a group who encourage and motivate one another to stick to, and get the most out of, our practice time

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Administrators: skiptomylou (owner)

Woodshedding

From laertes22 on 5/27/2014 9:30:46 AM

Back when I was a kid in jazz band, we often talked about "Woodshedding"-locking yourself in a room (the proverbial woodshed) and hashing it out with your instrument.  I've been woodshedding this week.

I have been spending a lot more time on my warm ups.  I don't know if I would even call them warm-ups at this point.  They are more like taking time to practice basic fundamental techniques-double thumb, drop thumb, brush strum, simple bowing, string crossing, double stops.  It is simple and boring, but it is helpful.  I have seen a marked improvement in my banjo string accuracy and my bowing on the fiddle.

 I've kind of strayed away from my normal practice regimen, but in a good way.  The Carolina Chocolate Drops do a cover of "Likes Likker Better than Me" that I love.  I could not find a banjo tab for it.  I did manage to find a fiddle part in G.  I transposed the fiddle part to D.  I tuned the banjo to Double C/Double D and somehow managed to figure out the melody line (this was kind of a big deal for me, as I don't have a great ear, and this was the first song I have ever figured out a song by ear).  Someone from BHO recommended a video series by Donald Zepp on personalizing your clawhammer playing, and after watching it, I was able to fill in the blanks and work out a working version of the song.  It is not perfect and needs work but for my first attempt at figuring out a song by ear, I was pleased.   I applied this technique to some other simple versions of songs that I know and tried to make my own arrangements of the songs.  

 I found out last week that Charlotte (where by fiancee lives) has an Old Time Jam, so I hope to check it out soon.  The website had some recommended tunes for the jam, with sheet music, so I worked on those a bit too (Cripple Creek, Old Joe Clark, Angelina Baker, Soldier's Joy, etc.).  My scales practice paid off, as I was able to improv some grace notes and other embellishments/ornamental playing to the simple versions of those songs.  This is probably not that impressive, but it is kind of a huge step for me, as I have struggled just to play things as written.  I took some of the fiddle parts and did the same thing that I did with "Likes Likker Better than Me" and kind of made my own arrangements of these.

In addition to Colored Aristocracy and Likes Likker Better than Me, I have also become enamored of Bonaparte's Retreat.  The Charlotte Old Time jam website had a simplified version for download, which I have added to my practice rotation.

 For the long weekend, I was up at my fiancee's place.  She had out schedule pretty tight with various social events, meaning I did not get to practice any Friday or Saturday.  I did get about an hour or so in on Sunday morning and Tuesday.

-Genford

Fake edit:  I also tried to record myself playing some last week and realized how horrible I sound and how many noticeable mistakes I make every time I play.  Hopefully, in the near future, I will get good enough to record and post some stuff.  Bear with me in the mean time.

2 Comments
	skiptomylou says: 5/27/2014 1:09:37 PM i'm really impressed by how much you've managed to cover. i too am not that experienced in working out tunes by ear - but find it one of the most fulfilling things to do on banjo when i've made the effort. it's great that the jam has suggested tunes and guidance so you can prepare before you go along. let us know how the jams go - sounds great! i like that Likes liquer Better Than Me Tune - i have it on a cd, but haven't heard the carolina chocolate drops version, best Jill
	Zischkale says: 5/28/2014 7:43:37 AM Great job on the musical epiphany, G! It's a great feeling when you achieve that better understanding of a musical idea or technique--being able to work out a melody by ear like that is priceless. I think I posted to Jill that I listened to that Chocolate Drops link yesterday--I'm wrong on that, I Youtube'd a live version of Likes Likker Better Than Me." Now I see why you were asking about waltzes...I know this song too, the New Lost City Ramblers do a rendition on their first record. Great choice. Rhiannon is a spectacular fiddle player (and side-note, she's apparently playing with the Kronos Quartet soon--I gotta hear that). Great call seeking out the jam too, it'll definitely help your playing--it's a huge help just to sit and watch great musicians play. You playing Bonaparte's in Double C? Great tune--it's the source of the big Aaron Copland piece, I'm sure you know. What really got my ears tuned to the fiddle was listening to a Youtube video of Tommy Jarrell playing it. Man that guy had tone. Patience on posting a video--the first one I posted here I must've done 100 takes. Better to play through mistakes like they never happened. I'm sure you could drum up a good video clip now, but take your time.
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