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Determining the melody while jamming

From oldwoodchuckb on 2/13/2012 12:59:23 PM

Looking for the melody can be difficult. But finding it is the most rewarding thing you can do at a jam.

Some banjo players just Bum Did-dy out chords at jams but I prefer to jam with those who also strive to preserve the nature of the music. A bunch of banjos banging out chords is far more disturbing to other musicians than those who are quietly trying to work out melodies. It is hard work for the banjo player - but it is also teaching them something.

Besides, a lot of people are holding themselves back by attempting to strum chords when simply hitting single notes is so much easier. I always prefer to tell people that time spent watching the other musicians at a jam is not time wasted. You don't have to be in there playing at every moment. Start out by listening to the tune. Watch the better banjo players and make a note of how far up the neck they go for the topmost note (ie: In D it will usually be the 7th fret 1st string). Note when they drop down to the 4th string. Listen for the As and Ds that come up in the melody - those are all on 0pen strings and you should be able to find the right one by sound - if you know the sounds of your 0pen strings in each tuning you use.

Go into jams knowing where you will find the most important notes of a given scale Root, 3rd, 4, 5th, Oct. These are the note you are actually playing with those chords - why play the whole chord? Ask questions between tunes - find out what that mysterious note was.

If you MUST play chords try to play only partials, Root and Five notes, with occasional 3rds and perhaps bass runs between them. Make it light so it blends in to the general sound. You do know it actually isn't necessary that anyone else hear you? You can test sounds against what you are hearing too. When melodies I don't know go up into my deaf zone (that range where the tinnitus usually makes it hard to hear the exact melody note) I will experiment until I find the right top notes. It might take me several times through the tune, but I usually have it by the end - and next time I'm going to get it faster even if I don't remember the tune.

Try to associate the tune you are hearing now with other tunes you've played in the same key, listen for similar little sets of notes.

eg: how many tunes in D have a part that involves going up the 1st string = 0,2,3,5 or down 5,3,2,0. You probably know at least 2 Mississippi Sawyer and Soldier's Joy. Now try to think of other tunes that use this run of melody notes - using you banjo is not cheating.

I suppose I really should start producing truly skeletal tabs (strictly the important melody notes without any fancies at all) and do a chapter on finding the melody within banjo playing, but I'm lazy about such things and always found that my face to face student's managed to get the idea from standard tabs.

Try this (also in D) play over any tab you have of Liberty a few times. Then look through the intertubes and see if you can find a recording of Run Down Boot. Compare and contrast and see if you can't come up with a way to play the second tune form knowing the first. Now look for Red Lick and/or Old Piss. These are all D tunes (we call them the Liberty Family or Liberty Clones) so they should all be in the same key on most modern recordings.

3 Comments
	Miguel MC Dowell says: 2/13/2012 5:16:15 PM Old Wood Chuck I will have to get my banjo out of hiding and check the G tuning on several songs that I discovered all have certain strings and cords the seem to be repetitious in nature,m the sae stribgs on different tunes. J happened to discover this by playing them alot and seeing the little difference there really is when you beat out lots of songs. I willo get back to you soon I hope.
	abbey says: 2/13/2012 8:23:09 PM Lots of food for thought. I hope to give it a try tomorrow. Thank you!
	Banjer Joe says: 2/14/2012 11:51:10 AM Tony, I think you've hit the root problem (and provided some possible solutions) when one is trying to learn a new tune when jamming with others, whether they be fiddlers, guitarists, harmonica players, etc. I'm sometimes the onlyest (from Ron Thomason, Dry Branch Fire Squad) banjo player at a local fiddle jam and it is difficult to try to hear and then play along and often at performance speed. They all know and play a tune and are most gracious as I fumble along. But I would like to get much better at this quickly. I'm working on removing myself from the "tab" life support system but this is difficult. But your recommendations seem very worthwhile so I'll be trying to apply them. Thanks again from all us folks working to improve our playing. Joe
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