Considering Buying a Guitar.

[KAB]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Elizabeth Clark-thank you for the links I really appreciate that.

[KAB]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Dan - could you tell me where I would have met you ? I cant recall your name. this doesn't mean I don't know you but just cant think of where I would have met you

[Danny]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Sorry, I'm not buying this broad-brush statement. These "plain folk, common soldiers" were probably more culturally aware than you give them credit for. They read Shakespeare, Cicero, Plato, Dickens and Thoreau (according to previous threads on the AC) as well as the dime-store novels. You won't convince me they did not appreciate classical music, be it written for piano, harpsichord, guitar, lute, harp or full orchestration. I would think that even the most untrained musician of the time would not pass up an opportunity to attend a performance of Bach, Corelli or Sor...

Mark: I agree with you. My point of reference is with fiddlers/violinists, and many of them (though obviously not all) were familiar with classical as well as folk (popular) music, and playing styles...

Mark, Eric -

Literacy among the troops was an issue, let alone reading music required of a classical musician. It is more of a stretch to suppose the average soldier was appreciative of classical music, particularly as orchestras were a rarity in this country, and non-existent in the rural areas. There were violinists and pianists trained in the classical manner that did tour the country, Gottshalk et. al. But not so much classical guitarists.

As for the several accounts of classical performance and musicians, keep in mind it was only the literate and trained musicians that were capable of writing of such things. I suspect a better measure of what was common and popular would be the playbills, and the sheet music that droves of folks spent their hard-earned cash on. According to sources I've found the popular music of the time was more Minstrel than classical, more low-brow more than high-brow, more circus or medicine show than concert hall.

That's the basis of my prior statement, anyway.

Dan Wykes

[KAB]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Mr. Dan where are you from in MI.
Also thank you for all your help. Am I doing OK with this post, its my first one and I would just like to know how I'm doing, any suggestions on how I could improve would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken Balos

[Danny]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Mr. Dan where are you from in MI

St. Clair, Tecumseh, Jackson, Albion, Monroe, East Lansing are all places I've lived.

Back to topic though, on your last question - none of the CW guitar styles were what we call 'folk' music today.

Good luck with that guitar, but I suspect banjo is more your instrument.

Dan Wykes

[KAB]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Dan-thanks
speaking of Jakson MI.
are you going to come to the 25th anniversary?
as for banjo I dont know a thing aboute it, I have been a guitar player for about 7-8 years now.

[mehrsam]

Re: Considering Buying a Guitar.

Mark, Eric -

Literacy among the troops was an issue, let alone reading music required of a classical musician. It is more of a stretch to suppose the average soldier was appreciative of classical music, particularly as orchestras were a rarity in this country, and non-existent in the rural areas. There were violinists and pianists trained in the classical manner that did tour the country, Gottshalk et. al. But not so much classical guitarists.

As for the several accounts of classical performance and musicians, keep in mind it was only the literate and trained musicians that were capable of writing of such things. I suspect a better measure of what was common and popular would be the playbills, and the sheet music that droves of folks spent their hard-earned cash on. According to sources I've found the popular music of the time was more Minstrel than classical, more low-brow more than high-brow, more circus or medicine show than concert hall.

That's the basis of my prior statement, anyway.

Dan Wykes

Dan,

I see your point regarding the literacy of the average soldier, and I suspect if you could ask the question of 10 soldiers (now where's that darned time machine...) you would get 10 different responses regarding the level of knowledge of classical music.

My point was that I couldn't completely dismiss the existence of at least one or two classical pieces in some guitarists' repertoire. I agree with your statement regarding the type of music that was popular - minstrel, ballads, traditional "folk" tunes passed down from player to player, etc.