Tab

You might also be interested in the discussion about the tune on TheSession.org.

Hurrican Alex wanders by for a visit

I have some ideas for more lessons, so once I’m more settled, I hope to make some more videos.

Thanks for your patience and for the messages I’ve received personally and through your blogs!

Thanks!

Saturday, Nov. 28, 1 PM in New Farm Park, near the rotunda

If it’s raining, we’ll find another spot. If you’d like to get notified of any changes, please send me an email with your mobile number and I’ll be sure to let you know if we move the location. Please see the About tab for my email address.

I did an informal workshop in Hobart on Nov. 16 with about 8 enthusiastic players who patiently endured my onslaught of information. I also enjoyed some tunes with Fred Pribac and saw what I suspect was just a small portion of his extensive instrument collection. Thanks to everyone in Hobart for your hospitality!

I’ve been in Australia since Nov. 4 and saw my first Australian banjo on that first day, near my lodging at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney.

If they had an extra banjo, I would have joined in. Ten days later, I had my second banjo sighting in the Adelaide Christmas Parade:

So far my itinerary has included Sydney, Darwin, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth. Brisbane, Melbourne, and another trip to Sydney are coming up.

You’ll recognize several song names (Polly Put the Kettle On, Golden Slippers, …). The melodies aren’t always what we associate with the names, and it’s clear that thrifty Hoosiers got a lot of use out of the melody that we know now as “Buffalo Gals.”

Here’s a song that’s now played as “Hawks and Eagles” at old-time sessions:

I like the lyrics in the next one. Unfortunately, the dance notes don’t describe what happens when the dancers are supposed to “all chaw hay on the corner”:

When this book was published (1916), I think folklore researchers let their conclusions be influenced by some fancies. However, I like to believe that the basic descriptions of the parties and songs is accurate, especially since many were still being sung and danced when the book was being researched.

Page 11 vividly describes the hills, creeks, and clay soil where I live, though Ripley County is east of me. And the book shows the wide variety of keys and meters that we used to use for dances.

Nov. 15 or 16: Adelaide or Tasmania
Nov. 22: Perth or Darwin
Nov. 28-29: Brisbane or Sydney
Dec. 6: Melbourne

I don’t want to book all these dates (even if it were possible) but if the date for your area looks good and you’d like to organize something, please let me know at the email address listed under the “About” tab.

Workshop topics could include syncopation/beyond bum-ditty, learning by ear, making a tune your own, or similar ideas. Or we could just jam–whatever works for you.

I’m also hoping to go to a bush dance or two and otherwise check out the music & dance scene, so if you know of anything I shouldn’t miss, please pass it along.

In case any of those rhythms are sneaking out of your memory, here are some MP3s that will help you remember them.

If you weren’t at the workshop, these files could still be useful in helping you stretch your rhythmic skills. We learned Betsy Likens, a simple A modal tune, and put it in increasingly odd rhythms. Along the way, we looked at how alternate-string pulloffs and M-skips can help us fill out or syncopate rhythmic patterns, and we saw that we could create any rhythm by combining 2s and 3s.

Handouts

The handouts are all in one PDF file here.

All MP3s in one zip file

Get your 19.6 MB zip file here.

4/4

Slow:

Download: betsy_4-4_slow.mp3

Faster:

Download: betsy_4-4_faster.mp3

Alternate-string pulloffs:

Download: betsy_4-4_aspo.mp3

Basic M-skips:

Download: betsy_4-4_mskips.mp3

Advanced M-skips:

Download: betsy_4-4_mskips2.mp3

3/4

With M-skips:

Download: betsy_3-4.mp3

6/8: 3-3

Slow:

Download: betsy_6-8_slow.mp3

Faster:

Download: betsy_6-8_faster.mp3

Alternate-string pulloffs:

Download: betsy_6-8_aspo.mp3

The “flutter”:

Download: betsy_6-8_flutter.mp3

7/8: 3-2-2

The “flutter”:

Download: betsy_7-8_flutter.mp3

7/8: 2-2-3

11/8: 2-2-3-2-2

Basic rhythm:

Download: betsy_11-8_basic.mp3

The tune:

Download: betsy_11-8.mp3

Then the banjo’s neck needed a repair, which lowered the action, so I wanted a taller bridge. Luckily I found this page, where Joel Hooks describes the type of bridges that work best with nylon strings.

I ended up getting a tall maple “minstrel style” bridge by Bill Morris. It has no ebony inset.

Now the Nyguts have a surprising amount of volume and “pop”—more than the steel strings ever had. After hearing the minstrel bridge, a banjo buddy made a similar light bridge for his Nylgutted banjo and also got the boost in volume.

So if you try nylon strings, you might try a lighter bridge, too!