Year of the Melody

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Posted by Tyler8 on Monday, July 16, 2007

If you haven't seen Pete Wernick's article in the July 2007 Banjo Newsletter, you should pick up a copy and "check it out".

He talks about working hard on one vocal song melody per week for an entire year -- after which you'll at least have 52 melodies that you've worked your way through and learned but, better yet, you'll likely boost your ability to "suss out" a melody on the fly.

Now, I already know a "reasonable" number of bluegrass melodies BUT there are a bunch of standards/classics that I haven't learned yet PLUS there are a bunch of lyrics to songs I already know the break to that I would like to get memorized.

So, I started up over the weekend. First song in the queue is "Molly and Tenbrooks". In addition to listening to various versions of each song that have previously been recorded, my goals for each song will be:

1) Be able to play the "bare minimum" melody for the song in the "normal" jamming key. G for Molly and Tenbrooks.

2) Figure out at least one low-break for the banjo with a few alternative licks. Note, this is "figure out", not memorize tab from someone else.

3) Work out a simple backup for the song. Vamping, rolling, or rolling with fill-in licks. The part will assure that I have the chords memorized AND can spend time figuring out less common chords and getting used to playing them. I also need TONS more work on backup and I hope that working out a little stuff before-hand will help me during jams.

4) Memorize the vocals. At least the chorus but the entire song if possible.

5) Work out a high-break for the banjo.

If I still have time left in the week, here are a few additional steps.

6) Work out the bare melody line in a different key (like D) with no capo.

7) Work out a simple backup in the alternate uncapoed key.

Over the weekend I was able to get to half-way through step 4. I have the melody down, a respectable low-break worked out, a simple vamping backup, and the first two verses memorized. Tonight I need to get the rest of the verses down. Then maybe I can see how well I can work out this tune in D.

Keeping "at it" is going to be the hardest part of this. Life has a habit of getting in the way, but we'll see how I do.

I think next weeks song will be one of my personal favorites -- Wall around your heart -- which I love to listen to but have never worked on before now.

Tyler

6 comments on “Year of the Melody”

schaumannk Says:
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 @10:00:08 AM

Tyler, that sounds like a very diciplined scientific approach to building a repetoire. Just what I would expect from a former Air Force guy and probably what I should be doing myslef. By the way, are you any relation to Newt? Kate

Tyler8 Says:
Friday, September 21, 2007 @10:01:19 PM

Yep, always need a plan. [:)] Proper prior planning prevents poor performance...

Newt is adopted, so no. I might be related to his adoptive parents though -- both they and my father come from Pennsylvania Dutch country just west of Philidelphia and they spell their last names with the less common "Gingrich" as opposed to "Gingerich".

Tyler

tadmj Says:
Saturday, October 6, 2007 @9:45:39 AM

Tyler,

I completely agree with your method. I would like to start a collection of CDs that emphasize the vocals and (therefore) the melody of bluegrass songs. The problem is that I would like to minimize the number of CDs that I buy. Do you have any suggestions for CDs?

Thanks,

Tad tjohnson19@wi.rr.com

Tyler8 Says:
Saturday, October 6, 2007 @11:53:38 AM

Tad,

Well, there's a new set of bluegrass classics CDs from Time Life that covers a LOT of ground and would be a good starting place. Most of the tracks are vocals, all of the performers are top-notch.

http://www.timelife.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=1001&langId=-1&productId=210730

$120 from Time Life -- you can probably google around and find them cheaper but while that IS a lot of money, it would be a good place to get almost every "classic" bluegrass song that you'll hear at jams. Also, it's a good way to figure out what bands/singers/players you like to listen to.

Tyler