Advice for a beginner playing with a bluegrass/folk band?

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Hello, all.

I’ve been moving through the Beginner to Boss series slowly since the summer and after a hiatus of a few months, I’m now back and tackling single notes. To establish a hard goal for myself and keep to it, I committed to play a few songs with a bluegrass/folk band in Kentucky next Christmas. It’s our big family holiday party and the band members are long-time family friends who play every year. This gives me a year to get ready to hold my own.

Now, to my questions:

  1. Besides a strong foundation, what techniques are beneficial to learn for bluegrass & folk?
  2. The top song I want to play is “Tennessee Waltz” (a family favorite). Any suggestions on how (and when) to effectively learn this song?
  1. Any other songs to learn, advice to share, lessons to take, etc.?

Thanks for the help!

Jason

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Hi Jason @J_Spec

A good place for bluegrass tips & lessons is The Harmonica Barge on YouTube. The host also sells lessons on his home page.

Regards,
– Slim :sunglasses:

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Hi (again) Jason @J_Spec

To answer your questions:

For question #1, you may find this video helpful:

For question #2, not knowing your skill level, I think that one year to learn the full song would be a real challenge! So I have prepared two simplified short versions for you. The first you should be able to learn to play rather quickly because there are no bends involved.

Version #1:
A simple (no bends, 1st position) version of the Tennessee Waltz. First position means that with whatever harp you use, the band must play the song in the key of the harp (C harp, band plays in C; A harp, band plays in A; etc).

Note: the … means to hold this note longer than the others.

+4 -4 +5 +6…
+4 -4 +5 +6…

+7 -8 +8… +8 -8 +7 -6…
+7 -8 +7… +6… +5 -6… +6… +5… -4…

+4 -4 +5 +6…
+4 -4 +5 +6…

+7 -8 +8… +8 -8 +7 -6
+7 -8 +7… +6… +5 -5… +5… -4… +4…

Version #2:
The same version, but now not so simple because you must be able to play the rather difficult 3 draw double bend (-3"). This version is for playing the harp in 2nd position (for example, with a C harp you and the band would play the song in G; for an A harp the song is played in E; etc).

-2 -3" -3 -4…
-2 -3" -3 -4…

+6 -6 -7… -7 -6 +6 +5…
+6 -6 +6… -4… -3 +5… -4… -3… -3"…

-2 -3" -3 -4…
-2 -3" -3 -4…

+6 -6 -7… -7 -6 +6 +5…
+6 -6 +6… -4… -3 +4… -3… -3"… +3…

Good luck and work hard – but stay relaxed and enjoy the ride!!

Regards,
– Slim :sunglasses:

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@Slim - Thanks for the information and alternate versions of the song. Much appreciated! I’m under no illusion that I could walk up there and kill it. A year is a long time and no time at all. I’m looking for a challenge, to have some fun, and maybe surprise a few family members. :slight_smile:

Thanks again. Happy new year.

Jason

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Hello @J_Spec,
oh, that’s a beautiful waltz! He was completely unknown to me until now.

I think if you follow @Slim’s advice and learn the easy version first, you can do it in a year. A waltz has the advantage that you can easily stay in rhythm.

You simply save the more difficult version for the coming years and you have enough time.

Good luck and let us know how it works in due course.

Regards from Astrid :woman_in_lotus_position:

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@AstridHandbikebee63 - Agreed. It’s a wonderful song. Thanks for the advice. It’s good to know it’ll be a easier to stay in rhythm. Take care.

Jason

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@J_Spec yeah I was recently taking a lesson with Todd Parrott and he taught me these country licks that he has, and he’s got PDF’s of the tabs, and they’ve been a real game changer for me. He’s such a great player and teacher and charges so little for lessons, I think it would be a no-brainer to get a lesson with him and ask him about his country licks stuff.

I’m sure he could also help you with Tennessee Waltz.

Thank you for posting the Charlie McCoy video @Slim. I’ve gotta check that out for SURE!!!

Happy New Year 2024 y’all!

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Hey, @Luke. Thanks for the advice and intro to Todd Parrott. I’m continuing to explore direct lessons (virtual & in-person) and now have another one to add to the list.

Have a great day and weekend!

Jason

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Right on @J_Spec - the other thing I recommend is everyday 5 minutes practicing the train that I teach in this vid at the fastest tempo that you can play relaxed and clean at. I’ve been doing that, and it’s been working wonders for my bluegrass-style playing (in addition to learning Todd Parrott’s country riffs.)

Also, listening is as important as practicing. If you’re on Spotify, here’s a playlist of Buddy Greene I made: Spotify

Buddy Greene is probably my favorite harmonica player in the genre.

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@Luke Perfect. Will do! Thanks for the Spotify list. I’ve been listening to Buddy Greene and Charlie McCoy a lot lately. Here’s a fun favorite of the two of them…

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Wow @J_Spec that was a whole lot of harpin’ fun! Thank you so much for sharing that my friend. I had never seen that before nor heard of the song before either. Great share. :facepunch:t3::notes:

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