Trading Licks


As you practice for next week’s jam at Ruby’s you might find it fun to check out our Playlists on the MRBA YouTube Channel.   These include a lot o the standards performed by the guys who made ‘em standards.

Current Playists:

  • Rank Beginner Jamming
  • Bluegrass Instrumental
  • Bluegrass Jam Standards
  • Bluegrass Jam Standards - Gospel

To see the Playlists:

  1. Go to http://www.youtube.com/mtbluegrass
  2. Click on Playlists

Here’s one for you percussionists looking for a way to sneak in on a bluegrass jam.  Good luck finding a fiddle partner for this.

Tony demonstrates “The Box” method of bluegrass bass

(don’t ask me who Tony is)

Here’s some vintage video of the Carter Family performing their biggest hit ever “Wildwood Flower” on the Grand Ole Opry.  There’s a great close up of Maybelle doing her famous solo at 1:07.  My brother, Charley, tells me that she called her technique of pickin’ the melody with her thumb pick and struming with the other picks the “Carter scratch”.   I was surprised to see that Maybelle did this in the key of D.  I had always thought she did it in C.  She does switch to the alto part when it goes up to the higher part.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing Ariel perform this song at Wheat Montana at the Kid’s Open Mic.  It’s amazing to see the next generation coming along to keep the tradition going.