Main Strength
(not sure how interesting this is, but I felt like writing it today)
It was 40+ years ago that I (at about 14 years old) was given a junky old mandolin from my grandfathers attic. After arming myself with a Mel Bay instruction book, a new set of strings, and zero musical knowledge I began the process of picking up bad playing habits and learning a few fiddle tunes. Naturally I skipped the first part of the book that had information about picking, fretting and practicing the basics. I believe I jumped right into “Liberty”.
My grandfather, born in 1910, taught himself to play the fiddle in his youth. Born on a small farm, he and his fiddle would head into the woods for undisturbed and unheard self instruction. He played at square dances in his early years, meeting my grandmother in the process. Later in life he played at home, which happened less and less as the years went on.
However after I got that mandolin he became my first (and one of only a few) musical partner. I would usually arrive on a Saturday evening in time to watch a little “Hee Haw” together before asking him to get the fiddle out. It often took some convincing before he would play. He was about 80 then and his hands were swollen from arthritis and a lifetime of farming. Eventually he would get the fiddle down from on top of my grandmothers upright piano and we would get our instruments tuned. Given his bad hands the playing was often rough but he still managed more soul and energy than I. Sometimes if he got frustrated he would complain that he only played by “Main Strength”. My grandmother would then admonish him with “JAMES B, that isn’t true”. (the “B” was to distinguish between us, I was also James). He never really explained what “Main Strength” meant, but I took it to mean he thought he had more perseverance than talent. Eventually we had 10 or so fiddle tunes we could play together.
As he aged, his fiddling stopped but he lived on to 94. I played mandolin by myself into my mid 20’s but gave it up for nearly 30 years. I did pick it up again several years ago, starting with some lessons that improved my “restart” with better mechanics and a tiny bit of musical knowledge. I still nearly always practice when home alone, similar to my grandfather’s early days in the woods.
I have attached a picture of our “set list” my grandfather wrote which has always remained in my 1919 Gibson A’s case. And also the only picture we have of him with the fiddle back in the early days.
Jim
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