The bluegrass jam favorite “Dixie Hoedown” comes from mandolin great Jesse McReynolds and has been recorded by numerous people, including Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Matt Flinner, and many others. But nobody really plays the B part the same way. The version you’ll learn here is based on the way Grisman, Jesse McReynolds, Ronnie McCoury, and others played it on Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza. Joe starts by showing you the A part, phrase by phrase. You’ll also learn the chords to the A part in this video.
Watson’s Blues |
Watson’s Blues, Part 1 |
Bill Monroe’s tune was written for guitarist Doc Watson, and usually starts with a guitar lick, while the mandolin melody is played with tremolo for most of the tune. It’s in the key of E major, but mostly uses the E minor pentatonic scale. Joe’s version, which you’ll learn here, is influenced both by Monroe’s version and David Grisman’s. Joe walks you through the melody of the A part in this video, showing you different ways to approach the tremoloed notes and how Monroe’s and Grisman’s differ.
"Watson's Blues" (Available to subscribers) |