Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH

[Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

I started a list earlier in this thread and I mentioned the DVD "Bluegrass
Jam Session" on which you will find something like 15 or 20 common bluegrass
tunes.  I can start the list again for you, though the local common tunes to
Virgina may differ a little.

Black Berry Blossom
Red Haired Boy
Old Joe Clark
Cherokee Shuffle
Faded Love
Wheel Hoss
Billy in the Low Ground
Draggin' the Bow
Whiskey Before Breakfast
St. Anne's Reel
Angelina Baker  (Angeline the Baker)
Salt Creek
Clinch Mountain Backstep
Ookpik Waltz
Ashoken Farewell
Fireball Mail
Red Wing
Dixie
Grandfather's Clock
Shady Grove
Wild Horse at Stoney Point
8th of January
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Pike County Breakdown
Cripple Creek
Arkansas Traveler
Turkey in the Straw
Bile 'Em Cabbage
Rubber Dolly
Golden Slippers
Soldier's Joy
etc.

That is more than 10.  Which 10 will be common there, I don't really know.
What is common here is a lot longer than the list I have given you.

Out of the list above, I would start with these (if that is what you are
after):
Cripple Creek
     (beginner banjo and fiddle tune --- Bluegrassers are frequently tired
of it, but will play it when it is called)
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
     (notoriously famous tune, but as banjo tunes go, the melody is
sometimes up for grabs when it is on the other instruments.)
     (There is a basic melody over the chords and some prefered methods of
playing melody on the other instruments.)
8th of January
     (the tune used by Johnny Horton for his "Battle of New Orleans" -- "In
1814, we took a little trip...")
Arkansas Traveler
     (well known, but not easy for some folks if you play through the
flourishes)
Red Wing
     (common and easy -- originally a song, so it can be sung -- same tune
as the "Union Maid" song, for those in the land of unions)
Fireball Mail
     (a song and tune -- deceptively simple to play -- perfect crossharp
tune -- Learn some words to go with it, too, if you wish.)
Old Joe Clark
     (simple or complicated, depending upon how you play it -- Most people
have heard it from childhood)
Red Haired Boy
     (common Irish tune, also known as "Guildaroy" -- simple to play on
strings, not so simple on harmonica)
Pike County Breakdown
     (a deceptive tune in melody, but commonly taught as a beginner tune on
the stringed instruments)
     (The chords and melody shift ever so slightly between the phrases to
provide different inflections for each phrase.  Listen carefully.)
Dixie
     (Surely everyone knows this one by heart.  It is not easy to play at
fast speeds on any instrument, so it can be fun.  Has goofy words.)
Faded Love
     (a medium slow song and tune most people have heard and enjoyed -- a
fiddler favorite)
     (It doesn't have to change keys, but sometimes does in the middle.  The
key shift was primarily to adjust the song to the singer.)
Bile 'Em Cabbage
     (Boringly simple.  Beginner tune on nearly every instrument.  Primarily
chordal and rhythmic with melodies made over the top.)
Rubber Dolly
     (Base beginner fiddle tune.  Originally a song.  Fiddlers like to dress
stuff like this up.)
Golden Slippers
     (You have heard this one most of your life if you are at least 25 or 30
years old as "Oh, those Golden Grahams.")
     (It was originally a gospel song with decent lyrics.)
Soldier's Joy
     (This tune has been popular for more than 400 years.  It can be played
simply or with a lot of flourish, and is best at a medium pace.)

Songs that are common are numerous and vary, but include:
Down the Road  (Flatt and Scruggs)
Lonesome Road Blues
Molly and Tenbrooks
New River Train
Old Home Place  (Dillards)
Old Folks at Home  (not the Stephen Foster song)
Fireball Mail
Little Maggie
Shady Grove
etc.

I hope these lists help.
On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 12:29 PM, The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> with the interest in bluegrass, why not list 10 common tunes to learn for
> those interested in joining in the fun......?
>
>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tue, Jul 19, 2011 9:24 am
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH
>
>   Well, that tells me that I didn't write the sentence very well.  Sorry.
>
> I meant that bluegrass does not play best 'all in straight harp' or 'all in
> crossharp'.  The most commonly used positions in bluegrass for me are 1st,
> 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.  There are a couple of tunes where 12th comes in handy to
> prevent the need to switch harmonicas as the tune shifts keys.  I don't
> generally have to use 5th position unless we are playing a jazz tune, and
> then I don't need it that often.  There are a lot of pentatonic portions to
> bluegrass (major and minor) so that, when you identify them, you have the
> opportunity to choose between the three major positions and the three minor
> positions if you find the need.  That helps if you wish to keep the tune all
> on one harmonica when the tune itself changes keys.
>
> As for specific tunes, many songs and some tunes are very general and can be
> played in 1st or 2nd position, depending upon what the player wants to
> achieve.  However, some tunes are not that forgiving.
>
> Gary Primich and I once jammed on Jerusalem Ridge, for example.  He did it
> in 3rd position and it required him to overblow.  I played it in 4th
> position and didn't have to bend a note, but there is some coordination
> required for octave adjustments, the way I played it.  If you are fast at
> bending in the first octave, you might not have any adjustments to make at
> all.  If you have the tools, you get to choose the position you want to
> use.  Gary really prefered it in 3rd position.
>
> Old Joe Clark, Red Haired Boy, Katy Hill, Wheel Hoss, Monroebillia, Salt
> Creek, and other tunes with prominent bVII chords in them really do not play
> well in 1st position, but they may lay out perfectly for 2nd position.
> Seeing as so many of these tunes are played at blinding speeds, I truly
> appreciate it when a tune lays out perfectly in a particular position, and
> that is the position I tend to choose.
>
> Red Wing, Grandfather's Clock, and other tunes with prominent major II
> chords often sound best to me in 1st position.  A strong major II chord
> seems to be easier to get through melodically in 1st position.  However,
> there may be one or two where 2nd position is better, especially if there is
> a bVII with the major II or if the melody is particularly "blue".  Blueridge
> Express (a banjo tune by Eddie Shelton) has both a prominent bVII and
> a prominent II, but 1st position works best on it for me.  The melody works
> right through the bVII chord and then moves on to a more prominent II major.
>
> Tunes like Draggin' the Bow, Salty Dog, and Beaumont Rag have swingy VIm,
> II, V chord patterns in them.  For me, 1st position works best.  The VIm
> chord melodies usually sound off in 2nd position.  For that reason I would
> put Foggy Mountain Breakdown in 1st position, too.  (The challenge grows if
> you combine Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Bluegrass Breakdown or any of the
> other combinations that have occurred.)
>
> [Foggy Mountain Breakdown is the most famous of the bunch, but Bluegrass
> Breakdown came first.  Played in the key of G, it was I, IV, V.  Foggy Mt.
> is I, VIm, V.  Others have been I, IIm, V and I, bVII, V.  The general
> melodic pattern remained, but adjusted to the change in the middle chord.
> Bluegrass Breakdown was a signature tune for Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass
> Boys, so when Flatt and Scruggs created the Foggy Mountain Boys, they
> changed the IV to a VIm and created a new signature tune: Foggy Mountain
> Breakdown.)
>
>  Stoney Creek is a banjo tune that moves from the key of A major to the key
> of F major.  The A major part actually has an A minor melody, so it can be
> played on a C major harmonica (4th position) with the F major portion
> fitting in nicely at 12th position.  This method takes a touch of practice
> before you get it right for most folks, as the unwanted notes can create a
> minefield through which you step gingerly.  The other solution would be to
> switch harps.  I like the challenge to keep it all on one harmonica, myself.
>
> I talked to a fellow once who never played anything but 1st position.  He
> didn't understand 2nd position.  So he played Folsom Prison Blues in 1st
> position and was happy with it.  I suggested how he might get started in 2nd
> position and try it there.  Today he plays Folsom Prison Blues in 2nd
> position.  Until you try both, some songs will not make it obvious which
> will work better for you.
>
> Cheyenne -- 4th and 1st positions.
> Black Berry Blossom -- 1st -- The whole first section is riddled with
> arpeggios.
> Clinch Mountain Backstep -- key of A Major (modal A minor melody) -- 3rd
> position.
> Shady Grove (minor key) -- 3rd position.
> Shady Grove (major key) -- 1st position, generally.
> Wild Horse at Stony Point (also called Fort Smith) -- 1st and 4th positions.
>
> If you think about it, and the tune supports it, 4th is relative to 1st, 3rd
> is relative to 12th, and 5th is relative to 2nd.  So, if a tune changes from
> a minor to a major key or vice versa, there is your opportunity to use the
> positions to your advantage.
>
> Lonnie Joe Howell and I both play Jesse Polka.  The tune moves through the
> keys of G, C, and D major.  Lonnie likes to do it using 2nd, 1st, and 3rd
> positions (with lots of bends, especially to make the 3rd position major).
> I like to do it with 1st, 12th, and 2nd -- requiring no bends.  Choose the
> positions that suit your needs and desires, but make sure that what you
> chose blends in with the music being played by everyone else.
>
> Cara
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 1:04 AM, John Kerkhoven
> <solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
> > Cara,
> >
> > Thanks for your recent posts on bluegrass. I've begun this year to play
> > with local players. I play harmonica and I sing. Most of my playing has been
> > blues. I have a lot to learn about bluegrass and old-time music, but my
> > basic technique is good and I have been met with encouragement and
> > enthusiasm.
> >
> > I want to pick up on just one thing in one of your last posts. You say
> >
> > >
> > > Bluegrass is highly modal, so it doesn't always sound best in straight or
> > > crossharp.
> >
> > Straight and cross harp is pretty much all I play when I play at the
> > bluegrass and old-time jams. I get a lot of mileage out of cross harp in
> > particular. I can hit my bent notes accurately and I can play at speed on
> > most tunes.
> >
> > Your comment makes me feel like I'm missing something important. Could you
> > elaborate? If not straight or cross harp, what do you play? 12th position?
> > Can you give an example of a modal song that you would play on the harmonica
> > but not in either straight or cross harp?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> >
>
>