Apathy - Picking up the pace.

[ganon]

From recent comments, it seems that even those still active in the group are fading. I propose we speed things up a bit - take the rest of May to finish the exercises in the first half of FE#1, and then move on to songs in June. Regarding FE songs - if you are anything like me, it takes maybe half an hour to 'understand' a song, a couple of days to 'play reasonable with tab at reduced pace,' and weeks to months to smooth out / add to repertoire.  To keep things moving (NS2013), I suggest we shoot for the middle and try to cover 2-3 songs a week. Of course, you're free to detail anything that catches fancy, but I don't think we can wait for everyone to master every song. Any thoughts?

[Bluesy1]

Hi,
Yes I'm ready to get into some songs, earlier than later. Could you be more specific about where we should be with the exercises by end of the month, e.g., page number in book? Thanks.

[ganon]

I think we should finish out the month by playing Lonesome Road Blues (p. 56) for a few days: both as a first song, and a closing example (final exam ;?) for the first half of FE#1 . That leaves quite a bit to cover over the next couple weeks, but I think it can easily be 'surveyed' and important parts can be identified for continued work (if needed). After that, it is all songs - just working through the historical styles examples - hope that we provide a quantum leap in fun and interest.

Cheers, ganon

[Jim Wing]

I'm getting back into playing and I'm finding the exercises to be BORING. At the same time, I don't feel like I've internalized them well enough to break out the new stuff at a jam. I'm ahead of ganon's schedule and got into the songs portion of FPE1. I gotta say, it's not much better. I'm not knocking the course, it's exactly what I was looking for. It's my practicing that needed a different track. The good news is that I may have worked out a fun way to practice the exercises and improvising off the exercises! Here's what I'm doing:

Try to think of a song where a particular exercise would fit well. For instance, I'm working in the section Creating Movement While Staying with Only One Chord (starts on page 44). I like the song Angelina Baker, and I know that it mostly stays on the D chord, so I think the D rhythm examples on page 48 and 49 might fit in pretty well.

The next step is to go to Youtube and find a version of Angelina Baker that would work well. What works best for me is a version that features a strong soloist with rock steady rhythm, preferrably with no guitar backup. Here's one I found: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=6u3MzeAbkuM&playnext_from=TL&...

I play backup for the video using the exercise verbatim, then I try as many different ways as I know how with an ear for what enhances the music and what detracts from it. Then I go find another version and try it again.

While searching a stumbled onto this version of "Cindy," which is a song I like and the video matches my criteria: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIP9CBiPuUc&playnext_from=TL&...

Here's another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLc3QvzH7dw&playnext_from=TL&...

To get some ideas from other musicians, here's a version of "Cindy," with guitar backup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_oa3O2N4_Q&playnext_from=TL&...
I'm learning Michael Harmon's bass line and applying them to Rotgutpreacher's version.

If anybody wants to join me, I would appreciate links to Youtube videos that you are finding useful/fun for practicing rhythm learned in FPE1. If there's sufficient interest, we might start a seperate disussion within our group.

[Jim Wing]

I apologize for the bad link.....

Angelina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u3MzeAbkuM&playnext_from=TL&...

[ganon]

Thanks Jim - I think this is a great approach. Seems the main benefits of the FE course will be applying to other materials. In your case this seems to be 'general jamming,' mine tends to be guitar duets (until I can play solos that are self-sufficient), that may be live or multi-track. I took a look at Youtube for Sally Ann (current interest) and a few other common fiddle tunes, and there are many examples of all. I haven't bothered to link specifics, but it seems like only a minor task to scan through and find the best cases for play-along. No doubt that this is a great way to painlessly practice/apply the FE rhythm lessons and gain experience playing with other (pseudo)people/instruments/arrangements/skill levels.

[Jim Wing]

"...it seems like only a minor task to scan through and find the best cases for play-along."

Well, for me, slogging through YouTube to find good jam-along videos is a somewhat onerous expenditure of time and patience. In this respect, jam-along products like the Flatpick Jam Series by Brad Davis have an advantage.

The benefit of YouTube is having a huge variety of songs and pickers you can repeatedly try new playing techniques with. The rhythm guitar accompinament that sounds great with one lead picker sometimes sounds not-so-good with another, even on the same song.

[ganon]

I Think both (youtube and pro products) have their apparent advantages and disadvantages -as discussed, and both should be used. Do you want to start a separate discussion so that we have an identifiable 'folder' to keep links in? Would also be a good place to keep/share .mp3 jamming resources (legal of course) that can be attached to comments within the discussion. (I'll post the utube Sally Ann link, if I can find it again).

[Jim Wing]

Down Yonder

At the last jam, I was introduced to a song I didn't know, "Down Yonder." Also, we were bemoaning our lack of a bass player. I took this as a challenge, since I see the guitarist as the low-end rhythm maker in the absence of a bass. It turns out Down Yonder is a good song to work on keeping the rhythm guitar part very simple and trying to get a good bass thump going for the other musicians.

This Youtube is a good one to learn the song. Notice that the guitar part is simple, but he is not thumping the bass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYtZ7s8BIYo&feature=PlayList&...

Check this one for the type of bass drive I'm looking for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5-McvvcnjY&feature=PlayList&...

This guitarist is getting it good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0PbgIgq_s

Here are some videos that I've been using to practice with. My goal is to make the music sound better. The first two are soloists with backing recordings, but the recordings don't get in the way of guitar-playing:

A mando player with a backing track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d6wAGpjWVU&feature=PlayList&...

A fiddler with a backing track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVC6cdt_nNo&feature=PlayList&...

More challenging is backing up true soloists. I think a guitar makes this fiddler sound better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_TYp3adRLM&feature=PlayList&...

[ganon]

Thanks Jim - a particularly nice set. Down Yonder is slightly familiar to me (I thin Kaufman's 4 hour workout), but haven't played it in a long time. You've convinced me to pick it up again!

[Bluesy1]

Stephen, those sounds great. I found the Bluegrass Slow Jam one. What other one have you been working with?

[Bluesy1]

Thanks for this info. I don't often have opportunities to jam with others so this might be just the ticket (for now), and may help inspire me to apply the techniques to NEAR real world experience. I am finding that by mostly focusing on just the FE#1 material by itself, I am learning exercises divorced from context. I also have a tendency to forget the patterns I've learned. Perhaps if I had something like these jam videos to aim for, I could be more spontaneous and "in the moment" rather than by rote, which is how the FE#1 material has been for me up to this point. Having been to some guitar camps, I know the wonderful feeling that comes from going with the flow, experimenting and trying out different things. I wish I'd come to this realization earlier in the FE#1 studies, but what is good is that I can start now!

[Jim Wing]

There are three volumes in Pete Wernick's jam series. The one between 'Total Beginner' and 'Intermediate' is called "Bluegrass Jamming- A Guide for Newcomers and Closet Pickers."

I recommend all three. I've owned them for two years and still use them. I keep discovering good tidbits of knowledge in them, especially in the between-song discussions. They inspired me to go to one of Pete's JamCamps; it was good enough for me to repeat the next year. Highly recommended. See www.drbanjo.com