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No pickin' partner? Find one, it works.
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Subject: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:24 PM This is connected to my other thread on this subject..clunkhere but it's going in a different direction, so a second thread may be warranted. If you DON'T have someone to pick with regularly, it's not that difficult to find one. I've been through this several times with students, and it's never failed to work. In a couple of cases it's worked spectacularly...check out Toronto's club Django, which was formed this way. If you agree with me that playing with another person will really accelerate your own learning process.....and you can deal with being a LITTLE aggressive, try this: Put a small notice up at the local supermarket (or in the paper, or at the library..or the local feed and bait store if you're in the country) "Hi. I've started learning guitar (banjo, accordion, nose-flute, swinette, whatever) and I really want to make music with another human,(or two or three) instead of a bunch of songbooks. I play folk (country, bluegrass, gospel, neo-Druid, etc.) and I've got one evening (afternoon) a week to do some pickin' and singin'. Now here's the good part...Don't worry if you can't play a note...I'll teach you some basics for free, and we can learn together. All I'm looking for is someone who WANTS to play. Give me a call, or e-mail me at....." signed 'Picker'. Take a few calls, and have a chat with the person....but tell them that 'cause something's just come up' you'll call 'em back in a few days. That gives you a chance to figure out just WHO might fill the bill....and who sounds safe, sincere, and (very importantly) in YOUR hood.(folks who live twenty miles away get lazy about keeping appointments) It's not like doing "the personals" but there ARE similar aspects, so if you feel more comfortable, mention a 'boyfriend' (or girlfriend) who doesn't really want to pick music with you. That will immediately establish that your motives are as stated in the original notice. Trust me this really works, and you may find the "Simon" for your "Garfunkle" (and hopefully get along better than they did) Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: 53 Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:27 PM Man that's a post there Rick. I have a pickin partner and it does work. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Anahootz Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:43 PM I live in a moderately small and VERY isolated town in Alaska, and finding a picking partner for weekly sessions often involves long hours of phone tag...so I have the next best thing, which is This. I have no financial stake in this product, nor do I represent homespun or any other products, blahblahblah, it's just a hell of a way to learn to play bluegrass. 'hootz |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 24 Mar 02 - 10:11 PM Rick, It's been a long time since I've heard of a Swinette player. Actually, I've got my better half playing some guitar accompaniement while I work on banjo tunes. It's great for me, and it has her playing guitar again, she'd ignored it a long time. So it's a win-win. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Áine Date: 24 Mar 02 - 10:34 PM I'm as lucky as Steve, too. My main pickin' partner is Dear Hubby, my 'other' half, don't ya know. He's a much more accomplished (as in 'fantastic') player than I, and playing with him really lights a fire under my tail to keep up, I'll tell ya that for free! I just wish he was a better 'teacher' . . . he does some amazing fingerpicking, and I ask him 'how'd you do that?' -- his reply is 'I dunno'. So Rick, how do I get Dear Hubby to translate 'I dunno'? Hmmmm? -- All the best, Áine (P.S. Now, if I could just find a mandolin pickin' partner, the world would be rosy . . .) |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 24 Mar 02 - 10:38 PM Aine, I have an Uncle like that. Only his reply isn't I dunno, it's "easy, like this" and he proceeds to play the lick in question at full speed. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: CarolC Date: 25 Mar 02 - 01:31 AM Rick, I'm so glad you included accordions in your post there. Which means that what I'm looking for is not so much a "picking partner" as a "squeeze partner". Sounds pretty good to me. (Seriously, though, I know you're right about the benefits of having someone to play with. Just my one experience playing with that wonderful squeezer, Mr. Swain, made a big difference for me.) |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 25 Mar 02 - 11:18 AM Yeah, Dick has that effect on folks. However, somewhere...buried in the morass (whatever that means) is another 'squeezer' just waiting to 'pick' with you Carol. YOU'LL be THEIR 'Swain'. (so to speak) Hi Aine. Withold meals (or anything else) til he tealls ya how! Rick |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 25 Mar 02 - 04:44 PM Got a PM. asking "wouldn't it be better putting your notice up in a music store"? Actually I didn't mention music stores because if you're looking for someone to pick with (and help YOU learn faster) you may want to tap into the general population first in order to find someone you LIKE personally, who WANTS to learn, rather than someone who's already connected into the music network. Once you ARE playing at a decent level you'll have no problems hooking up with others who match your skill. Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Áine Date: 25 Mar 02 - 05:17 PM Hey Rick, Withold meals (or anything else) til he tells ya how! -- great idea; but, after 15 years of marriage, I don't want to risk upsetting the apple cart, so to speak! ;-) The thing is, Dear Hubby really would like to help me. He just isn't a 'natural' teacher, like yourself -- and this from a fella who went to college on a music scholarship (OK, so he was a trombone player -- no jokes, now!). Since I'm at a point now in my guitar playing where I need some 'theory' thrown in on top of all those 'hot licks' I'm learning (yeah, right), I'm lucky that Dear Hubby is excellent at explaining the B minor seventh diminished fifth chord and its ilk. So, I really can't complain too much, now can I? But then, I end up asking dumb questions like this one on the 'Cat. Go figure. All the best, Áine |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Phil Cooper Date: 25 Mar 02 - 11:27 PM I met my singing partner of the past 20 years, Margaret Nelson, at an open mic. She criticized my set, saying I was singing "We Sing Halleluiah" too high and was turning purple on the hing notes. I said that I could not transpose it down without ruining the guitar part I had worked up. I was actually flattered that someone was paying enough attention to my set to notice things like that. A few months later, I asked if she wanted to pick some tunes. Rest is history. We still do We sing Halleluiah in C, but she sings the lead and I learned to harmonize on the chorus. Before I met Margaret I had tried to find a singing partner through ads in a music paper in the Chicago area. Two out of the two persons who responded couldn't sing when I met them, because of throat problems. Someone later told me that hooking up with a singer with throat problems was looking for trouble, as they were not dong something right. It's sometimes hard to find a suitable music partner. I agree that if you get good at what you are doing by yourself, that other musicians will eventually congregate around you. Unlike some of the other posters, above, Margaret and I have maintain a professional, not personal relationship. She's one of my best friends, but for us, I think we can do better performances without arguing about who's parents to spend Christmas with on the way to a gig. Glad it works otherwise for others. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: MAG Date: 26 Mar 02 - 01:21 AM And a very fine singer she is too... you lucked out. -- MA |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Barbara Shaw Date: 26 Mar 02 - 09:13 AM If you can't find a pickin' partner, try creating one. Find someone who would like to learn, and either teach them or take lessons together or get them to take lessons. And talk to music teachers (like Rick) to get names of people around your ability level or preferably a little better who might be interested in picking together. Some teachers run group lessons, and there's an instant group you might pick with.
Check out the adult ed courses in your local school system or the recreation department for leads on acoustic music people and classes. Contra dances turn up lots of musicians.
Contact the closest folk music society for song circles and jams to join. You get so much better so much faster when you play with other people, and it's so much MORE FUN. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 26 Mar 02 - 10:09 AM Aine, the "in house teaching" at 1235 Kingston Road, is hopeless!! I buy Heather a psaltery, and absolutely browbeat her into learning "Silent Night". After two sessions, she hisses: "This is BORING, I don't wanna DO this anymore!" I ask her to teach me how to use the computer. After an hour of HTML (or whatever the frig it is!) I scream: "This is SO boring, all I wanted to learn was how to put the squiggly over Aine's name! Just leave me alone so I can play computer golf!" So........she does the website....I play the psaltery. Rick |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 26 Mar 02 - 10:36 AM Allright, excuse my ignorance, but what the heck is a psaltery? |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Jeri Date: 26 Mar 02 - 10:50 AM Rick, did you show Mick and Jed your little computer golf trick? Just wondering. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: CapriUni Date: 26 Mar 02 - 11:10 AM Steve, this is from the American Heritage Dictionary (third edition): psaltery (sôl´te-rê) also psaltry (sôl´trê) noun plural psalteries also psaltries Music. An ancient stringed instrument played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. [Middle English psalterie, from Old French, from Latin psaltêrium, from Greek psaltêrion, from psallein, to play the harp.] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved. There's a picture of one here, according to Google's image search, though this seems to be played with a bow [?].
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 26 Mar 02 - 11:10 AM You mean hitting Arnold Palmer in the balls (he goes "Oooof!") with a shot from a driver deliberately? I'd hate for ANYBODY to know about that Jeri!! Steve, a psaltery is a simple wooden box avec strings. I'll show it to you when you get here. Ricky |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Jeri Date: 26 Mar 02 - 11:27 AM Rick, a GUITAR is a wooden box avec strings. Looks sorta like an itty bitty hammered dulcimer, but you pluck it. Found a picture here. Rick, I just THOUGHT of that wacking-Arnie-in-the-nuts trick, and I almost had ginger ale come out my nose, and I ain't speakin' figuratively! |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 26 Mar 02 - 11:41 AM Jeri, Neat looking instrument. Rick, I'm looking forward to hearing it. Steve |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Ebbie Date: 26 Mar 02 - 08:34 PM Unless one is *totally* isolated, I'm no longer concerned about not finding picking partners. As I told a friend who was complaining that there was no one to play with in the little town of 1000 he'd recently moved to, "In a town of 1000 people, there are at least 30 people who play something. Of those 30 people, at least 10 of them would like to play with somebody. I'm going to find those 10 people, and at least 2 of them will want to play my kind of music. Voila! I've found all I need! In Juneau, I play regularly- meaning at least once a week- with about 12 people, 5 others another time a week, and a group of 8 that meets once a month, and one person I meet with weekly just to practice- and have a wonderful time. Ebbie |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Anahootz Date: 26 Mar 02 - 09:21 PM Hey Eb...what happens when you find those 2 people who play your kind of music, and they both suck? ;) Just kidding, in a weird sort of way...I lived in a smaller town awhile back and sorta had this problem. Oh well, That's what band-in-a-box is for. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Ebbie Date: 26 Mar 02 - 09:26 PM Anahootz- ya make 'em better! |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 27 Mar 02 - 04:20 PM Just remembered another good example of finding "pickin" partners. Occasionally I give group lessons (sort of like a session...but with a drill instructor!) My three students enjoyed playin together so much they formed a band. I lost all three students....but what the hell. Gotta fly from the nest at some point. It's fun to watch 'em doin' it THEIR way. Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Marion Date: 27 Mar 02 - 09:56 PM It's my impression that there are two basic kinds of jams (and by extension, two kinds of jam buddies). The first usually involves a big group of people. Songs or tunes are started by specific individuals, either by taking turns or by whoever is extroverted enough to start them. That person chooses the key and sets the pace and chooses when to allow for solos, while everyone else follows along or sits out. When the song is finished, it's finished. The second usually involves a small group of people, and there's a lot more discussion (I mean relevant discussion, not gossip) about what songs to play, what keys to play them in, what tempo, who should play what instrument, and who should have a solo when. When the song is finished, they might do it again with something done differently, and do it again next jam session too. Sort of like a band working up songs for performance, but without the bother of actually being a band or performing. I'm not sure which way is more educational - I guess it's probably the most educational to do some of both - but I certainly enjoy the second way more. Marion |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 28 Mar 02 - 08:19 AM |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 28 Mar 02 - 08:38 AM Sorry about the blank. I have a very busy schedule, so I mostly practice by myself. When herself does play along it's usually pretty much at my speed and my choice of tunes, she'll stop if I mess up. I think that I'm at the point that I need to throw myself in with some players who are jamming and try to play along with them, learn to keep up or shut up. Suburban Ontario isn't exactly the Bluegrass Banjo Centre of the world, but there is a local Bluegrass Society who have a monthly pickin's session. I think that's my next step. Also, it's probably a great place to meet some of the local pickers who might be interested in the sort of arrangement advised in this thread. They meet again in Mid April an I think I'll be ready to try to jump in, especially given that Rick showed me some stuff the other day that I'm dying to try out with live musicians. My sister is a performer who plays guitar, she does a few Bluegrass tunes in her sets. I'd love to play along with her, but her schedule and mine seem diametrically opposed. I'm sure I'll try out some stuff with her soon, but I can't schedule a weekly session with her. The thing that I have noticed with the few 5 String Pickers that I've met is that they're very willing to share what they know. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Jeri Date: 28 Mar 02 - 09:11 AM That tendency to stop when you mess up is a BIG problem, and one of the reasons I learn faster when I play with others. I just would like to get to the point where I'm somewhat competent to play with others before I try it. It ain't gonna happen, because I think I need to do it to be able to do it, if that makes any sense. I've tried playing along to music on the local folk radio shows, country music TV and CDs. I can do this half-assedly, but what I miss out on is the communication between players. That looks that says "watch out: bridge ahead" or "slow down a bit for the next verse." I have a problem with making numerous boo-boos simply because someone else can hear me. I think that's something a lot of people have to work through. I also have a big problem with tempo. I feel like I'm playing up-to-speed, but when I try to play along with recordings of songs I'm trying to learn, I'm a lot slower than I thought. So I think I'll drag the guitar to a session or two and try to unobnoxiously work things out. I keep complaining about the volume of this particular session, but in this case, it may be a good thing because no one will hear my mistakes. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: GUEST Date: 28 Mar 02 - 11:21 AM Hell, I've played with the best: Eric; BB; Duane and Dickey; Johnny; Chuck; Warren...just pop in a cd and jam along. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Anahootz Date: 28 Mar 02 - 05:21 PM Steve - This will do you a world of good. Once you get the basic melody down, you can noodle to your hearts content |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Ebbie Date: 28 Mar 02 - 06:40 PM Jeri, I have a couple of friends who are studying piano. They agree that ya can't trust a metronome- sometimes it ticks way fast and in other parts of a piece it slows way down. :) Ebbie |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Rick Fielding Date: 28 Mar 02 - 10:53 PM Jeri, stop being a neurotic whiner! The next time Dick Gaughin come to town for a concert, just march right up on stage with him (give him a couple of songs on his own first) guitar at the ready. Sit yourself down and start strumming. Don't worry what song he's playing, I'm told he loves Kumbaya....so just start pickin' it....loud too...that'll make him even happier. If he swears at you just smile...'cause he's probably saying "I've been LOOKIN' for a pickin' partner" in Gaelic. Now aren't you glad I'm your teacher? Ricky |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 28 Mar 02 - 10:56 PM Anahootz, Thank you. I've kind of committed myself to the Fielding method. He assures me that if I practice the heck out of his ten minute tip for three days that I will be able to play with anybody. Now, I know that he has more faith in me than I do, but I've been doing my part for two days. I need to find someone to try it out on. Based on the two days, I think he might be right. Steve |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Jeri Date: 28 Mar 02 - 11:28 PM Rick, aren't you playing somewhere in the US sometime soon? |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Marion Date: 29 Mar 02 - 11:01 AM Steve, I fell for that "three days and you'll have it" line once too. Only once, though. Marion |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Steve Latimer Date: 29 Mar 02 - 12:06 PM Ebbie, I was telling my dad that I was going to take my Metronome back because it just won't stay in time with me. He raised a good point, said it could be one of those left handed metronomes. Actually, mine seems to have needed a break in period, it seems much better now. Marion, Ah Geez, that was a line??? He's probably giggling himself silly picturing me practicing those rolls over and over thinking it will make me a banjo picker. His version of Python's French guard "I told 'em we halready 'ave one". |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: jeffesh Date: 30 Mar 02 - 12:04 AM I've found an evening class called "Blues Guitar and Southern Music" that I am signing up for. I'm almost as excited about the chance to meet others with similar musical likes as I am about the music itself. If anyone's in the Atlanta GA area and interested, here is a Blue Clicky
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Jeri Date: 30 Mar 02 - 09:27 AM I'm rather proud of myself. Took the guitar to the session last night and actually played it. Folks were very helpful. The main guitarist knew I was watching his hands and looked at me encouragingly. One guy told me the chords - "It's a G, D, G, F, C, G, etc. OK, got it?" (Yeah, right.) What worked best was using my own ear and watching hands. The hands were a bit of a problem in that other guitarists have more usable fingers than I do, so which fingers they used would confuse me. Had to look at the strings and the patterns, not the fingers. After a while, I started hearing how the chords sounded in general instead of how they sound in a particular song or tune. I already know the tunes, so I could somewhat anticipate what chords were coming.
The best parts about playing with real people are: Although other folks (hi Rick) have told me all this, it takes doing it for the reality to really sink in. Having one "picking partner" is different from a session, and may be more comfortable. You also get the chance to stop and talk about the music or slow it down to learn it, and you can't usually do those things in a session. You can work out arrangements instead of trying to improvise them on the fly. Luckily for me, I already know these guys and the songs/tunes, and I already play another instrument. For learning purposes, a partner may suit the needs of others more than a session, but they're both great ways to learn how to play well with others. |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Anahootz Date: 30 Mar 02 - 01:30 PM I am a dedicated finger-watcher, even when I know several versions of the tune in n out. I watch to pick up tips for other instruments (I play mando, guitar, banjo...and suck at fiddle), and I watch because sometimes I get so absorbed in the other person's playing, I just about forget that I am s'posed to be playing too. For my purposes, I have found that 3 musicians of equal caliber to be the best possible jam arrangement...I have done it in huge groups (35-40 pickers, all mumbling their way through "Jerusalem Ridge") and I have done it just with me and my trusty bluegrass rhythm CD's...3 is the number that just seems to click. You can sit close enough to get visual cues that don't look like silent-movie slapstick, and you get to really "hear" the instruments you are playing with.
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Subject: Please!!! From: GUEST,lyuba_co Date: 27 Nov 05 - 06:14 PM Dear sir! I need to find a text of the song "Too close to the wind" Fairport Convention. Could you help me? |
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Subject: RE: No pickin' partner? Find one, it works. From: Sorcha Date: 27 Nov 05 - 07:43 PM lyuba, click here |
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