Here’s another A-major gospel number from Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boy’s second gospel album, I’ll See You in Church on Sunday Morning. Monroe listed it simply as “We’ll Understand It Better,” but this gospel standard from the Black Methodist preacher and composer Charles Albert Tindley is often appended with “By and By” or even “Bye and Bye,” with parentheses and without, and sometimes is listed as simply “By and By.” According to Mike, Monroe’s solo (at 12:00) adheres closely to the vocal melody with only a brief departure at the top of the second half. Listen for the “Georgia shuffle” of 16th notes in a half dozen phrases, as well as drones for color and continuity, plus left-hand hammer-ons and slides. A particular point of interest comes at the end of the first half where Monroe plays only a single note phrase to represent the II chord instead of playing the corresponding harmony, which might overemphasize the chord change. Mike walks you through the solo in this video.
