Bluegrass Mandolin

Volume 1

By Jay Buckey

2

1998 2009 by Jay Buckey Music All Rights Reserved

Except as permitted under the United States copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed in any form by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval

system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

An exhaustive search has been made to locate publishers and copyright owners of the songs in this book. If we have published a previously copyrighted composition without permission, we advise the copyright owner(s) to contact us at www.jaybuckey.com, so that we may give

credit in future editions.

The current listing of available publications by Jay Buckey Music can be found at www.jaybuckey.com

On the cover: a 1999 Gibson F5-L Mandolin, at Kaenna Point, island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Gibson is a registered trademark of Gibson Musical Instruments

The play-along audio tracks for this book are a download on this page: www.jaybuckey.com/play_along.htm

Detailed download instructions are provided on that page.

Mandolin 1 Password: 437d3b51x7

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Table of Contents

Page Title

6 Before We Begin

8 Getting to Know Your Instrument 9 A Brief History of the Mandolin 10 Types of Mandolins 11 Left Hand Players 12 Holding the Mandolin 13 Left Hand Technique 15 Fretting the Notes 16 Right Hand Technique 18 Tuning Your Instrument 20 Understanding Tablature 21 The Strings on the Mandolin

24 Liza Jane 27 Camptown Races

30 Playing Chords and Backup 31 The Eighth Note 32 The Nashville Shuffle

34 Shady Grove

36 The D Scale 39

42 Georgiana Moon

44 The G Scale

4

The Song Section

46 Roll In My Sweet Babys Arms 51 My Homes Across the Blueridge Mountains 55 Kentucky Waltz 60 Feudin Five Strings 67 Cripple Creek 70 Eight More Miles to Louisville 73 Blackberry Blossom 76 Wabash Cannon Ball 79 Boil the Cabbages

84 Where To Go From Here 85 Chord Charts

5

Before we begin

Bluegrass Mandolin Volume 1 is a revision of the Virtual Band Bluegrass Method by Jay Buckey, first published in 1998 and released for Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Bass, Dobro and Mandolin. This project is, in some ways, similar to the original release. The song selection is the same. However, the text has been updated with more detail and expanded instruction along with more exercises. In addition, helpful comments, chord diagrams, performance notes, professional tips, suggestions, recommend listening, internet links and other helpful references round out this material into a Master Collection of great bluegrass music. The power of this program is with the audio play-along recordings. When a song is faster, the arrangement is recorded in multiple tempos to aid playing accuracy. These songs have been tested with my local students and they have chosen the speeds, 100 bpm (Beats Per Minute), then 150 bpm as a step up. The complete arrangement, including the other instruments and vocals (if there are lyrics) is at the fastest tempo, generally, 200 bpm. The tempo of the songs are listed after the title of the song on the audio tracks. In real life, these songs are often played faster than 200 bpm. However, to keep things in perspective and to make sure you develop solid technique and timing, I have purposely kept the recordings at a manageable tempo. The Mandolin is pushed to the far right of your stereo so that you can tune it out and be the Mandolin player in the band. If you do not have a balance control, there are helpful suggestions at www.jaybuckey.com to accomplish this. The design of this series is to help you get a real feel for bluegrass on the Mandolin and play along with others in a group setting. The recordings are designed to help simulate an actual performance with a band on the stage. Included in the tablatures are the solos, in a variety of levels, the backup portions, both chords and that all-important, noodling around during the vocal breaks. You will share the solos and back up with the other main bluegrass instruments, Fiddle, Dobro, Guitar, Banjo and Bass. The first part of this book is set up to help a complete beginner get a quick start on the Mandolin. Following this start up section, you will find the Song Section, which has been laid out in a very professional manner as a set that would be played on stage. Vocals, solos, chords, backup, and everything you need to play in a real band. Many bluegrass Mandolin pickers play very fast, but remember, you are just learning and there is no need for lighting fast solos. You want your music to sound clean with a solid tempo. Speed is a by-product of accuracy.

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To get the most out of your music, you will want to see and hear the Mandolin played live by others. The best place to do this is at a local bluegrass festival or a music club in your city. A quick search on the Internet will turn up the latest information on this. Your ultimate goal should be to play along with others. You could even encourage a friend or family member to take up one of the other instruments and start up a bluegrass band. There are several Volumes in the Bluegrass Mandolin series as well as matching Volumes for the other bluegrass instruments, Guitar, Banjo, Fiddle, Bass and Dobro to help you get started.

Happy Picking!

Jay Buckey

7

Getting to Know Your Instrument

Below are the parts of the Mandolin that you should be familiar:

8

A Brief History of the Mandolin The Mandolin is a stringed instrument from antiquity. Its history can be traced to ancient Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Some of its predecessors were the Rebec, Turkish Oud and Lute.

Our modern-day instrument evolved from the lute family in Italy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries called the Mandola and Mandolino. The deep-bowled mandolin produced particularly in Naples became a common type in the nineteenth century. It has four pairs of steel strings tuned like a violin (G D A E) called courses and is played with a flat plastic pick. It is called the Neapolitan (from Naples) or Tater Bug, because of its rounded back.

Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Stravinsky have all written music for the mandolin. An increase in Italian immigration into the U.S. in the 1880s sparked a fad for the bowl-backed Neapolitan instrument; the mandolin was even among the first recorded instruments on Edison cylinders.

The early 20th century saw mandolin orchestras came into vogue, with families of mandolins ranging from soprano to bass. American folk music also adopted the mandolin at this time; a flat-backed version is played in bluegrass bands. Companies like Gibson, produced newer and louder mandolins. Lloyd Allayer Loar (1886-1943) was a

Gibson sound engineer and master luthier in the early part of the 20th century. He is most famous for his F5 model mandolin, L5 guitar, H5 Mandola, K5 Mandocello, and A5 Mandolin. Lloyd Loar signed mandolins are priced in the $100,000 to $135,000 range and are highly sought after by musicians and collectors. The F5 has become a standard for Bluegrass Mandolin because of its brilliant tone, projection and eye-pleasing design.

You can learn more about this legendary luthier and his work and life at this link: http://www.siminoff.net/pages/loar_background.html

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Eventually, the craze for the Mandolin began to cool off but was re-energized with the influence of the Mandolin playing of the legendary, Bill Monroe whose style was heavily influenced by Irish Scott and English music. His unique blend of ethnic styles along with the Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle and Bass created the high energy called, Bluegrass.

Today the mandolin continues to be a popular instrument that has crossed over the borders of country into jazz, rock, blues and beyond.

Today, there are three popular types of Mandolins. These are based on the design of the Gibson Instrument Company. They are the A Model, the F Model and the Flat Top.

The A Model Mandolin is Pear Shaped or Teardrop in shape. It can be built with F sound holes, like a Fiddle or an oval hole in the center. The F Style Mandolin comes with a scroll on the top and can have either F Sound Holes or an Oval Sound Hole. The F model Mandolins are generally the most expensive, due to the amount of time needed to manufacture one.

A well made A Mandolin can sound as good, if not better than and F. A lot depends on the materials used and the skill of luthier. I have seen and played great Mandolins in each category. Both the A and F style Mandolins

have an arched top and back. These are normally hand carved out of solid spruce.

The Flat Top Mandolin, also called a Celtic, has a Flat Top and as its name suggests, is Pear Shaped. These, if constructed well, can sound very good, however, if you were to compare all three of these instruments side by side, you would find that the Flat Top instrument would not be as loud. Often times, it will have a more mellow tone.

If you are looking to purchase a Mandolin, try to find one within your budget. Make sure the neck is straight, that is has an adjustable truss rod to keep it straight, frets that are not worn badly (if used), functional tuners and no cracks or sinking spots on the top. If there are, this is an indication, that the bracing has come loose on the inside. More details on purchasing a Mandolin can be found at my web site, www.jaybuckey.com

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Left-hand players

From time to time, I get a south-paw that wants to play the Mandolin and prefers to reverse the strings on the Mandolin and play it backwards. I prefer to call the regular Mandolin as, standard, not right-handed. Why? Have you ever seen a left-handed piano? I do not think you will. The piano is standard with the notes to the left being the lowest and the notes to the right being the highest. When a left-handed player plays the piano, they simply learn to play the standard piano like everyone else. How about a car? Have you ever seen a left-handed car? If you are in England, you will drive on the left side of the road, if you are in the USA, it will be the right side, regardless if you are left-handed or right. If you decide to reverse the Mandolin from its standard setup, you will need to take into account a few issues. First, the nut, where the strings cross will need to be reshaped or replaced. The strings are not the same gauge (thickness). Reversing them will cause buzzes and rattles. Second, if you are using a carved top instrument, the tone bars glued to the underside of the top will be in the wrong position. Also, if you have an F Model Mandolin, the decorative scroll will be on the bottom. You will need the scroll to effectively attach a strap. The pick guard will also be in the wrong position. My suggestion is this: If you are just starting out on the Mandolin, why not give it your best shot to play it in the standard position. You will be using both hands and how you learn from the beginning will set the mold for you. If you simply MUST play the Mandolin in a reversed position, I would recommend buying one built for that purpose. There are drawbacks. First, the value of a reversed Mandolin will not be as great since they are not in great demand. Second, you will not be able to play many other mandolins since most are built in standard position. These are just some points to consider when you are thinking of going this route.

11

Holding the Mandolin You can play a Mandolin without a strap but I would not recommend this. A strap will help you when standing and hold the instrument in a steady, fixed position freeing your hands. This will help you play with less effort and possibly cleaner. Straps come in all sizes and styles. The next time you go to a bluegrass festival, take note of what the other players are using. There are expensive leather straps, nylon guitar straps and everything in-between. You could even use a long shoestring! It is your choice. I use a basic, nylon guitar strap since it is wider at the shoulder and for me that is the most comfortable. Nylon is lightweight, durable and cheap. Another reason I use a Guitar style strap is that the local music stores in my area cater to the Guitar and Mandolin straps are not a big-ticket item. A music store that specializes in bluegrass and acoustic instruments is a better choice for locating special interest items like this. You will want to shop around and see what works best for you.

Some players position their strap across their right shoulder. Since I am also a Guitar Player, I have found that my instrument is not as balanced that way. I prefer to sling it around my head, across the back and over my left shoulder. Much the same way as a guitar player would use a strap. You will want to adjust your strap so that the Mandolin sits in a comfortable position in front of you. I adjust my strap so that it is comfortable standing or sitting; not too low or too high. If you are sitting, adjust the strap to allow your hands to be free to play the instrument.

12

Left Hand Position

The Mandolin has eight strings and these are arranged in pairs called, Courses. Although there are eight strings, we will think of each pair as one string. Therefore, the first course will be the First String. The First String, when holding the Mandolin, is the string closest to the floor. The second course will be called the Second String and so on. The name of the strings, starting with the first are:

E = First String

A = Second String

D = Third String

G = Fourth String

13

Using two strings in unison will double the instruments volume, and adds a Chorusing Effect. This is a unique sound characteristic of this instrument. Because we are using two strings as one, it is important to fret them carefully with the left-hand fingers to have a clean and clear tone. To play with good technique, you will want to keep your left-hand relaxed. The left-hand fingers are numbered 1 = Index, 2 = Middle, 3 = Ring and 4 = Pinky

To have the cleanest sound you will want to arch your left-hand fingers so that they only touch the strings on the tips. There may be times when you will need to fret more than one string but in most cases; you will fret only one string at a time. To keep the left-hand balanced; the Thumb will put counter pressure on the backside of the neck. At times, the Thumb may slip over the edge of the neck to allow easier noting and chording. This position is similar to the way a Fiddler holds the neck of their instrument.

The wrist should not be bent to sharply either forward or backward. Keep your palm away from the neck. Most importantly, stay relaxed. These new positions may feel awkward at first. The more you hold your Mandolin and practice with it, the more natural this will feel to you.

14

15

The Right Hand

A plastic flat pick is held between the Thumb and Index fingers of the Right Hand. I favor a Medium thickness for my picks. If you are a beginner, a thin pick would be best to use when starting out. The thinner pick will have more give and it will be easier for you to hold without dropping. A Heavy pick will give you the most volume but is the most difficult to hold comfortably. I prefer the middle-of-the-road with a Medium thickness pick. There are many styles, sizes and shapes of picks to choose. One of the issues beginners often have is that the pick will slip or fall out of their hand. Therefore, some flat picks have special grooves or holes to provide a firmer grip.

The pointed end of the pick should point at a 90-degree angle from the Thumb. Then curve your Index finger behind the pick holding it between the thumb and the side of the first joint of your Index finger. Your other fingers should be relaxed and hang loosely. By keeping your palm open, your Right-hand will be balanced. Avoid making a fist. When playing chords and strumming, keep your hand and arm relaxed. When it comes time to play a solo and you need to pick out the individual notes and strings, it is best to rest the back of the palm just

behind the bridge. I rest the bottom corner of my Right-hand just behind the bridge near the E string. To play with speed, you will need to play the notes with the pick moving up and down. To do this smoothly, you will want to angle the pick slightly into the string. This way, the edge of the pick contacts the string first BOTH on the down and up motion. The tone of your notes will also sound fuller. When the pick hits the string flat, the tone will be thinner and you stand a chance that it will be caught between the pairs of strings.

16

When playing individual notes on a solo, I prefer to keep the back part of my wrist lightly touching the strings BEHIND the bridge. This gives me a reference point; similar to an anchor. In addition, I keep my Right-hand relaxed and open. Do not make a fist. Use the Middle, Ring and Pinky fingers to lightly brush or touch the top of the Mandolin. This will give you a second reference point for more Right-hand stability. If your Mandolin has a fret board extension that gets in the way, hold more pick and have less sticking out. When playing Rhythm and Chords, I do not rest my Right-hand on the strings.

17

Tuning Your Instrument

I have always told my students: IF YOU CANT PLAY IT RIGHT, PLAY IT LOUD! And: IF YOU PLAY IT LOUD, PLEASE PLAY IT IN TUNE! Keeping your Mandolin in tune is very important. You will not only sound better but other players just might invite you to play with them again! There are ways to tune the Mandolin to itself, to a piano, or another instrument like a guitar. However, in this modern computer age, you should pick up a digital tuner. They are not that expensive these days, they will be more accurate than your ears, and they fit much better in your case than a piano. Chances are the players at the music festivals, picking in the campgrounds, are also using these electronic wonders and everyone will be in tune, when you step in to jam along. In addition, the recordings for this book are in standard tuning, so, if you are in tune with the electronic tuner, you will be ready to play with the audio portion of this method. For this reason, I have not included a separate track on the audio portion of this program for tuning. You should be using an electronic tuner. There are many variations of these tuners. My favorite is the Intelletouch tuner, which looks a little bit like a mobile phone. It attaches directly to the peg head of your instrument and detects the vibrations of the strings. There are many different brands and styles of tuners. Regardless of what you buy, make sure it is a Chromatic tuner. Some use lights, meters and everything in-between. When you are at a bluegrass festival, ask other pickers what they are using. In the end, chose one that fits your budget and style.

18

The strings on the Mandolin are tuned, from closest to the floor: E, A, D and G. Refer back to the photo on page 23. To remember these names, I use the phrase; Good Dogs Always Eat or you may want to make up something else that will help you remember the string names. Be creative! When you tune your Mandolin, you will want to be careful to play only one string at a time. I usually play one string and the rest the pick on the second one that has the same name so that it does not vibrate. If it does, it will confuse the tuner and give you an inaccurate reading. Be sure your strings are clean and new. Old, rusty strings will not tune properly. Even if they look new and shiny, it is possible that they have dents in them from the frets. This is especially true if you have a heavy grip. Flat spots on a string will not let it vibrate evenly and will not tune accurately. The Bridge will also need to be checked for accuracy. Look at the Bridge from the side; is it straight, or angled? I prefer to angle mine back away from the neck just a little bit. Another thing to check is the placement of the Bridge on the top. The distance from the Nut to the 12th fret should be just about the same distance as the 12th fret to the Bridge. Measure your instrument. If the distance of the 12th fret to the Bridge is LESS THAN the distance between the Nut to the 12th fret, the Bridge is TOO CLOSE to the neck. The opposite is true if the distance is larger. If the neck of your mandolin was set properly, and you have checked the string length, the Bridge should set between the notches of the F sound holes. If the string distance between the Nut and 12th fret is the same as the 12th fret to the Bridge AND your Bridge is NOT between the notches of the F holes, the neck of your instrument was set incorrectly. Keep this in mind when you are looking to purchase an instrument.

19

Understanding Tablature

Sheet Music for the Mandolin is normally written with two lines that run in parallel. The top line is standard Music Notation; the same kind of notation used for Violin and Piano. The line directly under the Music Notation is called, Tablature and is found in most Mandolin Books. This is an old system of writing music. It was used centuries ago by lute players. Tablature, or Tab for short, is written on five lines called a Staff, just like standard Music Notation, except each horizontal line represents the STRINGS of your Mandolin. Any number indicates the Fret that you will push on that particular string. If there is a zero on one of the lines, you will play that string, open, that is, the Left-hand will NOT touch the string. The top line represents the first string, E, the one closest to the floor when you are holding the instrument, the next line below that represents the second string, A, the third line would be D, then the fourth line, G. In the example below, you will see the tablature below the written notation. The first note is D. On the tab, this is the 3rd string played open. The next note is B; played 2nd fret, 2nd string (A). The next note is another D played at the 5th fret, 2nd string (A). The last note is a high G, played 3rd fret on the 1st string.

It may seem a little odd to place the First String, closest to the floor, on the top line. In a way, this may look backwards. This was not my idea but is the standard for Mandolin tablature. In time, this will become easier to read.

20

The Strings on the Mandolin

There are many notes on your Mandolin. There are a few important notes that we will need to know to get started with. For now, we will be playing in the lower position; the notes between the open strings and fret seven. Each string has four important notes that you will need to know as illustrated in Example 1.

21

When you are just starting out, it can be challenging to find the notes with the Left-hand and at the same time, pick the correct string with the Right-hand. To help you gain more control of the Right-hand, will play an exercise to build our accuracy. Example 2 uses only the Open Strings. Open means that you are not touching the string with your Left-hand fingers. Listen to the recording a few time to get the feel of the tune. Practice it a few times on your own, then come back and try to play along with the recording. The recording will help you keep your timing steady.

In next example, Exercise 3, we will be playing the same notes but twice as fast. These are called, Half Notes. The head of the note is like the Whole note but it has a line attached to it called the Stem. Give each Half Note two counts. Listen to the recording.

22

Example 4 uses the Quarter Note. These notes are twice as fast as the Half note. In a measure of 4/4 time, there will four Quarter Notes. Notice that the tablature for the Quarter Note looks very much like the Half Note. The difference is the spacing between the notes. Again, listen carefully to the recording to get a better idea how these notes work.

When we play a song, the melody is usually based on specific notes found in a Scale. Our first song, Liza Jane will use the notes from the A Scale. There are seven different notes in the A Scale. We will analyze scales more closely later. For now, we just want to learn where to put our Left-hand fingers. Listen to the recording of Exercise 5 then, try to play along with it.

.

23

Liza Jane Our first song, Liza Jane will be based on the A Scale that we have just worked on. Listen to the record a few times, then when you are ready, try to play along. There are three speeds to practice with. Start with the slowest version. Performance Notes:

1. Liza Jane is played in the Key of A, so, we will be using some of the notes that we learned on page 24.

2. None of the notes go faster than one count, the Quarter note, so, to keep everything consistent, play each note with a Down Pick. The ending is a little tricky using Eighth Notes. We will work on that later after reviewing page 32.

3. There are two parts to this song; a Verse and a Chorus. Each is eight measures long. At measure 9, we have a new note, the Dotted Half Note. The dot next to the head of that note adds one more count. So, the Dotted Half Note will get three beats. Be sure to count!

4. At measure 17, we will play the Rhythm Chords as the next instrument plays the

melody line. You can come back to this section after reviewing page 35. The A chord will be a simple two-finger chord. You can use the Left-hand Index and Middle fingers to hold those two notes down. If it gets a little difficult to hold those notes down with two fingers, try just using the Index if your finger is large enough. Experiment!

24

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Camptown Races

"Camptown Races", sometimes referred to as "Camptown Ladies", is a comic song by Stephen Foster (July 4, 1826 January 13, 1864). Foster, known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as "Oh! Susanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River") and Camptown Races remain popular over 150 years after their composition. In the 19th century, a "camptown", or tent city, was a temporary workingmen's accommodation familiar in many parts of the United States, especially along the rapidly expanding railroad network. Performance Notes:

1. Camptown Races uses the same A Scale that was introduced in Liza Jane. The new chord, D, will be added to add more interest with the backup chords. For this arrangement, we will use another easy, two-finger version. There are more ways to play the D, A and E7 chords. We will discuss those variations later.

2. At measure 10, we are introduced to a new musical symbol, the Half Rest. It is the

small black box sitting on the line. Like the Half Note, the Half Rest will receive two counts.

27

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29

Playing Chords and Backup

A Chord is defined as a series of notes played in unison that harmonize together. One note by itself is generally for the Melody. Two notes played in unison are called Double-stops. These are popular with fiddle and mandolin players, but they are not chords. A Chord is a combination of three or more different notes played in unison that gives the song overall Harmony and texture. There are thousands of chords and their variations. Fortunately, bluegrass can be played very effectively with just two or three different chords. This feature attracted me to bluegrass music. Although the chord progressions are simple and limited, the lead and solos can be very complex and exciting. This makes for a nice contrast. Chords will be introduced, as you need them. You should know how to read a Chord Diagram. These diagrams are much like a road map that illustrate the banjo fingerboard and finger placement in a graphic representation. A Chord Chart can be found at the end of this book. A Chord Diagram has vertical and horizontal lines. The vertical lines in the graph represent the strings. Imagine that you were looking at the fingerboard head on. The horizontal lines represent the frets. The thick, dark line at the top represents the Nut of the Mandolin. This is where the strings touch the neck just before being attached to the tuning pegs. The circles, or zeros above the nut indicate that each string is to be played open, that is, no left-hand fingers should be touching the strings. The circles with numbers represent the Left-hand fingers. Your fingers should push down close to, but not on the frets. Here are the chord diagrams to the A, D and E7 chords that we have just learned:

30

The Eighth Note

The Eighth Note is twice as fast as the Quarter note. The eighth note is popular in bluegrass music. Because it is faster, we will need to learn how to play these notes with an Up and Down motion of the pick. This are indicated with an upside-down box for down pick and a V for the up pick. See below:

Let us look at an example of how the Eighth Note works. Below is the song, Shoo, Fly, Shoo! It uses the Quarter, Half and Whole notes:

31

Now, contrast Shoo, Fly, Shoo! with Skip to my Lou!. Notice on the words, to my, there are two notes that have a bar connecting them. These are eighth notes. Normally, you will want to play the notes on the downbeat (1, 2, 3 or 4) with a down pick. If the notes are on the up beat, you will use the up pick V.

The Nashville Shuffle One of the easiest ways to get a bluegrass sound is to incorporate a pattern in the Right-hand. One of the easiest to learn is called the Nashville Shuffle. I am not sure where the name, Nashville Shuffle comes from but it is well know among the Fiddle community. I can be very effective on the Mandolin as well. Some performs have referred to this pattern as the Tater Shuffle or Eight Taters. They derive this name from the Rhythm that is used. One Tat-ter, Two Tat-ter, Three Tat-ter, Four Tat-ter and so on. The Eight Tatter comes from playing this pattern for 4 measures straight. There are Two Tatters per measure. In actual performance, this Tatter phrase is built on a series of a Quarter note followed by two Eighth Notes and then it is repeated. In place of Tatter we would use, and a. A good song example that uses the Nashville Shuffle is the first part of the song, Boil the Cabbages on page 87.

32

The Nashville Shuffle will look like this on paper:

The characteristic sound is in the Rhythm pattern. Notice that there is a down pick on ever downbeat, 1, 2, 3 and 4. The ONLY time there is an up pick is on the OFF BEAT, a. Now, let us try using the Nashville Shuffle on the A scale that we played back on page 24.

33

Shady Grove

Shady Grove is an 18th century folk love song. Many verses exist, most of them describing the speaker's love for a woman called Shady Grove. There are also various choruses, which refer to the speaker traveling to see Shady Grove in Harlan, Kentucky. Harlan is a small town 100 miles north east of Knoxville, Tennessee in the Appalacian Mountains. There are many versions of this song. Some are fast, others slow. I have arranged Shady Grove in a more traditional version. Performance Notes:

1. The Key of this song is darker sounding than Liza Jane and Camptown Races. We will be using the same notes in the A scale that we learned earlier but will start and end Shady Grove on the note, B. This will give us that dark Mountain Minor sound that is so popular in that region. The technical name for this Key is B Dorian. Play and compare the A Scale and the B Dorian Mode:

2. We also have two new chords to learn; B Minor (Bm) and F# Minor (# = sharp).

3. Listen to the recording a few times then try to play along; both the melody and the rhythm chords. Try to sing it too!

34

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The D Scale

Let us learn a new scale, the D scale! If you feel comfortable with the A scale, the D scale will be a breeze. The notes are new but the Left-hand fingering will be the same except we will be shifting our fingers over one string.

Now, let us use these new notes in another song example, Shortnin Bread:

36

For variety, we can add some Eighth Notes to give our arrangement more notes. Remember, when you play Eighth Notes, use a down pick on the downbeat notes. These are the first notes in the group of two notes tied together by that horizontal beam. Each line will be repeated one time. In addition, the Ending should look familiar. It is the same fingering as the Endings we played on Liza Jane and Camptown Races. The only difference is that we have moved everything over one string for the new key of D.

37

By having two Mandolin strings tuned in unison, we have greater volume. Another technique used by the pros is to have a second course of strings. This is called a Double Stop. Two play two notes at the same time (actually, you are playing four strings) you will need to sweep your pick wider to catch both sets of strings. Often times, a beginner will get their pick caught in-between a pair of strings and it will go flying out of their hand. Therefore, what I like to do is to angle the pick into the strings a little bit. This way, the strings will touch the pick on its leading edge first and the pick will roll over the strings in both directions, up and down.

38

Tremolo Tremolo is a musical term with several meanings. Tremolo on a Mandolin is the rapid repetition of one note. Once a string is plucked, the note decays quickly, and by playing the same note many times very rapidly, the illusion of a sustained note can be created. Although there are many notes played within the measure, only one note is scored on the paper. The extra notes are implied. To play Tremolo effectively on the Mandolin, you will need to do be aware of these points: It is important to have a sense of where the downbeat is in the measure. In the Tremolo examples on the next page, you will see the first measure consists of four Quarter Notes all played with a down pick. The next measure doubles the number of notes using the Eighth Note. On the next line, we will play the same note but use Eighth Triplets. These are counted, one and a, two and a, three and a, four and a. The important thing to remember is to place emphasis on the downbeats, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Pay special attention to the picking direction. Tremolo, in real time, is faster than Eighth Triplets. It is actually closer to Sixteenth Triplets. This is illustrated on the next line. Sixteenth Triplets are much the same as Eighth Triplets however; they are played twice as fast. Again, the key is to be conscience of the downbeat. To put this into perspective, try playing these Sixteenth Triplets with the D Scale on the next line. Tremolo fits in nicely with songs that are slower, like the Waltz. The Waltz is counted in 3, or, time. That is, there are three counts to each measure. The songs and exercises that we have been working on thus far have been in 4, or, 4/4 time. The song Georgiana Moon is a good tune to practice the Tremolo technique. This tune is harder than what we have been working on. Fortunately, it is slower. Whenever there is a note that is held for three or more counts, we can use Tremolo. Learning to keep time and add the Tremolo will take some time. So, do not give up! Listen to the recording of Georgiana Moon several times to get a feel for the melody. Then, start working the melody out on your Mandolin. When you can get to the point of being able to play along with the recording without looking at the book, you can start to insert the Tremolo on the longer notes. Remember, TIMING IS EVERYTHING when playing Tremolo. Your Tremolo technique will get smoother and evolve over time. When you can, go to a bluegrass festival to observe other Mandolin players using this Technique.

39

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The G Scale

The Key of G is one of the most popular in bluegrass and folk music. The G Scale will be used for the melody and lead solos. Below are two versions of the G Scale. Notice the similarities between the G Scale and the A and D scales.

44

The song section

All of the preceding material should give you a good start and basic understanding of Bluegrass Mandolin. There is MUCH more to cover, but we will get into this, as we need to. The Song Section of this book will now give you some nice, professional examples of Bluegrass Mandolin in a group setting. These arrangements include the actual Mandolin solos you will hear on the recordings, plus the vocal line, where there are lyrics. Where indicated, you will see the actual Back-Up as heard on the recording. Some of this material may be a bit daunting as you first start out, but if you take your time, listen to the recordings, over, and over, and over again, it will all make sense and be a great deal of fun to play, as these songs feel more natural under your finger tips. Included with the faster tunes, are slower, then medium and finally a faster version of the tune, complete as it would be played on stage. The numbers on the audio tracks will be the Beats Per Minute (BPM). These final tempos are NOT necessarily the actual speed you may hear these songs when played live. I have tested these songs with my personal students, and the majority agrees on these tempos to learn and be able to play along effectively with the recording. In actual performance, you can kick up the speed a notch or two if you like. I have watched some notable performances, in particular those of Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder smoke a song like Cripple Creek or Shady Grove at over 300 beats per minute! As each song is introduced in this series, I will precede it with Performance Notes; a mini lesson that will cover passages that are more difficult and questions you may have. I hope you have as much fun working out these great songs as I had in arranging and putting them together.

Happy Picking!

Jay Buckey

45

Roll in my sweet babys arms

This is a classic bluegrass song you will hear many times over at any bluegrass festival and especially in the campgrounds. I have found it to be a nice ice breaker when you meet folks for the first time. You may not know each others names but everybody knows, Roll in my Sweet Babys Arms! If you have never played this song, you will want to listed to the recording a few times through to get the feel. It uses the basic three chords that we have already gone over, G, C and D. In addition, many of the Fill-In Licks will also be found here. As you look through the arrangement, you will notice there are some extra numbers at the beginning and top of each staff. These are the measure numbers and will be used as references in the Performance Notes. Something to take special note of is the back up portion on the Chorus and the Verse. Performance Notes:

1. The Mandolin solo is not for a beginner. There are many new notes that we have not gone over yet. You will want to come back to this solo later as you gain more experience and technique. However, listen to how I play it on the recording. Professional solos are based on many elements and not limited to just one scale, like G.

2. Measure 22 uses Double Stops. This particular passage has the feel and sound of the

Pedal Steel Guitar. I find as I learn different instruments, some of their peculiar characteristics can be blended into other instruments. This is how you create personal style!

3. The Chorus of this and many other songs is usually a highlight of great singing.

Normally, two or more voices will harmonize this line. There is usually a lead with a higher tenor and a lower bass. These three voices, more or less, form a major chord and are a real treat when executed well. The audience loves this part of the tune, therefore the Mandolin needs to lay back a bit so as not to compete with the singing. If you do not try to steal the show, you may just be invited to play again with the band! Therefore, the backup will be straightforward with Rhythm chops using the Movable Chords.

46

These are the Closed Chords Forms of G, C and D: These are the Open Chord Forms of G and C:

47

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50

My Homes across the Blueridge Mountains

This song is a Two-Chord-Wonder, one of those few good tunes that only use two chords and a very straightforward melody. There are some new techniques introduced however, to add to your Mandolin picking style. Performance Notes:

1. When playing the back up chords, G and D, use the same Closed Forms that were

introduced with the tune, Roll in my Sweet Babys Arms.

2. You can use the Melody line for a simple lead solo

3. The actual Mandolin solo is challenging for a beginner. However, you can grow into it! Some points to consider when working it out are:

10 Since there are many Eighth Notes, use a down up motion with your pick. Use the down pick for notes ON THE BEAT and the up pick for everything else

11 At measure 22, 29 and 30, you will see Unisons. These are two identical notes

played on different strings. This is a good technique to use when you are playing against an open string for a full measure. Also note, the quick slide into the open string note. At measure 22, this is the 6th to 7th fret slide and the 2nd to 5th fret hammer-on at measure 29.

12 At measures 24 and 25, you will be shifting your Left-hand higher up the neck.

This is called Position playing. Your Left-hand Index finger will act as the pointer or guide for your hand. When the Left-hand Index finger is at the 5th fret, this is called, 3rd Position. This is because the 5th fret is normally played with the 3rd finger. Playing in a higher position takes a little getting used to. We used Position Playing to find the higher notes on the fingerboard.

There once was a picker named Bruno Who said, "There's one thing I do know

Guitars are fine And Banjos divine

But Mandolins are numero uno!"

51

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54

Kentucky Waltz Bill Monroe recorded Kentucky Waltz for Decca Records, March 17, 1951. The Waltz is a specific dance form counted in three. Rather than the standard 1, 2, 3, 4 per measure that we have been using, we will now count this song as 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 and so on. In this arrangement are some new, professional techniques that really make this song a stage showcase. Performance Notes:

1. Modulating to a new key will be something new. The song starts out with the Mandolin playing the lead in the Key of D. All of the notes come from the D Scale we learned on page 37. At the end of the Mandolin break, we will be modulating, or changing the key to G. Why do we do that? Often times, it has to do with the singer. Some vocalists have limited range. When I arranged this song, I found my singer Ginger Litvinoff sounded the best in the key of G, so that is where I put her voice. (In case you were interested, a complete listing of singers, photos, equipment, instruments and just about everything else you were curious about can be found on the FAQ pages at www.jaybuckey.com)

2. The Diminished Chord is introduced for the first time. See measures 7, 27, 40 and 60. This chord has an unusual sound with a certain tension that helps move from one chord to the next and adds interest to the harmony section. Most average players do not use chords like this, but this chord and many others like it, are very effective and helpful to make your arrangements sound more professional. The Kentucky Waltz uses several new chords.

3. When playing the backup, keep the Rhythm relaxed. Do not rush. Below are a few Right-hand strumming patterns that work well with the Waltz using the G Chord:

55

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59

Feuding five strings This song is excellent to play along with a friend or, if you are a teacher, your students. It is reminiscent of the song, Dueling Banjos from the movie, Deliverance. The song was arranged and performed for the movie by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel and was featured on the movie's soundtrack. It was originally composed by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith and Don Reno as Feuding Banjos in 1955. See: http://www.donreno.com/bio.htm. I call my version, Feudin Five Strings. If you are a Mandolin teacher, this is a great song to play along with your students since you can throw the melody line back and forth between you and your students. What I like to do is play the guitar part live with my Mandolin students. Of course, they will need to practice the song with the audio tracks at home first, but it is very rewarding to play it together, live, like a mini jam session. Try playing this tune on a camping trip, especially at night in the woods Performance Notes:

1. Solo 1 is straight forward and is a great way to practice the G Scale. On the recording, you will take turns playing a short part of the G scale along with the Banjo.

2. Measures 21 through 24 are just strums on the G and C chords. Listen to the recording to get the feel for the timing.

3. Part B, at measure 37 is based on the Nashville Shuffle described on page 37. At measures 51 and 52 we will use a straight-ahead G scale to end this section.

4. Solo 2 starts out very much like Solo 1. Part B, starting with measure 89 is challenging. This section is based on the fiddling style of the famous song, Orange Blossom Special. This is called the Double Shuffle. It is more challenging than the Nashville Shuffle. Watch the picking direction carefully from here to the end.

5. The Ending, starting at measure 105, we will just play chords to the end and let the banjo take us out.

60

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66

Cripple creek This song is a classic. No Bluegrass Mandolin book would be complete without it. I remember first hearing this played on the TV show Hee Haw. Buck Owens and Roy Clark would sit on some bales of hay and the rest of the cast would join in around them. Roy would play a quick verse of this tune and then they would tell a quick joke. I did not know the name of the song until I heard it on a scratched up vinyl LP by Earl Scruggs called, Foggy Mountain Banjo. It should be a definite addition to your CD collection. Performance Notes:

1. The Mandolin Solo uses mainly Eighth Notes, so you will need to use the down/up picking pattern described in earlier lessons.

2. This song is in the Key of A and introduces some new chords and their forms. We will be using the Closed Form A, D and E chords for Cripple Creek. These are very useful since they can be moved to new positions and used in a new Key. The chord diagram is provided for these on the music. These are illustrated below:

67

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69

Eight more Miles to Louisville

There is a Theme Park in Anaheim, California, USA called Knotts Berry Farm that is not too far from Disneyland. One section of this park is called, Frontier Land and has many buildings and amusement rides patterned after the Wild American West. One of my favorites was the White Water Rapids where you ride in this fake log and get very wet. Anyway, as you stand in line waiting your turn to take this ride, they have small speakers in the trees with a banjo picking this song. Of course, that was many years ago and that recording has probably been replaced. This song has been credited to Grandpa Jones and has a Civil War feel. Performance Notes: 1. We are back to the Key of G, so, you can use either type of chord for the backup, Closed,

or the easier Open Form. I would recommend using the Closed Form from page 52. These closed chords will be very useful when we change to other Keys. They may be a little difficult at first, but with regular practice, they will feel more natural over time. You may want to practice the chord changes WITHOUT actually playing them. When you are watching TV, for example, keep your Mandolin with you and just lightly go through the chord changes working for that feel. Try not to look at your Left-hand.

2. The Mandolin solo is straightforward. The beginning of measure 18 has a small club

before the first note. This is called an Eighth Rest. Just like the Eighth Note, it will receive a half beat. So, the first note will sound a little off time and start on the & of 1; the first beat. This is called, Syncopation. Listen to the recording to get the feel for this.

3. There is something to watch out for at measure 24. The last note, D in that measure is

tied to the next D note in measure 25. The line connecting these two notes is called a Tie. You will play the first D note, then, holding your finger down; let it ring into the next D without picking the string a second time. You should count one but do not play that note.

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72

Blackberry Blossom It is rare to find a bluegrass picker in the field that does not already know this one, so it will be a good tune to learn and keep in your back pocket. It is a standard Fiddle Tune but plays very well on the Mandolin and is a great jamming song. Performance Notes:

1. This song has many chord changes! None of the chords are new, they just change quickly and often. It is very important that your Mandolin neck is straight and the strings are low for fast, smooth chording.

2. This will be our first time to incorporate the Left-hand Pinky finger. Do not avoid working on this song because of that. You will need the Pinky finger when we start playing more solos in the higher positions.

3. Here is a tip to help you Pinky fret the notes accurately: Use your Index or Middle fingers as an anchor. In measure 1, for example, I like to keep my Middle finger down at the third fret G note. Why? You will need this note again and it will save time to have it already into position. Second, by leaving a finger down, it will help give your Pinky a reference when stretching to the high, B note at the seventh fret.

4. How you use your Pinky depends on the structure of your hand. Mine does not bend very well. I have seen others curl their Pinky around and come down directly on top of the string. This would be ideal but this is not a perfect world. Therefore, I need to use mine straight as shown below. You will need to experiment to see what works best for you.

Have a berry nice time working this one out!

73

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Wabash Cannonball The Wabash Cannonball is an American folk song that is thought to have originated sometime in the late nineteenth century. It was further popularized by Country Music Hall of Famer, Roy Acuff, when he recorded the song in 1936. It is also one of the primary fight songs of Kansas State University, as well as one of the signature songs of the University of Texas at Austin's band. The song is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. There are many theories of the origin of The Wabash Cannonball. One plausible theory by Utah Phillips states that The Wabash Cannonball came about when hobos somewhere imagined a mythical train called the Wabash Cannonball and created the lyrics and music to go with the myth. Another theory states that the song is based on a tall tale in which Cal S. Bunyan, Paul Bunyan's brother, constructed a railroad known as the Ireland, Jerusalem, Australian & Southern Michigan Line. After two months of service, the 70-car train was traveling so fast that it arrived at its destination an hour before its departure. Finally, the train took off so fast that it rushed in to outer space, and for all is known, it is still traveling through space. When the hobos learned of this train, they called her The Wabash Cannonball and said that every station in America had heard her whistle. These days, Wabash Cannonball is a standard in the Bluegrass repertoire and is one song that just about everybody knows and plays on stage and in the campgrounds. Its familiar melody and easy tempo make it a good one to memorize and slip into your back pocket. Performance Notes: 1) The solo for this song is straightforward with no surprises. Try to sing and play the

Rhythm Backup at the same time! 2) There are no real surprises on the solo or the backup chords. You should know enough

from the last songs that we have gone over to dig right in on this arrangement. Listen to the recording several time to understand how the mandolin fits in with the group. Work for Style and not sound mechanical.

Can you play along with the recording without looking at the tablature?

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78

Boil the cabbages Songs like Boil the Cabbages kept my parents from enjoying bluegrass. It was too Hicksville for their taste. They preferred Lawrence Welk or Nat King Cole. If you are a teacher, this is a good tune to get your students to play together with others. One time, I took a couple of fiddlers, a mandolinist and banjo student to a local bluegrass festival. This was going to be their first shot at playing live with other folks and they were nervous about it. However, I had a plan. We played this song a few times together in the shadows until we felt good with it, then with our instruments strapped on, we cruised through the campground until I found, what I felt, was an average group, not too good, but not too bad either. We were just a group of beginners and did not want to push our luck. (Tip: only play with those that will barely tolerate your playing ) We stood nearby the group, politely waiting for the group to finish their song and then I asked, Do you fellows know, Boil the Cabbages?. There was an uncomfortable pause. Yeah, we just played it but, well do it again. Perfect! So, we played with them and it went really well. THEN someone in that group said, Hey that was really good! What else would you like to play? Well, we cant stay; we have to be somewhere else. Actually, that was the only song we were prepared to play! So, we cruised around until we found another group, went through the same routine and asked if they knew Boil the Cabbages and we did the same with them. After that, I left my students on their own and they cruised the rest of the night in the campgrounds playing that one song but making a lot of new friends and gaining a lot of confidence in playing with others. Boil the Cabbages, although a silly tune is still a classic for beginners and very well known in jam sessions. Kids like it a lot especially for the lyrics. Performance Notes:

1. The solo is based on the Nashville Shuffle. This was covered on page 33.

2. Measure 9 has a variation with Double Stops. To play these notes smoothly, you will want to be sure your pick is angled into the strings so it will glide across them easily without catching them on the down and up stroke.

3. Measure 65 to the end is Roller Coaster style ending. In just four measures, the notes

will descend through all four strings and two octaves of the A scale. Get it perfect and throw it in at the next jam session and you are sure to turn a few heads!

79

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83

Where to go from here This brings us to the end of Bluegrass Mandolin Volume 1. The book should have given you a good start in understanding how bluegrass music isapplied to this fine instrument. I hope, within these pages you have found some inspirationand learned some tunes and techniques that have improved your musicianship. So, where can you go from here? I continue to write more material for the Mandolin all the time. In addition, I encourage you to visit my web site, www.jaybuckey.com where you will find more music for the Mandolin including many free arrangements every month. As new material and projects come on-line, they are announced on the Whats New page at www.jaybuckey.com/whatsnew.htm . In addition to these, be sure you take time out to attend a bluegrass festival. To see and hear this music played live will give you enthusiasm to stick with your music. You can do a search on the Internet for Bluegrass Festivals and see which ones are closest to you. The love for this music continues to grow around the world with more festivals constantly added to the list. Even if there is no festival near your hometown, why not make it a point to go as a family on a short trip. Or, maybe take a festival in as part of your family vacation? If you have children, you ABSOLUTELY need to give them exposure to this music LIVE. This could be the catalyst that gets them enthused with music and develop the desire to play one of fine acoustic musical instruments played at these events.

Life is like a mandolin - what you get out of it depends on how you play it.

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