I was listening to this Flatt and Scruggs record, “The Complete Mercury Recordings”, the other day.
I noticed something that I never noticed before. Many of these songs feature vocals and there are instrumental solos in between verses or choruses. A lot of them are in 4/4 or 2/4 time, depending on how you count it. I’ve known different people that insist on one or the other.
Anyway, after the solo, there is an extra measure (if you count it in 2/4) or, a half measure or a measure of 2/4 (if you are counting in 4/4) before the singer comes back in. It’s a little structural stutter step. They didn’t just do it some of the time, they did it most of the time.
Coincidentally, I saw an old clip of Flat and Scruggs, the same day and, sure enough that extra two beats was in there after every solo. In the live setting they were getting the “audience acknowledges the solo applause” at these points. Now, on the record there is no audience so, I’m wondering if they put that in there for the purpose of leaving a little space for the crowd to respond.
You know I’m not a bluegrass guy so, maybe all those guys do this and I just now noticed it. Or, is this a Flatt and Scruggs deal?
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Tags: extra measure, Flat and Scruggs, Mercury, Recordings
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
these two fellers are like the burglars of Bluegrass… I think the two note pause is a nice transition between voices. I experienced it also in the Preservation Hall Jazz Hall in NO, in various Dixie land styles. Live music there had the pause because the appriciative audience always gave a hand to the solo.
When I saw them, Skruggs and Flatt, in San Antonio, one of them didn’t show up [Flatt I think]. But the one and the band went ahead and put on the show. Fiddler uses that pause to bump bump his intro… we played slower back in those days… around 60 to 90 bpm; throwback to swing era, when people danced. It took a little coordination between the knee knockin’ on the dance floor and the spit takes in the orchestra. I used to hear the trumpets blow the spit out in that two beat pause, after his solo.
What can I say? I never learned how to sing into a mic. We were all taught to play without any electrical-fications. We tooted our licorice sticks and brass tubers… in all kinds of places. That is why I am eat up. I just don’t fit in with electrical-ficulars, and have yet to be able to adapt. Pretty much the story of me life.
Link | July 23rd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Wow, I thought I had a country twang. See, Jack you were right, the bellwether is at work. Latest breakin’ news from the oldtimers… and satire of great reknown: Celestial Monochord
Barack Obama: Secret Banjoist?
The oldtime demographic has been ignored by major candidates ever since its support doomed the otherwise front-running candidacy of Henry A. Wallace in 1948.
“[Do] …You know how you tell the difference between a bluegrass band and an oldtime band?”
Link | July 24th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
I think you have digged and found the first case of the: [drum roll please] Genreficationally Challenged… no?
Could be a medical paper in there.
I would have said ‘all folk singers sing the same notes.’ But, hey, Pribek was my music teacher.
Link | July 24th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Did someone delete a comment over here?
Link | July 25th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Pribek wrote,
Not to my knowledge PD, are you missing one?
Link | July 25th, 2008 at 8:22 am