A little "Bluegrass" humor

... But has anybody heard bagpipes indoors at very close range???:eek:

Alas, yes :(. Many years ago I was doing a CD for a military band and one track had 5 pipers. We decided to overdub them, with the conductor listening to the pre-recorded band track on headphones. I went into the hall to check on something and talk to the conductor. The din was APPALLING! Now when they played with the band in performance, it was outdoors and OK but in the hall it was something else. I don't know how the conductor could hear the band in the phones at all as the five fellas were deafening.

In addition, there was the small issue of pitch. He told me that bagpipes tune to A=454 (Standard pitch is A=440). But he would try to tune them down a bit. I think when I mixed the bagpipe tracks in I brought their pitch down a bit further still, but there's a limit to how much you can do that.

That being said, when played in the proper environment - ie outdoors - the pipes can be pretty thrilling. But nae indoors, mon!
 
A bagpiper was hired to play Amazing Grace at a funeral in the backwoods of Kentucky. They gave him complicated directions about turning left at the red house and right just past the big oak tree, etc. He became hopelessly lost and finally arrived to find the mourners gone and only the grave diggers still there. The diggers were resting under a shade tree.

He didn't know what else to do, so he unloaded his pipes and walked over to the still open grave. He looked in and saw the concrete vault lid was already in place. The grave diggers gathered around to watch. He played Amazing Grace with all his heart. The grave diggers wept. He wept. Then he packed up and left.

One of the crew looked at the others and said . . .

"I've been puttin' in septic tanks for forty years, and I ain't never seen nothin' like that before."
 
A mandolin has frets, fiddles do not. They are tuned the same.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
I was born about a dozen miles from Rosine, KY (insiders will understand) and am a distant relative of Bill Monroe. A neighbor and I skipped school in 1949 to see the Bluegrass Boys play on a wagon bed in Rochester, Ky. You can probably guess where I stand on the subject. But, I forgive you all.😁😁😁

Ed
 
Lots of Fiddle Players play the Mandolin.
The Late and Great Johnny Gimble was great a Mandolin player.
Also - Johnny holds a unique distinction.
He may be the only Country -Western Swing Fiddler to hold it?
 
Guitars and basses are tuned in 4ths. Mandolins and violins are tuned in 5ths.

The "fiddle" bridge is taller on the bass side than a "violin" bridge to accommodate the more percussive bow attack.

I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two.

It's all good.
 
We saw Ricky Scaggs and Kentucky Thunder last night. If there is a better commercial bluegrass band around, I don't know of them. He had some good stories about Bill Monroe, too. This was one group of extremely talented musicians, including an excellent banjo player.
 
Good music is why we attend the Tennessee Old Time Fiddler's Convention at Athens State College in Athens, Alabama. I happens the first weekend of October that contains a Friday. I get to play with some world class musicians that are great folks and play for the fun of it.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
Only those who can play an instrument can understand. Doesnt really matter what kind of instrument so much. Guitar for me. One of the really
great pleasures in life is playing music, with others especially. I love to jam with the guys and play in church on Sundays (uh, not during hunting season so much). " Play it for the Lord boys!"
 
We saw Ricky Scaggs and Kentucky Thunder last night. If there is a better commercial bluegrass band around, I don't know of them. He had some good stories about Bill Monroe, too. This was one group of extremely talented musicians, including an excellent banjo player.
Balsam Range is the best in the business in my opinion. Love to camp at a bluegrass festival,attended five festivals this year. Survived the flood at Rudyfest but my truck did not.
 
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