Smoothing out your playing...

[mandocrucian]

who is Bobby Clark ?.

Profile/article of/on Bobby Clark (written by Dawn Watson) is in Mandocrucian's Digest #18, along with transcriptions of his "Redwing" and "Oklahoma Twister". Click on the catalog link below for ordering info.

Niles H

[JeffD]

There is no mandolinist who I would like to sound more like. I am not going to put all that work to be almost as good as <<fill in the blank>>.

Sure one can learn alot from the best, but one has to depart from one's heros. Bill Monroe did not become Bill Monroe by emulating old Bill Monroe recordings.

So I go back to the tunes themselves. I focus my practice on getting the tunes clean and expressive. I want to play each tune the way that best displays what is beautiful about that tune, or at least, what I like about the particular tune. And when it happens, when all the practice comes together - the tune sings for itself through me. If its a fluid tune, it sings fluidly. If its a fast tune, its sings fast. If its a tear jerker high lonesome tune, grab your hanky. My goal is for you to hear the tune itself, and not have noticed that it was me playing it.

[Ivan Kelsall]

AlanN - Many thanks.Yes, i have heard Bobby Clark play,i'd just forgotten.I'm sure i've heard his band quite a few times on Bluegrassradio.org. In fact,going to the site that you posted a link to,i
remember looking at it once before.Most likely in response to hearing his band & wanting to know who the Mandolin player was.
I understand JeffD's point,who really does want to be another player's 'sound alike',certainly not me. I just use the techniques that i hope i'm learning from them,to put to my own use & to develop my own individual style. I don't quite subscribe to your wanting NOT to be remembered. I know what you mean, but i'm sure that you don't want folk talking about your playing,saying,"nice picker - who was he again ?". If you do play in the manner you describe,i'm sure that you will be noticed & remembered - at least i hope so,
Saska

[woodwizard]

I don't have the skill I guess to jump right in and play a new song I'm working on right off the bat up to tempo. But I get there by starting off slow and steady. Working out the hard spots and getting comfortable with it. The speed comes later but it seems to be coming quicker these days for me to get there. The whole process is just pure joy for me.

[John McGann]

Not mentioned in post #5 that might help:

Have an idea of the sound you are shooting for in your head. Every player mentioned on this thread has a great sound and musical approach to the instrument. Having a 'tone goal' in mind may help in making things smoother.

We can be happy that no matter how hard we may try to 'clone' ourselves as another player, we will always have our own stamp...maybe that's bad news if you really want to be a carbon copy of another player, but gee,
they already have the gig!

"Often imitated, never equalled"...

"You can't beat a man at his own game"- Bobby Osborn, on Monroe style

I do think getting rooted in other's playing styles is an excellent route to developing your own voice. The things you love in Player X's playing will stick with you and become part of your musical DNA. As you move through Player Y and Player Z, etc. you continue to pick up on their way of phrasing, their unique ways of playing melodies, their various approaches to improvisation, etc.

There's no shame in not having been born a fully formed original genius with music pure and unaffected by outside influences

"Mediocre composers borrow, great composers steal!"- Igor Stravinsky (New Coon Creek Girls bassist)

[Ted Eschliman]

There's no shame in not having been born a fully formed original genius with music pure and unaffected by outside influences

"The Shaggs are real, pure, unaffected by outside influences." Interesting; really never thought of music lessons as "outside" influences.

[John McGann]

"The Shaggs are real, pure, unaffected by outside influences." Interesting; really never thought of music lessons as "outside" influences.

In this case, "thought" is an outside influence...it's right-brain art at it's finest

PS- very difficult to transcribe!

[JeffD]

I know what you mean, but i'm sure that you don't want folk talking about your playing,saying,"nice picker - who was he again ?".

I don't know - I really get embarrased when complimented on my playing, (every now and then and it has nothing to do with how well I actually played or didn't play), but I really get pumped when someone says: "what a cool tune" or "where can I go to hear that kind of music"

[Ivan Kelsall]

JeffD - Don't be embarassed. It's great when folk compliment you.You've obviously given them something to enjoy,that's what it's all about.
Just to comment on what John McGann mentioned re.players.When i began playing Banjo,the ONLY thing around was records. I was forced to learn note for note,the playing i heard on those recordings.The more players i listened to,the more 'difference' in picking styles i learned,until i became an amalgam of all the styles i'd learned. I then used all my 'bits' to string together my own
style.Some tunes,like the Banjo 'classics' - Foggy Mt.Breakdown / Earl's Breakdown etc. i played as close to the original as i could get,but playing accompaniment to songs,i just used what i'd learned
& played my own thing.
That's pretty much what i've been doing on Mandolin as i said in my earlier post.Recordings are my 'tuition',just as if i was taking lessons from a teacher. Playing along with CD's is a great way to practice IMHO. You've got the tempo & everything set out for you & for those of us who don't play with a band or other musicians on a regular basis,it's fun learning new stuff that way. At least your
'band' play it the same way every time,
Saska