No, you won't give me shit either because I've got better things to do and won't listen to it.
I also see no reason to learn tunes in oddball keys just for the sake of it, though I will admit there is an education there. Tunes are played in the keys they are played in for a reason, mainly because that's where they work the best as far as fingerings and "palette". The are a few people who can take a tune and rework it to great effect, truly (say Dick Barrett) but I think it to be folly to play "Sally Goodin" in E flat. Why do it? TBug On Nov 18, 10:41 am, Dasspunk <[email protected]> wrote: > And I'll be myself and give you shit about it regularly ;) > > B > > On Nov 18, 8:56 am, Mike Hedding <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Alright at the advice of everyone I am going to just be myself then. > > > I am keeping my tuner on my headstock and no one is going to stop me! > > > Mike Hedding > > > On Nov 18, 2009, at 7:53 AM, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > If anyone cares to, go to "Remember the Cross" and "That Home Above" > > > by the Monroe/Flatt/Scruggs/Wise/Rainwater band. One is clearly B, the > > > other B flat. But, they are both clearly played out of A. There are a > > > number of other noteworthy cuts, "The First Whippoorwill" for one, > > > that are played out of one key but are clearly not pitched in that > > > key. So, did fucking Bill Monroe (to quote fucking Gaudreau) tune up > > > or capo up? It's not tape drag. As Terry Bullin once said,"Well, maybe > > > he did it in the studio but surely he wouldn't have done it out in > > > public." It's just silly. If the situation requires a different voice > > > and the capo provides it, use it. When did it become against the rules > > > to use the tools? > > > > I started using a capo now and then due to saving time and aggravation > > > in the studio. Also, open tunings. I'd really love to use more open > > > tunings. Listen to the cut on Dr. Ralph's recording of "Lift Him Up". > > > That's tuned open, but there were a few songs where we tuned open only > > > to have TBone say that he'd like to go up a half step. Now, retuning 8 > > > strings on a mandolin every which way and expecting it to settle down > > > in a few minutes is just unreasonable. Slapping on a capo is not, > > > especially when time is money. > > > > As for working up solos and improvising... > > > I think that maybe we can go back to "the Father" one more time and > > > consider this approach. Over the years, if I listen to songs that > > > Monroe did over a number of decades, such as "Uncle Pen", "On and On", > > > "Bluegrass Breakdown", etc, what I hear is a script, a framework over > > > which variations are applied. I'm not talking about the construction > > > of the song so much as I am the construction of his solos in the song. > > > It seems that he worked out a solo that served as the basic pattern to > > > follow, but changed small aspects of it occasionally as his whim > > > dictated. But the basic "script" was predominantly the same. This may > > > be helpful, maybe not. Just thought I'd throw it out there. > > > > I had a short conversation with Russ Barenburg the other day and the > > > subject of improvisation came up. He said that he occasionally has > > > people ask him about improvising, as do I. It's really an individual > > > learning experience and there doesn't seem to be any one way to > > > approach it or teach it. He said that to him it is ridiculous to > > > assume that it is possible to whip out an improvised solo that rivals > > > something that requires one sitting down and working it out and > > > learning it over the course of say, several months. But that seems to > > > be what some people assume they will be able to do with a few > > > "rules". I think that it is easy to overlook the fact that the sound > > > our heros have/had did not just appear overnight but took sometimes a > > > lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears to acquire. There is too much > > > impatience in us all. > > > > I think that Eric has a valid point, that being each song deserves a > > > look to see what the best approach is. I agree with Eric too (Who is > > > this Eric guy? He seems to know a lot of stuff...) regarding using > > > tunings and capos, if a person wants a specific sound, go where it is > > > regardless of how you need to get there. As John Hartford used to say > > > (and I know I've quoted him saying this before...), "This is art and > > > there ain't no damned rules." > > > > Be bold, be yourself, be honest. The audience can spot a phony from > > > the back row. > > > > Puhtater > > > > On Nov 17, 6:46 pm, [email protected] wrote: > > >> Ron Spears tells a very good Jimmy Gaudreau capo story. At a gig > > >> somewhere, Jimmy put a capo on his mandolin and Ron > > >> gave him the "hairy eyeball" as only Ron can do and Jimmy got right > > >> in Ron's face and says "I ain't fucking Bill Monroe." > > >> Might even be true. > > > >> Clyde Clevenger > > >> Just My Opinion, But It's Right > > >> Salem, Oregon > > >> Old Circle > > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > > >> From: "Don Grieser" <[email protected]> > > >> To: [email protected] > > >> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 4:36:23 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada > > >> Pacific > > >> Subject: Re: Thinking more outside of a Jam > > > >> I saw Jimmy Gaudreau use a capo on his mandolin at a bluegrass > > >> festival. It sounded great. It's a tool. Use it for a certain sound > > >> or > > >> effect but not because you're too lazy to learn to play in Bb or B. > > >> Monroe style players play out of closed positions anyway even when > > >> they don't have to, right? > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "Taterbugmando" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected] > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group > > > athttp://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl= > > > . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=.
