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Thread: crosspicking examples?

  1. #1

    Default crosspicking examples?

    I'm looking for good examples of the DUU style of crosspicking. Of course, Jesse McReynolds was the progenitor of this style. Andy Statman wrote that great book, and folks like Jordan Ramsey and Tristan Scroggins more recently dove into it and took it to great heights.

    Does anyone know of recordings of Andy or Jordan playing in this style?

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ethan Setiawan View Post
    I'm looking for good examples of the DUU style of crosspicking. Of course, Jesse McReynolds was the progenitor of this style. Andy Statman wrote that great book, and folks like Jordan Ramsey and Tristan Scroggins more recently dove into it and took it to great heights.

    Does anyone know of recordings of Andy or Jordan playing in this style?
    Hey Ethan... check out the first cut on Andy Statman's superb album/CD "Andy's Ramble". It is entitled "Up In The Morning" and is one of the greatest examples I've ever heard of what can be done with DUU cross picking.

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Find any of the 1951 recordings of the Virginia Trio, Jim and Jesse McReynolds with Larry Roll. Just mandolin and guitar, lots of breaks. There are several cuts from Sacred Songs of the Virginia Trio posted on YouTube; here's one:

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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    There are 2 CD's that really serve as Jesse's "coming out party" for the debut of his amazing cross picking style. I bought them both off of Jesse's website several years ago... they are:

    1. Jim & Jesse - 1952/1955
    2. The Virginia Trio - Jim & Jesse w/ Larry Roll - "Their First Historical Gospel Recording"

    Both are must haves for those interested in cross picking...

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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    I am fortunate to have a vinyl double album Bluegrass Special / Bluegrass Classics by Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys (Columbia Records in Stereo!!!). My all-time favorite BG album for vocals and tight instrumentals. If you're talking Jesse cross picking it's a must listen. I have no idea if its available on CD. And Alan Shelton's banjo breaks are really first rate. And Shelton's banjo album Shelton Special has some great mandolin on it too!
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Jack Tottle's "backroad mandolin" LP has a few tracks with great McReynolds style crosspicking that is very much like Andy Statman's on "Andy's Ramble": adventurous in musical ideas, yet true to the signature DUU rolls. More Tottle is on the sheet disk in his book. Slickville is amazing, and of course an easy place to start: the tabs and (who would want that for crosspicking?) standard notation transcriptions are in the book.

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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    My opinion is that one of the best crosspickers in contemporary music is Andrew Marlin. He moves from subtle chopping to a run to crosspicking seamlessly, and some of his patterns are brilliant.
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeroen View Post
    Jack Tottle's "backroad mandolin" LP has a few tracks with great McReynolds style crosspicking that is very much like Andy Statman's on "Andy's Ramble": adventurous in musical ideas, yet true to the signature DUU rolls. More Tottle is on the sheet disk in his book. Slickville is amazing, and of course an easy place to start: the tabs and (who would want that for crosspicking?) standard notation transcriptions are in the book.
    Concur, Jack Tottle's "Backroad Mandolin" is excellent. You can listen to it on You Tube. It came with Tab when new as well. I still have it.

    For Jim and Jesse I like "Mandolin Workshop" as it has lots of the tunes in Andy Statman's book on it.

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    String-Bending Heretic mandocrucian's Avatar
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Here's a CD track I played on with Jerry Rockwell, one of the finest Appalachian dulcimer players in the US. There's a lot of crosspicking in the long third part of the suite, although it isn't strictly the D-U-U pattern.

    https://soundcloud.com/jerry-rockwel...en-on-mandolin

    In the first part of the track, there's some of my acoustic wah-wah technique (although it was given some filtering processing (but not volume wavering) in the mixdown to make it sound more like a synth), but the actually playing was totally acoustic without any effects boxes. The mandolin playing in the second section was highly influenced by the guitar playing of John Renbourn.

    For whatever it's worth, I've pretty much abandoned the D-U-U right hand in favor of a pick+middle-finger approach D-M-U. I prefer the softer attack/volume on the top string I get with the finger pluck. Also it is vastly more fluid (for me) and much faster speed on the rolls is possible if needed. I do not (usually) want to sound like a banjo when I can sound more like the BYRDS. That said, I'll often will play like a clawhammer banjo (using pick+fingers).

    Pick+finger across-the-strings adapts quite nicely for Japanese koto style runs! (as well as some Billy Gibbons-y blues!)

    There are some crosspicking pieces (both McReynolds style, as well as Bill Keith melodic banjo sounding) in my instructional book/CD Hot Licks For Hot Picks, available from Elderly Instruments, if anyone is interested.

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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandocrucian View Post
    Here's a CD track I played on with Jerry Rockwell, one of the finest Appalachian dulcimer players in the US. There's a lot of crosspicking in the long third part of the suite, although it isn't strictly the D-U-U pattern.

    https://soundcloud.com/jerry-rockwel...en-on-mandolin

    In the first part of the track, there's some of my acoustic wah-wah technique (although it was given some filtering processing (but not volume wavering) in the mixdown to make it sound more like a synth), but the actually playing was totally acoustic without any effects boxes. The mandolin playing in the second section was highly influenced by the guitar playing of John Renbourn.

    For whatever it's worth, I've pretty much abandoned the D-U-U right hand in favor of a pick+middle-finger approach D-M-U. I prefer the softer attack/volume on the top string I get with the finger pluck. Also it is vastly more fluid (for me) and much faster speed on the rolls is possible if needed. I do not (usually) want to sound like a banjo when I can sound more like the BYRDS. That said, I'll often will play like a clawhammer banjo (using pick+fingers).

    Pick+finger across-the-strings adapts quite nicely for Japanese koto style runs! (as well as some Billy Gibbons-y blues!)

    There are some crosspicking pieces (both McReynolds style, as well as Bill Keith melodic banjo sounding) in my instructional book/CD Hot Licks For Hot Picks, available from Elderly Instruments, if anyone is interested.

    Niles H
    well, that soundclip is amazing, definitely a style of sound that i'm highly interested in, and thank you for all this information that i need to research because its all foreign to me at the moment-and thank you for mention of the book/CD, i need all the help i can get.
    d

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    Registered User Kirk Pey's Avatar
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    I think both Tristan and Jordan have some cross picking videos on their YouTube channels. I believe Jordon cross picks I'll Fly Away. I would imagine there is more.

  15. #12

    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandocrucian View Post

    ...

    For whatever it's worth, I've pretty much abandoned the D-U-U right hand in favor of a pick+middle-finger approach D-M-U. I prefer the softer attack/volume on the top string I get with the finger pluck. Also it is vastly more fluid (for me) and much faster speed on the rolls is possible if needed.

    ...

    Niles H
    I'm very interested to hear of this approach. I've been experimenting with it, and while I find the sequence more difficult than D-U-U, I can see how it might be possible to play much faster and more fluidly. And, as you say, having the ringing note at the top a little softer is only a plus. Your endorsement of this approach, and that you've been able to make it work tempts me to start practicing it seriously.

    Might I ask if you use just fingertip or nails (or possibly some kind of fingerpick)? I have a little bit of nail as I play guitar, and I find the nail awkward, but fingerpicks even more awkward (and louder!).

    Kenny

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    String-Bending Heretic mandocrucian's Avatar
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    Default Re: crosspicking examples?

    Quote Originally Posted by ampyjoe View Post

    Might I ask if you use just fingertip or nails (or possibly some kind of fingerpick)? I have a little bit of nail as I play guitar, and I find the nail awkward, but fingerpicks even more awkward (and louder!).

    Kenny
    Just the flesh of the fingertip. Pick + finger(s) really allows you to do stuff you couldn't otherwise do. For samba chording, the "pinch" gives you the sound a strum can not.

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