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Hi, The song of the week is 'Are You Missing Me' in the key of G. Recording Jim & Jesse - key of G https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Phh1fvTFb8 Progression The progression for the verses and breaks is: 1411 5511 1411 5511 The progression for the chorus is the same as that for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, and the verses of How Mountain Girls Can Love and Columbus Stockade Blues: 1111 5511 1111 5511 Notice that the verse and chorus progressions differ from each other only by two measures. For helping to get the song off to a strong start at the jam, the main thing to remember about the verse progression is that there is a change to the 4 chord in the second measure of lines 1 and 3. Melody & Harmony The melody for the chorus has little in common with the melody for the verse, and is not nearly as straightforward as the melody for the verse. Each line of the chorus starts with a different melody note (disregarding the nonessential grace notes that the first and third line begin with). The melody for lines 1 and 3, which one might expect to be similar, are significantly different from each other, and line 4 begins with a uncommon starting note for a line, the 7th note of the major scale (F# note when in the key of G). On the recording, the harmony part is prominent in the mix, and in certain spots, most notably the beginnings of lines 2 and 4, the harmony notes form wide intervals with the melody notes (a major 6th for the beginning of line 2 on the word 'with': the notes are separated from each other by 9 half steps: A is the melody note, and the F# above it is the harmony note; a minor 6th for the beginning of line 4 on the word 'are': the notes are separated from each other by 8 half steps: F# is the melody note, and the D above it is the harmony note). For all these reasons and more, it is very easy to misidentify many of the melody notes for the chorus. So, in addition to the melody sheets for the verse which are intended to give people a good starting point for coming up with melody-based breaks on their instruments, I have also included in the attachments a chorus melody and harmony sheet for the benefit of singers which is based upon the first chorus on the recording. The lower of the two parts shown on the sheet is the melody, and the higher of the two parts is the harmony. Song List 16 songs were played at last night's jam: Are You Missing Me - G Ashes Of Love - G Cherokee Shuffle - A Clinch Mountain Backstep - A Cry, Cry Darlin' - Bb Down In A Willow Garden - A I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - G Little Cabin Home On The Hill (played twice) - A & G Little Liza Jane - D Love Of The Mountains - A Reuben - D Steel Rails - C Why Don't You Tell Me So - G Bill Cheatham - A Lonesome Feeling - C Long Journey Home - A Happy Pickin', Jason Are You Missing Me - banjo tab (verse) Download File Are You Missing Me - guitar tab (verse) Download File Are You Missing Me - mandolin tab (verse) Download File Are You Missing Me - verse in G Download File Are You Missing Me - chorus & harmony Download File
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Hi, The song of the week is 'Reuben' in the key of D. Reuben is known also by many other names. Some of the most common of these (in Bluegrass circles) are: 'Reuben's Train', 'Old Reuben', 'Lonesome Reuben' and 'Train 45'. This was the first tune that Earl Scruggs, when he was about 10 years old, played with 3 fingers (up to that time he had been a 2 finger style picker) Over the years, Earl recorded Reuben many times, and each time he always managed to find some new and interesting way to play it. There are numerous different versions of Reuben, - and even whole other songs that are based on Reuben (e.g., 'Ruby' by Cousin Emmy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgyUKAFyMRA , but more commonly associated with the Osborne Brothers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhiOaSWuFjU) - but they are all based on what is essentially the same simple repetitive melody (8 measures. Only 4 melody notes in many interpretations of the melody. See the attached melody sheets.) Key & Banjo Tuning In Bluegrass circles, Reuben is almost always played in the key of D, with the banjo tuned to an open D major chord ('D tuning': F#DF#AD, or ADF#AD). Recordings Flatt and Scruggs (banjo, fiddle, and dobro breaks) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqci8CdgkzU Earl Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Mark O'Connor (banjo, fiddle, dobro, and guitar breaks: very improv. oriented) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-TMdFzH_PA The Dillards (Vocal, banjo breaks, and a simple mandolin break) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-MTmErL1Og Progression The chord progression is: 1111 1511 which is the second half of Progressions V1, V3, V5, and X1 on the basic chord progressions handout. In the key of D: 1=D and 5=A. Note: Most interpretations of the melody do not imply any chord change at all: so it can be difficult at first trying to hear where the A chord fits into the progression. If you are uncertain about when to change to the A, then just stay on the D. It is better to play a D over the measure of A, instead of playing an A in the wrong spot. To capo or not to capo The tune has a strong drony character to it. To help contribute to this feel of the song, I recommend that guitar and banjo players avoid using a capo for this tune. Some guitar players like to lower their low E string to a D, so as to further enhance the drony feel of the song. Lyrics or no lyrics Although Reuben is often played as an instrumental - which is how I intend it to be played as it goes through its song of the week cycle at the jam - it does have lyrics. (Actually, there are several different sets of lyrics for Reuben.) But even when lyrics are used, the tune often still remains mostly instrumental. The singing can be thought of as a kind of 'vocal break'. Improvisation Because the melody is simple and repetitive, and mostly stays on one chord, jamming Reuben makes for a good opportunity to develop one's improvisational skills. (When improvising over Reuben, one can often get away with ignoring the A chord altogether.) Indeed, Reuben is the kind of tune that, when played without variation, gets monotonous quite quickly. Yet, when one adds just enough variation into the mix, Reuben is the kind of tune that can be jammed on for 10 minutes or more without it getting monotonous. One can take one's first steps towards improvisation (making up a break on the fly) by creating variations on the melody. There are many ways to do this. Examples include adding in extra notes between melody notes, taking out notes, altering the rhythm of the melody, and taking a measure or two of the melody and simply repeating it over and over again. If you wish to get a little bit more adventurous, you can try creating variations that drift in and out of the melody. For getting started with doing this, I would like to point out that one can get a lot of mileage out of including C notes in your variations. Lingering on C notes works quite well for improvisation on this tune if you find yourself out on a limb while your hands are trying to find where to go to next on the fretboard. And, if you are new to improvising, there will be many, many times when you will suddenly find yourself 'out on a limb'. In order to become a good improv player (or even to do any kind of improv at all), one must be willing to take risks. Song List 18 songs were played at last night's jam: Cherokee Shuffle - A Clinch Mountain Backstep - A Cry, Cry Darlin' - A Down In A Willow Garden - G Homestead On The Farm - A I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - G In The Sweet By And By - C Little Cabin Home On The Hill - A Little Liza Jane - D Little Willie - Bb Reuben - D Why Don't You Tell Me So - G The Girl I Left Behind Me - G Over The Waterfall - D Cripple Creek - A Soldier's Joy - D Liberty - D Your Love Is Like A Flower - A Happy Pickin', Jason Reuben - banjo tab Download File Reuben - guitar tab Download File Reuben - mandolin tab Download File Reuben - melody in D Download File Hi, The song of the week is the Flatt & Scruggs classic 'Why Don't You Tell Me So' in the key of G. Recordings Here is the original Flatt & Scruggs recording of Why Don't You Tell Me So - key of F# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=868sWKi1CWc Here is a good cover version of the song from Tony Rice - key of F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgTiqz2X1Mg&list=PLJcseQaUtw9WQvE_F-tmDHRwhKTfOr6iz&index=5 Tuning The Flatt & Scruggs recording is in the very rarely used key of F# (or Gb, if you prefer) instead of the much more common key of F only because the instruments were all tuned a half step higher in pitch than standard. To play along with the recording, I advise banjo, mandolin and fiddle players to either tune their instruments a half step higher and then play as if in F, or to tune their instruments a half step lower and then play as if in G. (Guitar players need not retune their instruments, for there is little advantage in doing so: either capo 4, and then play as if in D, or capo 2 and then play as if in E will work just fine for playing along with the recording.) Note to Banjo Players If the band had been tuned to standard pitch, Scruggs' playing on Why Don't You Tell Me So would be an example of playing in F without a capo (banjo tuned in G tuning with the 5th string capoed at the 7th fret so that the 5th string registers as an A note, a note that is part of the F chord). For banjo players who wish to learn Earl's backup parts and break from the record, I point out that there is little difference in how it feels to play Scruggs' parts out of G (tuned down a half step from G tuning to be in tune with the recording: F#,C#,F#,A#,C#), or out of F (tuned up a half step from G tuning, with the 5th string capoed at the 7th fret: A#,D#,G#,B#,D#. B#=C) since only in a couple of spots in his backup playing does Scruggs use an open string, and in his break, the only open string he makes use of is the 5th string. There are however, a couple of spots during the backup parts in which one will run out of frets if tuned down instead of tuned up, but an easy fix for this is to simply drop those spots a whole octave: i.e., play the notes 12 frets lower. For banjo players who have little or no experience playing up the neck (besides vamping), I recommend working up down-the-neck breaks and backup parts out of G with the help of banjo tab melody sheet in the attachments. Finally, it should be observed that Scruggs' up the neck break that occurs after the second chorus of the song does not follow the melody closely enough to be used as an effective intro break for the song. Progression The chord progression for the verses and breaks is the very familiar progression: 1111 1155 1144 1511 (Prog. V2 on the basic chord progressions chart) The chord progression for the choruses is the most common progression for choruses in songs in which the verses use Prog. V2 while the choruses use a different progression. Only the first line differs from V2: 4411 1155 1144 1511 (Prog. X2) The Mercury Sessions Why Don't You Tell Me So was the 8th song that Flatt & Scruggs recorded together after leaving Bill Monroe's band. It is one of 28 songs that Flatt & Scruggs recorded together on Mercury Records between 1948 and 1950 (before they went to a different record label: Columbia). This collection of 28 songs is commonly referred to as 'the Mercury Sessions', and I consider it to be essential listening for students of Bluegrass music. Most of these 28 songs have become Bluegrass standards and have been covered by numerous Bluegrass artists. In the order in which they were recorded, here are youtube links to the 28 songs of the Mercury Sessions. Songs that I especially recommend listening to several times over are marked with an asterisk *1. We'll Meet Again Sweetheart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT7rowwR_lA 2. God Loves His Children https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BEd1UVqdoY *3. My Cabin In Caroline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zy_KcA-1yM 4. I'm Going To Make Heaven My Home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KkvX1Ovzqw 5. Baby Blue Eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4C9-yPOnC8 *6. Down The Road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q40vZj20E4I 7. Bouquet In Heaven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGm0U6Izb6k *8. Why Don't You Tell Me So https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=868sWKi1CWc *9. I'll Never Shed Another Tear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtk7XyiuCXU *10. Foggy Mountain Breakdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Y3mnj-8lA *11. No Mother Or Dad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG16hKUlo1k *12. Is It Too Late Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQvdadVsvmo *13. My Little Girl In Tennessee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNuUybrAq4 14. I'll Be Going To Heaven Sometime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nqp9bSoSwQ 15. I'll Never Love Another https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rElItBdIq8I 16. So Happy I'll Be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjS0TH05Xhw *17. Doin' My Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InFTCQfri9w *18. Pike County Breakdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HioToEDKl_E 19. Preachin' Prayin' Singin' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNdaHDHgwCc *20. Cora Is Gone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJkTaX2Li2I *21. Pain In My Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meazeajPSP0 *22. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riHYkRKXydU 23. Back To The Cross https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yciZzg3rQTE *24. Old Salty Dog Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQdkmY3-egE 25. Will The Roses Bloom (Where She Lies Sleeping) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUzt_7fBV_4 *26. Take Me In A LIfeboat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFMbmJ7Sov0 *27. Farewell Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McvTz0j_Pt0 28. I'll Just Pretend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuXpNYYR4cw Song List 14 songs were played at last night's jam: Ashes Of Love (played twice) - B & G Cherokee Shuffle - A Clinch Mountain Backstep - A Gold Watch And Chain - D Homestead On The Farm - A Little Cabin Home On The Hill - A Turkey In The Straw - G We'll Meet Again Sweetheart - A Why Don't You Tell Me So (played twice) - F & G Wreck Of The Old '97 (played twice) - D & A Golden Slippers - G The Girl I Left Behind Me - G 99 Years And One Dark Day - A Hand Me Down My Walking Cane - C Happy Pickin', Jason Why Don't You Tell Me So - banjo tab Download File Why Don't You Tell Me So - guitar tab Download File Why Don't You Tell Me So - mandolin tab Download File Why Don't You Tell Me So - melody in G Download File Hi, I hope that you have had a good Summer. Song of the Week The song of the week is 'Little Cabin Home On The Hill' in the key of A. Recordings Here is the original recording of Little Cabin Home On The Hill, as performed by the first bluegrass band: Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys: Bill Monroe - key of A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GbU45MyMFc Pay close attention to the tempo and feel of this original version of the song, and for harmony singers, also the phrasing of the lyrics on the chorus, since this is the version that I model my way of playing and singing the song after when I lead it at jams. Here is a live version of Little Cabin Home On The Hill performed by Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt several years after they originally recorded the song together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnnNlU8lb5w Here is a live version of the song from the Osborne Brothers in which Bobby Osborne sings the same tenor part that Bill Monroe sang on the old classic recording of the song, and all but drowns out the other parts, which makes it a good source to learn the harmony part from, but not for learning the lead part from. Osborne Brothers: key of B https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwwaWhxaYs Bluegrass History Bill Monroe had been recording since 1936, first with his older brother Charlie, under the name 'The Monroe Brothers', and then, from 1940 onward, with his own band 'The Bluegrass Boys', but it wasn't until 1945 that all the essential components that would eventually make it possible to classify Bill Monroe's music as belonging to a genre (now known as Bluegrass) distinct from any other genre of music that preceded it, all came together in his band. So, within the context of this perspective on the origin of bluegrass, a perspective that is shared by many scholars and fans of bluegrass music, the first bluegrass band was Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in its 1945 - 1948 line-up, consisting of Bill Monroe (Sept. 13, 1911 - Sept. 9, 1996) on mandolin, and tenor harmony (and sometimes solo lead vocal), Lester Flatt (June 19, 1914 - May 11, 1979) on rhythm guitar and lead vocal, Earl Scruggs (Jan. 6, 1924 - Mar. 28, 2012) on 5-string banjo, Chubby Wise (Oct. 2, 1915 - Jan. 6, 1996) on fiddle, and Howard Watts, a.k.a. Cedric Rainwater (Feb. 19, 1913 - Jan. 21, 1970) on upright bass. And the first bluegrass recordings were the 28 songs recorded in 1946 and 1947 by this line-up of The Bluegrass Boys. These first bluegrass recordings remain to this day an indispensable point of reference for defining the bluegrass genre as a whole. This is true even though not every component that we now take for granted as being a characteristic part of bluegrass music is represented on these records. There are no guitar breaks on these records. There is also no dobro in the band. None of the Gospel songs on these records are sung acappella. All the various ways of stacking three-part harmonies which are now commonplace in bluegrass are not accounted for. These were all later developments in bluegrass music. There are no flashy instrumental banjo-feature tunes. Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, and Ralph Stanley hadn't composed these yet, (or at least, had not yet recorded them.) Harmony Many of the songs on the first bluegrass recordings feature two-part harmony on the choruses, with Lester singing lead, and Bill singing the tenor harmony part which is higher than the lead part. These are good records to learn bluegrass harmony from, for Bill's voice is easy to distinguish from Lester's and is usually at a high volume in the mix. Be careful, though, when trying to learn the lead part from the records, for Bill's harmony part could be mistaken for the melody at certain points simply because it is so dominant. If Bill's harmony parts are too high pitched for your vocal range (and this will be the case for many men; many women, on the other hand, will find that Bill sings in a range that is close to their own vocal range) to duplicate while singing along with the records, trying singing the same notes an octave lower. The resulting harmony part is known as the 'low tenor', and is lower than a baritone harmony: that is, it is two parts lower than the lead part. In the attachments, in addition to the melody sheets for the verse which I provide primarily for the sake of giving people a good starting point for coming up with melody-based breaks for the song, I have also included a sheet that shows the melody and the tenor harmony for the chorus. For each pair of notes, the lower of the two is the melody note, and the higher of the two is the tenor harmony note. Progression The chord progression for the verses and breaks is: 1141 1155 1141 1511 (V6 on the basic progressions chart) The progression for the chorus is: 4411 1155 1141 1511 (X6 on the basic progressions chart) This a common combination of chord progressions in bluegrass songs. More Classic Recordings Here are some more 1946 - 1947 classic bluegrass records from the original bluegrass band. These are all well worth listening to closely:
This was the first song recorded by the original bluegrass band. It is solo vocal number, with a swing feel to it, written and sung by Bill Monroe. It starts with each instrument in the band other than the bass taking a turn playing a. now quite typical and cliche, 1-measure bluegrass fillin-lick.
This song conforms perfectly to what has become one of the most standard types of arrangements for bluegrass songs when played at jams: full-length intro break, chorus, break (on a different instrument than the one that played the intro break), verse, chorus, break, verse, chorus, break, verse, chorus, break, chorus, with a solo vocal on the verses and harmony on the choruses.
This is mandolin-feature break-neck speed bluegrass instrumental composed by Bill Monroe. It is the first of its type, and it blew audiences away when they first heard it. It is also the immediate precursor of Earl Scruggs' famous banjo-feature tune 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'.
This is a Gospel song that features 4-part harmony with sparse instrumental accompaniment (mandolin and guitar), and only short 'turnaround' breaks on the mandolin. This type of arrangement has been used on countless bluegrass recordings of Gospel songs.
This is a good example of the type of fast 3/4 (or 6/4) time song that The Stanley Brothers would shortly thereafter become especially known for.
A slower 3/4 time song that, under the influence of Elvis, Bill Monroe would later record again with a cut time (2/2) section coming after a 3/4 time section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSOqiUxdtk
A moderately slow song with a distinctive feel to it that has been popular at some times at the various incarnations of the Pioneer Building beginner and intermediate jams.
A trad. song that Monroe liked to use as a banjo-feature song.
A Gospel song with bluesy/mountain minor note choices.
A solo vocal Jimmie Rodgers yodeling song that has a similar feel to an earlier Bill Monroe song, 'Rocky Road Blues' which is played often at our jam.
The 12 remaining songs recorded by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1946 and 1947 are:
Most of these 28 songs are Bill Monroe and/or Lester Flatt originals written with this line up of The Bluegrass Boys in mind, rather than traditional songs that pre-date this first bluegrass band. If you wish to listen to more recent bluegrass recordings of many of these 28 songs, mixed in with many other slightly later bluegrass classics, in arrangements that sometimes include some of the additional bluegrass components that are absent on the original recordings (e.g., guitar and dobro breaks), an excellent place to start is with 'The Bluegrass Album Band' (a.k.a., California Connection) records, and with 'Ricky Skaggs', esp. with his band 'Kentucky Thunder'. Happy Pickin', Jason Little Cabin Home - Banjo tab Download File Little Cabin Home - Guitar tab Download File Little Cabin Home - Mandolin tab Download File Little Cabin Home - Melody in A Download File Little Cabin Home On The Hill - Chorus Download File |
Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021Was weekly on Thursdays 
Songs regularly called at the Beginner Bluegrass Jam and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails. (from Renee)
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