| Author |
Topic: ? for Bobby Flores |
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 7 Jul 2005 7:18 am |
|
Bobby, loved your fiddle playing on Jake Hookers cd. I noticed that one the songs on there was in a-flat. I'm also a fiddle player and would like to know if you actually did the fiddle in a-flat or tune down or up for the part. I would never attempt to even play in a-flat on the fiddle. Also hate f and b-flat. I'm formost a steel player but love playing the fiddle. When the band goes to these sharps and flats, I just have to lay the fiddle down so would like to know how you do it. Thanks
Henry Matthews
Emmons p/p d-10 |
|
|
 |
Alan Shank
From:
Woodland, CA, USA
|
Posted 7 Jul 2005 8:12 am
|
|
I am just guessing here, and I hope Bobby will answer for himself, but there are several examples of Bluegrass recordings where the whole band tunes up a half-step for additional brightness. So, a song that they are playing in G will actually be sounding in G# (Ab). That may be the case here, as well, but I don't know whether this practice is common in country/swing.
If the band was actually playing in Ab, I would be surprised to hear that Bobby de-tuned his fiddle to play in G. He seems to me to be a consummate musician.
Cheers,
Alan Shank |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 7 Jul 2005 10:07 am
|
|
I'll speak for Bobby...ha....
He can play any instrument in Any Key and real well too....He's that good.
Ricky |
|
|
|
Roy Rosetta
From:
Nederland, Texas.. On the Texas Gulf Coast
|
Posted 7 Jul 2005 10:30 am
|
|
I'll second what Ricky D. said and what Alan S. said especially about Bobby being the "consumate" musician. I just had the pleasure of working with Bobby at the Western Swing Festival in Wichita Falls, Texas and in my opinion Bobby IS the "consumate" musician.
....Roy
------------------
Music is a "gift" with many wrappings....
....Roy
|
|
|
|
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 7 Jul 2005 12:14 pm
|
|
| I'll agree with you all that he can play in any key, sharp or flat. I was mostly refering to the sound on the CD. Sure sounded like some harmony type open strings but since I won't attempt a-flat, especially in the studio, maybe my ears fooled me. |
|
|
|
Bobby Flores
From:
Blanco, Texas, U.S.A. (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Jul 2005 9:01 am
|
|
Thanks guys. And thanks especially for the vote of confidence!
Although I have recorded in all keys on fiddle without de-tuning, I really don't have a hang-up about tuning down a half-step if it gets the open string sound I would like to have on a particular recording of a song in a "non-open string" key.
It's very rare that I have ever tuned up though because of the extra pressure that it puts on the top and the chances of breaking the E string.
Some of my very favorite fiddle solos were detuned. It sounds like Jackson's fiddle on Price's "The Other Woman" is tuned up a half-step which would move his open D position to the key of Eb. So when I play it live I duplicate it in Eb and have to work extra hard to get the effect of the open string sound, having to shift to third & second position in Eb, etc. But believe me, Tommy could have easily played it in Eb. It just gets that "open string sound" by tuning up, so he did.
I have heard that he often used a "fiddle capo" and it sounds like that's what he did on "Cold, Cold Heart" (one of my all-time fav.'s!). Sounds to me like he moved the capo up a minor third from the open position so that his open "D" string became an "F" note. And that's how he got those "drones" on that particular song. Capo'd up and then played in the open D position, which actually became the key of F Major. So when I play that song live I play it in F and it works but is missing the drone-type effect on certain moves. (*Incidentally that's our beloved Johnny Bush on drums on that Price recording too).
So ... if I can get by with no open string drones, can get close to that effect, or if it's just a more single-note type song with occasional double-stops then I leave it at regular pitch for the recording, Ab included. However if it needs a lot of open string double-stops or drones and is in a key that utilizes no open strings at all, ... I would probably want to detune so that it sounds the best on the album. I don't do that all the time but sometimes I feel like the song calls for it.
Thanks for asking Henry. Playing live there's no time nor is it practical to detune fiddles. So you have to get as close as you possibly can and that's where the practicing comes in for us. If you're having to lay out on the songs that are in difficult keys for fiddle, there are some great scale, double-stop and position books out there that help us to get more familiar with playing in these keys. If you can eventually get the double-stops to sound just as good as in the open string positions, then you have achieved something truly great and extremely difficult. That is definitely the goal for all of us though. To play double-stops like Hank Singer.
Thanks for listening. Keep up the fiddle playing! I'll try to go back and listen to anything I've cut with Jake in Ab so I can answer you regarding that song(s) specifically.
Bobby
[This message was edited by Bobby Flores on 09 July 2005 at 10:13 AM.] |
|
|
|
Wayne Morgan
From:
Rutledge, TN, USA
|
Posted 9 Jul 2005 10:01 pm
|
|
I listen to Bobby more times than I can count on the Bush, Lost Highway CD, and all I could think to say about his playing is 'WOW".
Wayne |
|
|
|
Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 10 Jul 2005 11:02 am
|
|
Bobby, doesn't Hank Singer keep a fifth string "C" on his fiddle? Not being a fiddle player I don't know what difference it would make for playing in A flat.
------------------
Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com
|
|
|
|
Mike Taylor
From:
Wetumpka, AL
|
Posted 10 Jul 2005 12:06 pm
|
|
Bobby..
I know this is off topic; but I recall seeing on a previous post where you may be playing over here in Europe sometime this summer.
Any details? I sure hope it's Germany!!
Thanks
Mike
[This message was edited by Mike Taylor on 10 July 2005 at 01:07 PM.] [This message was edited by Mike Taylor on 10 July 2005 at 01:07 PM.] |
|
|
|
John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
|
|
|
|
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 10 Jul 2005 6:46 pm
|
|
Bobby, Thanks so much for the info, It was most helpful in understanding how some of the recoedings were made. You are truley one of the greats. Thanks again.
Henry |
|
|
|
Bobby Flores
From:
Blanco, Texas, U.S.A. (deceased)
|
Posted 11 Jul 2005 10:07 pm
|
|
Thanks Wayne and Henry. You are most kind.
Regarding the incomparable Hank Singer, yes he does use a fifth string (C) on his fiddle. That really doesn't have much of a bearing on playing in Ab though. It allows a few more cool low-end double-stops that utilize open strings but it doesn't make all the others any easier to get in tune! Hank seems to not have a problem with that in any key though. He is a truly amazing and gifted player.
I'll be performing in Furuvik, Sweden at the Scandinavian Country Festival on Aug. 4th - 6th with my band as well as my traditional country colleagues Justin Trevino and Amber Digby. Randy Reinhard will be with us on steel. I'm really looking forward to our trip. Can't say enough great things about that beautiful country and it's people. We are lucky to have friends there like Kjell Warnevall, Eddie Eriksson, Red Jenkins, Bo Svensson and many others that love and support Country Music. It'll be great also to visit with another Forumite/Steeler friend there, Janne Lindgren, who is keeping it going there with his band the Country Minstrels. He and his wife Eva are the best!
I look forward to pickin' in Germany one day, hopefully soon. Put in a word for us Mike!
Thanks,
Bobby www.bobbyflores.com www.yellowroserecords.com
schedule link: www.bobbyflores.com/schedule.html |
|
|
|
. He was up at a pickin party at Brent Rowan's place in Steamboat Springs, CO (Hank usually spends most of July out here every summer, and we get to play a few gigs then).