Well, I am mostly playing for myself, so I think I do these types of things for educational purposes, and you are right it probably would sound better in the original key. Although some friends and I play Bury me beneath the weeping willow as a blues in Bb, why, because we play a lot of Miss. Sheiks blues in Bb (think Blue sky blues) and like the way things sound there, so we messed around with Weeping Willow as a blues instrumental. We played it once, it was fun, we played it again. Not complete folly, but again, we are playing for ourselves. Perhaps the reason some friends of mine had a band and they called it Folly. Folly is a funny word! Sally Goodin in E flat, well you could play the low and high octaves both in first position without using an open tuning, that is one advantage. You would have to convince the other members of your jam/group/local preservation society, that is one disadvantage. I think these things are done out of boredom, a sense of exploration, and just to piss people off.
On Nov 18, 2009, at 6:05 PM, mistertaterbug wrote: > 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= > . > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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