revelation

Went to my first old-time jam in Huntsville, TX over the weekend. I'd say it was about time to play my banjo with some good old time fiddle players. We drew in some young kids who had probably never heard of old time music - and it was exciting to see their excitement. A little over a year ago, I didn't know about fiddle and banjo music, either. I didn't realize the fiddle or the banjo could be so cool together.

In other news, those fiddle players informed me that my fiddle is smaller than a full size. Never buy on ebay again. They told me it was a 4/4 - and I had my speculations when I first started playing. Honestly, it's only slightly smaller than a 4/4. It's like a 7/8 - but it's such an awesome smaller fiddle! Even they agreed - said it was a very good fiddle. (for $200 hehe) So I think my plan is to drop my pride and order a really cheap student full size that's not an antique and learn before I make my next big antique violin purchase. Besides, I should buy a fiddle direct anyway...

Today we're putting on a June Apples show for David Rainey. Hoping to pull out a fiddle tune!

Old-Timey Music is for dancing

"Shortenin' Bread" - after 4 weeks finally sounds like a fiddle tune. It is best to take good breaks - like a day or two - and come back to the fiddle. It's like a new revelation - and the notes are fresh.

In other news, 'The June Apples' - a jam band I play banjo with has been asked to collaborate with Alley Theatre Company member David Rainey in a summer theatre program for youth. The details are still sketchy - we will be meeting with him soon. But apparently, he has written a script that calls for some sort of a barn dance. It was so bizarre to get this call from a friend of his - who just happened to hear us rehearsing one day and learned about what we do. David Rainey is my absolute favorite stage actor - and I would have never, in an eon, expected to meet him and work with him in this fashion!

...weird, but exciting. Who knows, maybe we can pull out our first fiddle tune and get on the ball. I've always wanted to play for a dance.

The beginning of progress...

ok, fiddle's finally clicking. Got my shoulder rest and chin rest yesterday. It makes the world a better place, really. I went to the violin shop and the lady at the front desk (as she plucked the strings on my violin) asked with a confused expression, "What kind of tuning is this?"

"Old-Timey."

"Oh"

Along with "Shortenin' Bread", I'm working on some licks for the Original Carter Family's song, "Are You Lonesome Tonight" - an early country music ballad that The June Apples might be working on soon.

The fiddle is so different from the banjo. Old-Timey banjo has a math to it. there are only a certain number of things you can do within the set structure and a number of ways to pull it off...with fiddle, it seems the possibilities and nuances can be endless. Sure, there are nuances in banjo...but, it's just interesting wrapping my mind around the fiddle, which approaches the melody in a much different way. Words can only explain so much...