Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Mix and match fiddle tunes

#1

So here’s an interesting fact that I’ve noticed, if you put the a part of Billy in the lowground with the b part of Cooley’s reel, you get an interesting slight variation on the temperance reel. Or if you want a really interesting variation, the b part from BlackBerry blossom. This could be a handy jumpstart to improvisation, or it can just add some interest to playing a tune repeatedly. Probably both. And also, seemingly obvious though it be, you have to play the a part of bitlg in key of G if you play Cooley’s in Em

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#2

My head is spinning, lol

1 Like
#3

Many oldtunes were written this way…1/2 of two different tunes = new tune… :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

#4

People playing accompaniment may start thinking of another tune and anticipate a chord change that doesn’t happen. If you are with seasoned players it would work.

I am reminded of a tape cassette I bought, as a reference, for fiddle tunes.
Graham Townsend’s playing of 100 Fiddle Hits-35th Anniversary Collection. Playing time of the tape is 64 minutes total.
To accomplish this he strings five or six tunes together without stopping and at breakneck speed.
Backing instruments are piano, steel guitar, accordion, bass, 5 string banjo, acoustic guitar and drums. Not all on the same track though, thank heavens.
Still quite an ear full if you are just trying to learn the chord changes of one tune in the middle of five tunes all strung together.
Now that YouTube exists that old cassette just gathers dust.

Currently I have just started figuring out the structure for Nail That Catfish to a Tree, as it has just grabbed the interest of four people I jam with.
Della Mae does a great job with it. Check it out.

#5

Well, I was using Ben’s backing track earlier when I figured it out, chord progressions are the same if you use Cooley’s b, you just have to resolve to a G instead of Em, BB b part adds some tension cuz it’s slightly different chords but it sounds really cool, if i was playing it with others I’d make sure they knew what song i was playing, (I work my way up from the basic melody) and that they knew the chord progression. When you said nail that catfish, Della Mae is the first thing I thought of, I think I’ve seen it before, but I’ll check it out again, love the title :joy: