Who here picks Big Sciota?

[AlanN]

I love this number. When I intro it a jam, I get the blank stare half the time, like it's too hard or something. It ain't. When I knocked on the LRB bus door and got up with Randy, this is what we picked. He and I nailed it, with hip variations, judging by the crowd we got.

Try it, you'll like it!

[PJ Doland]

Check out the version on Skip, Hop, and Wobble by Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg, & Edgar Meyer. It's mind-blowing.

[Jim Garber]

Originally it was an old time tune. I have been playing it for over 20 years. I think the bluegrass community might have discovered and adapted it more recently. Just my guess. great tune in whatever genre.

[Steve Ostrander]

I've heard Butch's version. It's fabulous.

[Rob Fowler]

I think Skip, Hop, and Wobble was the first recording of it in the "bluegrass" realm, right? We played it last night at our monthly bluegrass jam for the first time. I was stoked to play it as it has been one that I've been working into my repertoire for some time.

Check out week #7 on the Song-a-week group. Lot's of fine versions...but skip over mine. That was a different time and place and I've become a better picker since then!!!....Enjoy!

I really enjoy Brian Ray's (dasspunk) "Monroeish" version here:

And the non-Monroeish version by Thile (with his then new Loar) and Pikelny:

Great tune!

[Tom C]

Love it. Great fiddle tune

[AlanN]

I asked the question because I wanted to know who here picks the tune, what you thought of it. I suppose it's common practice these days to rush to youtube and post a video of so-and-so doing it, as an addendum to one's thoughts/ideas. I could easily do that myself. But, thanks anyway.

Youtube: amazing resource, certainly. I frankly find it annoying and an unholy crutch, at times. Ex: at band practice, if I suggest a tune, one band member immediately reaches for the laptop (always present) and searches for the tune, invariably finds it and plays it. Practice has to stop as we all 'listen'. Then, we do the tune. I find that very disruptive and idea-killing. I guess it's faster (if one has never heard a tune's melody) to do it that way, as opposed for me to say "Here's how it goes, starts on the V, to the I...etc..." or for me to pick the bare bones melody slowly.

I remember reading an interview with Jesse M., where he was asked who he listens to. His answer was essentially "Nobody. I want to get my ideas myself." or something like that.

I agree.

[Scotti Adams]

Aint that the truth!

BTW..I just drove over the Big Scioto river last weekend

[Mike Snyder]

I pick it in a more old-time fashion. Alot of old tunes have been picked up by the bluegrass crowd and they sound fine that way, if that's what you like. I try not to push the tempo quite as hard.

[AlanN]

Aint that the truth!

BTW..I just drove over the Big Scioto river last weekend

Did you go Tube-ing on the river?

[Dale Ludewig]

One of my favorites (the song- never been near the river).

[Matt Hutchinson]

It's a great tune - I love it. Sounds great at whatever speed your fingers can cope with (and I especially like playing it at a medium tempo with a bit of a swing to it - although that's true of many fiddle tunes!).

[Markus]

I really enjoy Brian Ray's (dasspunk) "Monroeish" version here:

Brian played a couple tunes, including this one, to open up Mike Compton's show a few weeks back. He plays a fine version of this tune, he put it on my `to learn' list.

Glad you posted this, as now I won't hassle him the next time I see him out somewhere

I love this number. When I intro it a jam, I get the blank stare half the time, like it's too hard or something. It ain't.

Which is a shame, as personally I'm all for having someone bust out a song I don't know - I don't have to be in the limelight, heck I don't have to play on every tune. Jams are for playing stuff I don't at home - like a good band, you're forced to play/learn songs you might not have otherwise and often grow to love.

A local mando picker played Northern White Clouds and Poor Folks at Monday's jam. Most folks didn't know it, but we played it anyway ... another couple tunes on my `oh wow, I gotta learn that!' list. Neither I had heard more than once or twice, and both of which I will eventually learn - now that they were introduced when I was listening and could feel the melody.

Thankfully, he did play them and ignored any looks [if he got them].
It will keep me coming back, no better introduction to a tune.

While you might get those looks, Alan ... play it every now and then anyway. Maybe one or two of those looks might change to fascination halfway through when the song catches them. You never know, in a few months someone might have learned Big Sciota and will suggest it themselves ....

[djweiss]

I play it! I dig it, though I have to keep momentum on the "B" part else my fingers get twisted...the tune has a fun lilt to it.

[Perry]

We pick it around here. Often played fast but there's much there at a slow tempo.

FYI: Another great Russ Barenburg version is on the Bryan Sutton's excellent flatpicking CD "Not far from the Tree" Warning: Only the big six string variety of mandolin on this CD though

[AlanN]

I thought Russ B recorded it somewhere, thanks for the jog. Sam Bush also picked it somewhere.

And thanks for the advice, Markus. I know, it sometimes is not easy to persevere in some jams with new stuff, hardly seems worth it. After all, it's not your mama's Gold Rush anymore...

What I dig about BS is it has both an oltimey and newgrassy vibe. And when the E minor comes along, well, I never....

[sgarrity]

Sam Bush is the mando picker on the Skip, Hop, Wobble recording. His break is a good one but a finger buster for me. I play it on guitar and mando, more old time style. Sounds good on the 'dola too. Throw in a phrase on the G string for some variety.

[Rob Fowler]

I asked the question because I wanted to know who here picks the tune, what you thought of it. I suppose it's common practice these days to rush to youtube and post a video of so-and-so doing it, as an addendum to one's thoughts/ideas. I could easily do that myself. But, thanks anyway.

And I answered the question by saying that I picked it last night at our local bluegrass jam. I'm not sorry to add a couple of videos as examples. I think it's a great tune. You could have easily stated in our OP that you weren't interested in people posting examples, just replies with who likes to pick it.

Youtube: amazing resource, certainly. I frankly find it annoying and an unholy crutch, at times. Ex: at band practice, if I suggest a tune, one band member immediately reaches for the laptop (always present) and searches for the tune, invariably finds it and plays it. Practice has to stop as we all 'listen'. Then, we do the tune. I find that very disruptive and idea-killing. I guess it's faster (if one has never heard a tune's melody) to do it that way, as opposed for me to say "Here's how it goes, starts on the V, to the I...etc..." or for me to pick the bare bones melody slowly.

Nonetheless youtube is a huge resource to quickly be able to hear and see many different versions of songs and tunes. I am not Jesse M. and I find it to be a huge help to grow ideas for me playing something I may not be familiar with or when I feel stagnant playing a tune the same way all the time. Like many things on the internet you have to be able to filter out the good from the bad, though. Enough on this, though!

Now go pick Big Sciota! I did this morning!

[mandolirius]

It's played a lot around here. I learned it off a Scott Nygaard album ("No Hurry") with John Reischman playing mandolin.

[AlanN]

Rob, you are correct, sir. I made no demands that no videos be included in responses. And to heck if I did, anyway. You chose to include some vids, no big deal. I derailed the topic a bit to rant, my bad.

Scott Nygaard, gee. Thanks for that jog, as well, need to listen to that (it's in the pile somewhere).

[Rob Fowler]

Rob, you are correct, sir. I made no demands that no videos be included in responses. And to heck if I did, anyway. You chose to include some vids, no big deal. I derailed the topic a bit to rant, my bad.

No worries, Alan! We all have our days when we need to rant a bit. Gonna have to check out that Nygaard album, also. Thanks for the tip mandolirius!

[Don Grieser]

Great tune to play. Lots of fun on the mandola too like Shaun said. I like to steal that repetitive hammer on/pull off lick Sam Bush plays on the end of the B part on Skip Hop and Wobble.

[pickloser]

I've enjoyed playing this tune since a version was published in Mandolin Magazine a while back. I've never tried to call it at a jam because, I'm embarassed to note, I have no idea how the name should be pronounced. Help with that would be appreciated.

[Dale Ludewig]

Well, I don't know how it should be pronounced. Around here, we make the second word rhyme with coyote. But we're just midwestern, not some fancy French sounding types, which the spelling could imply. Wait! Actually the second word could sound like the beginning of a back problem.

[pickloser]

So, then I can go with "big sky-yo (as in "yo, Adrian") - tea?