Re: [Harp-L] re: a bluegrass experience

[Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Like Cara Cooke and some of the other players mentioned, I've been on 
the bluegrass journey, starting in the mid 90s when I first attended 
some bluegrass festivals in Australia.

I was lucky. One of my blues band cohorts from the 80s was also a 
seasoned bluegrass player. He left me with a tape of basic fiddle tunes, 
played slow. I got to work. Some pointers on my approach are at 
http://harmonicatunes.com/learning_tunes

The thing about bluegrass is the apparently informality of it. At a 
bluegrass festival people just stand around and play, generally in 
groups of 5 or less. At larger festivals there will be many of these 
groupings, the good ones are extremely good.

However there is an unwritten code, which pretty much all the bluegrass 
people understand. If you want to join with the good players, you really 
have to know your stuff. That is, you need to have put in the same 
amount of time learning the craft that they have.

Harmonica players new to bluegrass sometimes don't get this. Carried 
away with the moment, they stand on the edge of one of the groups and 
play, more or less constantly. This sort of wrecks things, and gives us 
harmonica players a bad name. I've seen it happen quite a few times.

So. Where do you start? Answer is, with the songs. Start with some 
discrete rhythm playing on the choruses only, play nothing during the 
verses or instrumental breaks. However, try to imagine what you might 
play if you were taking a break. If no-one looks at you after several 
songs, then they probably don't want you to continue. Beat a quiet 
retreat. However, a friendly group might nod you in for a break after a 
tune or two. Keep it very simple, then return to your rhythm playing. 
Chances are you'll win some friends.

If you decide, like I did, that you want to join with the good players, 
then you need to learn the fiddle tunes. Just like they have. The basic 
repertoire is at http://harmonicatunes.com/bluegrass_repertoire Start by 
learning half a dozen tunes, then try them out with some of the 
beginning players. You'll be welcomed. As time goes on, your repertoire 
and skills will increase, you'll eventually be able to play with the 
better players. In short, you're putting yourself through the same 
apprenticeship that the rest of them have done. Like anything worth 
doing it takes time.

Most of the tunes work fine in 1st position. A few players use retuned 
instruments. I don't recommend this in the first instance, although I 
have ventured far down this path, sounding like this 
http://www.harmonicaacademy.com/categories/20080808

Tony Eyers
Australia
www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
...everyone plays