Just found this article posted on the GuitarWorld website, and just thought I’d share it with anyone who wants to see some “shredding” bluegrass! Click the link below to head on over to the GuitarWorld site.
Ok Bluegrassers….lemme apologize! I have too long neglected the Bluegrass Corner blog!
This week, I’m just gonna share some good music with y’all. If you go back and read some of the other posts, or if you know me at all, you’ll know my favorite mandolin player is Chris Thile. I don’t think anyone can deny he is simply one of the most talented and innovative players out there. His latest recording endeavor was released a few months back, and consists of a collaboration with bluesy-bluegrass honky-tonker guitarist Michael Daves. (That was my own personal description of him, by the way). Daves is actually a southern boy who grew up in Atlanta, GA (my part of the world!), though he now lives and plays in New York City. The album, Sleep with One Eye Open, is out now for your listening enjoyment.
Below are a few links where you can check out the album, as well as their June NPR Tiny-Desk concert, which contains some awesome highlights from the album!
And we’re back! It’s been quite some time since my last post….mainly because I’ve started back into my master’s courses, etc, etc. Anywho. Bringing you guys something speacial today. If you haven’t discovered Mumford and Sons by now, chances are you might have been living in The Cave (see what I did right there?!) They are truly wonderful and inspirational to me, even though they might not be considered bluegrass. Maybe folk? Pop folk? Their instrumentation is that of many new bands like this, guitar – bass – banjo – piano – bass drum (quite similar to another folkbluegrassnewgrasshippyfolk band, The Avett Brothers).
Today we’re going to look at my 2nd favorite song off of their 2010 album Sigh No More: Little Lion Man. Yes, this song uses the word “fuck.” I have my own opinions and beliefs on why it is completely acceptable for good Christian men to sing this word in this song…but that’s for a whole other blogpost. Maybe one day. For now, deal with it how you like. Ok, on to the song.
Guitar – This is tricky. I am going to tell you guys how I play it. It is not the way Marcus plays it. There is actually considerable debate among guitar forums as to how HE actually plays it, but most agree it is open E tuning or something to that nature (E-A-C-G-C-E) with a capo on the 5th fret. You are more than welcome to figure this out if you like. Me? I’m lazy…and I enjoy being able to quickly move from song to song while relaxing with my guitar. To that end, I’m going to teach you how to play it in normal tuning…while still staying in the same key that they play it in (F major btw). Though you could play it with no capo, I find that somewhat awkward to move between those chords and the rythms and tempos that M&Ss do. So…I’d suggest throwing your capo on fret three…and let’s use the fingering of D major. The little walkdowns work well this way too (I’ll explain those when we get to em) Again, this will not sound exactly like the recording but it will suffice (if you don’t mind playing it a half step lower, I actually like to use a trigger capo, or one that lets me capo only the top 5 strings, leaving the bottom string open, basically drop D, but it’s drop E!)….Anywho, this technique will very much suffice for now, and is still a lot of fun, so let’s do it!
Intro:
Bm – D (first little fingering goody…if your properly playing your D Major chord right here, you can easily throw your pinky finger down on the fourth fret on the G string. I’d love to show you this, but alas, I don’t have sufficient video record equipment at the moment. Soon. Just use your ear and you will see where this note is played).
Verses: Weep for yourself, my man….
Bm – D…..Bm – D
A – G – D…..A – G – D(second little easy walkdown is from the G chord to the D chord….G – F# – E…then straight to the D chord. Marcus doesn’t play this on guitar, but you can hear it in the bass line. If you’re playing with a bass player, make him play this).
Chorus: But it was not your fault but mine…
Bm – G – D…..Bm – G – D……Bm – G – D…..A – Asus – A
Bridge: Ahhhhhh Ahh AHh Ahhhhhhhhh
A – D – G (repeat)
(for the measures leading up until the “Ahhhhs” they play Bm – D….a few times, and then into the bridge…where I like to also kind of mirror what the bass plays…just a lot of D and A strings.)
Don’t forget to stop and rest a measure coming out of the bridge, and come in strong on that D chord on “mine.” This is the climax of the entire song 🙂
I hope you all like this easy-mode way of playing this song, and of course I still encourage you to try some different methods…you can google or youtube “little lion man guitar” and find 1849 ways to play it. Cheers,
Pete
Weep for yourself, my man, You’ll never be what is in your heart Weep Little Lion Man, You’re not as brave as you were at the start Rate yourself and rake yourself, Take all the courage you have left Wasted on fixing all the problems That you made in your own head
But it was not your fault but mine And it was your heart on the line I really fucked it up this time Didn’t I, my dear? Didn’t I, my…
Tremble for yourself, my man, You know that you have seen this all before Tremble Little Lion Man, You’ll never settle any of your scores Your grace is wasted in your face, Your boldness stands alone among the wreck Now learn from your mother or else spend your days Biting your own neck
But it was not your fault but mine And it was your heart on the line I really fucked it up this time Didn’t I, my dear? (x2)
Didn’t I, my dear?
Ahhhhh……
But it was not your fault but mine And it was your heart on the line I really fucked it up this time Didn’t I, my dear? (x2)
Next week I believe I’m going to begin a summer-long series on the history of bluegrass music (I promise it will still be interesting…most people shy away from anything that says “history”). But first, I thought it might be fun to take a look into the art of bluegrass jamming. A “jam,” as it refers to music, makes a lot of “real” musicians cringe, and I admit I hesitate to say the word sometimes as well. Just makes me think of 3 teenage guys plugging in their instruments and pissing off neighbors. But anywho.
A bluegrass jam is much like any other musical jam…it is an opportunity for players to get together and create music. The most appealing thing about jam music (as is the case in jazz as well)….members of a jam session don’t even have to know each other, or have played with one another before. The music played is often referred to as bluegrass “standards.” Most of these fall under just a few different chord progressions, that are easy for even novice players to follow. Much improvisation follows. So with that in mind, let’s take a look into some bluegrass jam music.
“How do you get a classical musician to quit playing? Take the sheet music away from him. How do you get a guitar player to quit playing? Put some written music in front of him.”
First off, reading music is awesome. Learning to read music will help every musician on the planet. Period. Just trust me on that.
Second off, relying 100% on reading music is a terrible crutch for bluegrass music (and in my opinion, all music). Just as sightreading constantly and reading music over the years will vastly improve your ability to read music…..LISTENING to the music you are playing (and not playing) will improve your musical EAR. No, having a good musical ear is not just simply 100% “born into” someone (yes, some people will be better than others, but this could be said about EVERYTHING in music). It takes practice, just like everything else.
For bluegrass jamming, listen for chord changes…and train your ear to hear the difference between the tonic, I chord…let’s use the key of G major. G chord is your I chord (one chord…I is a roman numeral, right?) Next would be your IV chord, C major.
Ear cheat #1. A perfect fourth interval can be thought of a few ways. Ya know that song everything plays with a bride walks down the aisle at a wedding? dum….dum…dum.dum……..that’s a perfect 4th. Listen to some bluegrass music…and specifically the bass….the bass player will often play the “roots” of these chords….a G for the I chord, a C for the IV, etc. Listen for this interval. learn to love it. I wanna go into my speal about triads here, but I’ll save that one.
Our V chord would be…you guessed it, D major.
Ear cheat #2. Want to be able to sing a perfect fifth? Think of the first two notes of “Twinkle Twinkle little star….”
The more and more you subject yourself to first generation bluegrass music, you will start to recognize these chord changes…TONS of this early bluegrass ONLY uses these three chords. It’s quite convenient! Let’s take a look at the song “Sittin on top of the world.” This is a nice little song, that can easily be played straight through….but most often alternates between the verse/chorus and then solos are played over the progressions. Speaking of progression.
I – IV – I – V – I
Done and done. LISTEN for the chord changes, then start strummin 🙂
Key of G
and another, Key of A (hey just throw a capo on!) (this one also throws a vi (minor 6) chord in there….F# minor…this is optional for jam purposes 🙂
Further reading 🙂 Hope this leads someone out there to become interested in bluegrass jams, because I’m starting one in Rome, GA soon. Everyone’s welcome to attend!
Today, I’m gonna take a closer look at which songs could be considered “bluegrass.” Several people I have talked to have claimed Talor Swift as bluegrass. Several people have claimed Bill Monroe as country. So what makes bluegrass music blue? or Grassy? One major problem is that the word “Bluegrass” is a catch-all for a wide variety of sub-genres. (Traditional bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, newgrass, progressive bluegrass (String-Cheese Incident, etc, maybe even Americana these days).
Instrumentation is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Throw in a banjo, mandolin, and dobro, fire the drummer (or make him switch to mando /chuckle), and ta-da, bluegrass right?! Maybe. One might be inclined to say “style” is another hint of what makes a song considered bluegrass, but again I point to the catch-all nature of the term “bluegrass.” Listen to Earl Scruggs and Kentucky Thunder, and then listen to the latest Chris Thile development. These are both bluegrass, they are completely different stylistically (the banjo “twang” is toned down a bit for a lot of newgrass, fewer and fewer walking bass patterns, and of course some more modern, and even be-bop style chord progressions).
How about vocals? I’d venture to say this is…..personally…the reason I prefer bluegrass over country music. Taken from wikipedia.org
“Aside from specific instrumentation, a distinguishing characteristic of bluegrass is vocal harmony featuring two, three, or four parts, often with a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice (see modal frame), a style described as the “high, lonesome sound.”[3] Commonly, the ordering and layering of vocal harmony is called the ‘stack’. A standard stack has a baritone voice at the bottom, the lead in the middle (singing the main melody) and a tenor at the top; although stacks can be altered, especially where a female voice is included. Alison Krauss and Union Station provide a good example of a different harmony stack with a baritone and tenor with a high lead, an octave above the standard melody line, sung by the female vocalist.”
Again I’m going to cite wikipedia, this time for another distinction, theme. This one is debatable, especially with more modern interpretations of bluegrass, but I’ll throw it in here anyways.
Bluegrass tunes can largely be described as narratives on the everyday lives of the people from whence the music came. Aside from laments about loves lost, interpersonal tensions and unwanted changes to the region (e.g., the visible effects of mountaintop coal mining), bluegrass vocals frequently reference the hard-scrabble existence of living in Appalachia and other rural areas with modest financial resources. Some protest music has been composed in the bluegrass style, especially concerning the vicissitudes of the Appalachian coal mining industry. Railroading has also been a popular theme, with ballads such as “Wreck of the Old 97” and “Nine Pound Hammer” (from the legend of John Henry) being exemplary.
Bluegrass music if often about the feeling of longing or loneliness, whether it be for heaven or a loved one.
Observe. This was not originally bluegrass of course. Throw in some traditional string band instruments and shebang.
Ok, that was just an example of how instrumentation and vocals can turn almost any song into “bluegrass.” I won’t comment as to whether this is good music or not. I’ll leave such judgements to you. By the way, there are a TON of “pickin on” songs on YouTube….pickin on Coldplay, pickin on Greenday, etc, etc, etc.
This one however, is one of my favorites. The song was originally written and performed by the alternative rock band Radiohead. The band in the video is The Punch Brothers, though it was recorded a few years before they went by that name. This example does NOT attempt to convert a rock song into a traditional sounding bluegrass tune. Instead, this is simply one of the most talented newgrass bands interpreting a Radiohead song, and making it their own. I like this version wayy better than the original.
I suppose my motivation for today’s post comes from my love of sharing bluegrass music. I believe there is a little something for everyone’s taste contained within “Bluegrass” music, whether it be Tony Rice, Doyle Lawson, Alison Krauss, TPB, The Avett Brothers, Railroad Earth, or whatever! Don’t accept “Oh I don’t care for bluegrass” from a friend or loved one. Chances are there is something contained in these genres that they will enjoy 🙂
Ok so, another week, another awesome bluegrass song to share with you all! A good friend emailed me last week after sharing “Rye Whiskey,” and asked about the “newgrass” vs. “bluegass” debate. Well, in my mind, it’s no debate at all. I love both. I enjoy listening to Trampled by Turtles, Punch Bros, even Sam Bush’s band, which uses…..*gasp*…a drumset…..nooooo!! But, I also LOVE turning on NPR’s Saturday night old-time bluegrass, and just youtube-ing Bill Monroe, Rice, Skaggs, etc etc.
So with that in mind, I’m gonna throw this classic to ya. I THINK, THINK, that this was originally written and performed by guitarist, Tenneessee bluegrasser Jimmy Martin (who never made it into the Grand Ole Opry because of his strange stage habits [he drank alot]). So….though I do enjoy Jimmy’s “Freeborn man,” that can be heard here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETVlu5yqFHk. I’m going to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my favorite bluegrass guitarist….possibly the best ever….one Tony Rice. I dare you to transcribe his solos on this. Some other well-known names on this recording: Sam Bush (mando), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Bela Fleck (Clarinet, duh), Mark O’ Connor (freaking amazing fiddle player).
Oh, one more nice thing about traditional bluegrass? This song has 3 chords. I-IV-I-V-I…..how’s that for a chord progression? If you’re on a geetar, toss a capo on fret 2 and play G, C, and D…..for anything else (I’m currently chuckin away on mando for this one) A, D and E. I woulda liked to give you a transcribed solo in here, but I’ve been sick and honestly, I value my sanity.
Well, I was born in the Southland
Twenty-some odd years ago
I ran away for the first time
When I was four years old
I’m a free born man
My home is on my back
I know every inch of highway
And every foot of back road
Every mile of railroad track
I got a gal in Cincinnati
Got a woman in San Antone
I always loved the girl next door
But anyplace is home
I got me a worn-out guitar
I carry an old tote sack
I hocked it about two hundred times
But I always get it back
You may not like my appearance
May not like my song
May not tike the way I talk
But you like the way I’m gone
enjoy! Please feel free to leave comments and share songs/feedback/horrorscope/anything!
Howdy folks! Today we’re gonna take a look at one of my favorite bluegrass (or newgrass) bands right now. Granted, I am a little bias. Why you ask?
I suppose I should give a short history of me first, seeing as this is my first real post here on my bluegrass blog. I’m from the south, I started playing percussion in the 6th grade and found a love for it, and eventually moved into piano and guitar and high school, majored in music at the University of Georgia (and now getting my masters in accountancy >_< ), and have gone through many different “kicks” of music over the years. The only genre I haven’t really enjoyed is modern pop-country music. Dunno why, just haven’t. Anywho, I started playing guitar again this past fall, after not having played for a few years, and fell in love with bluegrass music all over again. A good friend of mine from church, Steve, sorta introduced me to the mandolin…..and here I am today, a few months later, in love with mandolin. Just bought an awesome used Eastman off of Ebay. There ya go. As much bio as I feel like squeezing into one paragraph.
So why am I bias? Because The Punch Brothers is the band of one Chris Thile. Thile is THE premier mandolin player in…oh I dunno, the world. He really is amazing. The more I think about it, the more I want to show you a video that really expresses his abilities, because this one doesn’t….but I really like this song too. This is Rye Whiskey, off of the latest Punch Bros album “Antifogmatic.” I like the live version better 😉
The G chord used in this song can be played a few ways….but what you don’t want is that pesky major 3rd coming out. The lazy way for guitar (what I do) is basically use the fingering for a normal G chord, slightly pulling off my index finger, muting the 3rd (B natural). Oh, and throw that ring finger on the 3rd fret B string…(D natural). Yeah…that sounds good, don’t it? #grammar
Other chords include D (rye sleep), and E (isn’t good sleep boys) and another chord on the downbeat returning to the melody. “Have I ever told ya bout the time I” CHORD. I haven’t taken the time to inspect what they actual play, but I do hear that minor 3rd (Bflat) really strong. I literally just play a short and sweet B flat bar chord (bar the 1st fret with index, pinky and ring finger on 3rd frets of D and G strings)
The interlude is B-C#-B-C#-B-C#…..and then they let the double bass player return to the melody…this time in A minor…then back to G minor to close it out! Such a fun song!
Well I hope you all enjoyed this song, and please YouTube more of Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers! (I recommend Watch at’ Breakdown!)
Pete
Rye whiskey makes the band sound better,
Makes your baby cuter,
Makes itself taste sweeter.
Oh, boy!
Rye whiskey makes your heart beat louder,
Makes your voice seem softer,
Makes the back room hotter, oh, but
Rye thoughts aren’t good thoughts, boys,
Have I ever told you about the time I…
Rye whiskey wraps your troubles up
Into a bright blue package,
Ties a bow around it.
Oh, boy!
Just throw it on the pile in the corner, see,
You’re not alone in not being alone tonight, but
Rye love isn’t good love, boys,
Have I ever told you about the time I…
I used to wake up bright and early,
Got my work done quickly, held my baby tightly.
Oh, boy!
Rye whiskey makes the sun set faster,
Makes the spirit more willing
But the body weaker because
Rye sleep isn’t good sleep, boys,
Have I ever told you about the time I
Took it and took her for granted?
How I took it and took her for granted?
So, let’s take some
And take them all for granted.
Oh, boy!
I’ve found one of the easiest ways to write about anything….is if you write about something you enjoy talking about! For me, that would be politics!
Just kidding! Yay!
Bluegrass, duh. It will take me a few days to get up and running, but I hope to provide some cool stuff right here at least once a week! I’ll likely have a “bluegrass video of the week” complete with my thoughts on the song, and maybe even some transcribed solos, chords, etc.
If you are reading this, please help me and bluegrassers everywhere spread the word! Please feel free to refer friends to this spot, as I’ll be doing my best to get everyone interested in this wonderful wonderful music 🙂
November 15, 2011
pnm326
Ok Bluegrassers….lemme apologize! I have too long neglected the Bluegrass Corner blog!
bluegrasscorner 