Life In Louisiana

[Steve Harrison]

This is my take on the tune and how I play it, it differs in parts from the original as I've made one or two amendments of my own...Steve.

[Joel Hooks]

Interesting that you took out the dotted rhythm.  To me the switching makes the piece “characteristic” and adds a lot if texture.  I see you also omitted the dynamics.

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Joel, I play it like this almost by accident. Around 40 or so years ago, I was given a pile of music by a retired banjo and guitar teacher, until then I knew nothing about classic banjo and it was quite a revelation to me. There was no internet back then so I had no opportunity to hear any of it played and I didn't have the benefit of a teacher.. I  was already a competent sight reader as I'd been playing accordion for years so the dots presented no problems for me and I already played melodic and folk style banjo. I slowly worked through the music and figured out what I thought was the best fingering and made a reasonable attempt at most of my efforts. The first tune I learned was The Dashwood Quickstep by Olly Oakley and Life in Louisiana was the second.  The posted arrangement is my original interpretation. I rarely play anything note for note as per the score and almost always add my own bits and pieces. It was only some years later when I began attending banjo rallies and met other classic banjo players, one of the first being Mike Redman, that I was able to improve my playing technique and join in the world of classic banjo....Steve  

nteresting that you took out the dotted rhythm.  To me the switching makes the piece “characteristic” and adds a lot if texture.  I see you also omitted the dynamics.

[Joel Hooks]

IMO all interpretations are valid.  I only asked because I thought I might have missed something.  In the early American tutors one encounters dotted rhythms that come and go in the same piece and usually this was printers errors and not done by design.

In LIL they do seem by design.  I also like the use of dynamics in it, though I struggle with them.

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Joel, I may sound a bit of a musical Philistine when it comes to written dynamics, but I usually ignore them and play my own interpretation the tune, consequently I often as not omit them on my arrangements...Steve.

Joel Hooks said:

IMO all interpretations are valid.  I only asked because I thought I might have missed something.  In the early American tutors one encounters dotted rhythms that come and go in the same piece and usually this was printers errors and not done by design.

In LIL they do seem by design.  I also like the use of dynamics in it, though I struggle with them.

[Joel Hooks]

The three things I regret not focusing in on in the beginning are alternate fingering, learning chords by name, and dynamics.

I've been working at all of these.

[Steve Harrison]

Ian has added my arrangement to the library...Steve

Joel Hooks said:

The three things I regret not focusing in on in the beginning are alternate fingering, learning chords by name, and dynamics.

I've been working at all of these.