“Texas-style” ?

Great in depth work out! 

Been at the banjo for over 50 years now and always happy to see younger players coming up with such perfect stuff (talking of your earlier presentations).

Dusty Miller always remained a bit of a mystery to me.

Like said I started half a century ago by figuring out Alan Munde by ear (the only possible option back then in Europe) from my radio tapes. But I learned so much by doing that and occasional hints given by Alan (and later Bill Keith s well) after concerts. Priceless.

Any way, I once filled in with a band that wanted to do Dusty Miller, but for the dear life of me, it had no head or tail that I could hear.  To me, it didn't have a melody like Huckleberry Hornpipe or the likes. All I heard were some pentatonic scales running up and down. But I fudged my way out by playing some Scruggsy back up with an essential key note here and there, thus saving the day. 

Nowadays I'm mostly playing my own tunes or own arrangements of banjoparts in songs.

Your great presentation should at least give me some good ideas. I didn't see you doing things that I don't do at times too, so who knows after all... 

As soon as it feels like work however, I'll start something else.  Promise.

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

“Texas-style” ?

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Fiddle style. Benny Thomasson, Byron Berline, Mark O'Connor to name a few.

A lot like we play it in Maine,too.

One of my faves.

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Originally posted by RB-1

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

“Texas-style” ?

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Fiddle style. Benny Thomasson, Byron Berline, Mark O'Connor to name a few.

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Of those three, only Thomason was a Texas-style fiddler (in the later Texas style that Thomasson himself significantly influenceda). Eco Robertson, for instance surely played Texas-style fiddle, but it was an older one than Thomasson's. See also Tex Logan.  Finally, there is, of course, no "Texas-style" banjo. 

quote:

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Originally posted by RB-1

Great in depth work out! 

Been at the banjo for over 50 years now and always happy to see younger players coming up with such perfect stuff (talking of your earlier presentations).

Dusty Miller always remained a bit of a mystery to me.

Like said I started half a century ago by figuring out Alan Munde by ear (the only possible option back then in Europe) from my radio tapes. But I learned so much by doing that and occasional hints given by Alan (and later Bill Keith s well) after concerts. Priceless.

Any way, I once filled in with a band that wanted to do Dusty Miller, but for the dear life of me, it had no head or tail that I could hear.  To me, it didn't have a melody like Huckleberry Hornpipe or the likes. All I heard were some pentatonic scales running up and down. But I fudged my way out by playing some Scruggsy back up with an essential key note here and there, thus saving the day. 

Nowadays I'm mostly playing my own tunes or own arrangements of banjoparts in songs.

Your great presentation should at least give me some good ideas. I didn't see you doing things that I don't do at times too, so who knows after all... 

As soon as it feels like work however, I'll start something else.  Promise.

 

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That's cool to hear, and thanks for the appreciative words. I've also had a hard time faking this one at jams, because it's so notey. Unlike a lot of tunes, it's hard to hear a skeletal version of the melody, and then to play a Scruggs break based on that. I really like Alan Munde's version of this one too.

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

quote:

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Originally posted by RB-1

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bill Rogers

“Texas-style” ?

---

Fiddle style. Benny Thomasson, Byron Berline, Mark O'Connor to name a few.

---

Of those three, only Thomason was a Texas-style fiddler (in the later Texas style that Thomasson himself significantly influenceda). Eco Robertson, for instance surely played Texas-style fiddle, but it was an older one than Thomasson's. See also Tex Logan.  Finally, there is, of course, no "Texas-style" banjo. 

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Mark  O'Connor was a student of  Bennie and in his earlier recordings (and contests in Weiser ID) was very much a Texas style fiddler. Also called contest style, it is often highly ornamented and improvisational and played with swing. 

I've always thought of each fiddletune as being a new lesson.
A couple of turning points for my melodic playing were Soldier's Joy in D/no capo/2 octaves,Whiskey Before Breakfast in D and Kitchen Girl in A /no capo.
These 2 tunes helped me become comfortable playing new tunes in D or A.I believe I learned Dusty Miller from a tab in Banjo Newsletter.I think it was of Butch Robins' playing.

I struggled mightily with Huckleberry HP until I found a tab written by Alan Munde in an issue of Frets magazine.I love tab for solving problems,quickly.

There are a lot of good fiddlers,here.
Don Roy grew up about 15 miles from me.His uncle Lucien was a premier fiddler who loved to jam at The Roost and any festival he attended.
I used to check with Lucien to see if I was learning a tune correctly.He played the dickens out of Huckleberry Hornpipe and Big John McNeil.

Forgive the self promotion but I worked on this Texas style rendition of Sally Johnson many years ago with typical guitar backup. I incorporated some ideas from Mark O’Connor. Audio quality could have been better.

Nice playing,Laurence.
Great ending.

Great playing, Laurence! I love all the variations and the jazzy stuff.

Thank you Ben for introducing some Texas style fiddle music here. Some of my favorite fiddling and way under represented in my opinion.

Laurence Diehl Sounds great!

Texas Style --imo--is a personal opinion--Byron Berline, Mark Oconnor fill my bill--some times the back-up does a lot to establish the style--Texas Style does'' sometimes '' have signature chord tricks such as 4 to 2 then 1 to 6
this brings to mind my first intro via Poor Richard's Almanac
Grand Master's fiddle contest has some great up and coming player's over on you tube
my opinion I ask no agreement


btw I never got hooked on Dusty Miller==Bill Monroe did a stripped down ,toe tappin grass version--pretty much a different
tune

Listen to Butch Robins play Dusty Miller.
That's the version that hooked me.
I like the drive in Butch's fiddletunes.

At last night's Wiley's Corner Grange Jam we played around 10 fiddletunes such a as St. Anne's,Montreal,Kitchen Girl and a few hornpipes I hadn't heard,before.

It helps a lot to have good fiddlers that know the tunes and the drive.

I agree with that point about drive, Steve. If I’m playing with a fiddler I’ll often do a more Scruggs oriented approach, or at least feel less responsibility for playing the melody note for note.

I agree,Ben.
It's so important to not compete with the fiddle's turn.I was a drummer for years in school and find many areas to use pick rhythms while damping any ringing notes.It depends on the moment.
I especially like playing melodic "tenor" or "alto" to the lead,but not enough to take over the attention from the lead.

I have been pondering my view of Texas vs' Old Time as they sit in this ever moving definition

--The old time fiddle guys get more low flourishes and keep digging at a phrase until the fiddle reaches it's best --for me a skeleton melody/. trying to hit at the same points --also a matching rhythm but no melody-and a few passing tones that stay out of the way

--Texas style dances along bringing out the lighter voices of the fiddle --trading the fiddles collection of the low overtones for lighter resonances that leave more room for thick mid range -

Old time for me is basically --heavy rhythm like a horse in a team vs a couple of horses in a trotting team (Texas style}

A couple of celtic guys Michael Coleman and Hough Gellispie --made records in the thirties --These seem more similar to Texas Style however their back up was different--
A fiddle player might so thru different styles --

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Originally posted by Tractor1

A couple of celtic guys Michael Coleman and Hough Gellispie --made records in the thirties --These seem more similar to Texas Style however their back up was different--
A fiddle player might so thru different styles --

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meant to say go thru different styles within a session=-

of course just  my view, not asking for agreement

also thanks Ben for getting  your teaching ,involved in the Texas Style genre--I personally like most  fiddle styles --but they can be harder fo me  to diffrenciate  or even play  on the 5 string--but I have fun trying--- my way --I like that Tennessee Wagoner or Beaumont --Rag and other mainstays--

Hello I have a pre 1920s banjo in playing condition I'm trying to sale as soon as possible

NOTE:  This should be in the Swap Shop.

Lickable link:  https://www.banjohangout.org/classified/117039

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Originally posted by Laurence Diehl

Forgive the self promotion but I worked on this Texas style rendition of Sally Johnson many years ago with typical guitar backup. I incorporated some ideas from Mark O’Connor. Audio quality could have been better.

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Wonderful would be an understatement. From the first time l heard you playing, I knew you could do things like this.

Hearing you actually pulling this off is a great pleasure!

The fiddlers I play with (most of the time) are of the Cape Breton style.Lise grew up on the Gaspe Peninsula,but when she plays country or bluegrass she just plays what sounds right.It's not like people are thinking "Oh,her bluegrass sounds good,but you can tell she's a Cape Bretoner".They just play what sounds right.
Many were influenced by a famous Canadian fiddler that had a popular radio show when they were growing up.
I could call Lise who knows,but they might be eating supper about now.

Don Messer was the Canadian fiddler/band leader.