BigRedWarEagle - Posted - 04/07/2007:  17:54:16

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Yep - it's official! I now play clawhammer banjo! I have memorized and can play Spotted Pony cleanly and while maintaining a beat. I'm so happy.

Interestingly enough, I am much more comfortable with maintaining the beat after mis-hitting a string with clawhammer style than I was when playing bluegrass. The music is much easier to feel for me...bluegrass I was focused on the notes and now I'm focused on the body of notes. That to me says that I'm better suited for this...I am not as mechanical as when I was trying to wiggle my 3 fingers. I love bluegrass, to be sure, but I can really feel this stuff.



Happy Easter y'all!

John



2007 Ome Juniper openback

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 04/07/2007:  18:01:02

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Yes, Spotted Pony is a great little tune and it sure gets you into that D tuning.

You using Dan's book - I assume you are.

Judy

BigRedWarEagle - Posted - 04/07/2007:  18:02:57

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quote:

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You using Dan's book - I assume you are.

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Hey Judy - sure am. It's a really nice starting point.

2007 Ome Juniper openback

Stev187 - Posted - 04/07/2007:  18:50:48

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That's great news, John! Welcome to a lifelong obsession!

Spotted Pony sure is a fun tune to play; it's also a great teaching vehicle for Dan's stuff. Now that you've learned it:

1) make a recording and slap it up here--we want to cheer you on!
2) find a fiddler and give it a go
3) if you can't do #2, buy Dan's 2nd DVD... it ends with him and a guitar player laying down the background so you can do your thing. It was the first thing I did when I got the video. Lots of fun.

Congrats!

Steve
Flint, Michigan [USA]

-----------------------------------------
JOIN THE UNION!
http://www.banjohangout.org/playersunion/

BigRedWarEagle - Posted - 04/07/2007:  19:02:06

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quote:

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1) make a recording and slap it up here--we want to cheer you on!
2) find a fiddler and give it a go
3) if you can't do #2, buy Dan's 2nd DVD... it ends with him and a guitar player laying down the background so you can do your thing. It was the first thing I did when I got the video. Lots of fun.

Congrats!

Steve

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Hey Steve! I just got some recording equipment - I'm just waiting to get that Shure mic delivered and I'll be good to go. I am at the very elementary stage right now, but I have no qualms about letting folks hear my fumbling. I look forward to hearing myself progress

With regard to #2, I need to convince my wife to play fiddle. She is a violin player (got her degree in it in fact!)...I sure hope my influencing skills improve, though, because she's never taken those steps toward playing along and indulging me in my obsession.

And #3....I have that 2nd DVD now and will DEFINITELY do as you suggest!

2007 Ome Juniper openback

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 04/07/2007:  19:10:48

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My wife and I just learned Spotted Pony too. It showed up at a jam the other night. We've heard it for decades but had never played it before. It was a good jam for animal tunes. We also picked up one I don't recall ever hearing before called "Rocky Mountain Goat".

The Whiskey Before Breakfast variations and a few tunes in "F" tuning are now available on the web at:
http://home.thegrid.net/~fjbrad/id20.html

J-Walk - Posted - 04/07/2007:  20:51:26

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Spotted Pony was the first song that I learned by listening to a fiddle version rather than a banjo version. I'd never seen banjo tab for it. I'd heard a few different versions for banjo, but never paid much attention to them.

While trying to learn fiddle, I listened to the companion CD for Brian Wicklund's "American Fiddle Method Volume 2" many, many times." I became very familiar with the tune and eventually I made up my own arrangement for the banjo. I still haven't heard Dan's solo version (although I have heard him play it with the Boiled Buzzards.

Stev187 - Posted - 04/07/2007:  23:39:38

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quote:

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Originally posted by BigRedWarEagle
I just got some recording equipment

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Recording equipment? Heh! You don't need no stinking recording equipment. Find the 30 cent mic that came with your computer and slap that sucker into Windows SoundRecorder. I mean, heck... it's a banjo!

Glad you've got that DVD. When your wife hears Dan playing fiddle while you play that Ode, she'll want to rosin up her bow and make some music!

Steve
Flint, Michigan [USA]

-----------------------------------------
JOIN THE UNION!
http://www.banjohangout.org/playersunion/

wormpicker - Posted - 04/08/2007:  00:37:45

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Congrats, BRWE! It may just be me, but I think Spotted Pony is one of the more difficult tunes in Dan's book. If you're doing well with that one, some of the others should be a breeze.

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

jenny - Posted - 04/08/2007:  01:57:27

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Congrats. In a strange sychronicity, I have also just memorized "Spotted Pony" tonight (right before visiting this board). It's the first time I haven't needed any tab. I've been working through Dan Levenson's DVD since last week when I finally got my new banjo (A GoldTone CC-100). But unlike, BigRedWarEagle, I'm afraid I'm not quite able to maintain a beat (most of the time) yet...

nancydrum - Posted - 04/08/2007:  08:03:35

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Count me in as another one learning Spotted Pony! I am working on it, and it doesn't sound horrible VBG - The best part is, I am becoming comfortable with my banjo.

I admit, that is something I have had trouble with - I'm afraid I will always be a closet musician!


Nancy D

BigRedWarEagle - Posted - 04/08/2007:  08:07:12

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quote:

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But unlike, BigRedWarEagle, I'm afraid I'm not quite able to maintain a beat (most of the time) yet...

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I sure hope I'm not misrepresenting things here....I have memorized version 1 and am consistently inconsistent with the beat. When I said that I flub and keep chugging instead of going back, destroying the beat, to try to re-play the flubbed note right, I didn't mean that my beat is GOOD or accurate - I just meant that I keep going .

Maybe I'll come back and brag about having the song down when I learn version 2 or 3. I was just delighted that I was making music of any sort


HAPPY EASTER!!!

2007 Ome Juniper openback

piperdoc - Posted - 04/08/2007:  08:37:34

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spotted pony is an ideal place to start, and that is why (i think) dan chose it. it starts with a scale, gets you on all 4 melody strings, and has drop thumb, pull off and hammer on to practice. to this day, (2 years later) i warm up with spotted pony every time my instrument goes into that tuning, meaning at least 4 times a week.
stick with it.
meir

Nide44 - Posted - 04/08/2007:  09:48:09

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Is it just me or are there any others that are sick of SP?
I can't stand the tune. I've got Dan's CD & DVD & Book
and never want to lay eyes on SP again !!
(But I did learn it!)
Bob B
Yup ! Them's red 'braces'

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Edited by - Nide44 on 04/08/2007 09:51:07

Arcadian - Posted - 04/08/2007:  10:20:49

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Hey Bob I was just working up the courage to post how much I HATE spotted pony. I have been learning from Dan's book and I struggled mightily to learn this galumphing little ditty even though I didn't like how it sounded. Then I realized how silly that was and dropped it in favor of other tunes I enjoy playing. That said, I will defend until the death (or at least moderately serious injury) John's right to learn on it. And John, I'll add my congratulations for your progress. It doesn't always come as soon as you want it, but it sure feels good when it does!

"If I get Up There and all they have is harps, I'm gonna have to re-negotiate the whole thing" --Arcadian

Stev187 - Posted - 04/08/2007:  10:27:13

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LOL! There are tunes I hate to play, too. I wonder how much of the dislike of the tune comes from repetition or learning to play on it. After two years of piano lessions, I don't care if I ever hear the intro to "Fur Elise" again!

I like Spotted Pony because I learned it from the fiddler in my own band. I was always begging for more "D" tunes (which meant I could keep playing the banjo, the instrument I was learning). I still think that Dan's choice was an excellent one because the melody spans all of the strings.

Maybe we should start a thread called "Tunes We Love to Hate." I could probably add several. The worst thing is when you develop an attitude about them and start making fun of them with your playing. One of the other guys in my old string band and I did that with a few tunes--we were like the bad kids in class, playing extra hokey or getting all Spike Jones on it. Not cool at all (very funny, but not cool).

Steve
Flint, Michigan [USA]

-----------------------------------------
JOIN THE UNION!
http://www.banjohangout.org/playersunion/

Clawdan - Posted - 04/08/2007:  10:37:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by Nide44

Is it just me or are there any others that are sick of SP?
I can't stand the tune. I've got Dan's CD & DVD & Book
and never want to lay eyes on SP again !!
(But I did learn it!)
Bob B
Yup ! Them's red 'braces'

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LOL! Yep, all I'll say is that was bound to happen and that's why there are 11 other tunes in the book. Hey, wonder if anyone has put together a cd or 10 of all the folks playing in on the hangout ! Hmmm, maybe that's a disc best left unplayed!
Thump a thump a! (or is that Clip a Clop a?) Sorry

Play nice,
Dan "Ain't no bum-diddy" Levenson
Old Time Music and Dance
www.ClawhammerBanjo.us
Author of Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch, A guide for the claw-less - a MelBay Publication
and Old Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo (MelBay 20313) - 117 tunes tabbed for clawhammer banjo with standard notation and suggested chords.
Tune list at http://www.folknet.org/dan/FestTunesBJBook.htm

chasgrav - Posted - 04/08/2007:  11:03:43

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Some tunes just seem to have limited shelf-life. I remember being enchanted by SP when I first heard it about fifteen years ago. I learned it on fiddle, banjo and mandolin, played it at home, played it at jams, etc.... I learned a nice counterpoint (?) to the ascending run from Zepp. At this point, it's worn a bit thin for me, but that's due to overexposure, I guess. Still, a "must-learn" IMO.

bw - Posted - 04/08/2007:  13:16:17

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Here I am! The contrarian! Actually, I enjoy playing and hearing "Spotted Pony" as much as I dislike hearing and playing "Soldier's Joy." (The one exception is Tommy and Fred's rendition.) In another thread I posted how "Soldier's Joy" is the Oldtime world's "Stairway to Heaven." Brian in NC.........p. s. I, too, stole that descant lick from Zepp when I saw him play "Spotted Pony."

wormpicker - Posted - 04/08/2007:  14:42:23

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You guys inspired me to go back to Dan's book and knuckle down with Spotted Pony, which, as I mentioned before, is one of the tunes I tend to avoid. The main difficulty for me is right up front, in the second measure (of the Kitchen sink version). Those 4th fret pull-offs and 2-4 hammer-ons on the 4th string are my bugaboo. I think it's the same reason I shy from some of the other tunes in CBFS--Over the Waterfall, and West Fork Gals (which has a couple @#$#! 4-5 hammer-ons--even more difficult for me). But I guess we have to face out hurtles head on, right. I just finished about 20-30 runs through SP. Better head back to the banjo for some more...

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

ZEPP - Posted - 04/08/2007:  15:26:03

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I teach Spotted Pony as an introduction to double D tuning. The walk up the scale makes for a good excercise, and it is usually the first tune I teach the use of the little finger for the 4th string, 5th fret. Similarly, my students revisit the tune as a good example of how to syncopate a melody by playing it with the thumb: You can hear this in the repeat of the first "A" part at http://zcmusic.com/MP3/spotted-pony.mp3

BTW, in that same recording, I did the descant that Brian refers to at the beginning of the 2nd "A'" part, i.e., right after the "B" part.

Also BTW, this is one of those tunes that I've heard many folks play with a reversal of the "A" and "B" parts. In fact,I learned the tune the opposite of the way I recorded it, because of its teaching advantages in this order. Tony, Rocky Mt. Goat is another that has frequently interchanged "A" and "B" parts, depending on where you learned the tune.

Cheers,
ZEPP


* zepp@zeppmusic.com website: http://zeppmusic.com/ Skype us at zeppmusic *

piperdoc - Posted - 04/08/2007:  19:13:46

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this might seem strange coming from someone who loves music, but as a beginner (many of us) there is benefit to playing tunes you hate if they support a particular technical acheivement. in "from scratch" (levenson) there are 12 tunes. 4 i hate, 3 i love, and the rest i am neutral about. but practicing them in detail gave me an excellent foundation, and they are a great warmup. think about tunes you hate as one step better then exercises you will definately hate. the tunes in "buzzard banjo" (also levenson) are on the whole much better than "from scratch" but he does not break them down the same way.
meir

frailin - Posted - 04/08/2007:  19:56:23

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Hey! Let's hear it!

"Gospel. The most powerful music in this world... and the next."


www.banjohangout.org/my/frailin
www.frailin.com
www.myspace.com/frailin
www.myspace.com/eelpouts
www.myspace.com/singletonstreet

MrSrubas - Posted - 04/08/2007:  22:17:36

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quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEPP
Tony, Rocky Mt. Goat is another that has frequently interchanged "A" and "B" parts, depending on where you learned the tune.

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It's from the Henry Reed Collection. What from there doesn't flip-flop!?

wormpicker - Posted - 04/08/2007:  22:18:00

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quote:

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Originally posted by ClawdanHey, wonder if anyone has put together a cd or 10 of all the folks playing in on the hangout !

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Ok, Dan, you asked. <gulp> Here's mine (be nice):

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...c.asp?id=596

Paul (headed back to the woodshed with Spotted Pony)

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 04/08/2007:  23:03:14

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Sounds good to me, Paul. I like SP, and you're doing a nice steady job on it. I understand about getting tired of a song, it happens to most people. If you get burned out on a song, put it aside for a while, maybe you'll enjoy it again later. I don't think I've been to a jam where I didn't dislike a few songs. Somtimes it just needs a fresh perspective. Here in NE Ohio, most mt dulcimer players seem to have started with Bile 'Em Cabbage.At festivals and jams, a lot of them still play the simplified beginner version. But when you find a good fiddler who really knows how to embelish it, it's like a new song.
Paul



"As I see it, every newborn should be issued a banjo." .....Linus

tonehead - Posted - 04/09/2007:  07:22:00

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John, It sounds like your wife is already a good fiddle player. It's just a matter of repertoire. =)



Be significant.

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Edited by - tonehead on 04/09/2007 07:22:33

Clawdan - Posted - 04/09/2007:  07:34:00

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Paul, it sounds GREAT! No reason to think you can't play em all if you want. How are the jams going?
GBWE, I think you started something! Think about it. Banjo support groups and secret banjo societies all over the place.

Play nice,
Dan "Ain't no bum-diddy" Levenson
Old Time Music and Dance
www.ClawhammerBanjo.us
Author of Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch, A guide for the claw-less - a MelBay Publication
and Old Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo (MelBay 20313) - 117 tunes tabbed for clawhammer banjo with standard notation and suggested chords.
Tune list at http://www.folknet.org/dan/FestTunesBJBook.htm

dbrooks - Posted - 04/09/2007:  08:28:52

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Paul, your Spotted Pony (and other tunes) are well played. I think you are learning the right way -- by keeping the tempo slow so you can learn to pkay with all of the pull-offs, drop thumbs, etc. I, like most folks, tend to try to play faster too soon. I enjoyed your tunes a lot.

The Reiter banjo sounds great as well.

David

chasgrav - Posted - 04/09/2007:  09:17:03

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Rendesvous1840 makes a good point. The 'chestnuts' are what they are for a reason. I think I remember Mike Seeger once saying his favorite tune was 'Old Joe Clark'. It couldn't be simpler, and it may seem like a cliche. But when done well, it's a catchy and engaging tune. It's up to the artist to bring out the best in the material.

wormpicker - Posted - 04/09/2007:  09:42:35

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Thanks for your encouraging words, Paul, Dan, and David! I intended to put my post in the Sound Off forum so as not to hijack this thread. A support group for recovering Spotted Pony addicts sounds like a great idea to me. Dan, the jams are going nicely. J-Walk has a little writeup on his blog on our recent pickin party in the park (j-walkblog.com). I'll try posting a few pictures soon. Even better, I'm starting to "jam" with my two girls: me on the fiddle, 11-year old on her flute, 6-yo singing. Now THAT's fun!

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

BigRedWarEagle - Posted - 04/09/2007:  09:52:08

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Looks like I did start something! Let's hope I can make the most of it myself as well Going to start the drop-thumb exercises tonight

2007 Ome Juniper openback

Stev187 - Posted - 04/09/2007:  12:55:42

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quote:

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Originally posted by chasgrav
It couldn't be simpler, and it may seem like a cliche. But when done well, it's a catchy and engaging tune. It's up to the artist to bring out the best in the material.

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This statement couldn't be more true. I'll never forget hearing Miles Davis and his band break into Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time" in concert. A good musician can tell a story with just about any melody. Miles had a special fondness for this pop song. His treatment of the melody is just mind-numbingly beautiful.

So I guess there are no bad tunes... just unimaginative players. I know I have often been guilty of being unimaginative!





Steve
Flint, Michigan [USA]

-----------------------------------------
JOIN THE UNION!
http://www.banjohangout.org/playersunion/

gailg64 - Posted - 04/09/2007:  13:21:56

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Yes, Old Joe Clark can be a GREAT tune, and so can Bile Them Cabbages Down. Tommy Jarrell!'s OJC is fabulous & Jim Bowles' played a beautifully "creepy" Kentucky version. Cabbages: Fiddlin' John Carson played a thrill-ride of a Bile "em Cabbages that has erased all the stiff beginner versions of that tune in my mind.

Spotted Pony: Though I'm not a fan of this tune per se, I just recalled that Chip Arnold plays a lovely version--hey Chip, if you're out there: did Will Keys also play it? Some tunes seem to sound better to me picked than clawhammer-ed, especially those with a lot of melodic detail.
Gail

quote:

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Originally posted by chasgrav

Rendesvous1840 makes a good point. The 'chestnuts' are what they are for a reason. I think I remember Mike Seeger once saying his favorite tune was 'Old Joe Clark'. It couldn't be simpler, and it may seem like a cliche. But when done well, it's a catchy and engaging tune. It's up to the artist to bring out the best in the material.

---

Jim Yates - Posted - 04/09/2007:  14:00:56

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Steve,
I`m not familiar with Cindy Lauper`s Time After Time. Is it completely different from the old jazz standard Time After Time, one that I wouldn`t be surprised to hear Miles play?

chip arnold - Posted - 04/09/2007:  16:42:41

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Hi Gail, Thanks for the kind words. Yup, Will played Spotted Pony. I learned it years ago and then when I heard Will play it it took on new life....he had a way of doing that to a tune didn't he!? So I promptly stole his licks and added them in there. We have a local fiddler who plays it quite a bit and it usually gets dusted off a few times a year at festivals.

Play with a plan
Chip

banjo_brad - Posted - 04/09/2007:  18:38:35

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I started learning the tune way back in about 2000 -2001. There was a tab in BNL then, and I was just beginning. Well, the mag got filed when we moved, and I never got around to digging it out. Then, after Paul and a couple of others mentioned it from Dan's book, Hank Strawn tabbed a version in BNL in Feb. Actually, he provided two versions, A & D.

I have found that the D version is just too much fun to play! I will get started on it it and go for 5-10 minutes. I just about have it in my fingers, so I will probably try to record it soon. I am just starting to investigate the A version, but it also sounds like a lot of fun.

Brad


"Banjos and Fiddles and Guitars, Oh My!" (me)
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/5
www.PricklyPearMusic.net

Stev187 - Posted - 04/09/2007:  19:10:29

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Yates

Steve,
Is it completely different from the old jazz standard Time After Time, one that I wouldn`t be surprised to hear Miles play?

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It's no standard! And Miles took some heat from jazz purists for recording it in 1985 on You're Under Arrest. He also recorded the Michael Jackson tune "Human Nature." One could make a crack about making a silk purse from a sow's ear, but this stuff is nice! Personally, I love this era for Miles. (My favorite, however, is the Birth of the Cool and Kind of Blue era, but Miles was almost always awesome). One reason I like this era is this is when I got to see Miles--it's when I got my driver license and could go to hear him. I went to see him several times before he died. I always liked that rock and roll/funk thing he did.

You can hear samples of the songs at this Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Under-A...p/B000002642

Steve
Flint, Michigan [USA]

-----------------------------------------
JOIN THE UNION!
http://www.banjohangout.org/playersunion/