Tenor guitar player curious about old time music

[michaeloceanmoon]

Hi,

I live in Portland, Oregon and would like to check out the Old Time experience.
Any suggestions for prepping my ears and song familiarity, and any open sessions in my town?
I've been on strings for a much of my life though I took over a decade off. Sometimes I seem more or less accomplished but maybe what you might call an intermediate or advanced intermediate player. I have been on tenor for over a year, am currently tuned DGBE and would like to keep polishing my musicianship. During this year I hope to find a second tenor and tune probably to low G.

Thank you all,
Michael

[SincereCorgi]

Can't help you with the Portland part, although that ought to be a great town for old time music. I mean, they even did two fat tune books about it, right?

Tenor guitar is a little funny in old time music, especially DGBE. You can basically do what a 6-string can do, only you can't do the bass lines. If it's just you and a fiddle and banjo, it can sound very nice, but most open jams are big and full of fiddles with bad manners and you'll have to really fight to be heard at all. If you want to prepare, the best thing is probably to:
1) make sure you know the typical 'cowboy' chords you find in old time
2) get comfortable with using a capo
3) just go, man... old time music has the lowest barrier to entry short of, like, a drum circle, and the people are usually huge old time music nerds and very friendly and eager to induct a newbie. Bring a notepad to write down the songs and you can get up to speed really quickly.

[allenhopkins]

Some of the Texas-style fiddlers like closed-chord "comping" back-up, which works well with the tenor guitar. Jerry Thomasson, son of the well-known fiddler Benny Thomasson, is well-known for providing tenor rhythm guitar.

Here's a vid of Thomasson working with Texas Shorty, and you can see how he uses his tenor guitar in this style of back-up. Note, also, that there's a bass to take care of the "low end."

[Handy Hummingbird]

I'm fortunate enough to live in a small city in the UK with a clawhammer banjo player and guitarist with a penchant for old time. We recently recorded together so here's a link if it's of interest to you. Open tuned GDGD with capo, tenor gives so much freedom and crosspicking accompaniment can sound particularly appropriate for old time material.

https://clarkzuppardi.bandcamp.com/t...the-cradle-joe

[dburtnett]

Hey Handy... that's a terrific recording of Rock the Cradle Joe. Just terrific.

To Michael, I can't help with the Portland part either, but here in VT the Old-Time and trad scene is very welcoming of my tenor. I play in GDAE mostly, usually strumming (yep, without any attempt at bass runs) but sometimes flat picking melody. I love it most when I'm the only guitar, but can usually find a way to contribute even with other guitars in the mix. There's something special about playing with just a couple of fiddles, a clawhammer banjo and my tenor.

[michaeloceanmoon]

Thanks everyone, I'm trying to find what's going on locally and when I can afford to, my intention is to purchase a second tenor which I'd like to tune to GDAE.

While I'm trying to find the folks, can any of you suggest a basic discography for me to familiarize myself with? Who should I be listening to?

Thank you so much for replying!!

[JeffD]

To get a feeling for the music as it was played check out: http://1001tunes.com/HEAHEAH/index.html

[doc holiday]

Drop by the Moon & Sixpence some sunday night when Foghorn Stringband member are there. Great OT experience.

[Tobin]

While I'm trying to find the folks, can any of you suggest a basic discography for me to familiarize myself with? Who should I be listening to?

Do you have Pandora on your phone or other devices? The beauty of Pandora is that you can search for an artist or a tune and it will create a 'station' for you, with lots of similar artists. You can further customize the station by giving a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to songs that match what you want to hear or don't.

I've been stuck on the Bruce Molsky station for a while now. While he does play several different genres, he is a well-respected OT fiddler, and the station that Pandora created includes lots of OT tunes by many artists, including many of the originals. If you hear an OT player that you like, you can simply hit a button and create another station based on them. It's all free, with the occasional advertisement you have to suffer through. But it's an excellent way to get exposed to lots and lots of OT music.

[Michael Neverisky]

SincereCorgi references The Portland Collection which, I say, is more focused
on the contradance repertoire than, say, Appalachian string band music... which
is what I think of when speaking about old-time music.

What I have found at local gatherings (New England) and at festivals down south
is that the "old-time way" is to make music on what you've got. Learn a few
fiddle tune melodies on that tenor guitar, tune it like a fiddle / mandolin if that
helps. A bit of searching and you'll find the names of some of the most popular
and commonly played tunes - just remember that the key is important! If it's
Sally Ann, it's in D... or it's not Sally Ann. 8-)

[tkdboyd]

Some of the Texas-style fiddlers like closed-chord "comping" back-up, which works well with the tenor guitar. Jerry Thomasson, son of the well-known fiddler Benny Thomasson, is well-known for providing tenor rhythm guitar.

Here's a vid of Thomasson working with Texas Shorty, and you can see how he uses his tenor guitar in this style of back-up. Note, also, that there's a bass to take care of the "low end."

Sure wish there was a method book out there that teaches this method of tenor backup playing. That is great stuff, just beyond me as to how to approach it.

[JeffD]

Drop by the Moon & Sixpence some sunday night when Foghorn Stringband member are there. Great OT experience.

Foghorn Stringband are great, as are The Tallboys, out of Seattle area.

But really, one of the ways (in my opinion) that old time music is differentiated from other folk and Americana genres is that it is much less about individual performers, past or present, or individual interpretations, and is much more about the music itself. When we play the music we are participating in the tradition as fully and validly as anyone who is or was playing this music before. We are keeping tunes alive and influencing the stream as it passes us into the future, not emulating super stars and secretly hoping someone will compliment us as being almost as good as.

The most "valid" experience, IMO, is in a jam session environment, and then, sitting on your own porch of an evening after work, playing the music to reconnect with a world that sometimes feels too big.

[michaeloceanmoon]

Thanks everyone for the tips and counsel,.. And a special thanks for being so kind. Yeah, I'm sorting out the distinction between Americana, bluegrass, and old time. Thank you so much. PS I love the video clips!

[Beanzy]

Sure wish there was a method book out there that teaches this method of tenor backup playing. That is great stuff, just beyond me as to how to approach it.

It's not a whole method but it's a start;
http://home.comcast.net/~ralevine/ws...nor_Guitar.pdf

(On page 4 ignore the compass- left is the C string at the top right the A at the bottom)

[Beanzy]

(On page 4 ignore the compass- left is the C string at the top right the A at the bottom)

Sorry I meant to say exactly the opposite of that!

Basically it's as if you're looking through the neck from behind. But the chord shapes are all as you'd expect.

[michaeloceanmoon]

Wow Beanzy, thank you! And thanks to Gary Lee Moore! This looks awesome Well now I'm in a fiddle (sorry bad joke), I'm in a fix,.. I've got my Regal tuned Chicago style but C in fifths is I suppose more appropriate for Fiddle tunes accompaniment. I imagine low G is also more appropriate as well and would have the same chord shapes. I was going to save up for a nice second tenor, yet I guess I may have to consider purchasing something inexpensive to tune to fifths with if I want to not muddy up the guitar register. I'll have to learn a new tuning too it seems if I want to fit in better.

I know this isn't what the thread is about, but inexpensive Tenors I've considered, old Stellas, old Harmonys, the ibanez Artwood Vintage AV1NT. Any thoughts considered. I'm very thankful for the great intro everyone.

[bruce.b]

Kala, Blueridge and Gold Tone all make tenors that people like. All inexpensive and nice for the $. Depends on what you like. I prefer my scale length to be shorter for the fiddle tunes I mostly play.

[Teak]

But really, one of the ways (in my opinion) that old time music is differentiated from other folk and Americana genres is that it is much less about individual performers, past or present, or individual interpretations, and is much more about the music itself. When we play the music we are participating in the tradition as fully and validly as anyone who is or was playing this music before. We are keeping tunes alive and influencing the stream as it passes us into the future, not emulating super stars and secretly hoping someone will compliment us as being almost as good as.

The most "valid" experience, IMO, is in a jam session environment, and then, sitting on your own porch of an evening after work, playing the music to reconnect with a world that sometimes feels too big.

Well put, JeffD. I need to play music for my own health. Whether people listen or not, or compliment or critique, matters not to me.

[Pete Martin]

Foghorn Stringband are great, as are The Tallboys, out of Seattle area.

The Tallboys unfortunately are no more. Charley and Charmaine have a Honky Tonk band now called the Lucky Shots.

Gary Lee Moore's book on Texas style tenor backup is great!

[bbcee]

I'm just getting into tenor guitar, and Gary Lee Moore's book seems perfect. Unfortunately, the link seems to be dead. Does anyone have an updated link to it (or a copy, as it's free)?

[bbcee]

Steve Pyott wrote me at whatever ungodly hour it is in Australia to tell me it's in the "Files" section of the Tenor Guitar Registry. Many thanks, Steve!

[JeffD]

Hi,

I live in Portland, Oregon and would like to check out the Old Time experience.

Check it out!

http://bubbaguitar.com/

http://www.portlandfolklore.org/calendar.php and search the page for "old-time"

[JeffD]

The Tallboys unfortunately are no more. Charley and Charmaine have a Honky Tonk band now called the Lucky Shots!

I gathered something was up last time I was out there, when the regular Tuesday OT jam at the Conner Byrne had disappeared.