Comment by thereallyniceman on May 17, 2014 at 6:53

Very nice slow waltz Jody and it seems a lot of notes to remember too!

Jody sent me the score and I have added it to the MUSIC LIBRARY

Comment by Mike Moss on May 17, 2014 at 9:19

Nice tremolo technique -- you seem to be throwing in some hand motion and using a downward stroke with the back of the index fingernail for the attack. The effect is much louder than using the side of the index or middle finger. I've been working on a new way of playing tremolo based on balalaika technique, using the tip of the index finger, with all motion coming from the wrist. It isn't all that easy to control, though, due to the narrow string spacing on the banjo.

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 17, 2014 at 13:32

Thank you Mike. My tremolo technique on banjo is evolving. A work in progress. Some of the old tutors, Parke Hunter's for instance, advise bracing a finger (which my computer's spell-checker just tried to change to tiger) on the vellum. But i found that putting a "tiger" on the vellum reduced the volume and tone. This free hand technique allows me a wider dynamic range. I use some hand for the louder parts. For years I used the middle finger only because I could not control the index very well for tremolo but somehow it came to me how to do with the index last week.

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 17, 2014 at 13:39

Ian: yes, it's a lot of notes to remember!  Five parts plus an intro *and* and a coda. And the coda is played twice. And the second time the coda has its own coda. 

Comment by marc dalmasso on May 18, 2014 at 17:25

" les grands esprits se rencontrent " ; i 'm on the point to record one like this................

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 18, 2014 at 17:35

Oh Great One, does yours have an English title or a French one?  I think Paul Eno meant "Concert Waltz" by "Valse De Concert" but I think that could also mean "waltzes in concert" which describes this piece fairly well as each of the five sections could be its own separate tune.

Comment by marc dalmasso on May 18, 2014 at 18:43

an English title ; all i can say  ' bout is that it 's a " marathon waltz " ..need to practice  a few more

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 18, 2014 at 18:54

I look forward to when you are ready.

Comment by Ginny Matheson on May 19, 2014 at 7:24

Hi Jody,

I caught our video after having played at a little jam with several fiddlers, an autoharpist, and a ho hum and very annoying whistler, today.  Listening to you, happilly, play your solo made me realize that I think I am "suffering," sort of being "over-looked"? by my fellow musicians.  The group did not want to try to play "La Bastrange" I can play, and they don't seem to have any interest in.  (They want to play "Old Joe Clark, " etc, with me, and other tunes familiar to them, and I'm getting sick of it!!! Can you tell?) I've been practicing up on American old time traditional clawhammer for the past 2 weeks to be in familiar territory, and "to fit in," and to figure out the new banjo.

  I'm going to continue to play old time tunes as a personal challenge, but all the classic banjo materials I have with me are going to get some attention, again, very soon.  Would you believe that today, for the first time, I was picking out tunes in "The Portland Collection" of traditional fiddle tunes, but I was playing the banjo by reading the notes (no tab of any kind in this)  Yea!  This is a result of starting to learn the classic banjo materials I bought from Clifford Essex.

Looks like I've had a brain fart, here, but I think you and the other contributors I've been paying attention to may understand my effort to find my way.

 You made me realize, as I've been trying to figure out where I want to go with playing, that just being able to HEAR the banjo's sweet melodies is drawing me more into its possibilities for me.  (I have a loooong way to go, but I think tonight, at midnight, watching you play has helped me in sorting out what speaks to me.  Thank you, once again, Uncle Jody.

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