any bluegrass whistle players?

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:18 pm

A trio of bluegrass musicians came to my music group last month. The violin player kept trying to get me to play in on his sets. Unfortunately, I lack the speed, and musicianship to keep up with their high energy. One song was "Whiskey Before Breakfast." It sounded like Irish music to me, but apparently it falls into the bluegrass category.

Anyone on board in a bluegrass band or goes to one of the many bluegrass get togethers?
+ Bill

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:29 am

I've heard that tune played in an Irish trad style and as a bluegrass tune. Unfortunately I can't think of the fiddle player off hand.

I played my flute at a bluegrass jam once. I've worked a little on bluegrass whistle but haven't really pursued it. I think it would sound cool. Time go get off my heinie and get to work.

SirNick · Post by **SirNick** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:58 am

I think Millish gives an interesting example of what typical bluegrass intrumentation (guitar, mandolin, fiddle) and a whistle thrown in sound like. They're fairly jazzy and don't really hit on any bluegrass standards but you can use your imagination.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:09 am

BillChin wrote:It sounded like Irish music to me, but apparently it falls into the bluegrass category.

While Bluegrass is a distinct mid-20th Century style of stringband music, it is built, in part, on the repertoire of traditional American fiddle tunes. A good many tunes are traditional on both sides of the Atlantic, so to speak, and not only both sides of the Atlantic, it's common that a good tune will be found in various parts of the British Isles. In other words, the fiddling traditions overlap.

More than that, a Bluegrass musician, an old time fiddler, an Irish musician, might all be likely to adopt a tune from somewhere else, if it's a good tune.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:14 am

Celtic and Bluegrass are a terrific blend. Check out a semi-local band from Saratoga:

http://mckrells.com/index_content.cfm

Kevin McKrell is as Irish as they come and that influence is clear in the band's music but there's a big dose of bluegrass there too. These guys really deserve a national audience IMHO. Alas, no whistle player. Their previous fiddler also played a bit of whistle, but she left to go off on her own.

I have no commercial interest in this band, but plug them whenever I get the chance.

missy · Post by **missy** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:33 am

"Whiskey" is a great tune on whistle - but you've got to watch out for those that want to play it at breakneck speed! Even just playing back up chords on a string instrument gets tricky in the "B" part.

Noah played "Whiskey" on the nose flute for talent show at his school. Told them it (the noseflute) was a "traditional Appalachian instrument".

The kid is WEIRD!!

Missy

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:23 am

Bluegrass Irish flute works wonderfully, IMO,
and ought to be developed more.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:38 am

One problem. They tend to play by ear to the extent the sheet music is hard to find or nonexistant. Someone please correct me with some links to music if I'm wrong.

missy · Post by **missy** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:58 am

while you are correct for the most part, v.b., a source like the "Fiddler's Fake Book" has a lot of old time and bluegrass tunes in it for at least getting melody lines down.

In a "real" bluegrass jam, the tune will be played numerous times, with each musician taking (or passing) a lead. The others will be doing something not too fancy during these lead breaks. Depending on the song, the number in the jam, and how tight the group is playing, this can be 50 repetitions or more!

But, improvisation is a big part of the music (no right or wrong way to play it) so having notation isn't a big help.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:05 am

We sure are welcome in these jams, in my experience,
and the format Missy describes of going around
and improvising is wonderful (although a
bit scary, for me).

Two tunes I've been working on, which
you can get by doing a search online, are
Blackberry Blossom and Cherokee Shuffle,
the former is Irish as well as Bluegrass.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:17 am

vomitbunny wrote:One problem. They tend to play by ear to the extent the sheet music is hard to find or nonexistant. Someone please correct me with some links to music if I'm wrong.

<a href="http://www.playbetterbluegrass.com/lyri ... ctg.htm</a>

A ccording to articles like <a href="http://musicinstruction.articleinsider. ... html">this one</a>, there is a lot of free sheetmusic on the internet, but I haven't found any yet (in my short Google search).

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:50 am

As a matter of fact I know a Bluegrass group that just switched and is now playing Irish music. I am an old Bluegrass fan myself. Learning by ear is also the IrTrad way. But here is one place for some help.

http://www.bluegrassbanjo.org/

If you like a particular tune you hear learn it on the whistle.

Ron

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:44 am

BillChin wrote:A trio of bluegrass musicians came to my music group last month. The violin player kept trying to get me to play in on his sets. Unfortunately, I lack the speed, and musicianship to keep up with their high energy. One song was "Whiskey Before Breakfast." It sounded like Irish music to me, but apparently it falls into the bluegrass category.

Anyone on board in a bluegrass band or goes to one of the many bluegrass get togethers?
+ Bill

Bill,
I used to go to Bluegrass sessions with my 5 string banjo and recognized many tunes as being traditional Irish or Scots in origin, which is understandable as the music of the Scots-Irish settlers in the Appalachians was the foundation of Country Music and Bluegrass. Hey, even the Parade magazine in my local Sunday paper yesterday stated that so it MUST be true

Colin

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:47 pm

A second plug for the Fiddler's Fake Book. It's given me lots of better-known bluegrass tunes.

I've found bluegrass folks really welcome whistle playing. I get lots of chance to harmonize as well as sing vocals when a particular tune doesn't seem "whistley."

Some of my bluegrass musician friends claim it's hard to play along to Irish traditional music because they can't find the beat. I changed my style to suit them when I play there, using more articulation and less ornamentation.

Jennie

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:15 pm

Jennie wrote: Some of my bluegrass musician friends claim it's hard to play along to Irish traditional music because they can't find the beat. I changed my style to suit them when I play there, using more articulation and less ornamentation.
Jennie

... one thing's for sure - Blugrass player's are entirely unused to playing in 6/8 or any jig time. Considering the Scots-Irish influence on the origins of Bluegrass I always find the total lack of tunes in jig time somewhat perplexing.

Colin

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any bluegrass whistle players?

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