Speaking of delights...

[Trapdoor2]

Over on Rob's blog, we were discussing phrasing and tonality. I just received two new CDs of vintage "Classic Banjo" recordings and was simply stunned by one cut by Mr. Van Eps: "Chinese Picnic" (circa 1914). The A part contains a wild glissando/chromatic-triplet-run which nearly made me drive off the road when I first heard it. I shouldn't play new CDs in the truck!

You can see the dots here: http://www.classicbanjo.com/tutors/VanEps/toc.htm just click on the "Chinese Picnic" link. Look at page 2 for a text description of this freaky technique.

If I get a few minutes tonight, I'll burn a clip of the original so y'all can hear Mr. Van Eps play this...

[Jody Stecher]

yup, another "bluegrass" technique that turns out to be older. Was this from Venerable Music?

[Trapdoor2]

These two CDs came from Elderly Instruments and were produced by "Phil's Junk Shop". Phil Stewart is evidently a well-known Michigan phono-collector. "CLASSIC BANJO 1899-1923" and "YANKEE DOODLE BANJO: ORIGINAL RECORDINGS BY BANJO MASTERS 1905-25"

http://elderly.com//recordings/cats/63.html

I don't think I've ever heard this technique used in Bluegrass! Then again, I don't have much BG beyond F&S, Alan Munde & Bela Fleck. If you have a BG example, I'd love to hear it.

[Trapdoor2]

Here's the mp3...I couldn't figure out how to reduce it to a "clip"...perhaps I may be forgiven this time.

[Jody Stecher]

LOL, that's great. Um, no, I don't think I've heard a bluegrass player do that move at that speed. But moving up and down on the 1st and 5th string together and at the same fret is certainly done from time to time in bluegrass picking.



Trapdoor2 said:

Here's the mp3...I couldn't figure out how to reduce it to a "clip"...perhaps I may be forgiven this time.