They’re just another tool in the toolbox.īut I think they’re an invaluable tool for the clawhammer banjoist. And for those tunes where historical accuracy is your goal, you can just leave them out. Ultimately, you can still choose when to use them and when not to. Third is that just because you’ve learned your chords doesn’t mean you have to use them. In fact, were such a rule to exist, then folks would’ve never started fiddling on their violins! There’s no rule that states you can never extend that technique outside the confines of that tradition. But every technique must develop within the context of some type of musical tradition. Yes, the early clawhammer banjoists in the Appalachian south had a core body of tunes they played in this style. And, for much of that music, chords are going to play a huge part. Second, clawhammer banjo is just a technique – a technique that can be used to play any style of music you choose. In fact, I’d bet the vast majority have almost no interest in doing so. One is that not everyone who takes up clawhammer banjo is interested in replicating the music of the earliest clawhammer banjoists with perfect fidelity. There are a few problems with this line of reasoning, in my view. So, if you use them, then you’re not being historically accurate (a worthy consideration if historical preservation is your goal). In some cases, chords – especially the ones “modern” musicians tend to favor – impose harmonies on the music that you wouldn’t have heard back in pre-chordal days. So some may say that to be true to the traditional music of clawhammer banjo, one should eschew chords. The chord progression is a convenient and highly useful shortcut for finding where the harmony notes are. The chords, or the chord progression, tell us precisely what those notes are at any given point in the song. At any given moment in a song or tune, there are a set of other notes that sound good when played along with the melody notes. Chords are simply a set of three or more notes (or, in some cases, just two) that we find pleasing when played together.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |