Mandolin For Dummies by Don Julin

Author:Don Julin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Figure 10-4: Old-time fiddle version of ‘Whiskey Before Breakfast’.

Figure 10-5: Bluegrass-style ‘Whiskey Before Breakfast’.

Don’t play these free-spirited interpretations of fiddle tunes when you’re at an Irish or old-time session. Those folks may not find your interpretations and blues-based licks very enjoyable.

Meeting the father of bluegrass

Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys created the sound that paved the way for all other bluegrass bands. On first listen, you may find the early Bluegrass Boys’ recordings harsh, raw and even difficult to listen to. But to get a grip on the band’s importance, think of Bill Monroe as the Robert Johnson (blues guitar great) of mandolin, because he influenced the course of mandolin history just as Johnson did for guitar. Monroe has influenced nearly every person who decided to play mandolin in the last 70 years. Following are a few facts about one of the most important figures in American music:

William Smith Monroe was a cross-eyed kid who was picked on by his siblings and classmates. His poor eyesight caused him to be seen as slow, and he was made to sit at the back of the class. He carried his childhood experiences throughout his life, at times feeling the need to prove himself.

He started playing professionally with his brothers in the early 1930s.

He worked as a professional dancer early in his career, and many of his right-hand rhythms come directly from dance steps.

He invented a musical genre in bluegrass that includes a distinct vocal style and an instrumental style featuring the mandolin; he even wrote much of the standard repertoire.

He’s currently the only person to be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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