frailing banjo and the joys of fiddling on a nice Eastern Washington Saturday afternoon

Have you ever had one of those windy Eastern Washington Saturday afternoons where you don't feel like doing anything? I have lost momentum in trying to get "things" done today. Kylee and Kat are both taking in their usual Saturday pass time of napping. Me on the other hand, I should be getting our music room/guest room cleaned up. What am I really doing besides typing this blog? Playing fiddle and practicing my frailing banjo! The Washington Old Time State fiddle contest is coming up. I am trying to put together two "rounds" in order to feel comfortable competing. In a fiddle contest a "round" is three song: a hoedown, a waltz, and a tune of choice. Each round can not take longer then four minutes to play. If you play over four minutes then points are deducted. It is a little stressful and I am debating weather I really want to play in the contest. I am seriously considering it though because I am now in the adult division. I decided that my fiddle was a little loud to be playing when the girls we sleeping so I packed it up for a while.
I then decided to practice the banjo. I have wanted to learn a style of banjo playing that dates back to the earliest stages of bluegrass, and old time music. It's considered more of a mountain style of playing. It's called "frailling", or clawhammer style. I think I am getting it down. It's a lot of fun to play. Mom keeps telling me that Grandpa Whitby was into bluegrass music. I knew he played harmonica (I think I still have one of his harmonicas laying around. I had better get the music room cleaned up and maybe I will find when I stored it.) She recently told me that he played banjo. As I sit here and write this blog I miss all of my grandparents. I especially miss my Grandpa's! For years my Grandpa Whitby lived next to us in a double wide trailer. When I was younger I often went over to see him. We shared a lot of laughs, and he was always interested I my boyhood adventures. I bet he is up there is heaven picking out a banjo song with me. He would have really enjoyed the old time fiddle group I'm in.
The few times that Grandpa Arlo came to see the fiddlers he truly enjoyed it. I know if he and Grandma we in better health they would have been up and dancing! Before Grandma passed she told me that he dad was played the fiddle. I tried to get her to let me know what song he played. There were two that she could think of, but a failing memory was not on her side. She could remember that he dad play a tune called Cherokee Maiden which is a Bob Wills and the Texas playboys song. It's kind of a western swing tune. She also told me that he played a tune called the Heel Toe Polka. The Heel Toe Polka is a fun little tune to play. I learned it a year ago and still enjoy playing that song. I am trying to figure out how I can get ahold of some old time fiddlers in Idaho to see if they remember my great grandpa. I want to find out it they know what songs he played. I want to carry on the fiddle tradition that is in our family by learning these songs and passing them along to my children and grand children.
Well the time for reminiscing is over. I have a half hour before I have to wake up the girls. I had better get some more frailling in. Until next time....