Have you had a "breakthrough" tune?

[grandmainger]

I was wondering if you ever felt that a particular tune was a major step forward in your playing ability.
I don't mean a difficult/technical/superfast tune that you finally managed to play after years of trying. I mean a (simple?) tune that you started playing maybe because you liked it, and that actually "did" something to your ability to play.

For instance, I learnt from my method book a tune called "come sit next to me on the kitchen counter" ( http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif ) that had all sorts of bizarrely placed double-stops. After learning it properly I found it much easier to insert double-stops in my other tunes.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Germain

[swampstomper]

Mississippi Sawyer played in the high register (A and E strings) really got me to get good tone out of a "treble" piece. Devil's Dream got me to coordinate hands and play as clean as possible -- any mistake is horribly exposed. Too Many Tears (tabbed by Tottle)... still working on that... for cross-picking.

[adgefan]

My breakthrough moment was so simple, I just learnt to play Billy in the Lowground in C. It's nothing complicated or spectacular and I still can't play it quite up to speed, but learning something away from the usual keys of G,D and A has made me realise the other keys aren't that scary. Now I just need to master something in F and Bb!

[legendarytones]

Something I've always done that has helped me. I try to learn fiddle tunes in other keys other than what is standard. For instance, Sailors Hornpipe. After you learn it in "F", learn it in "G", then "A".etc. You will be suprized at how much more you learn other than just the tune doing this.

[csstanley]

Blackberry Blossom was my step up.

We played it for the tune of the month in the Mandolin Project and since then I have grown so much in my left hand. I'm now getting it up to speed like it should be played.

Next I guess would be Back Up And Push from Big Mon. Simle tune, but so much you can do with it.

[lindensensei]

I've always hated the key of E on the mandoliln - don't ask why, I like it fine on the guitar. #I broke through that dislike when I learned to play Ode To a Butterfly by Chris Thille. #Big time change in my opinion of E.[B]

[swampstomper]

I also try fiddle tunes in different keys. It's a good way to get into B or Bb: play any of the standard A tunes in 2nd or 3rd position.

Speaking of E and breakthroughs, Monroe's original KY Waltz is in E. Most people play it in D or even C today.

For the key of B natural, try "Old Brown County Barn" (Monroe, also a good version by Herschel)

Beaumont Rag was originally (TX swing) in F -- try it there, not the Doc Watson-inspired C

[arbarnhart]

I sort of second what legendarytones (edit - and now swampstomper posted similar thoughts while I was typing, so I guess I am "thirding" it) said about fiddle tunes. I picked up a fiddle song book (Mel Bay's "KidFiddle" of all things) because it had a bunch of old standards in 2 or 3 keys; just chords by letter and melody in notation, but I do read notation and wanted to practice reading and playing to speed it up a bit. A breakthrough for me was, oddly enough, On Top of Old Smokey. I played the melody in C and noticed that I stayed on the upper 3 strings and the lowest note was my second G, so it could have been transposed down instead of up and still been playable on the mando. I tried that. Sort of interesting to read notation and adjust an octave, but not too hard. Then I tried sliding up a couple of frets - still reading but mentally adjusting the notation down an octave and adjusting the fret mapping up 2. I would be lying if I said I kept tempo, but I was doing it. Did it again a couple more up. Then I played it as written again, but chose notes further up the fretboard to stay away from the nut to give me room to slide it down. Don't want to dig up that tab versus notation thing again, but transposing on the fly is a whole lot easier with notation. I have since figured out a way to do it with a little more math and some keyboard visualization (which makes it easier for me since I know piano). Anyway, a simple melody from a kids' song book turned into a major lightbulb event for me.

[Keith Erickson]

Battle of Evermore http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

...thank you Led Zep

I've also learned both the Guitar and Mando parts for "That's the way" from Led Zep 3

[jmkatcher]

Dark End of the Street - added lots of nuance to my playing including hammer-ons and pull-offs.

[Ken Sager]

Something I've always done that has helped me. I try to learn fiddle tunes in other keys other than what is standard. For instance, Sailors Hornpipe. After you learn it in "F", learn it in "G", then "A".etc. You will be suprized at how much more you learn other than just the tune doing this.
This was my breakthrough tune, and it was due to the same method you mention of playing it in every possible key. It opened up a lot of doors all at once.

[kudzugypsy]

i will add to the transposing keys camp as the best rut buster out there. secondly (esp. for you tab players) it will force you to use your ear. you already know the tune/intervals/etc.
if you do this, you will find AMAZING things out about the mandolin and the way it is laid out....esp things about the tuning in 5ths that open up all kinds of secrets.
here is the test...start out with a tune you REALLY know and then pick a key like E or B and start from there. fiddle tunes really have very similiar movements and once you can get these in your head/fingers in all keys, you have really opened the box of creativity.

[legendarytones]

Try "Money Musk" a tune by fiddler Big Joe Green. He played it in Bflat, I learned it first in A, then went to Bflat. It's a good tune to work out your fingers. Trouble is like most of Joe Green's stuff, not many people know them.

[stevem]

I recently learned Thile's cuts on Cuckoo's Nest from his noodling around with John Hartford (free recording from bluegrassbox.com). I got the tab from mandozine. Huge help for me on triplets and adding little ornaments like quick pull-offs to spice up a song.

[mandodebbie]

"Little Rabbit". Not that it has improved my playing, just that it is the only tune I can remember when "put on the spot" by someone at a family gathering or when trying out an unfamiliar mando at, say, a garage sale. (I have always been known as a Nervous Nellie.) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Stephanie Reiser]

I just finished memorizing When Mandolins Dream.
To me that is my break through tune. Now, after a year
and a half, I feel that I am getting somewhere on this little instrument.

[Cletus]

I am learning 'Rickett's Reel' in the Jethro Burns book, #This is my first time playing triplets, and dang this is hard, but is a breakthrough! #Also, learning the chords and melody to the John Denver version of 'Darcy Farrow' has been a breakthrough as well.

[psann]

Wow, Amanda. I am impressed. I just pulled up "When Mandolins Dream" in tabedit and saw that it has 250 measures. A lot to memorize.

Does everyone memorize each tune as they learn to play it. This has always been my mode but I have often considered that perhaps I should just learn to play them through from the sheet music or tab comfortably before trying to memorize just to get a larger repertoire

Pat

[legendarytones]

The only way I can play is by ear. I can't read music, or tablature. But if I can hear something one time, I can hang the most of it.

[grandmainger]

Cool answers everyone! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

I was just kind of curious really, but this thread has turned out to be quite a good learning tool. I'm playing a couple of celtic tunes in all sorts of keys now! It's quite tricky, but fun.

[mando_pete]

Jerusalam Ridge and The Jethro Version of Grandfathers Clock.

Taught me double stops and how to shift. After That I was Bronze.... still striving for Silver and looking for Gold.

Ook Pitz Waltz will get me to Silver.

Ventana Breeze with the smooth tremolo will get me to Gold.

-- pete

[Stephanie Reiser]

Yes, Pat, When Mandolins Dream is alot to memorize. Previous to that the longest I had memorized was the Bach E-maj prelude partita. That was 139 measures. I find it very helpful to memorize when learning a tune, otherwise it is too hard to keep looking back and forth from the fretboard and the sheetmusic. Also, my piano teacher had stressed so long ago to memorize solos. It stuck.
Stephanie

[Peter Hackman]

I also try fiddle tunes in different keys. It's a good way to get into B or Bb: play any of the standard A tunes in 2nd or 3rd position.

Speaking of E and breakthroughs, Monroe's original KY Waltz is in E. Most people play it in D or even C today.

For the key of B natural, try "Old Brown County Barn" (Monroe, also a good version by Herschel)

Beaumont Rag was originally (TX swing) in F -- try it there, not the Doc Watson-inspired C
Although I love playing in the key of B flat -
Corrina, Blues for Dixie, Sailor's Hornpipe,
High Level (which is difficult because it never
breathes), or simply THE Blues,
I would never transpose standard
A tunes to that key. Seems they were composed
in that key for a special sound. Tyr playing
the second part of Brilliancy in B flat -
now. that's a challenge!




Monroe's Columbia recording of Kentucky Waltz
is in the key of D.
The Decca recording from ca. 1970 is in E.
The Smithsonian live version from an earlier period
is also i E. It's a more comfortable key to sing
in. The range is two octaves minus a minor third,
from B to g sharp

Beaumont Rag WAS in F? IS! IS!! IS!!!
It's sacrilege to play it in other keys (although I think
it would sound good in E flat.) F is also a better key
to back it up in.

Watsom plays it WRONG! WRONG!! WRONG!!!

[Peter Hackman]

Try "Money Musk" a tune by fiddler Big Joe Green. He played it in Bflat, I learned it first in A, then went to Bflat. It's a good tune to work out your fingers. Trouble is like most of Joe Green's stuff, not many people know them.
Same Joe Green that played with Jim and Jesse in the late
60's, and recorded High Country with Kenny Baker?
They made more music jamming after shows at the festivals
than they did in their respective groups.

[legendarytones]

Peter, that is correct. Did you ever see him play in person? He was outstanding!

[Peter Hackman]

Peter, that is correct. Did you ever see him play in person? He was outstanding!
I saw him several times with J&J in 69, festivals,
Ryman,
also jamming with
Baker - they were musical soulmates.

Back to breakthrough tunes. One might be "We live in
two different worlds", in the key of G.
I was jamming and recording
on very professional equipment with some friends and
there was already a guitarist. I had
just recently bought a mandolin and had begun exploring
it, and contributed a half-hearted chop. Then,
after a verse or two, the singer
stepped back from the microphones and nodded to me,
play a solo. I just had to make something up, and did.
It was baisc, but it made sense, and I relized I might
perhaps find a voice of my own on the mando
on some furhter exploration.

For a couple of years I palyed almost nothing but mandolin.
Someone, please turn back the years and restore my technique
(but retain the maturity ...)

Another breakthrough may have been when I felt I mastered
Brilliancy. When I heard it on radio in 1960
or 61
I thought it was the prettiest fiddle tune I'd ever heard.
I located the album and subsequently picked it out,
in three parts and up to fourth position. I even recorded
it in 1969, with a four-piece group.