Columbus Stockade Blues info

Columbus Stockade Blues

3/12/2018

Hi,
The song of the week is Columbus Stockade Blues in the key of G.

Recordings
Tony Trischka - key of D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfbb21C0HY

Bill Monroe - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_uYc2PjVuI

Della Mae - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IA0NKOfXIo

Progression
The progression for the verses is:
1111
5511
1111
5511
(Prog. W5 on the basic chord progressions handout)
Notice that the two halves of the progression are identical.

The progression for the chorus is:
4411
4455
1111
5511

Notice that the second half of the chorus progression is identical to the second half of the verse progression.

In the key of G: 1 = G; 4 = C; 5 = D

Stops
As played at most bluegrass jams, there is a stop in the middle of the chorus progression. And that is how we usually play Columbus Stockade at the beginner jam.

For measure 8 of the chorus progression, everyone who is playing backup plays a D chord or a D note at the beginning of the measure, then silences their strings immediately afterwards, and then plays nothing until the beginning of the next (9th) measure. Hence, during the last 3/4 of measure 8 of the chorus progression, the only thing that should be heard is either the vocal (if a chorus is being sung) singing the words: "In your", or the instruments whose break it is (if a break is being played over the chorus progression).

When playing a break over the chorus progression, there should be no stop made by the instrument(s) playing the break (only the instruments playing backup should do the stop), for there needs to be something keeping time during the measure in which the stop occurs so as to help guide everyone to come back in at the same time as each other at the beginning of the 9th measure of the progression. Besides, part of the reason for doing a stop during a break is so that more attention can be drawn to the instrument(s) playing the break. So if the instrument(s) playing the break stop when the backup players stop, then part of the reason for doing the stop has not been taken advantage of.

Arrangement
I start the song off by playing an intro break over the verse progression only. All subsequent breaks (except possibly for the very last one) will be played over both the verse and the chorus progression, and will be split between two different types of instruments.

Sometimes I will 'tag' the last sung chorus. That means that after singing the final chorus, I might choose to repeat either the last line (last 4 measures: starts with: "(yes) / leave me little darlin'...) of the chorus, or, more commonly for this song, I might choose to repeat the last two lines (last 8 measures: starts with: "In your / heart...") of the chorus before ending the song. But, how I choose to end the song is a decision that I tend to make in the moment, rather than planning it out in advance.

Happy Pickin',
Jason