Dill pickle rag

[Jon Hall]

I've been working on this tune for quite awhile and still can't play it up to speed. I learned it from the "Fiddlers Fake Book". The only recording I have is Dan Crary's warp speed version with Sam Bush on mando. It's one of the most challenging tunes I've attempted. I play a A9th as the 2nd chord in the A part.

[Peter Hackman]

It's been long since I played this tune, on guitar (flat-pick,
cross-picking the first few bars).
In the key of G, it's nice to have a scale in the bass in the first part
/g-f#-/e-d-//e-d#-/d-c#-/...
One could think of bars 3,4 as em leading to A9 with c# in the bass.

I have the 3rd part, in C, worked out on guitar, finger-style, starting around
the 8th fret, but using the open g string. If I were to work out a full
finger-style arrangement I would probably change the 1st part into something more melodic.

[Dave Reiner]

I play 4 parts of DPR on mando (and fiddle), crosspicked or not as the spirit moves me. The often omitted 4th part is the same as the 2nd part, but moved down a fifth (one string) to C.

Dave

[Peter Hackman]

I've been working on this tune for quite awhile and still can't play it up to speed.
By the way, do NOT play that piece too fast!

Another pseudorag I used to play is Temptation, in c minor,
to be played just above medium ("medium" to me signifies 32 bars
per minute, in 2/2).
As with Dill Pickle
I learned it from a printed collection. There was a beautiful string band version
out on LP about 40 years ago, with Dave van Ronk and friends. Wonder if that
one has been digitized? van Ronk sang a very soulful version of Mack the Knife.

[mythicfish]

I agree that rags should not be played fast ... well, hardly ever.
As for the DPRag.. I play it often and never the same way twice. Sometimes I can't even play it the same way once.

Curt

[Dan Cole]

Check out Jesse McReynolds version on iTunes, Newport Folk Festival: Best of Bluegrass. A crosspicking delight!

[Seth Austen]

I just recently dusted it off at last Wednesday night's slow jam class that I lead. Fun tune.

Seth