Rawhide

[keymandoplyr]

Been playin about 3 1/2 years I know some on the board can play Rawhide. After downloading the tab (8 pages ) wondering who all on here plays it and how long it took to get it mastered ? I told my wife that learning to play that like Monroe should earn a lifetime achievement award ?? lol Happy pickin ! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[sgarrity]

I love the Monroe style and can play a handful of Monroe tunes. But Rawhide just stumps me. It just doesn't sound right to me unless it's played at a fairly quick tempo and I just can't seem to get it under my fingers.

[John M. Riley]

i learned to play rawhide probably after I had been playing a year and a half or so on the mandolin. But of course I can play it alot better and with alot more notes now as I have been playing for about 3 years.

[Fretbear]

It's one of those things WSM left for us "just to remember" and it is always there for us to work on, whatever level we are at...I have been working it lately...it's all about the rhythm and keeping it smooth...it's kind of like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" must be for b@#jo players..it doesn't matter whether you like it or not, you kind of have to be able to play it, like a rite of passage.

[tree]

The trick for getting it up to speed, for me, was to keep plowing with the right (picking) hand and let the left hand catch up. With enough work, it eventualy does.

The real trick is figuring out where the notes are. Had to do that first, and strangely enough, Back Up And Push helped me to do that. It has one of the key phases in it, and it was slow enough for me to hear it and figure out where it was.

[tattiemando]

Rawhide, an awesome tune , I ve noticed alot of Monroe style players will play this one at some point during a show. In my opinion I try to gain speed practicing it by using the doule time shuffle in the part 1 in the key of C , I also use variations of the shuffle to make it sound pleasing to the ear I can't emphisise enough you realy need to get the loose wrist on the right arm going. Ronnie McCoury's teaching video on Homespun Tapes teaches Rawhide. Mr McCoury plays an outstanding version of this in my opinion.

[ronlane3]

McCoury. Isn't that the guy that doesn't get enough credit as a mandolin player. The one that has stopped playing his "cheap" Gilchrist in favor of a Loar? (Yes, I AM joking) Ronnie can play the heck out of that song. I just enjoy sitting back and watching it on my big screen and hoping that one of these days I grow and to play like he does. IMHO, Ronnie can play as good a Monroe mandolin as anyone.

[tree]

Yes sir, Ronnie can whip it like a mule.

[Blueglass]

I say skip it. I have found another picker who can play it, banjo, guitar, fiddle either so why even bother.

[Tailspin]

Man. Thats awesome. Where did you get that tab? I want to learn to play that one so bad. I bought the Bill Monroe Cd with tab that is offered by Homespun.com and its only about a half of a page of tab and it doesnt seem to match anything he is playing. Good job on your achievement.

[jim_n_virginia]

Before I die I am going to learn these three tunes...

1. Rawhide
2. Brilliancy
3. Get Up John

[swampstomper]

Tab is over on Mandozine. But no tab can do Raw Hide justice. It's all in the right hand. Listen to some of the WSM live recordings, he often just chords through the A part with that powerful rhythm.

[JimRichter]

It is a right hand tune. #The tune itself comes out of the rhythm of the right hand--which is where many mandolinists mess the tune up.

Listen to Monroe--he's got a shuffle going. #It's not a straight beat. #It's the same type of gallop that you hear in the B part of Bluegrass Breakdown. #

It's all chord based melody. #He's either beating on a chord--such as in the A part--or he's playing around w/ chord tones--like in the B part. #The notes are nothing, cause even up to speed you're not doing any weird left hand shifts (unlike a tune like Brilliancy, which someone mentioned. #That B part has some pretty significant position shifts). When Monroe would speed the tune up even more for the last pass, all he's playing are chord positions in the left hand. It's the right hand that makes sound like Raw Hide.

Monroe is right hand; right hand is Monroe. #

Jim

[Corbin Smith]

Anyone know what picks Monroe used?

[SternART]

Whatever one he happened to have......

[Bostonboypicker]

I play Rawhide. Like other poeple say. Just make some double stops and work on the right hand rhythm. Listen to this version everybody:
Bill Monroe "Two days at Newport"

This is the best version I have ever heard of this song, and make sure you listen to th b!@#jo ( http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif ) solo!!!!!!!