I have been learning clawhammer banjo for about a year, both online and then I had a teacher once a week for 3 months.
I have been sitting in on some bluegrass jams. The beginner jams are fun because you get to play with other people, but really all I'm doing is strumming chords. I feel like that would be better left to the guitar and mandolin players. At the more advanced jams I feel kind of useless because I don't have enough knowledge to contribute much.
How do I progress?
I took in-person lessons for 3 months - which was great - but we didn't talk much about playing in jams. Are there any clawhammer teachers or classes where they focus on playing in jams? How long (on average) does it take to get good enough to meaningfully contribute in jams? What is the best path to get there?
Would I be better off switching from clawhammer to bluegrass style? Is bluegrass style better for playing with others in jams? One thing I notice is that since I took the resonator off my banjo, it's not really loud enough to be heard in a jam.
What is the endgame for people learning to play clawhammer banjo? Is it to play in jams, or is it more about playing and singing alone?