A Little Blackberry Blossom
Alright, for those of you who don’t know Blackberry Blossom, this post is for you. Many folks I run into don’t understand the usefulness and joy of bluegrass guitar. I am by no means a bluegrass expert or player. However, I have learned much about myself and roots music throughout the years I have dabbled in the genre.
It is funny to me to hear a jazz player criticize a bluegrass player and vice versa. If either one looks at the style objectively, then they will notice that they are much more similar than they are different. Just take a look at the form. You play the head (melody) and then you improvise. Then lo and behold, you’re replaying the head again and the song is over. If you look at it that way, then the forms are identical. Sure each uses different chords but both take just as much practice and skill to master. Believe me, I have tried.
This brings me to Blackberry Blossom. It is considered a rite of passage in learning bluegrass guitar. It is a lovely eighth note melody that moves a player out of first position and back again. This is great for those players that are beginning to intermediate and wanting to practice moving up the fretboard. For those that are more advanced, then there is the rhythm and solos to work on. Many great performances exist on YouTube. Tony Rice is probably the standard by which the guitar playing in this genre is measured. In any case, take a look at the song and enjoy the simplistic melody and harmony that it has to offer.
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