I confess. Though I learn new tunes by ear, and though I can also read a melody line, I cannot always figure out what the melody IS, either way. Usually it's a southern gospel or bluegrass gospel piece that vexes me.

These are particularly difficult because my job is not only to sing them, and usually by myself, but to songlead them-- teach them. Teach the melody, from a songsheet without four parts for the people (and without anyone out there interested in part singing either).

I am beginning to suspect that some songs from these genres are not made to have discernable melodies-- that the total effect of the harmonies is the point.

Am I ever gonna figure these out so they will work, when they are built like that?

Current problem child is Green Pastures. Emmylou and Ricky do not seem to agree with my Bluegrass Fakebook, and none of the "melodies" I hear among them seem to quite work. I suspect that if I had a better copy of them doing it, I might hear the line from the fakebook on one of the instruments, or it may be the baritone part of a four-part version.

Do I just run these sorts of problems through my internal Folk Processor and make up my own version? Or do I leave these alone till I learn Emmylou's tricks for forming a band? *G* (*BG!*)

It can be hard to learn from a mentor when you cannot rip them off the tape and shake them till they tell you their tricks!

~News to Me