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Momma Don't 'Low is a newsletter to support home-made and roots-based music in general, as well as the readers of CreekDontRise.com, SchoolOfTheRock.com, and ClassicTrainSongs.com.

Written by Paul Race for Creek Don't RiseTM, SchoolOfTheRockTM, and Classic Train SongsTM

Momma Don't 'LowTM is a newsletter to support home-made and roots-based music in general, as well as the readers of our music articles on various web pages, including SchoolOfTheRockTM, Creek Don't RiseTM, and Classic Train SongsTM.
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In this Issue - August, 2015

As the Pennsylvania Dutch used to say, "We grow too soon old and too late smart." When I was a young wannabe singer/songwriter in the 1970s, I made lots of mistakes. Plus, I followed a lot of bad advice from people with their own agendas.

Music went from vocation to avocation over forty years ago and never came back. The upside is that I have had a great life with a great family, and other benefits that many of my friends who "lived the dream" - at least for a while - never really had. But I still like to write songs, to play instruments, to meet like-minded people, and to play "out" once in a while.

I also like to promote the kinds of music I love and to give some of today's wannabes better advice than I got 40+ years ago when I was trying to make a living in music. Our many articles on acoustic music and related topics are an attempt to address the former. But some recent events have encouraged me to think more about the latter.

The time is long past when we depended on "cold-calls" to venues, physical press kits, Insty-Prints posters and handbills, and similar means to reach potential gigs and audiences. I haven't been completely out of touch - I'm a sometime web developer myself - but I'm in no position to coach youngsters on using social media to build a fan base, etc. So I've done a "crash course" to learn what I can, or at least what I can help my younger friends make use of. So if you see links to my personal music pages and a little thumbnail of me holding a banjo near the bottom of some of our web pages, that's just my way of reminding readers that I am a musician without (hopefully) being too intrusive.

Speaking of banjo, we have an odd little feature this month, an old hymn tune arranged for all of the common 4-string banjo tunings and an explanation of why so many of said tunings exist. 5-stringers, don't feel left out, we have an open-G version for 5-string as well. If nothing else, this article and the link to the vintage saxophone forum below it shows how seriously we take reader input, or at least, how easily we are derailed by reader questions.

If you're remotely interested in playing "out" more or letting more folks find out more about your music, you should try some of links from the "Careers" forum we discuss in the last section of this newsletter. They'll give you plenty to think about. The only hard part is knowing what to do first. I elected to do a little of each, so I have "sort of" a blog and "sort of" a Facebook page and "sort of" a YouTube channel. Hopefully I'll get more stuff out there eventually.

In the meantime, enjoy your music, and share as you get a chance!

This issue's articles are:

Click to jump to article.'

"Brethren We Have Met to Worship" - A Study in Banjo Diversity

Believe it or not, I learned a lot about four-string banjos when I was researching our article on tenor guitars. So when a reader wrote that she needed a tablature for the song "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship" on four-string banjo, I asked her which tuning she was planning to use. Then, while I was waiting, I worked up the tab for the two most likely keys in the two most likely tunings (four tabs altogether). Then after subsequent e-mails, I realized that she really needed a tab for a different tuning. So I went ahead and wrote up three more tabs, covering the other likely tunings. Finally, I wrote a simple tab for 5-string banjo as well. After all, that's what most people would play this tune on, anyway. So when I tried to write an index to them, I would up adding information on why so many 4-string banjo tunings exist.

Note: These aren't like the temporary tunings that 5-string players occasionally use, such as tuning B down to Bb to play in "Shady Grove" in G minor. These are different tunings that different people put their 4-strings into and leave them there for most or all of the songs they play. Counting from the highest string to the lowest, according to classical usage, the most common tunings are ADGC ("Tenor") and EADG ("Irish" or "Octave Mando"). Other tunings you may encounter include DBGC ("Plectrum," the oldest of them all), DBGD ("Open G"), and EBGD ("Chicago").

Even if you don't play 4-string banjo or guitar, you may find it useful to know the history of these tunings. The first banjo I tried to learn (50 years ago) was a four-string, in "Tenor" (jazz) tuning. Sadly I remember almost nothing of that instrument or its chords today, But if one came across my path today, I'd have a pretty good idea what to do with it. This may also help you appreciate Irish banjo-based groups like We Banjo 3, who can flatpick their four-strings so fast, you'd swear they were Scruggs-picking.

To jump to the article which includes the tabs we just mentioned and more, please click the following link.

Click to go to the article .Vintage Saxophone Q&A Page

Since I published my series of articles on vintage and used saxophones on the SchoolOfTheRock.com site, I've been getting some great questions from other sax owners. I've learned a lot, too. When I get a question, I answer the sender as quickly as possible. But I also post the Q&A to a forum page I set up some time back as part of a larger forum. I haven't publicized the forum, or the sax discussion, but many of our Q&As have gotten hundreds of views, so I know that interest is growing. You're very welcome to sign up and contribute to the discussion if you would like.

Click on the following link to see our current reader questions and responses about vintage saxophones:

If you're interested in signing up and getting involved in the conversation, please click the following link.

Free, Professional Career Advice from CreekDontRise.com/Forums

For many "backporch" musicians, "career" may seem like a strong word. But if you're interested in playing "out" at all these days, you should know that we have been collecting useful online "tools and tips" from folks who actually know what they're talking about (that's not everybody, by a long shot.).

This includes:

  • Handy little pamphlet-sized downloadable PDFs from companies like CD-Baby who succeed when YOU succeed. So they're not "deep," but they're well-intentioned and on-target as far as they go.

  • Blogs and video blogs on creating memorable live performances from Tom Jackson and his company.

  • Video blogs on creating "superfans" from Dave Kusek.

  • Video blogs on building a fan base and other career advice from Rick Barker.

True, the latter three in this list have services to sell you. But unlike dozens of "pretenders" in this field, they give a lot of content away up front, so you can sample the goods, so to speak. In fact, if you take notes on their videos, you'll have a substantial - and substantive - to-do list that will take you pretty far without spending a penny.

That said, as a person who frequently coaches other folks and who still occasionally records or plays "out" myself, my curiousity has led me to sign up for services from all three over time, and I have not been sorry. Just be sure you've been diligent in what you've learned so far before you lay out "big bucks" for services that, frankly, won't do you any good because you're not ready.

To visit the career discussion forums, click the following link:

To sign up for the forums, click the following link:

Click to visit the CreekDontRise Career Discussion Forums Click to visit the CreekDontRise Discussion Forums

More to Come

If you've spent any time on any of our music sites, you know that we have a lot of topics to share about.

Again, if you did not get this Momma Don't 'LowTM newsletter through your own e-mail, and you would like to get the newsletters in the future, please Click Here to sign up.

In the meantime, if you want to see July's newsletter (the one before this), please click the following link:

Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well.

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to visit the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.

Paul D. Race
http://CreekDontRise.com
http://SchoolOfTheRock.com
http://classictrainsongs.com

All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted ? 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.
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Visit our other music pages:
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
 Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive. Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. Resources for learning Folk Music and instruments quickly Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos. Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson. Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos. Just trying to steer you in the right direction. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.