Hey it's December! Time for new songs. This time were going to do two two-chord songs. The first song is an old classic "My Homes Across the Blueridge Mountains" http://youtu.be/hV9r2iplLcA
The second song is "Katy Daly" http://youtu.be/KNw-M81SEAo , sorry for the poor video on this one but the audio is superb. As you can see, just two chords but look how much melody comes out of each song. With just two chords, I'd like to see most of you attempting breaks for these songs, both of which are in our Parking Lot Pickers Book.
Our Fiddle Tune this month will be "Boil them Cabbage Down" in A http://youtu.be/2GTtmZfwWyk
The Eastside workshop is doing this fiddle tune in conjunction with us so you can get double the training for this fairly easy tune. We can play it instrumental but feel free to try singing this fun song!
We will also cover some of the Christmas songs and set list for our Workshop Performance at the Oro Valley Marketplace on December 7. If you haven't signed up for the hour long paid trio performance, there are still open slots for Saturday December 6.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Marana DBA 11/26 Workshop
Yes, there is a Workshop the day before Thanksgiving! Last chance to get away from those obnoxious
Family members, or if you like them bring them along. We will be reviewing some Christmas songs, playing our Fiddle tune, Salt Creek and going through the 8 progressions. There will be no Beginners session but I will be available for questions or to try something you're working on together.
Our past pre Thanksgiving Workshops have been fun in the past, please join us.
Family members, or if you like them bring them along. We will be reviewing some Christmas songs, playing our Fiddle tune, Salt Creek and going through the 8 progressions. There will be no Beginners session but I will be available for questions or to try something you're working on together.
Our past pre Thanksgiving Workshops have been fun in the past, please join us.
Schedule a spot at the jam
We are playing as a group at 2pm-3pm at the Oro Valley Marketplace on Sunday December 7. There are time slots still open for solo, duet or trio performers to play strolling around for one hour. Here are the open slots for the two days:
Saturday December 6
10-11am. OPEN
11-12pm. Dave Polston, Holly and Dewayne
12-1pm. The Austin Family
1-2pm OPEN
2-3pm. Tuba Christmas
3-4pm. Sanchez and Arlene
Sunday December 7
11-12pm. Duet, Jim Sanchez and Arlene
12-1pm Ocotillo Rain Trio (Jeff Collins, Gene & Jolene Berg) 520-403-4062
1-2pm. Shirley and Jim O'Brian
2-3pm Our Bluegrass Jam on the Main Stage
3-4pm Dave Polston duet
Remember each hour slot pays $50 to the group. Please contact Jim Sanchez, James.sanchez@q.com if you are interested in filling a slot to stroll around playing Christmas music.
Saturday December 6
10-11am. OPEN
11-12pm. Dave Polston, Holly and Dewayne
12-1pm. The Austin Family
1-2pm OPEN
2-3pm. Tuba Christmas
3-4pm. Sanchez and Arlene
Sunday December 7
11-12pm. Duet, Jim Sanchez and Arlene
12-1pm Ocotillo Rain Trio (Jeff Collins, Gene & Jolene Berg) 520-403-4062
1-2pm. Shirley and Jim O'Brian
2-3pm Our Bluegrass Jam on the Main Stage
3-4pm Dave Polston duet
Remember each hour slot pays $50 to the group. Please contact Jim Sanchez, James.sanchez@q.com if you are interested in filling a slot to stroll around playing Christmas music.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Christmas Jam in Oro Valley
Hey all,
At our last Workshop Jim spoke about all of us participating in the Oro Valley Jam for Christmas in December. Below is a list of songs (our set list) for that Jam. All the Bluegrass songs can be found in your ParkingLot Pickers Handbook, the CD can help on how the song Goes and here is a link to all the Christmas songs, you can listen to them on YouTube
http://desertbluegrass.org/images/pdf/christmas_songs_2012_ver2.pdf
Set list:
1. Away in a Manger key of G
2. Long Journey Home key of G
3. John Denver Song
4. craw dad Song key of G
5. Grandma got Run Over By a Reindeer in G
6. My Homes Across the Blueridge Mountains in D
7. Jingle Bells in G
8. Mama Don't Allow in G
9. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in C
10. I'll Fly Away in G
11. Silent Night in C
12. Going Down this Road Feeling Bad in G
13. Up on the House Top in D
14. Winter Wonderland in C
15. Go Tell It On The Mountain in G
16. Felix Navidad in G
I hope you can all join us for the Festivities!
Jeff
At our last Workshop Jim spoke about all of us participating in the Oro Valley Jam for Christmas in December. Below is a list of songs (our set list) for that Jam. All the Bluegrass songs can be found in your ParkingLot Pickers Handbook, the CD can help on how the song Goes and here is a link to all the Christmas songs, you can listen to them on YouTube
http://desertbluegrass.org/images/pdf/christmas_songs_2012_ver2.pdf
Set list:
1. Away in a Manger key of G
2. Long Journey Home key of G
3. John Denver Song
4. craw dad Song key of G
5. Grandma got Run Over By a Reindeer in G
6. My Homes Across the Blueridge Mountains in D
7. Jingle Bells in G
8. Mama Don't Allow in G
9. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in C
10. I'll Fly Away in G
11. Silent Night in C
12. Going Down this Road Feeling Bad in G
13. Up on the House Top in D
14. Winter Wonderland in C
15. Go Tell It On The Mountain in G
16. Felix Navidad in G
I hope you can all join us for the Festivities!
Jeff
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Backing tracks
Hey,
I notice many of you shun the metronome. As much as everyone claims never using and not needing the metronome, it shows, believe me. Using the metronome for practice definitely improves your rhythm, your groove, helps you play in time with others. Helps you increase speed.
Ok enough of my preaching. Since you don't like the metronome, use backing tracks. Seek them out, and get your groove. There are many CDs and websites and people who play with a metronome, that offer free backing tracks; Banjo Hangout, guitar Apprentice, etc... Here's a new one that plans to grow.. Get on now and enjoy it before it starts charging.
http://bluegrasstoday.com/free-bluegrass-backing-tracks/?utm_content=buffer36169&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Check it out; the rest of us are tired of hearing you play out of time, haha
Jeff
I notice many of you shun the metronome. As much as everyone claims never using and not needing the metronome, it shows, believe me. Using the metronome for practice definitely improves your rhythm, your groove, helps you play in time with others. Helps you increase speed.
Ok enough of my preaching. Since you don't like the metronome, use backing tracks. Seek them out, and get your groove. There are many CDs and websites and people who play with a metronome, that offer free backing tracks; Banjo Hangout, guitar Apprentice, etc... Here's a new one that plans to grow.. Get on now and enjoy it before it starts charging.
http://bluegrasstoday.com/free-bluegrass-backing-tracks/?utm_content=buffer36169&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Check it out; the rest of us are tired of hearing you play out of time, haha
Jeff
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
NNS-Nashville Number System
Nashville Number System: The Basics
This system was invented for easy transposing and dialog
about songs to be played in a group setting.
It is based on the Do-Ra-Me scale of music. The musical
alphabet is simply transposed into Roman Numerals and put in place to represent
the scale or progression in different keys. For example let’s take the key of
C. C-D-E-F-G-A-B where C=I, D=II,
E=III, F=IV, G=V, A=VI, B=VII. So if our
Progression is I-IV-V it is played as C-F-G. So you now have this song in the
key of C that you thoroughly learned over the course of last week. You are at a
jam and this song comes up to be played in the jam, and you know it! Except the
singer gets to call the key of the song and he says G or better yet, “one
Sharp”. Now you already know all about “One Sharp” because you recently learned
about it in Jeffs Circle of Fifths Class. So the song that you knew in C played
I-IV-V or C-F-G is still I-IV-V but played as G-C-D because in G the Nashville
Number System(NNS) is G=I, A=II,
B=III, C=IV, D=V, E=VI, F=VII.
So now you know about majors and notes in the scale of a key
in the Nashville Number System, but what about minors? There are several ways
minors are represented. If the designer of the song is using Nashville Number
System (NNS) and wants to add the Relative
Minor of the Key of C, which is Am or the sixth in the progression it could
be written as vi (small letters). But sometimes that Sixth isn’t always a minor
or they forget to dot the I or the v looks big. They could write it as 6-. The
– sign is minor. What about a G7 in the key of C progression, could be V7 or 57(small seven).
What about rhythm in NNS? Well a song written as “one sharp”
I I IV I I V; each Roman numeral is a Measure or Bar in a song. The song could
be 4/4 or ¾. Say it’s a 4/4 song and the second measure is split between two
beats of G and two of C. It would then be written as “one sharp” I I/IV IV I I
V. OK, in songs where there are two chords in a measure but one has one beat
and the other has three beats; we then put one dot over the first and three
dots over the second or they might just write it out using slashes I////
I/IV/// IV//// I ////I ////V////
So now armed with your circle of Fifths, your formula for
Major Scales and the Nashville Number System (NNS) you now have the wisdom to
figure out pretty much any Bluegrass Situation.
Let's Jam
Hey all,
I've heard there are still some of our attendees who have never attended a jam yet. You don't know what you're missing, literally. Here is a link to dispel all the rumors and some good info to boot.
http://www.drbanjo.com/pdf/bluegrass-jamming-basics.pdf
And I couldn't forget a list of favorite songs at jams
http://www.drbanjo.com/pdf/bluegrass-jam-favorites.pdf
Have fun and keep pickin
Jeff
I've heard there are still some of our attendees who have never attended a jam yet. You don't know what you're missing, literally. Here is a link to dispel all the rumors and some good info to boot.
http://www.drbanjo.com/pdf/bluegrass-jamming-basics.pdf
And I couldn't forget a list of favorite songs at jams
http://www.drbanjo.com/pdf/bluegrass-jam-favorites.pdf
Have fun and keep pickin
Jeff
Next Wednesday November 12 cancelled
Hey all
We haven't had much response to the camping trip but were going with it for those willing to go. Anyway, because some key people will be gone on this trip, we will be canceling the November 12 Wednesday Workshop. We will return with the Workshop the following week.
Also those who want to participate in our Christmas jam in Oro Valley, here is a link to some Christmas songs. We will decide tonight on six songs to play from this selection. Our jam in Oro Valley will be an hour.
http://desertbluegrass.org/images/pdf/christmas_songs_2012_ver2.pdf
Jeff
We haven't had much response to the camping trip but were going with it for those willing to go. Anyway, because some key people will be gone on this trip, we will be canceling the November 12 Wednesday Workshop. We will return with the Workshop the following week.
Also those who want to participate in our Christmas jam in Oro Valley, here is a link to some Christmas songs. We will decide tonight on six songs to play from this selection. Our jam in Oro Valley will be an hour.
http://desertbluegrass.org/images/pdf/christmas_songs_2012_ver2.pdf
Jeff
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Metronome
In my last installment to this Blog, I mention using a metronome. I then started thinking that many of you may not have one and the backing track might be a little fast. Here is a link to a metronome at various speeds for you to practice with until you get to the level of the backing tracks. You're getting a lot of tools here, please use them. I promise they will make you a better player.
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxXU2_2uYjG2QnBVS8vOuC03Lt80W0ZK
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxXU2_2uYjG2QnBVS8vOuC03Lt80W0ZK
Salt Creek fiddle tune for November
Ok let's start this month off right on learning this fiddle tune. Here is the challenge for our Workshop. Let's ALL try and be able to play the melody of this tune by the end of the month, not just the chord progression. Let's all take it to the next level, we can all do it, beginners through advanced.
1. First off, listen to the tune so many time you can hum it in your sleep.
http://youtu.be/go07ncKFK-U
http://youtu.be/hWU5ggXdfmA
2. Next learn to play and memorize the progression. Let's learn to get away from our books and manuscripts right now, after all it's only 4 chords, I, IV, V, VII you can do it!
http://bluegrassguitar.com/pdf/SaltCreek.pdf
http://www.haruteq.com/salt.pdf
3. Learn to play the melody. Play and memorize the first measure. Then get a metronome and set it at a slow speed, 50 bpm. Play that first measure at that speed. Play and learn the second measure, once you have it play the first and second measure together. Keep going measure by measure. If you start messing up a lot stop, you're done for now. Next practice session do this again until you have the A part down pat. Now start to increase the speed on the metronome and play along, only increase by 3 bpm at a time. When you get to 80 bpm start the same process for the B part. Once you have learned both A and B you can now proceed to play them with a metronome or backing tracks from this link which gradually increases in speed.
http://flatpickapprentice.blogspot.com/2011/01/salt-creek-rhythm-tracks.html
http://www.banjohangout.org/rss/PlayingStyles-Newest-ID9.xml
Ok, for now, learn how the tune goes by listening. Learn and memorize the progression. Use a metronome and backing tracks to increase speed of your progressions.
I will post the melodies for each instrument soon, but for now let's learn how the song sounds and it's progression and be involved this Wednesday. By the end of the month well all have this down!
Jeff
1. First off, listen to the tune so many time you can hum it in your sleep.
http://youtu.be/go07ncKFK-U
http://youtu.be/hWU5ggXdfmA
2. Next learn to play and memorize the progression. Let's learn to get away from our books and manuscripts right now, after all it's only 4 chords, I, IV, V, VII you can do it!
http://bluegrassguitar.com/pdf/SaltCreek.pdf
http://www.haruteq.com/salt.pdf
3. Learn to play the melody. Play and memorize the first measure. Then get a metronome and set it at a slow speed, 50 bpm. Play that first measure at that speed. Play and learn the second measure, once you have it play the first and second measure together. Keep going measure by measure. If you start messing up a lot stop, you're done for now. Next practice session do this again until you have the A part down pat. Now start to increase the speed on the metronome and play along, only increase by 3 bpm at a time. When you get to 80 bpm start the same process for the B part. Once you have learned both A and B you can now proceed to play them with a metronome or backing tracks from this link which gradually increases in speed.
http://flatpickapprentice.blogspot.com/2011/01/salt-creek-rhythm-tracks.html
http://www.banjohangout.org/rss/PlayingStyles-Newest-ID9.xml
Ok, for now, learn how the tune goes by listening. Learn and memorize the progression. Use a metronome and backing tracks to increase speed of your progressions.
I will post the melodies for each instrument soon, but for now let's learn how the song sounds and it's progression and be involved this Wednesday. By the end of the month well all have this down!
Jeff
Marana DBA Workshop for 11/5
Hey, here is our new lineup of songs for November.
1) Love me Darlin, just tonight. Key of G
co-written by Carter Stanley along with
That Lonesome River, written by Carter Stanley
Our fiddle tune will be Salt Creek in A
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