The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 05-14-2016, 12:25 PM
jds22 jds22 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 261
Default Can you suggest some unaccompanied bluegrass pieces?

I don't know much about bluegrass and was wondering if there are any solo or unaccompanied guitar pieces out there.

Nothing too difficult please.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-14-2016, 05:02 PM
dhodgeh's Avatar
dhodgeh dhodgeh is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: FLA-USA
Posts: 912
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jds22 View Post

Nothing too difficult please.
Kind of an oxymoron when it comes to solo bluegrass guitar playing.....

Flatpick Guitar Magazine has a songbook by Roberto Della Vecchia that might be your ticket. 10 classic fiddle tunes arranged for solo flatpicking that sound pretty good and are fun to play. A digital version can be purchased at www.flatpickdigital.com.

Of course if you want to drive yourself crazy, pick up a copy of David Grier's 'I've Got The House To Myself'


D
__________________
"There's a lot of music in songs"
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-14-2016, 05:27 PM
stanron stanron is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,428
Default

The Fiddlers Fake Book contains loads of fiddle tunes, some of which are bluegrass tunes. They are in standard notation form and, as such, are an excellent way to learn reading standard notation.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-14-2016, 05:59 PM
HHP HHP is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 29,351
Default

As mentioned, Bluegrass is not a solo venue, it is totally based on a band.

Many tunes used in bluegrass come from traditional ballads and fiddle tunes and many of those were solo in nature. When you play them solo, you are really playing Old Time or Traditional music. In fact, many of those tunes have origins in Scotland, Ireland, and England.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-15-2016, 02:06 PM
Joscefi78 Joscefi78 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 115
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dhodgeh View Post
Kind of an oxymoron when it comes to solo bluegrass guitar playing.....

Flatpick Guitar Magazine has a songbook by Roberto Della Vecchia that might be your ticket. 10 classic fiddle tunes arranged for solo flatpicking that sound pretty good and are fun to play. A digital version can be purchased at www.flatpickdigital.com.
Robert has a couple of Truefire courses with some nice things. His song "Ticket to Cesuna" is very nice. You can get 30 days free trial access or just buy the thing.

"Ticket To Cesuna" http://picosong.com/B4y9/
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-17-2016, 09:30 AM
Riverwolf Riverwolf is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: OREGON
Posts: 4,277
Default

Try this guy-

http://www.musicwithryan.com/all-video-lessons/

I wonder if you are thinking of older traditional songs not necessarily bluegrass?

I have used his lessons for-

You are my sunshine
Worried man blues
Wayfaring Stranger
Will the circle be unbroken
Wildwood Flower
I'll fly away
Amazing Grace
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-17-2016, 12:04 PM
BFD BFD is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Vermont
Posts: 809
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by HHP View Post
As mentioned, Bluegrass is not a solo venue, it is totally based on a band.

Many tunes used in bluegrass come from traditional ballads and fiddle tunes and many of those were solo in nature. When you play them solo, you are really playing Old Time or Traditional music. In fact, many of those tunes have origins in Scotland, Ireland, and England.
Although Bluegrass is definitely an ensemble-based genre, most accomplished bluegrass guitarist I know of have a collection of great solo flatpicked tunes in their bag.

I've certainly heard great solo stuff from Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Robert Bowlin, Jim Hurst, James Allen Shelton, Larry Sparks, Dan Tyminsky, Doc Watson, Allen Shadd....Bryan Sutton has several solo-worthy pieces in his Artistworks curriculum; and I'm leaving out way too many other great guitarists....

To the OP - search Youtube for 'Wildwood Flower easy guitar' - you'll get a bunch of hits, pick the one that suits you. This Carter Family song has become a standard flatpick repertoire tune that can be played simply or dressed up with a lot of embellishments.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-18-2016, 12:48 PM
CarryOn CarryOn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ohio
Posts: 151
Default

I've played in a lot of bluegrass bands over the years, but my favorite way to play a lot of those songs is just me and my guitar. For the lead stuff, I'll usually do a simpler Carter-style lead or some crosspicking, and then a couple of fiddle tunes just for flash (but I keep those short).

That said, look at some things like "Gold Watch And Chain", "Handsome Molly", "Pretty Little Miss" - those are songs where Carter-style playing works really well.

"Will You Miss Me?", and "Wheeling", maybe "Weave And Spin" - those all have good room for crosspicking solos, as does something a little more folky, like "Summer Wages."

I like the modal stuff for fiddle tunes, so something like "Fall Of Richmond", or "Frosty Morning" are nice, "Boneparte Crossing The Rockies" (not to be confused with when he crossed the Rhine ). A good slower one (if you choose to play it slowly) is "Farewell To Whiskey" - really beautiful tune.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-18-2016, 12:54 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

I would say anything played in that "crosspicking" style, which provides a good amount of self-accompanyment--could hold up as a solo piece.

I listen to Tony Rice play in some of those instructional videos, and I'm not missing a backup band one bit. Dang.
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=