This class is for melody instrument players who want to improve on or practice the elusive, essential, and experience-based skill that is -learning tunes on the fly- with other people! It’s one thing to learn a tune by ear at home, but picking up a new tune at a jam, being able to run through a melody at a song circle, or knowing where to start when a friend asks “can you play this song with me,” can be intimidating. We will go over some foundational techniques and tricks that will make this an easy and fun prospect. We’ll talk about basic music theory,  song structures and patterns, ear training and clues to listen for, and how and when to jump in (or jump out) gracefully. And of course, this class will be a safe space for practicing this skill live. While this will be geared for the kinds of songs most folk school students might encounter in the wild, we will talk about throwing in some other genres of tunes based on collective interest - this could be a jazz standard, an Italian mazurka, a classic blues, a pop song, or something else - you’ll tell me. Either way, we’re going to have a lot of fun, and do a lot of playing and figuring out new songs together!