All of the postings here are very interesting and fun to read even tho I will not be present at the workshop, it offers new slants and ideas to think on.
It is lots of fun to read about set lists, as its an issue here, great too, the insight into Hartford's way. So far, the way its done in the group I play with is to mix things up, different keys, fast, slow, minor, major, and singing placed between instrumentals. We try for at least one novelty tune in a given set. Also things folks are familiar with and something new... Since we are a fairly large community group band, we take it in turns to develop set lists as a learning experience. Sometimes, a largish preliminary list is made then a vote is taken by raise of hands to whittle down the list to the size needed for the gig. We like to have a set of tunes we are all current with, but add something new, a new tune or a new arrangement, to keep us from getting bored with it. Seems for the pros, everything is very different, maybe some audiences come for the fast ..knock em dead picking, others for the harmony singing, etc. The idea here, is to keep the audience and us alert...as ...we are hardly in the Hartford or Monroe or Compton class of things. We try to avoid playing too many waltzes, it loses the audience's attention pretty quick like. Also we mainly do old-time tunes and they can start to all sound the same to an untrained ear, so breaking things up helps that issue. Audiences here respond the most to singing. Next to seriously toe tapping stuff. With our group, what we lack in musicianship we try to, shall I say, cover up with our vitality and sense of joy/fun for what we are doing. It works for us. Thanks to all... linda On Mar 16, 10:03 am, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > John, > I've "courted" Ronnie Mc for the last two years. No dice. He's busy(or > in this year's instance, *might* be...). Skaggs flat out said he was > too busy. Sam and Grisman would be good, but they command a high price > and are really doing other things. There is quite a large percentage > of people who come to the camp that are staunch Monroe fanatics that > really have little tolerance for much foolishness, as I'm sure you're > aware of by now. I've already approached Terry about a jam class. Some > of your other topics have been run through the mill to good use, some > passed over, some seem very hard to present, but I do understand what > you're getting at with them all. One thing that Jody suggested last > year was to maybe use one class period to teach one song such as one > of the more lengthy and elaborate tunes like "Tanyards" or "Land of > Lincoln", explain the moves and make sure everyone understands what's > going on. I agree with that one. Theory talk is over my head and I > really don't think that a lot of the public "gets" it anyway. Keep 'em > coming. > > TBugger > > On Mar 9, 9:11 pm, taurodont <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I have been to all of the previous camps. I think it is time to court > > Ronnie McCoury for one of these. Or Sam? That said I thought last > > years line up was fantastic. The wonderful tenor vocalists really > > made the faculty concert special. > > > A few topics to consider: > > > 1. Closed position playing and techniques Monroe used and repeated. > > 2. A whole class on the break to Columbus Stockade Blues > > 3. Double stops- can you ever really have enough? > > 4. Blue Moon of Ky. in 3 keys > > 5. Rhythm patterns- the whole class plays the same chord or double > > stop but has to learn a variety of different, useful rhythms. > > 6. Compare a known melody against Monroe's interpretation of it. > > 7. Playing the same note for more than one beat. This elementary > > technique seems to be almost lost in many of todays pickers. > > 8. A class on restraint. Possibly the hardest technique to master. > > Some tunes Bill only took a half break on. why? > > 9. A class on vocal harmony. Maybe show the notes on the mandolin to > > help explain the intervals at work. > > 10. Mastering the keys of B and Bb in one easy lesson. Obviously > > bullshit but always good to learn more about as long as they make > > capos for banjo players. > > 11. Turnaround kickoffs- I sat in on Richie's class last year and it > > seemed to be a hit. These miniature pieces people can master > > relatively quickly and feel like they are leaving with something > > useful. > > 12. Singing one of Bill's tunes in a normal humans register. I.E. > > transposition. > > 13. Intro to the bluegrass jam for beginners featuring a few Bill > > tunes. This would be a good one to supply a few basic tabs and chords > > for a few months in advance for them to work on. > > > Last year one of the fellow campers suggested that the intermediate or > > advanced Campers could easily teach some of the beginners classes. I > > would be willing and I bet we could get Terry Bullin to teach that > > Stockade Blues class if we can get him out of N.C. for a weekend. > > Just a thought. Maybe with a slight tuition reduction or something. > > I wouldn't do it so much for the money as for the fact that I enjoy > > teaching. This might leave more funds for the pro's? I think any > > int./ adv. picker could fill up a beginners class on double stops or a > > basic class on a fiddle tune or pick direction. > > > Good luck planning this thing Mike. I am sure with you at the helm it > > will be worth going to. Figure I'll be there again. John > > > On Mar 9, 11:48 am, Mike Hedding <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I still think another good topic for discussion would be taking a tune > > > monroe didn't typically play and have the class try to individually > > > create their own monroe influenced solo for the song. > > > > I think this could lead to some good discussion if everyone played > > > their solo's and kind of compared what parts of the melody the skipped > > > or tried to bring out. I think it'd be interesting at least, I think > > > you'd get quite of bit of variation between the solos and everyone > > > could kind of steal the best things from each persons solos and the > > > class could then come to some sort of consensus on the "final" break. > > > > This for me is something I need help on anyways. It's sometimes hard > > > to transfer the knowledge to a new tune and make it work in the style > > > that we all love. Any help on this would be appreciated. > > > > Mike -- 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=en.
