Milwaukee, Wisc. – Centerstream Publishers has announced the pending publication of 1930s Country Mandolin: Bluegrass Roots, by Joseph Weidlich, now available for pre-order.
Examine the development of country mandolin performance during the 1930s during the decade the mandolin became a featured solo instrument, requiring players to quickly develop a new style of playing in order to give vocalists a break from singing, particularly in the popular brother act format.
As the decade progressed, numerous idiomatic techniques were tested, discarded and refined leading to instrumental solos that were eventually based more on playing over chord changes than on the actual melody itself.
The techniques outlined here, based on period recoridngs, clearly establish the roots of that new solo approach which blossomed in the looser ensemble format of early 1940s bluegrass music.
According to the publisher, the book is expected to be available by the end of April.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Historical Background
- The Roots of Country Mandolin Technique
- Repeated Notes and the Tremolo
- Connecting the Dots
- Traditional Melodic Connections
- Developing the Foundation of Bluegrass Mandolin Techniques
- Tag Figures
- Trill Figures
- Chord Tone Connectors
- Scales and Scale Fragments
- Turn Cadences
- Stair Step Note Sequence
- The Cut Technique
- The Augmented Second-Major Third Note Sequence
- Blues-Inflected Note Usage
- Double Stops
- Playing over Chord Changes
- Obbligato Licks under Vocals
- Hot Licks
- Cadential Formulas
- Journey’s End
- Selected Bibliography
- Selected Discography
Additional Information
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