The Ten Commandments of Jamming
(September 2001: this was recently posted in a forum on the Mudcat Cafe,
and I thought it delightful enough to wish to share. However, the person who posted it, couldn't recall the source.
If  perchance you should know the author's name, please let me know so proper credit can be given.)
 
 

I
Thou shalt not ever forsake the beat.
 

II
Thou shalt arrange thyselves in a small circle so that thou mayest hear
and see the other musicians. Thou shalt listen with thine ears
to the songs and attempt to play in accord with the group;
also, open thine eyes betimes to look about thee,
lest there be some visual  sign someone is endeavoring
to send thee. Thou shalt play softly when someone lifteth his voice
in song, when playing harmony, and when thou knowest not what thou art doing.
 

III
Thou shalt play in tune.
Tune thine instrument well, and tune it often,
with thine electronic tuner, lest the sounds
emanating from thine instrument be unclean.
 

IV
Thou shalt commence and cease playing each tune together as one,
so that the noise ye make be a joyful noise,
and not a heinous tinkling that goeth in fits and starts,
for that is unclean, and is an abomination.
Whensoever a musician sticketh forth his foot,
as though he were afflicted with a cramp in the fatted calf,
thou must complete the rest of that verse, and then cease.
 

V
Thou shalt stick out thine own foot or else lift up thy voice crying,
"This is it!" or "Last time!", if thou hast been the one to begin the song,
and it has been played sufficient times over.
If the one who began a tune endeth it not by one of these signs,
then the tune will just go on and on, like the Old Testament,
until the listeners say, "Hark! It all soundeth the same."
 

VI
Thou shalt concentrate and thou shalt not confound the music
by mixing up the "A" part and the "B" part. Most songs, but not all,
proceedeth according to the ancient law, "AABB",
but if thou sinneth in this regard, or make any mistake
that is unclean, thou mayest atone - not by ceasing to play -
but by reentering the tune in the proper place and playing on.
 

VII
Thou shalt be ever mindful of the key the banjo is tuned in and play
many tunes in that key, for the banjo is but a lowly instrument
which must needs be retuned each time there is a key change.
 

VIII
Thou shalt not speed up or slow down accidentally when playing a tune,
for it is an abomination. (See commandment I)
 

IX
Thou shalt not, by thine own self, commence noodling off on a tune
the other musicians know not, unless asked
or unless thou art teaching that tune, for it is an abomination,
and the other musicians will not hold thee guiltless
and shall take thee off their computer lists, yea,
even unto the third and the fourth generation.
 

X
Thou shalt have fun and play well.