"Smith's Reel" - Daniel Carwile - The Atherton Session

[@hannahfarnum7028]

You’re great, Daniel!!! I really enjoy your playing!

[@charliesteiner2334]

I had totally forgotten that Kitty's Wedding is also a bluegrass tune. Sounds good :)

[@AlamoCityCello]

Wild Tune! BRAVO!!

[@MrMusicguyma]

Exuberant fiddlin and chunking along.

[@joyoffiddling]

"Chunking". Appropriately descriptive word for this jam session.

[@MrMusicguyma]

:)

[@mandohat]

great mix in the phones, man!

[@joyoffiddling]

Hey +mandohat. Thanks for noticing. A lot of thought and care goes into the audio and visual quality of (most) all the videos on the Joy of Fiddling channel. When you have the opportunity to document remarkable musicians you want it to look and sound as best as you can under given circumstances. With Daniel and the Atherton Session videos we were fortunate that Stephen (Tenor guitar) had borrowed some nice microphones from Mojave Audio specifically for the occasion. Very glad you took the opportunity to use headphones for the best listening experience. I wish more folks watching these videos would do the same...or at least plug their computers into some decent speakers and turn it up!

[@StephenSchauer]

@mandohat 🙏🏻

[@DanSquidJohnson]

hot stuff!

[@taa2c]

Get dat boy a seat belt!!!

[@JohnDuncanfiddler]

Mercy

[@danielullom1516]

Mercy indeed!

[@kishintuchis7076]

IS THERE ANY PURPOSE TO HAVING A TENOR GUITAR THERE WITH ALL THOSE 6-STRINGERS THERE ALREADY . OTHER THAN ' FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON ANYBODY CAN THINK OF '

[@joshuabarger8422]

great fiddle! but how many guitars are really necessary..?

[@joyoffiddling]

Glad you asked, +Joshua Barger. My answer may be a little long winded but I believe your query is worth addressing as this is not the first time the question has been asked on this channel or elsewhere. Please note, part of this answer is my opinion alone as I do not speak for all fiddlers, pickers, and pluckers. Generally speaking, it's not always a question of "necessity" as far as how many guitarists or other backup instrumentalists are "required" for any given musical performance setting, whether public or private. Every situation is unique and contingent upon a multitude of factors, some of which might be location, space, availability of musicians, the personal taste of the individual fiddler, musical chemistry, etc. As for the eight videos of the "Atherton Session" featuring Daniel on fiddle, this was not a public or professional performance or an official album recording session. It was just a group of very close friends from Kentucky, Idaho, and California, who see each other once or twice a year, (if we are lucky) getting together to play music. If you go to different fiddle contests across the United States or Canada, you will notice that the number of accompanists on stage and the different kinds of backup instruments will vary considerably. Some contest rules do not allow more than two back up musicians on stage with the fiddler during competition. At the National Old-time Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho, a fiddler is allowed three backup players while competing. Some fiddlers like to mix it up and have a bass, tenor, and standard 6 string guitar with them. But very often you will simply see three guitar pickers backing up one fiddler. If you go to the "Fiddlers Frolics" contest in Hallettsville, Texas, I believe currently a fiddler is allowed four backup during competition. But I have seen footage of this contest from the 1980's...and it was not at all unusual to see six, eight, or more backup on stage with a single fiddler. On the other end of the spectrum, most (all?) Scottish fiddle competitions do not allow any back up at all. The fiddler plays solo on stage. If it's just a simple impromptu jam session then things are much more relaxed. One afternoon at a jam in the campground at Weiser not long ago, Texas fiddler Carl Hopkins was completely surrounded by a circle of eight or more guitar pickers...and there were even more pickers waiting patiently in the wings hoping for an opportunity to join that circle. (You've got to be doing something right on a fiddle when you have that many people who want to pick for you.) Having said that, if there were an example I could point to on the Joy of Fiddling channel, where having only one single guitarist play with a fiddler was the perfect number, it would be the "Red Bluff Session" videos featuringCanadian fiddler Calvin Vollrath and guitarist Clinton Pelletier. This was one situation where I would not have wanted there to be additional guitarists in the mix. Calvin and Clinton are gifted musicians who have been playing together for a very long time and the trust and chemistry between them is remarkable. What these two do in those performances can absolutely be described as a musical conversation, especially with Clinton's occasional soloing. And I don't believe that their particular conversation would have benefited from an additional guitarist. When does it become "too many"? Ultimately, the final decision for the number of backup is the fiddler's. For me personally, it would be if the sound of the fiddle gets drowned out. I can tell you that Daniel, during the jam session documented in the "Atherton Session" videos, did not feel he was being drowned out. In fact, if someone got up from the circle to take a break, Daniel would ask them where they were going and when they were coming back. For the record, in the "Atherton Session" videos, there were three 6 string guitars, one 4 string tenor guitar, and Daniel's wife Amy on piano. (although she does not play in the "Smith's Reel" video) And finally, speaking solely from my own personal experience as a fiddler, there are few things more musically satisfying than having your own personal "wall of sound". Whether that wall is comprised of two pickers or ten. I was fortunate enough to play a few tunes that night in Atherton. To be surrounded by Anne, Scott, Stephen, Bob, Daniel, and Amy, and to feel the support of their rock solid rhythm, was magic. I'm hoping other fiddlers or pickers will feel free to share their thoughts, opinions, or experiences on this subject here in the comments.

[@joshuabarger8422]

+Joy of Fiddling Oh wow! thats really interesting. I guess I just kinda figured that most people played solo, without any backup. As of right now, I am definitely a beginner fiddler/violinist and i have a LOT of trouble playing with anyone, much less 5 backups! But i'm sure that will change. Thanks for the info!

[@joyoffiddling]

My pleasure, +Joshua Barger. Happy to offer up a little food for thought. While there is tremendous joy to be had in practicing and playing music by yourself, I think you will come to find that it does not compare to making music with others. Completely understandable that as a beginner you may prefer playing on your own for the time being. But I would encourage you to not remain solo for too long. When you are ready and have a few tunes in your pocket, seek out some musician folk with whom you feel comfortable...even if it's only one other person. Attend an Old-time fiddle jam session...even if you don't actually play. Observe and enjoy. As your abilities and confidence as a musician grows, so will your desire to play music with others. You may even come to crave it, as so many of us do.

[@joshuabarger8422]

+Joy of Fiddling well, fortunately I have plenty of musicians in my direct family who would all love to play with me! just need to get better first. I'm typically more of a team player anyway!

[@joyoffiddling]

Excellent, +Joshua Barger. You are already on your way and further along than you know.