John Lawless' AcuTab News
 By John Lawless(with his Stealth banjo) ACUTAB VIDEO NEWS A prime focus for AcuTab this year will be artist and instructional video. Apart from a Steve Huber video on Killer Tone - Set Up and Technique we are in the process of scheduling several others as well. Both Terry Baucom and Alan Bibey will be filmed in the near future and probably some other pickers as well. I would appreciate all feedback on a couple of points:
We also are planning some videos on specific topics that will feature detailed instruction with a skilled teacher. I have talked with Bill Evans and Craig Smith about some ideas and will probably do a few myself. What sort of topics would be of interest? I am thinking maybe a couple of videos on backup;perhaps one concentrating on basic, down-the-neck roll-style backup and another on more up-the-neck Scruggs stuff. These are areas where many pickers, even experienced ones, have difficulty. For our UK friends I have to say that we will not be offering these in PAL format right away, but it would be interesting to know how many folks own NTSC-capable VHS players. Any feedback will be most welcome on any of these points. ACUTAB BOOKS NEWS The next to be released should be:
Now for some news on my band, Acoustic Endeavors: I am especially
pleased to find that our CD Sneak Preview is showing up on playlists
all over the world! I have seen it added to a great many shows here in the
states, plus a couple in Canada and Australia. Bluegrass is truly a world
wide phenomenon. We are living in magical times. It would also be great if
you would drop me a line if you happen to hear an Acoustic Endeavors tune
on your favorite bluegrass show. Suggestions for shows and stations are,
of course, still welcome. We have started recording for the next one, tentatively titled Deeply Rooted, which we plan to release this fall. Also related: Jerry Venable, who does the Acoustic Box Office online solidgoldbluegrass.com and acousticboxoffice.com has been negotiating with Dish Network for some time and had recently told me that he would soon have a one hour weekly bluegrass show on the satellite. Anyone who is able to watch it, please let me know how it goes. I think that we are filming something with Acoustic Endeavors next month that will be featured on that show. I try to listen to the Sneak Preview CD with 'objective ears' and wonder what I would think if I wasn't involved. That is awfully hard to do, of course, but I am able to listen to it almost every day without having it become tiresome. Warren and Kelly are terrific songwriters, the arrangements are clever and the performances crisp. I feel very lucky to be recording and performing with this bunch. We do have audio samples (Real Audio and MP3) on the web at: http://www.acousticendeavors.com We are hard at work now on another CD release which we are trying to make even better! MOVIE NEWS The movie Oh Brother Where At Thou has certainly shaken things up! Like Foggy Mountain Breakdown before it, it seems that decidedly non-bluegrass crowds now know Man Of Constant Sorrow from OBWAT. This song will likely become another "too-requested" number that we might all come hate in a few years… Though even an intermediate level banjo picker can lay out a solid version of FMB, MOCS is, unfortunately, an extremely difficult song to sing and many very capable vocalists will have trouble doing it justice. A few weeks ago I took my new lady friend to see Travis Tritt. In the middle of his concert, he did a set of tunes with just himself and his acoustic guitar, performing a number of his early hits. After a few songs, he started on a familiar guitar riff then launched into a very convincing and engaging version of Man Of Constant Sorrow, which the crowd both recognized and loved! Very encouraging... BANJO HEAD TENSION I am often asked "Should I tune my banjo head, and if so should it be to a specific pitch?" I always reply that there are two reasons why you should tune it and to a specific pitch, at that:
Find where you like it and make note of the pitch. G# is a very common starting point. But there is no point in trying to use a tuner to set the pitch - the sound doesn't last long enough for most tuners to recognize it… IMPROVISATION IN PLAYING Another oft-asked question is "How do I learn to improvise?" An important distinction should be made when discussing improvisation. It is a sort of "men from the boys/ women from the girls" sort of thing... Learning the scales, rolls, tunes, chords etc is a crucial first step as many others have suggested. Do it - now! Practice, practice, practice is also necessary. Get started - now! These things make up the "craft" which must be mastered. Improvising - like composition - is an "art," and we will succeed at it to varying degrees based as much on imagination and vision as on true grit and hard work. There is a relevant series "The Chord Change Hurdle" in this mag. Many a highly skilled player spits out tired, banal and essentially rehashed clichés which, though well played, glide off the ear and are almost instantly forgotten. Others (Sammy Schelor comes to mind) work within a clearly defined idiom while still sounding fresh and creative. This is where "soul" comes in, and it can't be taught or learned - though it can be described and developed. Others (e.g. Terry Baucom!!) play with such passion and intensity that you don't care how often they quote themselves. It just grabs you and won't let go. Still others, like Scott Vestal and Bela Fleck, let their vision take them in entirely new directions - just as Earl did so many years ago. I've been listening to an Aubrey Haynie CD a lot lately which features both Scott and Bela. Both are simply monstrous but you can clearly hear the difference in their tone, approach and what they have to say. You have to work; you have to play; you have to feel; you have to dream; and you have to let go. Playing the banjo (or any instrument, come to that) at a high level is an amazingly liberating and rewarding pursuit, worth every ounce of blood and sweat. After playing for nearly 30 years I am enjoying it in a brand new way, now that I can finally play well! Just remember to feel as much as you work; listen as much as you play; smile as much as you grimace! And finally - Earl Scruggs now has his own official web site. You can read a fascinating biography and order CDs, book and T-shirts online. http://www.earlscruggs.com
John Lawless, AcuTab Publications - Artist-approved transcriptions from
the playing of top bluegrass pickers. Stealth Banjo and Huber Banjo agent.
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