Remarkable set of coincidences - I sent in my audition videos for the camp yesterday and signed up for your vocal tune workshop. Today I get this video lesson. Good stuff!
Shout out for Stash Wyslouch! Bluegrass is better with him. We're all lucky that he's chosen to use his genius in the way he has, just like we're lucky that Brian and Marcel have chosen to use and share their deep talents as they have. Much respect.
I think Doc said it best (I wish I could find the exact quote)... 'If the lead break get's so fancy and complicated that it's difficult to still hear the original melody, it's just not as good somehow.' And now my thoughts. Yes it's still great playing and I hope I get there someday, LOL, but to me I want it to always be fairly easy to hear that melody. In my humble opinion, David Grisman is an example. On some of the tunes on the Doc and Dawg album, David is running these mandolin breaks all over the place and they don't sound bad, they just are so complex I have trouble still following the original melody. My preference would be to back it down a notch so that the melody is still respected. Would love to hear your thoughts, maybe even a video, Mr. Marcel!!!
I love the way Bryan talks about music as a language. How do you describe a language? With other words? You just have to speak the language, then you'll understand. I'm working on it sir!
Thank you so much. A gem. The discussion of melody is incredibly important, and relates also to how to approach a song in general. I'm just an amateur, but when I think about doing a new song, my starting point is whether I can add anything to it. If I find I can't (happens a lot) I walk sadly away. If I think I can, I listen to as many versions as I can and try and get a feel of what the essence of the song is. What can I validly take out, put in, change, be it tune, rhythm, lyrics even? So if the song was 'Molly and Tenbrooks', how do I sing that so it relates to what I do with horse riding and racing? 'Old home place'? - what a bout my home place in London, England? I think what Bryan says about improv is the exact same thing, but so far I lack the ability to do very much with that 🥲. The Tony section is and interesting conversation as you, Marcel, seem to veer much more than Bryan towards the recognising the melodic nature of Tony's breaks in singing songs. Thanks for another inspiration. For those of us who can't get there, could you consider a paywall youtube sit in or post hoc vid? In the UK we do this for horse trials and it is awesome (I mean that as an older person - not in the way young people say it, meaning just fractionally above average if that). I go to horse trials live and then buy the streams afterwards to hear the commentaries and analyse the rides. Could make some money and empower a whole bunch of people who cannot physically get to the camp! Cheers.
An event like this would be fantastic for me but I've played by ear all my 58 years and never learned scales. So I would be out of place more than likely.
Marcel this is off topic, I'm building the studio to record music in and I'm curious what do you use in your studio? Thanks buddy hope you're doing well.
Bluegrass 'vocal tune' - you mean a song? There are songs, and there are instrumentals, plus instrumental solos or as the bluegrassers have it 'breaks' during songs - it's always been that way!
An audition video - really? To pay you $1500 for lessons? I’ll stick with the camp I’ve been going to - it’s come as you are and a lot of fun. This sounds like a chore with anxiety included
