Comment by German David Patarroyo on March 22, 2016 at 15:54

I could not escape to this tune, like Carrie. I hope you do not mind!

Comment by thereallyniceman on March 22, 2016 at 18:29

Very good German. You are really "feeling" the music and you as a listener I can "feel" the rhythm in your playing. I have always said that making a string of notes actually sound like music is one of the hardest things to do. You are certainly bringing out the "bounce" in this piece.

Stressing the first beat of the bar imparts this feel to the music...  Jody once described it as "getting the tune into your head first" before you can play it musically.

Well done!!!

Comment by Jody Stecher on March 22, 2016 at 20:24

Really? I rarely mention "head" in relation to music. Heart and feet are more important.  

Comment by thereallyniceman on March 22, 2016 at 20:34

I think it was in relation to memorising pieces when learning to play them. The tune needs to imprint into your head then you can use your heart to make it musical... I don't really know where the feet come in on a banjo.

:-)

Comment by Jody Stecher on March 22, 2016 at 20:56

Answer # 1:

I agree with the imprint part but I don't identify the place that is imprinted as being the head. When we know a piece of music we are said to "know it by heart".  The banjo is a drum with a broomstick attached. Drums are rhythm instruments. The nature of a banjo is to be rhythmic. When we walk steady we use our feet rhythmically. And when we play banjo steadily it sounds good.  And the feet are the contact between the ground or floor and the rest of the body when people dance. When playing banjo for dancing I aim at the feet of the dancers,  not at their heads. 

Comment by Jody Stecher on March 22, 2016 at 20:57

Answer #2:

Comment by carrie horgan on March 22, 2016 at 22:28

Yes, it is very catchy!  Well done, German - you have a nice, relaxed style

Comment by German David Patarroyo on March 23, 2016 at 2:44

Thanks Ian and Jody! I try to do my best in these tunes. As you mentioned, playing "musically" and not only following every notes is the key to improve a performance. Sometimes is hard, because in my case (as you know) I feel like The Lone Ranger playing in the land of “cumbia” and “vallenato”, but I know it will be a matter of time...in fact, a matter of head, heart and feet :)

Thanks Carrie! Actually, I was a little bit stressed because I recorded in a place without any ventilation, so there was a lot of heat there. In addition, I had a noisy neighbor, sabotaging my recording with an electric tool!! 

Comment by Joel Hooks on March 23, 2016 at 20:33

Jody, what are you doing to that poor guitar?  I know it is a guitar, but I don't think it deserves a stomping.

German,  I've always liked this one.  I think it needs a trio though.  At one time I though about digging through my stacks and finding a piece that only had a good trio and putting the two together.

Any recommendations? 

As a side, this was also printed in the Stewart and Bauer Journal of 1901-- as far as I can tell this was the only issue printed.  Fred and Lem had gone to work with Jos.W. Stern Music in NYC and took with them the official "Stewart Journal."  About a year earlier S&B had sold all of the SSS publication rights to Stern with existing inventory and plates.

Bauer put out this lone issue.  And it includes this piece.

https://archive.org/details/StewartAndBauerBulletin1902

Comment by Trapdoor2 on March 23, 2016 at 20:49

Now we know why many old instruments look like they've been kicked down a cobblestone street...Jody gave 'em the boot!

Actually, that's a pretty inventive system he's got there. Foot bar is cantilevered via a Spanish windlass (wound by a drumstick, very musical!) which allows adjustment to the plectrum engagement depth. I'm not sure where he found the Irish tabis but I would imagine the guitar is tuned to an open key and there's a bar underfoot (literally).

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