October's tune is Cattle in the Cane/Corn. While looking for useful links, I saw that our own Mark Gunter posted a great version of the tune in the song-a-week group. It's not an easy one. Some transcription here: http://www.mandozine.com/music/searc...ableEdit+Files YouTube lesson here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82SROn6fzFc Good luck.
I think this tune is more difficult to "grasp" than it is to play. At least for me, anyway. I am having trouble making sense of it. Maybe I am too deep into the Scotch/Irish fiddle tune tradition. Mark's rendition is super and displays an understanding of the tune that I don't hear in typical bluegrass renditions.
Still a favorite of mine. Here's a no-frills, one-off, slowed down play through with plenty of warts I recorded tonight. https://youtu.be/frffPIVmsxU I like playing it a little faster than that; it's a good exercise tune that incorporates a lot of stuff good to practice. Including my earlier version here as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWwMh2bPIkM
I "cheated" & started working on this tune last week - Mark's previous version, besides being a great video presentation, shows how well he knows the tune. It's a lovely jam. BTW, and no NFI, I've been trying out TuneFox to learn this one. It's a pretty neat app.
I am still working on this tune and I think I'll have something to post. I just relistened to both of Mark's videos and I am even more impressed now than I was before I started on the tune. Not just the technical aspect of playing the notes. The musicality, for want of a better word in my vocabulary. Mark plays music. I struggle to play notes.
Henry, I've heard your music and I love it. You are too kind. Thank you.
Here's my submission, played with OM first time around & mandola capo'd at the second fret following. OM & tenor guitar play rhythm. I'm playing a simpler variation the first time, mostly because playing fast on the OM beast is tough! I tried to cop Mark's vibe on the mandola turn, but there's lots of warts. This is as fast as I can manage it right now. Enjoy!
That's so nice, Bruce. Beautiful job, I dig it! Must be great fun exploring those different instruments and bringing together an arrangement like this. You've hit another home run.
What a nice presentation, Bruce. I have been hunting for a melody in the A part all month and now you found it for me on the OM. Probably too late for me to try to incorporate, but worth stealing and stashing away, that's for sure. Nice pace, too.
Thanks guys. Glad that variation on the A section was helpful, Henry. And Mark, thank YOU for the template! Your slowed-down version made a big difference (although I couldn't get my head around the B). I'm obviously enjoying the heck out of the mandola, I've been playing it on everything! Wait till you get yours, Mark. The timbre lends itself to all sorts of interesting combinations.
I had a lot of things going on this month so I kind of let the TOM slide. I tried to make up for the slippage by doing extra practice time in the last couple of days, but cramming is just not as effective as steady practice. At least not for me. I would prefer to play this a bit faster than I do on this video. Not as fast as Banjo Ben Clark plays it. I'd like to be able to play it that fast, though, and then choose to play it slower. The version I am playing is pretty much the simple A part and simple B part from Banjo Ben Clark's videos. I took his free trial membership so I could download this tune and two more. Ben, thanks. I love you but I didn't plunk down any cash for a Gold Pick Membership. As usual, I had fun producing the video as well as learning this tune (I don't think I had ever heard it before this month). Mooooooooooooooo
Great melodic interpretation as always, Henry. Your lack of practice doesn't show to me - you're playing it at a nice tempo, with confidence and swagger. Well done! And, that Weber roars. I want to know what #6 ate ...
Hmmm, I was thinking this was an online ag course for awhile there, Henry! Those cattle have great sustain and richness of tone. All three of you scored on this one. Nice picking all around, and a nice round of production values, too.
A beautiful rendition, Henry. The pre-whine was totally unnecessary, this is a great listen, man. I really dig your ornaments in this tune. The slides, hammered triplets, etc. seem very natural and your cadence is wonderful. There's a lot of musicality in this.
Thanks, folks. I needed that. I accept and agree with the pre-whine indictment and I will try to avoid such behavior in the future, regardless of where the ball goes (or does not go) after I swing at it. But how about a teeny little post-whine every now and then? I thought the cows, in general, lacked a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in the treble. Bass was indeed deep, dark, and rich. Thanks for the comments!
Great job, Bruce and Henry. I couldn't come close on this one, but you showed the ways it can be done.
Thanks, Sleet.
