The great bluegrass singer and banjoist Ralph Stanley passed away recently. His self-described “mountain music” was a major influence on the development of bluegrass, both through his work with his brother Carter as the Stanley Brothers in the 1950s and later as a solo artist and with his own band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. In this lesson, you’ll learn the gospel song “Green Pastures,” also called “Going Up Home to Live in Green Pastures,” which was introduced to the bluegrass world by Ralph’s recording, and has also been recorded by Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs, Larry Sparks, David Grisman, and others. It’s a fast waltz with some unusual phrasing. Scott starts by showing you a couple of variations on the waltz strum pattern that allow you to drive the rhythm along. He also points out the phrasing of the melody, in which each of the first three phrases consist of three bars of 3/4. You’ll also learn a couple of bass runs to play at the end of the verse/chorus on G chord and halfway through the verse/chorus on the D chord. Scott finishes by singing “Green Pastures” through so you can sing and play along with him.
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"Green Pastures" (Available to subscribers)
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