Jean-Marie Redon News - European Bluegrass Music Association

The teaching method and the
general text, as well as the written
music (in Tab and Notation), will
help players and listeners gain a
better understanding of Clarence’s
performances. If you’re paying
close attention these tools should
serve you well as a player.
As a listener your enjoyment
will be enriched even more so by
the easy-to-follow, methodical
text in the musical portion of this
book. Readers in general cannot
help but be captivated by the personal
accounts of Clarence’s life
and music as told in the introduction
/ tribute by the Roland, family
and friends.
What we have in these pages
and discs is something very
unique. They not only provide a
down-to-earth detailed analysis of
Clarence’s flatpicking and crosspicking
techniques, but also a
glimpse into the world of Clarence
White ‘the person’. Both perspectives
seem to blend naturally. If I
had to choose one word to describe
this work I would say
‘complete’…a most satisfying and
Clarence White and Byron Berline (1971). Photo by Frank Chino
complete work from start to finish.
The instructional text has a
pleasant common sense approach,
some occasional humour, and in
language easy to comprehend.
Diane avoids using complicated
technical terms, which helps make
this educational project easy to
follow. It’s a sharing of ideas that
is astoundingly effective. Not only
in helping one understand the
physical techniques of Clarence’s
methods, but the authors wisely
point out the need to sense the
emotion in Clarence’s playing. As
so aptly suggested in the book one
might listen not so much to the actual
notes he is playing, but to the
sounds surrounding the playing of
those notes. The idea being that
the emotion and overall sounds in
Clarence’s guitar style are every
bit as important as melody notes
themselves. Students are encouraged
by the writers to express
themselves in their own playing as
well, rather than copy Clarence’s
exact notes. Wise words for any
musician to live by.
With the untimely loss of
Clarence White, the music world
was robbed of any further evolution
of one of its most gifted players.
We’ll never know how far he
may have taken his music. What is
made obvious by the detailed information
in this book, is that Clarence
left some mighty challenging
guidelines behind for future
players.
For example, Clarence’s
very foundations and guidelines
have served noted guitar master
Tony Rice well. Tony states:
"I never tried to play like
Clarence White. He was the
person who kind of indicated
to me that this is the
way guitar playing should
be approached...a guideline.
I like constant change in my
music, a different challenge,
and it’s the challenge that
keeps it interesting.”
There are those who suggest
the possibility that Tony has
helped to bring Clarence’s style of
music to the next level. One thing
is certain, Tony Rice combined his
natural talent with the knowledge
he gained from Clarence’s
ideas and has
indeed taken guitar
playing to yet another
level.
The virtual treasure
chest within the
pages of this project
(much like Clarence’s
music) will surely challenge,
excite and educate
guitarists for generations
to come. After
reading and studying
this publication one
should have a general
sense of what sets Clarence
White’s playing
apart from the rest of
us.
������������������
10