OK ... We can't very well discuss everything about OT under a tuning thread, now can we? So I've started this topic to hopefully address my latest quandry.
I was very inspired by seeing local act The Crooked Jades last Friday when they open the SF BG and OT Festival supporting The Del McCoury Band. (OK, I said in a dif. thread that BG didn't quite move me, but Del and his boys sure did! ) So inspiried I was, that I sat the next morning and learnt me another Carter Family tune ... River of Jordan, FWIW.
But, then I go to an OT jam, where maybe five line are sung out the whole time. It came up the MP3 project that there are lyrics to Sally Goodin, for instance.
I've been privately working up Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy, trying to capture the spirit of the clawhammer sound on guitar - quite difficult for me, but it's slowly settling in. My BG group heard me playing it, and now wants to do the song, but ... uhhhh ... the guys kept trying to take 'breaks', and they wondered what the chords were - it drones quite a bit, and is more melody driven than chord driven. I just don't know if I can take songs like this to them, as they want to tackle 'em like yiou would a BG tune.
So, how are lyrics and vocals generally treated in Old-Time. Any suggestions for vocal tunes I should try to tackle? And ... where do I go with these sorts of songs? Dare I put together a third group just for OT music? Though, I'd be spread thinner than a flapjack!
So ... what's the deal with vocals in OT?
- Benignus
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