View Full Version : Fingering question
jasona
Oct-02-2005, 1:47pm
Hi all,
I am learning J.R. from the tabbed Kenny Baker version over at mandozine. In the B part, one plays on the third string A B C and then an E double stop. My question is whether I should remain in first position and use my pinky for the 7th fret E. It makes sense to do so, but I am having a heck of a time getting there on time and not misfretting or muting one of the E strings on the bout below.
Coy Wylie
Oct-02-2005, 2:42pm
Do you mean an E unison double-stop with the E strings open and the A fretted on the 7th fret?
For that DS, the little finger would be appropriate, although you could slide into the note with your ring finger.
jasona
Oct-02-2005, 3:10pm
Yes that is exactly it Willard. I guess I'll just keep trying with the pinky.
Yep... the pinky there is the ticket. Once you're able to do that there, you'll find that little lick very useful other places (and on other strings). You can use that unison drone all over the place.
Since I end that on a quarter note, I slide up with my ring finger, to keep the tone strong. There's plenty of time to start on the lower "E" again.
Like all things mandolin, learn to do it all ways
Ring
Pinky
Open e string
Coy Wylie
Oct-03-2005, 12:00pm
Jasona,
Work on using that little finger as much as possible. Using it to drone on the 7th fret will add a lot of variation to your playing on many tunes. That's a fiddle technique that works very well on mandolin. It just takes practice, the little finger is weaker and less agile than the others but with exercise and determination you can get a lot out of it.
swampstomper
Oct-03-2005, 1:08pm
A good exercise for that drone 7th fret is Jenny Lynn. Hold the pinky on the 7th fret E note and play the melody on the E string. Another place this is used is Mon's half-break on Stoney Lonesome. The inital double stop is pinky on 7th/2nd string, ring on 5th/1st string, then the 1st and 2nd fingers are free for the F# and G notes.
You are probably gonna think I'm bonkers but I use my second (Or middle) finger and slide up with that! Seems to work with me!!
IMO that is one of the easier passages, I am having problems with a lot of the rest of that tune, especially the entire 3rd passage!
I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew!! # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
John Ritchhart
Oct-23-2005, 6:05am
I'm working on this tune also. I find that the Tabs of famous players are all different to some degree. It's easier for me to learn the basic tune first, and then add the slides, Hammer-ons and double stops after I know the tune well. Right now I'm doing the A part the way Roland White does it, the B part the way the Baker tab is written and the C part is still my own easy way. I haven't got to the D part yet and I like the Baker version, but Legere's is nice too.
gnelson651
Oct-23-2005, 12:55pm
I also started to learn this tune using the version from "The Fiddler's Fakebbook." The double stop E is hard and I'm finding that third part is a real bear. I'm not use to playing above first position.
Interesting enough, my daughter is learning to play JR on the upright bass. She uses a bow instead of plucking and it sounds really nice.
You can do part 4 in first position, too. Get the 5-1 C doublestop (fret 5 on D string, ring finger; fret 3 on A string, middle finger), and work off that.
John Ritchhart
Nov-03-2005, 2:17pm
OK I ended up with Roland on the A part, combo of Roland and Baker on the B part, Bill on the C part and Baker on the D part. Sounds good that way to my ear and just enough slides and pull offs to sound good but not show off. BTW it took a month to get up to 180 BPM. So I still have a way to go.
peterleyenaar
Nov-06-2005, 9:34am
Road to Spencer is a great tune to get your pinky going, it is also a great tune
Peter Hackman
Nov-07-2005, 1:23pm
I also started to learn this tune using the version from "The Fiddler's Fakebbook." The double stop E is hard and I'm finding that third part is a real bear. I'm not use to playing above first position.
Interesting enough, my daughter is learning to play JR on the upright bass. She uses a bow instead of plucking and it sounds really nice.
A beautiful idea!
Wonder what it would sound like with piano?
Peter Hackman
Nov-07-2005, 1:27pm
OK I ended up with Roland on the A part, combo of Roland and Baker on the B part, Bill on the C part and Baker on the D part. Sounds good that way to my ear and just enough slides and pull offs to sound good but not show off. BTW it took a month to get up to 180 BPM. So I still have a way to go.
Mark O'Connor's version on the 30 year retrospective
is also very good. He states the tune squarely and leaves
all the improvisation to Thile and Sutton.
Thile is at his most economic and saves that
super-fast stuff (sounding like something recorded at
half speed, then cranked up to full speed)
for the last few bars.