Ashland Breakdown

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  1. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Here's a nice old Bill Monroe tune:

  2. Ken_P
    Ken_P
    I'm normally not a fan of Monroe style playing, but that was quite impressive, especially at the end when you were getting so much sound out of it!
  3. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    OS... that was great! Watching you makes me realize that the reason I don't attempt to play bluegrass, is because I'd never be able to do it! Watching your left hand was mesmerizing! Thanks!
  4. Newtdude
    Newtdude
    Wow!!! That was outstanding!! Whew. Clearly, I need to go practice.....
  5. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    Very nice, as only I expect comin' from you, OS!

    But, hey, if you're put on the hat get the shirt, tie, and suit coat, too! None of this half-dressed stuff!
  6. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    And stand up!

    I was thinking about the differences in Bluegrass and Celtic and Old-Time, and one thing that stands out to me, is that I don't think Bluegrassers sit to perform ever, do they? In Celtic & Old-Time, I think it's pretty much A-OK to sit.... maybe that's another reason I like playing those genres...
  7. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Thanks folks! Joe, if I had a tie, don't you think I'd be wearing it? Barbara, usually it's standing up when on stage, although we often sit when jamming. I always find I can play better sitting down.

    This tune's probably easier than you think - all it takes is the right hattitude.
  8. Newtdude
    Newtdude
    So I don't need to practice -- I just need a new hat!!! Good idea!
  9. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    Well done, OS.
  10. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    That was fantastic, Sausage, thanks for sharing.
  11. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    OS, so what's your snail mail address. I'll send you a tie but you're on your own to get a shirt (white) and a suit coat!

    So, when you gonna do Southern Flavor?
  12. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Oh don't worry Joe, Southern Flavor is next on my list
  13. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    That's a good tune, too! I might take a crack at it but I don't have a white hat. We should get together we swap clothes for the vid!
  14. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    That could be an interesting vid: I am 6'4" tall - how about you?
  15. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    6' even. I guess we'd turn the camera 90 degrees to get us both in the same frame?
  16. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Cool - that would work
  17. KyleBerry
    KyleBerry
    Amazing! I hope to play like that one day!
  18. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    Looks like you're gonna have to post the tab or notation so's Kyle can start reincarnatin' himself into Bill Monroe, OS!
  19. Sore Ears
    Sore Ears
    OS, how bout giving those wall hangers a try. I always like hearing the fiddle.
  20. KyleBerry
    KyleBerry
    I doubt that will ever happen Joe! But I can keep dreaming!
  21. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    Visualization is a powerful tool, Kyle! Hope springs eternal! Never say never! Stranger things have been known to happen. (I need another glass of wine to keep the cliche's rollin'!) If I don't make it back, the wine got the better of me!
  22. KyleBerry
    KyleBerry
    I can hope that I will one day play like Bill Monroe. That will probably be in heaven! Maybe you should lay off the wine Joe. The Bible does say wine is a mocker! lol
  23. KeithMcIsaac
    KeithMcIsaac
    That's some nice playing Mr. Sausage!
  24. jamann
    jamann
    Well done OS! I've got to learn this one. It's nice to hear some Monroe over all this celtic stuff that this social group seems to gravitate to. It's all OK but I'm a bluegrasser all the way and Monroe is GOD!

    You got to love it!
  25. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Hey Sore Ears, that's exactly what you'd get if I played that fiddle for you, I have a long way to go with that instrument. And Jamann, I think you underestimate old Bill

    I got my version mostly from listening to Kenny Baker on the "Kenny Baker plays Bill Monroe" album. Bill plays a bit on that track, although he was past his best by then. But I love Kenny Baker, and even though he's a fiddler, I feel like I learn a lot of mandolin every time I listen to him.

    I haven't got around to tabbing it out yet, but there is some tab of a Monroe version of this tune at Mandozine that is very good:

    http://www.mandozine.com/music/table...n-C-Monroe.tef
  26. Mike Romkey
    Mike Romkey
    Nice, O.S.

    What I found in learning this was I needed to listen to the tune and get a feel for the groove for the written music to make sense. It's not a difficult piece; you just need to keep the right hand moving, keep the pulse in there, and slide around on the melody. The whole tune is basically a C chord played with double stops in three different positions.

    Here's a link to a page containing Mike Compton's arrangement (and assorted goodies); it looks a lot more daunting than it is, if you listen to David's video a few of times and let the feel of the tune sink in:

    http://groups.google.com/group/tater...do/files?hl=en

    I bet Don has a good version of this. (Hint hint.)

    I highly recommend Garfield's Blackberry Blossoms from the above link. You can't know enough Ed Haley tunes.
  27. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    OS: Bill was "past his best" on Baker Plays Monroe? Wow.
  28. Susanne
    Susanne
    That was great indeed. I love the Monroe stuff, would love to learn to play some. I'm going to take some mando lessons, maybe after that I can do some Monroe tunes... the hope never leaves us...
  29. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Don, well I didn't mean he was bad - he was still awesome, and of course it is just IMHO, and I may be completely wrong - it would not be unusual.

    Susi from what I've seen of your playing you wouldn't have much trouble with Monroe tunes
  30. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Here's a slow version for those wanting to see the fingering I use. The A part is based out of a 7-3 doublestop on strings 1 and 2, and the B and C part also use a C chop chord shape. I don't really use any open strings until the C part, where I play the G string as a drone.

  31. Tom Tax
    Tom Tax
    That slowed down version may prove to be very helpful in my quest to learn Monroe style picking. It's as good as a mandolin lesson on the piece. I have the tab in a book called "Monroe Instrumentals" and it is also available in Tabedit format in several versions. Is your version taken from any of these sources?

    Tom
  32. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Hi Tom - none of the tab is quite what I play because it mostly comes from listening to several different versions, and inevitably I worked some of my own stylings (or mistakes, depending on your viewpoint) into it. The tab that Mike Romkey posted a link to on the Taterbug Google Group has a lot of similarities to what I play though, and is probably closer to the original. Hopefully I'll get around to tabbing out my version sometime soon.
  33. Bernie Daniel
    Bernie Daniel
    Sir Sausage and tune of the weekers - -here is my first attempt at Ashland Breakdown.

    Posting this tune was my project #1 this morning but things did not go as planned -- I found I was not only rusty on the song rather I was postively corroded!!

    So I made three attempts to record the first at 220 bpm, then 200 and finally this effort at 180. I plan to do this over until I get it right but I just could not abandon my morning's efforts with nothing to show for it.

    Although my version is slower then OS I think you can see we both have the Monroe influence in our playing with the use of double stops, for example. Bill Monroe was no Bach or Mozart but he was the master of the simple elegant melodies strung togather with innovative syncopation and rhythms.

    I play it through three times because it took that long for me to remember to forget about not making a mistake!!!

  34. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Excellent job Bernie. I always find it becomes a lot easier to play the tune AFTER I've made and posted the video too
  35. Bernie Daniel
    Bernie Daniel
    Thanks OS! I KNOW what you mean -- its like the pressure is finally off --weird. I'm going to sharpen up my playing on your video!

    I tried to hide my right hand so that Barbara would not see my D D U strokes at the ends of the sections -- heck I did not even know I was doing it!
  36. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    Here's another version for those working on this tune. The first part is what I figured out from Compton & Long's rendition on Stomp. (Monroe never recorded a mandolin break for the first part of the tune.) You bar the first and second string at the 3rd fret for most of the first part. Take it easy till you build up the strength to do it--it hurt a little for me when I worked on it too long.

    The second and third parts are what I came up with from Monroe's playing on "Baker Plays Monroe." Lots of subtle slides.

    You'll learn a lot about the key of C from the Ashland Breakdown. The mandolin is my Campanella Due.

  37. Bernie Daniel
    Bernie Daniel
    Fine job Don! I really liked it. I think you make a great point -- you do learn about the key of C but also Ashland Breakdown is a good insight into Bill Monroe -- at least that is what I think.
  38. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    It certainly is the way Don plays it - wonderful.
  39. Mike Romkey
    Mike Romkey
    Thanks, Don. I've been struggling with the third part, but you have unlocked its secrets.
  40. sgarrity
    sgarrity
    Here's my go at it

  41. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Excellent job Shaun, especially that funky ending, I liked that. Makes me want to play this tune all over again.
  42. Rob Fowler
    Rob Fowler
    Yeah, Shaun! Funny....I was just working on this tune again minutes ago after figuring I had the C part wrong. Sounds great on the Duff! I'll try to get a version recorded in the next day or two.....
  43. Rob Fowler
    Rob Fowler
    Still got the C part wrong AND it's a wee too fast....

  44. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Nice one, Rob, that's some powerful right hand you have there. Do you jam a lot?
  45. Rob Fowler
    Rob Fowler
    Thanks OS! I do play a lot with people and sit in with a local band regularly and co-host a monthly bluegrass jam here in Humboldt (which isn't that big since there's not a lot of bluegrassers around here--a lot more reggae and jam band stuff around these parts!). I've been really trying to get my right hand working better and trying make it look like how some of our heroes wrists look when playing (like Monroe, Compton, Thile). It's starting to work a wee bit but it's such a long, sometimes frustrating, process.
  46. WayneLetang
    WayneLetang
    your video is not showing for me OS,, did you remove it?
  47. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Hi Wayne, no, looks like Scott has updated the site code and made the YouTube link I used on this one fail - I've updated it now so you should be able to see it.
  48. Rob Fowler
    Rob Fowler
    I was feeling I really needed to do this one over so here it is...still a couple of trademark clams, also! I think this one is an improvement from the last....

  49. Rob Fowler
    Rob Fowler
    Hmmm...I'm wondering why it say's "Playlist Uploaded videos (78 videos)." Anybody have any insight on that? I know that's how many videos I have on my youtube page but how did it get there?

    It sure looks like I need to take some smiling lessons from Barbara! I need to turn that frown upside down.
  50. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Ooh, I missed that one before - good one Rob. It looks like you did *try* to smile

    I think it's just what you copied in to the box that caused it, you seem to have a reference to the playlist, instead of just the code for the video itself - it doesn't really matter, though.
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