Brilliancy

[craig]

i've been working on Sam Bush's Brilliancy. #for the most part i've gotten it all down, but i can't decide on the best way to play one of the parts:



i have been playing it like this:

<span style='font-family:Courier'>-----0-9-5-7-9-5--------10-7-9-10-9-7---------------------0-------
-0-4------------------9---------------12-11-9-7---------0--------0
-----------------9-12---------------------------12-11-9-----11-9--
------------------------------------------------------------------</span>

i like it because it gets me playing on the higher frets and it seems more effiecient. #i don't like it because it's difficult and doesn't resonate well.

the other option, of course is to play it like this:

<span style='font-family:Courier'>-----0-9-5-7-9-5-2-5----10-7-9-10-9-7-5-4-2-0---------0-------
-0-4------------------9-----------------------5-4-2-0---4-2-0-
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------</span>

i like the way the strings resonate better, BUT the transition as you roll up the E-string from the 10th fret to the 2nd is difficult to make smooth.

how would you all play it?

craig

[yeldarb]

There is no right way. Play it both ways.

[Dfyngravity]

as you know they are both the same, but the 1st one allows you to explore a little more on improv. I would say if you can play both equally good than just use em both as stated before. But like I said, I think the 1st one allows to to explore the fretboard a little better.

[sunburst]

I've been doing it like this:

------0-9-5-7-9----------10-7-9-10-9-7-----------0-----------5-0----
-0-4-------------5---5-9-------------------12-11-9---5-4-2-0------4-0
---------------------9--------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[craig]

john,
thanks! i hadn't thought about splitting it up that way. that open E in that run back down the neck gives you time to move back into 1st position. i like it! plus, it still allows you to play high up the neck to get a little of that practice in, too. cool.

cheers,

craig

[Karen Kay]

Go to Woodsongs.com. Find the archives and scroll down to the Sam Bush concert. Watch him and there you go! Wish it were that easy
RT

[craig]

oh yeah. i forgot about that! thanks, karen

[wallflower]

Or...

buy Sam's latest Homespun DVD.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Go to Woodsongs.com. #Find the archives and scroll down to the Sam Bush concert. #Watch him and there you go! #Wish it were that easy
RT

I thought that episode of Woodsongs was broken? When I try to watch the show it stops about 15 minutes in.

[Karen Kay]

It is/does but he gets Brilliancy in.
KK

[Peter Hackman]

I don't quite play this segment that way,
and it has changed
a bit, as it is over 40 years since I learned this
tune (I may have been the first to record a bluegrass
version!). The notes I play are (I believe):
a c# e a c# a c#a
b d f# a d b d b
c# e d c# d c# b a
e - g# - a

(over the chords A, bm, c#m, D, E7, A)

and I play almost all of it in fourth position,
and that should work for Bush's version as well.
The first two bars move upwards from a to the second, high,
c#, and b to the high d, respectively.

The record I learned from was Howdy Forrester's Fancy Fiddlin' Country Style, a true fiddle classic
with piano (Jimmy Riddle?) and some really strong
pieces. I am pretty sure that's where Bob Osborne
picked up Rutland's Reel in the late 60's.
Unfortunately I didn't keep the LP and
it has never been digitized.