Page 8 of 9 FirstFirst ... 456789 LastLast
Results 176 to 200 of 209

Thread: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

  1. #176
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by CarlM View Post
    I have thought about starting a band called No Part of Nothin' . I do not know if it could be considered a bluegrass band or not. If anyone said that ain't no part of nothin' I could say Yes it is no part of nothin'.


    I believe you have won the internet for today. That is just too freakin' funny. Even if no one outside the Café gets it, it's still a gem.

    I've tossed around the notion of calling a band TBA. We would find ourselves advertised as playing all over, sometimes a few times a night. Then I realized it would make it difficult for fans to find which was the real gig. This was before the internet and social media, so notices were available only in print media; the opportunity to reach fans instantaneously and thus dispel confusion just didn't exist. So I let that slide. I wonder, though, now that social media does exist ... Nah.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  2. #177

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    It's a colloquial term for an acoustic bass, or bass violin. Other terms include . . . standup bass (because you have to play it standing up)...
    No, you don't. I often played seated, on a stool - not uncommon at all - more of a jazz thing I guess.

    One can stand on it, however, as is sometimes part of a rockabilly shtick.

  3. #178
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Ha ha ha! Good points. I suppose I could have said "usually," as that is the usual case.

    And yes - the one and only time I saw The Stray Cats, Slim Jim Phantom did the standing-on-the-standup thing a few times. It takes leaning the bass over on its side somewhat to produce a surface to stand on. It is definitely a good visual effect, changing the usual approach, just as some guitarists will play behind their back and some mandolinists will play behind their head.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Stevie Hendrix.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	46.1 KB 
ID:	198633
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  4. #179

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Wilson View Post
    Thank you! Makes sense. I wonder sometimes if these are regional terms... or possibly generational?
    More of a genre thing, I think. I played DB for 20 years - never heard "doghouse" etc unless playing in BG bands. I think it's a term you might often find among the BG, OT, etc crowd. Like everything else - everything depends on the music you're playing.

    *BTW, it's also known as the 'King of the strings' among the community (I'd still be playing, but I've moved to cello for a host of reasons).

  5. #180

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    I think today "genre bending" is the norm, these days, whereas 50 years ago you were either one or the other.

  6. #181
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    South of Cleburne, North of Hillsboro, Texas
    Posts
    5,089

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Genre bending and instrumental experimentation is what created Bluegrass music IMO
    WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
    ----------------------------------
    "Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN

    ----------------------------------
    HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
    Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
    The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
    - Advice For Mandolin Beginners
    - YouTube Stuff

  7. The following members say thank you to Mark Gunter for this post:


  8. #182
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    lower alabama
    Posts
    893

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by OldSausage View Post
    Why, what did you do?
    I'll get my wife to make a list.

  9. #183
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Auburn, Washington
    Posts
    1,553

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by catmandu2 View Post
    More of a genre thing, I think. I played DB for 20 years - never heard "doghouse" etc unless playing in BG bands. I think it's a term you might often find among the BG, OT, etc crowd. Like everything else - everything depends on the music you're playing.

    *BTW, it's also known as the 'King of the strings' among the community (I'd still be playing, but I've moved to cello for a host of reasons).
    Interesting. Thank you!

    Out of curiosity I went over to a Bass forum hoping to find some info on the history of the term 'doghouse bass'. I don't mean to put anyone down who may venture between the two pages, but they're wild and savage over there!
    Worlds okay-ist mandolin player

    Relative newcomer

    Weber Yellowstone F (2015)
    Red Valley EM (2018)
    Howard Morris Blue A4 (2023)
    Flatiron 1N (1982)

    https://youtube.com/@zachwilson54?si=iGum4xPlSj0pbcjj

  10. #184
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Posts
    61

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Another double bassist here. I see Americans using the term doghouse online, mostly in more rootsy styles of music, but haven't heard it used over here in the UK. I have heard "bull fiddle" from much older Scottish folk guys, not so much from people of my generation.

  11. #185
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,020

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Beer View Post
    Another double bassist here. I see Americans using the term doghouse online, mostly in more rootsy styles of music, but haven't heard it used over here in the UK. I have heard "bull fiddle" from much older Scottish folk guys, not so much from people of my generation.
    Among the Classical, jazz, swing and Dixieland players I knew (and was one too) the "string bass" was also called "double bass" or just "bass".

    I've heard the terms "bull fiddle", "doghouse", etc. but not among those players.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DavidStringBass.gif 
Views:	21 
Size:	49.7 KB 
ID:	198638

    Me back in the day!

  12. The following members say thank you to DavidKOS for this post:


  13. #186
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,044

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Would occasionally hear "bull fiddle" back when I played bass through high school.

    If I hadn't destroyed my grip strength keyboarding for a living might still play bass. Then again, I wouldn't have moved to guitar and now to mandolin. So there are trade-offs.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  14. The following members say thank you to Eric Platt for this post:


  15. #187
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    lower alabama
    Posts
    893

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    i still think of the real bass as my real instrument, but don't have a gig on it anymore. Things have completely turned around, and now I get more calls for sax (not many) than bass. Mandolin is too hard, but I'm making some progress and I'm only 70, so plenty of time!

  16. #188
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    3,652

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    I'd love to really learn upright bass. I played electric bass guitar in my teens and 20's. About 3 - 5 years ago I rented an upright bass from a music store and really liked it.

    The problem for me (despite storage space) is the monogamous relationship every jam I go to has with the bass. There are often 3 or more fiddles. At least 2 mandolins and 2 banjos. Way too many guitars. But bass? There can be only one. I'm not going to lug a bass down to a jam just to find that one spot is already taken.

  17. The following members say thank you to Mandobart for this post:


  18. #189
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Auburn, Washington
    Posts
    1,553

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobart View Post
    I'd love to really learn upright bass. I played electric bass guitar in my teens and 20's. About 3 - 5 years ago I rented an upright bass from a music store and really liked it.

    The problem for me (despite storage space) is the monogamous relationship every jam I go to has with the bass. There are often 3 or more fiddles. At least 2 mandolins and 2 banjos. Way too many guitars. But bass? There can be only one. I'm not going to lug a bass down to a jam just to find that one spot is already taken.
    You're the Highlander

  19. #190

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Wilson View Post

    Out of curiosity I went over to a Bass forum hoping to find some info on the history of the term 'doghouse bass'. I don't mean to put anyone down who may venture between the two pages, but they're wild and savage over there!
    Talk Bass is a great site - one of the best for jazz pedagogy and all things bass. But it has two well-demarcated sides: the DB side - full of pro players and jazzers; and the electric bass guitar side which is populated with kids - with interests ranging from punk to grunge Two completely different forum cultures.

  20. The following members say thank you to catmandu2 for this post:


  21. #191
    Distressed Model John Ritchhart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Mars Hill, North Carolina
    Posts
    1,036

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    I'm in a Bluegrass band......so, yes. I'm also in a trio that plays folk, Irish, Scottish, fiddle, and country tunes.....so, no.
    We few, we happy few.

  22. #192
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobart View Post
    The problem for me ... is the monogamous relationship every jam I go to has with the bass. There are often 3 or more fiddles. At least 2 mandolins and 2 banjos. Way too many guitars. But bass? There can be only one. I'm not going to lug a bass down to a jam just to find that one spot is already taken.
    My experience has been kind of the flip side of that. I used to bring my mandolin whenever I went to a party (back there, 9 times out of 10 there would be at least some jamming; that was the circle of friends I was in) because I knew if I didn't, there wouldn't be one, most likely. Put it another way: If I didn't show up, mandolin in hand, there would be no mandolin in the mix.

    Somewhere along the line, the monthly potluck/hootenanny was attended by at last one other mandolinist; he eventually got pulled into the Dark Side (Irish), and I couldn't trade with him anymore. Fortunately, this was held at a large Victorian house that could hold several jams in different rooms at the same time, so we'd be playing separately. Then my friend the dobro player picked up the mandolin, so we lost another voice, as it were. His fascination dwindled after a couple of years, but in the meantime, it was difficult now and then.

    Also, part of my mindset was this notion of furthering mandolin consciousness. I felt I owed it to the instrument to bring it. Otherwise, the mission would fail, most likely. And people kind of expected me to represent, dedicated jammer that I am.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  23. #193
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Charleston sc
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    No. I do play in a BG band, but really like swing, country and jazz a lot too!

  24. #194

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    My experience with parties and bass playing: typically when I showed up with DB is when the party started. Sounds boastful, but it's just the way it is for a bassist.

    Love bass playing. But now I'll bring an accordion and play forro and get people playing percussion. That is, if I ever get in a room with people again..

  25. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to catmandu2 For This Useful Post:


  26. #195
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Posts
    61

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by catmandu2 View Post
    My experience with parties and bass playing: typically when I showed up with DB is when the party started. Sounds boastful, but it's just the way it is for a bassist.

    Love bass playing. But now I'll bring an accordion and play forro and get people playing percussion. That is, if I ever get in a room with people again..
    Yep, that first part is familiar! I definitely feel some pressure to show up with the bass when there's a party with jamming. And I'm a more confident and versatile bassist than I am as any other kind of instrumentalist. Though bass at parties is a hassle, it usually means I have to drive and stay over, and then I have to find a safe space to stow it when it's dark and everyone's full of drink.
    I feel like spending some time on melody instruments now and again helps me get into the repertoire more deeply too, even if realistically it's always going to be bass that people call on me for.

  27. #196
    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    1,733

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Uh, what was the question? What style of upright bass music do you play?
    I love how these threads go off on their own sub-discussions. The last three I've read have all done just that, and I'm partly responsible in only one case.
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

  28. #197
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Since we're apparently posting about nearly anything, let me address the question of "bringing mandolin to a jam, only to find there's another mandolin player."

    First: so what? There are probably six guitarists and four fiddlers, so two mandolin players are fine. He/she plays chords, you play melody; you play melody, he/she plays harmonies. You split breaks (bluegrass jam). He/she knows tunes you don't, so you learn something. You swap mandolins so you can try out his/her Gilchrist, and he/she can try out your Rogue (jus' kiddin', OK?).

    Second: obtain and bring a mandola. Two different but complementary voices. Every jam I go to I have a mandolin plus either a mandola or an OM. Use one or 'tother depending on the tune/song, and what others are doing.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  29. The following members say thank you to allenhopkins for this post:


  30. #198

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by Ranald View Post
    Uh, what was the question?...
    I'm easily led astray. Still, this is mild - we haven't even reached the point of Godwin's threshold yet. And that's impressive - for any 'bluegrass/not bluegrass' scenario.

  31. The following members say thank you to catmandu2 for this post:

    Ranald 

  32. #199
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Posts
    61

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    It does at least fit into the general "what kind of musician are you?" intent of the thread, even if it's digressed a little. And I feel like I have a slightly different "home" style on each instrument, so it's an easy diversion to go down.

  33. The following members say thank you to Martin Beer for this post:

    Ranald 

  34. #200
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: To be or not to be (a bluegrass player)

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    Since we're apparently posting about nearly anything, let me address the question of "bringing mandolin to a jam, only to find there's another mandolin player."
    My point was mostly about having to bring my mandolin to a jam or party because if I didn't, there wouldn't be one. I enjoyed playing with my mandolinist friend until he got into Irish music, which doesn't do much for me. My displeasure with my dobro-playing friend switching to mandolin was based on losing that unique voice - because, by the same token, without him playing it, there wouldn't be that sound.


    Quote Originally Posted by Ranald View Post
    Uh, what was the question? What style of upright bass music do you play?
    I love how these threads go off on their own sub-discussions ...
    Well, most, if not all, of the people here talking about basses have already cast their votes on the original question, so ... So if someone has a question about something that came up in the course of the conversation, it behooves us to tend to it.

    But since we're here, and this far off-topic, got a question for you, one of the few Canadians I know. I recently received as a gift a package of Mason St. Bakehouse granola (Super Seed & Fruit variety), and it is about the best commercially-produced granola I've ever tasted. Is this a well-known brand in Canada? Because it should be - it's outstanding.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  35. The following members say thank you to journeybear for this post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •