams, it’s best if everyone gets a chance to shine, and if there are people present who can improvise breaks to easy songs, that gives them that chance. Instrumentals are much harder to improvise breaks on (the breaks are longer length, and the instrumentals are typically played faster than typical songs).… More Info!

Jam Etiquette for Getting More Breaks

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Patrick writes:  I picked up a copy of your jam etiquette flyer. Enjoy your tips a lot – Something is really bugging me though. I’ve been playing about 4 years, and I am fairly serious about it – I’m probably somewhere around advanced – not sure.

Anyway, the monthly jam I really enjoy is the jam I started with. My wife and I go, and we feel we’re pretty well accepted – except I don’t feel I get enough breaks. I’m too shy really to complain. I flip a lot between “man I must still suck pretty bad”, to “they can’t hear me and so they forget about me”, or “he just wants to hot dog”. Anyway the dynamics are a big question mark to me, I really don’t have a clue – I only get three or four breaks on a 3 hour session (except my songs of course).… More Info!

Tips for Starting Your Own Jam

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Mike in Brooklyn writes: I have the opportunity to start up a jam in a local restaurant – they are very supportive and will help publicize etc. I’ve never done this before and wonder if your team have suggestions / guidelines on how to set up and organize?

If there are any bluegrass publications or websites in your area, advertise there, and a flyer with details could get interested people if you put them out at bluegrass events (festivals, concerts, etc.).

OK to start small to get everyone used to coming, and hopefully the fun will get people spreading the word. Try hard to make sure there is a bass player at all the jams.

Those are the basics. Problems can arise including too many people, or people who dominate, or play too loud or fast.… More Info!

Songbook with Vocal Harmonies

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Updated June 26, 2025

Wernick Method teacher Austin Scelzo has created the best-ever item to learn and practice harmony singing. It’s an app with separate volume controls for the trio harmony parts of many standard choruses. Hear all parts together, then listen to and learn one. Then… remove it from the mix to sing it yourself to complete the trio. You can change the key or speed, or even the “stack”.  

See the Harmony App

Philippe in France writes: hello! Would you recommend a songbook including vocal harmonies (at least 2 voices), covering the most popular songs of your repertoire? Which one ? It would allow me to sing with my wife (I am 70 years, looking for quite quick opportunities).… More Info!

Singing in Tune

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Jim in Tuscon writes: Hi Doc! I listened to your interview on BU today. You mentioned you have a course on teaching vocals. I’ve been unable to locate it on your site. Would you send me information regarding purchasing this product. This could save my marriage. 🤣 Thank you sir.

Jim,

Best I can guess, I was probably referencing “Learning to Sing in Tune“, a popular article on my site. Please note, the instructions are not to the student but to the teacher, and it’s about how to help the student. So if you know a friendly, non-scary, but knowledgeable musician, have them read the article and follow it carefully. A lot of teachers go their own way and improvise, but this is a method that I KNOW works… in fact it never has failed.… More Info!

Playing with Other Banjo Players

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Cynthia in Connecticut writes: Just looking for more opportunities to learn more banjo playing skills and to play with other banjo players. How can you connect with others? Zoom? DVD’s? When and where are your classes/jams? Been playing for 4 years with absolutely no previous music experience. Still so much to learn! Have a teacher and I belong to a jam but I am the only banjo player and the least experienced.

Cynthia,

I don’t think finding other banjo players is what you need. Banjo players typically need other bluegrass instruments to play with as bluegrass is a team of different instruments. A group of banjos doesn’t make as good a jam as one each of the different instruments.

Of course, I can imagine how you’d like to be around other banjo players, as seeing what they do would be of interest and educational.… More Info!

Dealing with a 9-Year Old Mando Player

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Matt from Boulder, CO writes: Thanks for your promotion of the closet pickers. Everything that you are trying to accomplish is much needed and right on the mark.

My son, Gabe, is 9 and has been taking mandolin lessons in Boulder for coming on 3 years now. After Rockygrass this year, he says that he wants to be in mandolin contest next year. An honorable goal!!! He has been using mostly the suzuki books, as well as some folk song sheets, in his lessons with a local violinist/mandolinist. My questions:

While his instructor has been great, I sometimes think that I should steer Gabe toward an instructor that will teach him more along the lines of the music he is really interested in, bluegrass. Should I stick with the current instructor to continue with Gabe learning the basics or steer him at this point toward another instructor?… More Info!

Best Jamming Keys

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Joe from Indiana writes: I have started going to some jams, and have a problem when it’s my turn to sing. I know the best keys for my songs. Some are easier for me to sing in, say, B flat, but some people can’t play in that key and don’t know how to capo. In an unfamiliar group you don’t know the players’ skill levels. Would you just go ahead and sing in that key and not worry about it, or avoid those songs and sing something in a key that everyone can probably play in?

Joe,

Before settling on a key, I recommend you ask everyone “If I do it in __, would that work OK for you?” If people say no or look blank, then I suggest picking a nearby easier key.… More Info!