Nothing bad to say about the instructional video, in contrary it is an enormous help, but I use other fingers than he does.

I tend to play the third in modal tunes at bit sharper. That is, in A modal, my C note is a bit sharper than C natural, but not all the way to C sharp; maybe about 1/3 up from C natural to C sharp.

I originally discovered this back in 1973 on a banjo I turned into a fretless. I played "Greasy Coat", stopped at the third, pulled out my tin whistle and discovered where the pitch was that I wanted to hear.

I heard this is a modal tune, what that exactly is... well let's just say I am not planning to hurt my brains trying to figure this out hehe. But I can see what you mean Carl. Interesting that you are aware of how you take the C note a little further up.

I play those types modal tunes in second position...so ... my fingers are all scooted up more. That's just me though. I find that if I'm in sawmill tuning (AEAE or GDGD) second position just feels better for me...once in a while I have to slide back down to first position to catch a particular note...if this is too much an awkward problem for me I just play that whole tune in regular first position. I can't think now of which tunes I do that to, but I'm pretty sure Yew Piney Mt. is one I've done in second position. Haven't had much time for playing any of them now so it's hard to remember what I do...but that's just my way...just throwing that into the mix as you think out how you will approach this tune. Good luck with it. Some day we'll get to hear you play it!

As far as playing in a different position, that tune looks like you could play it (at least one part if it) using your first finger where the G note is and play it with fingers one two and three, without the pinky. I would recommend learning it both ways, without the pinky and with it. It's important, I think, to have the pinky involved. I personally use the pinky on several tunes where another string cross to open strong will work but slows my bowing.

Hey, Peggy already says that. Lol

Modal, at it's core, just means the scale used isn't purely major or minor, and gives chord playing musicians a heads up for unexpected chords. There are fancy words for these various scales, but simply saying "modal" works in old time.

Ok, very good, I am on the right track then! Brings me back to the same thought I shared before: if Peggy does it this way it has to be a good way :-D
I can listen to this tune for hours ! I downloaded the instructional video, used a video editor to catch the audio where this man plays it slowed down in the beginning of the recording and then I slowed that part down, I copied this block of audio many times after eachother, so now I have a long piece of audio to listen to and to practice the different fragments. And here we go, there is the first part :-D

I long for the day of second position!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Erockin

I long for the day of second position!!

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Here's your chance! You can't tell me that tune doesn't grab you a little.

I’ve played, at one time or other, these versions and have never gone to second position. All of these versions are in cross tuning.

French Carpenter

https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/yew-piney-mountain-0

Lester McCumbers

https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/yew-piney-mountain-8

My take on the McCumbers’ version

https://www.fiddlehangout.com/song/10545

Melvin Wine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9VTnCtxBPM

There are three versions of this tune in the M-K Collection (available for listening at the Slippery Hill site) by Burl Hammons, French Carpenter, and Harvey Sampson. I don't play this tune but it doesn't sound like any of them go above B on the E string, the highest note in first position. Depending on the size of your hand and how flexible your fingers are, you should be able to play this with your pinky, which is also used for the unison E on the A string in the B part. But do whatever you need to, no one cares.
Also, these versions, and others I've watched, are played fairly briskly. If you are modeling after Dwight Diller, his playing may reflect more of his own taste and opinions rather than an actual traditional approach.

Carl, I just love your Lester Mccumbers rendition!!! This is fast in a way I reallly appreciate it. Thanks for sharing it!

I see what you mean Doug with your comment on the Dwight Diller version, I am comparing with the Hammons version. I love it how someone comments on the Dwight Diller video where he plays this tune that it reminds of the Native Americans influence and that this secretly haunts all American music .

So far my own recordings tell me I'm still in a really bluesy mood, my Ziva loves it though.

If you like the playing of Lester McCumbers, there are several YouTube videos of him playing this tune.
It seems likely that there is some Native influence in southern old time music, since many families in his region have some Native ancestry but its difficult to sort out (it seems clearer in Canada and Alaska).
You might be interested in the music of the late Walker Calhoun, who was Cherokee.
youtu.be/DCuJscgRJ9I?feature=shared
He also played the banjo:
youtu.be/kvzdoCZchhY?feature=shared
PS - I recorded the audio portion of those videos. It was a memorable night.

Decided to use my fingers as I am supposed to... will take some time to produce a consistent sound on modal tunes but i love the sound and using pinky, ring finger and middle finger creates an authentic sound effect imho. I will leave Yew Piney Mountain for now, next is Greasy String, this is a bit easier for me.

Stay true to your very own fiddling journey, Anja!

Anja, did you see the Cherokee music videos I linked? I forgot to put your name on the post. I don't know if that "secretly haunts all American music" or not. Maybe more in dance than music?

quote:

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Originally posted by DougD

Anja, did you see the Cherokee music videos I linked? I forgot to put your name on the post. I don't know if that "secretly haunts all American music" or not. Maybe more in dance than music?

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Well I had more something ike this in mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPSU6SqDL0

I can hear what the commenter is saying when listening to the Dwight Diller version of the tune. That is enough for me.

quote:

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Stay true to your very own fiddling journey, Anja!

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I will ,  I know now who I wish to follow for a longer while, noone can take that out of my mind :-D Love Greasy String <3 

Can't wait to hear it...whenever you feel like sharing.

Quincy - If that video music appeals to you, that's fine - taste is a personal thing. But you might be interested in where it comes from, which is a recording on Windham Hill, a label that specialized in "New Age" music.
youtu.be/dtQoZFpwGiw?feature=shared
Here's some information about the artist:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougla...ted_Eagle
This is completely different from Walker Calhoun, who was an esteemed student, performer, and teacher of the traditional music and dance of his people which he learned from his elders:
arts.gov/honors/heritage/walker-calhoun
If this link works, here are his dancers performing one of their dances.
facebook.com/watch/?v=14354964...764941508
There certainly was musical interchange between people who inhabited the same environment and had contact in other ways. I have a friend who is a descendent of John Ross, a leader of the Cherokee at the time of the Trail of Tears, and I believe he was the son of a Scottish trader. My sister and I have been exploring our ancestry recently, and it seems we have a long ago ancestor, a Mohawk "princess," who married a Dutch settler in the Hudson Valley in the mid 17th century. Those frontiers and exchanges are fascinating to me, but hard to sort out.
In any case, if there is Native influence in "Yew Piney Mountain" it didn't come from a New Age production by a guy with a fake "Indian" name.

Anja - If you're interested, my friend Gayle Ross tells the first story on this record, which I recorded over 40 years ago now:
youtu.be/fRD2JAc7MLE?feature=shared

Maybe I'm wrong, Doug, but perhaps Anja was showing an example of "Native American" music as she ~expected~ it to be rather than what she likes. I'd say she hit solidly on the stereotype, which is what most Americans and the rest of the world thinks too, new age or not.

I also wouldn't start with " If that video music appeals to you, that's fine - taste is a personal thing." It reads "bless your ignorant heart." I doubt that's your intention, but there it is, followed up with another similar statement at the end of your otherwise interesting and educational post.

Because it is going weird , I'd like to post here a video of the intro of the most known band in my hometown , where I am planning to move back to. The name of the band  I am talking about is The Voalig Heads, which would translate as something like the very dirty minds/ the rubbish/ the scum heads.
They sing in the dialect of the  town , which cannot be copied by the nearest towns, because here dialect varies a lot from town to town , in such a way we often don't understand the people from a few towns further away when people only use dialect.
In the intro the lead singer is talking about how after the pandemic people forgot how to behave at a concert and so they are giving some hints on this (no double meaning here , it is just the way the intro starts)

https://youtu.be/up4IJAyZrEU

Now the lead singer of this band , who sings here with all of his best friends he grew up with has a very  specific profession. If you managed to watch the whole video till the end, then try to guess what he is doing for a living ;)

I swear it is just too funny :-D

I don't think I get it...is this to compare with indigenous cultures? I was kind of lost with most of the discussion on this thread anyway...lol...gotta admit.

quote:

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

I don't think I get it...is this to compare with indigenous cultures? I was kind of lost with most of the discussion on this thread anyway...lol...gotta admit.

 I was not comparing anything at all, just wanted to give a rather crazy funny  twist to the topic that is going into a direction I cannot follow hehe. Seriously Peggy,  watch the end of the video I posted. That lead singer : he is a well respected police officer hahaha. Now  tell me how crazy is this lol. 

That was pretty funny...police officer...lol.