bluegrassgirl98 - Posted - 05/14/2013:  13:58:04

I've been playin' for bout two years now. I've been able to pick out alot of songs by just hearing them a time or two. I just want to add technique and make it sound more professional. An example would be "I'll Fly Away". I can play the song, I just don't know what to do to make it a good break for a jam session. Any ideas?

TSSN - Posted - 05/17/2013:  07:48:44

I first learned how to play "I'll Fly Away" from a Butch Baldassari DVD.  I went back recently to look for something else, and listened to that again.  I was able to play along with him, but my version had become noticeably different.  I had, as they say, "made it my own." 

Not by much, but I simply had subtle differences, that Baldassari didn't teach in his DVD or transcription.  And I am not one who likes to go so crazy on fills and runs and arpeggios and such, so as to lose the melody.

I have noticed this with several tunes that I have learned.  I think it just comes with time.

mojohand40 - Posted - 06/07/2013:  06:44:52

Things to make a bare melody type of solo sound better:

1) Add pick up notes. You can add a few pick up notes to each phrase.using  "I'll fly Away "as an example: "(tic-tic-toc) Some Glad Morning... "....(the "tic-tic-toc" would be pick up notes)

2) add some hammer on's and pull offs, especially on "strong" notes of the melody. "Some glad Morning, when this life is over". hammer on or pull off onto the notes falling in bold.

3) Slide into a note from a lower fret. see above.

4) Add double stops, drones, etc.  I like to play melodies out of chord shapes when I can, then my fingers are just naturally in place to find double stops, etc.  What key are you playing it in? If you are in A, you got a lot of chances to hit drone strings to punctuate the beat, etc.

5) Get some "stock" endings under your fingers.  I like to play the melody so it is recognizable in the beginning, but then end a break on a run that goes through the last two chords (usually a V to I change).  The last line "I'll Fly awaayy!!" I often depart from the melody a bit and throw in a quick run back to the one chord.  There are tons of these types licks (I-V-I or 151 licks) in bluegrass.

6) Practice "broken" scale exercises and arpeggios. Eventually these will make their way into your melodies. The pick up notes and ending runs will come from this.

7) You don't want to practice scales and arpeggios?.....well....learn a bunch of fiddle tunes.  Seriously.  IMO, one of the keys to playing convincing Bluegrass Mandolin is learning to flatpick old fiddle tunes. Soldiers Joy, Liberty, Old Joe Clark, Cripple Creek, Sally Ann, Arkansas Traveler, etc. etc.  The more I revisit these old chestnuts, the better my playing gets when it comes to improvising and taking breaks in Bluegrass jams. The phrasing of those old fiddle tunes are what so much of bluegrass is based on in my opinion.

Donnie - Posted - 06/07/2013:  21:05:40

You're on the right track for sure... every tune I play, I start it out playing it straight, on the first 4 or 5 frets. Then I move up the neck and find the melody, in as many places as I can on the neck. Then play it using a chord here and there instead of the note. The thing is, I challenge myself with "what if's" when I play. Lastly --- DON'T HOT DOG--- remember, it's not what you play, but what you don't play that's important. The melody is more important than me putting every lick in the book into the melody. By the way... I'll Fly a way is an awesome choice God Bless And Keep You!