Mark Cosgrove Message Board

when's your next show around Philly?

Craig Morrison — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:04:13 GMT

Mark,

Hope to hear you around town sometime!

Craig Morrison
www.roundtownsound.com

Happy New Year 2008

Philippe Perrard — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:28:13 GMT

Happy new year to Mark & all his fans around the world.
I wish you a good flatpicking music year.

Philippe
Paris France

The Radio Show

Kevin — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:22:22 GMT

Mark,
I caught some of the "Live" Radio show this evening. You and Rolly
sounded great. I particularly enjoyed the last tune,Jerusalem Ridge.
Both guitars mic'd and sounded great. By the way, what guitars
were you both playing? I am glad there are the venues like the Internet
radio to listen to this great music. Hope to catch you live somewhere
down the road.
Kevin
Stillwater,OK

Crossing strings; inside and outside a pair

Dale Grider — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:36:42 GMT

Mark,

Here is a technical question. Probably the main answer is "practice like the devil" as Doc says, but, maybe you faced this same technical hurdle earlier in your own development and can share some ideas for the rest of us as we climb the mountain.

When I pluck a pair of strings from the inside, my pick is traveling in a direction away from the next string I am going to have to pluck and that has seemed much harder than plucking across two adjacent strings from the outside of the pair.

When I play from the outside of a pair of strings my downstroke, for example, is moving in the same direction as the next upcoming higher string I have to strike. Even though I'll have to change directions for the upswing, it is still a more natural feeling movement. I can float back and forth DUDUDU on 323232 a lot easier than I can DUDUDU on 232323.

I analyzed some licks Joe Maphis used a lot for his lightning fast flash playing and found an interesting pattern where he often plays descending across the strings with all string crossings being downstrokes (always crossing strings with an "outside pair" movement, his being sure to end play on any string with an up pick, and then the downstroke falls to the move to the lower adjacent string). This seemed to confirm that this wasn't just an idiosyncratic thing with me, but a real technical difficulty and that Maphis was keying in to that easier transition from one string to the next from the outsides. Here is a Joe Maphis G lick I broke down that makes a good ending. The first 2 strings I play 3d position (left hand fingers 1 and 3). The 3d and 4th strings are 2nd position (left hand fingers 1 and 3);

--3-5-3-0---------------------------------------------------------
------------3-5-3-0------------------------------------------------
-----------------------4-2-0-4-2-0-------0-2-4-0-2-0---------0--
--------------------------------------2-4------------------2-4------
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Predicatbly for me, the hardest 2 spots in that lick when I start trying to go fast are where I have to cross to from the 4th string to the 3d from inside the pair (the 16th note to the 17th in the lick, and the last 2 notes of the lick)

In Kamp this Summer I asked Roy Curry about this in class and he humorously said he hoped my bringing it up and making him think about it wouldn't screw up his playing for 6 months! (From Winfield results it looks like I did him no harm!....or ..maybe he would have taken first place again if I'd kept my mouth shut!...Sorry Roy)

Anyway, I am doing some work with scale fragments (an Al Dimeola practice technique) and, said a different way by Russ Barenberg (but essentially the same thing) playing fragments up to the point of a difficulty where I crash, and then stopping right there and repeating the fragment over and over.

Is that (was that ever) a more difficult string crossing pattern for you? What exercises did you do to smooth that out so that inside pair crossings were the same difficulty as outside pairs?

Sorry this is so long! :(

Dale:)

Effortless Mastery

Dale Grider — Thur, 01 Nov 2007 17:03:54 GMT

Hello Mark,

Thank you again for being an integral part of a very exciting and successful first time for me at Kamp Week1 this last June. After putting a few months behind me after the Kamp experience I can really start to gauge how much it has helped re-direct and improve my progress. A LOT!

I have been surprised (and delighted) to see how the "Effortless Mastery" outlook is positively and directly affecting my technical approach to actually playing the instrument. (My first impression of the book was that it was just about "head work" in terms of performance nerves more than technical improvement per se). I think I did not realize however, how hard I was "trying" to "MAKE" technical improvement happen (a different attitude problem from performance nerves issues). A lot of what Werner said in the book, and how he said it, made something different start happening when I picked up the guitar to actually play. "Relaxation" became more than just a word and the distinction between trying to "make" something happen as opposed to "letting" something happen gained some meaning for me. I have identified an "easy" groove that I can slip into now for periods of time and I try to really pay attention when I am there. If I lose contact with it completely, I stop and take a break.

I've got A LONG way to go, (old habits!) but I have determined that developing my playing along the lines of ease and relaxation is worth every effort (NON-effort???)! It's much more fun to play when its "easy" and you're relaxed. Now if I can get into the "head work" aspect of Werner's outlook on performing maybe I can get on stage and more joyfully share some of it with others!

Thanks again,
Dale:)

PS: There is a thread right now on the FlatpickL listserv about "fluid flatpicking" and how to get that smooth connected sound that we admire in great players. Lot's of specific technical ideas shared on how to "make" your playing more fluid, or why the greats sound so good. My immediate thought was that the best (only?) way to make it sound smooth, natural, relaxed, and in an audibly comfortable groove, is to be playing it from that place of "effortless mastery" encompassing that whole outlook Kenny Werner elaborates. If I do that, it will be fluid. That is hard to share in a list serv post. Sounds too "mystic" if you haven't read the book, thought about it, and applied some of the concepts.

catching up

Ron goldhahn — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:32:46 GMT

Hey, Mark. Just an old fan here from the days of the mid-80's"Yips" and Point Pleasant pump-protest era. I discovered your site via my internet doodlings and was delighted to learn of your continued pursuit of happiness in the world of music. As a guitarist myself I always admired your fluidity of style and speed ("magic fingers" I believe was your nick-name)
I hope to access some of your recording ASAP. Keep on keepin' on!

Ron Goldhahn

Kamp 2007

graham cooper — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:26:10 GMT

Hi Mark,
Many thanks for making Kamp2007 such a wonerful experience for me. I enjoyed both sessions and your masterclass, and will think about all of it for a long time. Let me know if you are coming to Europe. We may be able to get you to the Algarve.
Again a Great time.

Regards

graham

Mark in iTunes Store

Colin — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:24:37 GMT

Just bought Leather Britches (Kessinger & Cosgrove) and
Cattle In the Cane (Cosgrove & Fore) in the iTunes Store
and they are both outstanding! I already have Sweet Reason,
but it was good to see that in there too!

Hope all is well Mark!

-Colin

string gauge

tam reilly — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:50:21 GMT

Mark

What gauge of strings do you use?I normally use 13's but i just got a new guitar (stonebridge acoustic) and it had 12's on it and it sounds really nice, not thin at all, just a nice crisp sound without the boomyness.

all the best

Tam Reilly

Hot Solos - revised ?

Steve — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:03:04 GMT

Hi,

When is the new "Hot Solos" going to be out with the revised

tabs and tracks to Little Rabbit and Rainbow?

Thanks,

Steve

angelfoot rhythm

tam reilly — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:57:09 GMT

Hello Mark

I 've started Angelfoot and i'm having problems with the rhythmic pattern starting at the end of bar 16.

Do you strum the A sus2 chord then slide up to the next chord and let it ringout from the strum before

or do you strum each chord individually?

cheers

Tam Reilly

Pandora Mark?

Bruce — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:49:44 GMT

If you haven't tried Pandora internet radio, it' s a chance to hear great music by folks you've never heard of, and FREE. I have created a bluegrass station and hear Beppe Gambatta, Tony Rice, Doc etc but no Mark, so I've sent in a request. Try it, and send in a request. It would be great to hear and expose him there.

Lessons from Mark?

Dave Warner — Thur, 07 Dec 2006 02:58:12 GMT

Hi, Mark,

A question: Are you taking students for private lessons now or in the near future? I'm a flatpicker who just moved to the area, and would love to talk about starting some lessons. We've met before, but I don't expect that it was very memorable. I saw you play at Godfrey Daniels and asked you some nerdy questions about your pickup and mic on Flatpick-L.

Matt did a wonderful job at Winfield. I had him picked out as a favorite last year, too. He has a great feel and tone to his playing. You must've been a great teacher for him.

I had to put my email down to post this message, so I imagine you'll have access to it, but if you need other points of contact just post here and I'll keep an eye out. Thanks!

-Dave Warner

NYC bluegrass - teachers or jam partners

Joe Videtto — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 14:49:48 GMT

I live in the NYC area - saw Mark perform a few years ago at the Baggott Inn and was truly inspired...bought Mark's book Hot Solos for Flatpick Guitarists and never learned any of the tunes.

I live in Queens - are there any former Cosgrove students that live in the area and would like to work on some tunes togethere with me ? I don't do music for a living, just for fun, but I like the physically challenging 'exciting' pieces and have the chops to play them. It just takes forever for me to learn them.

Also - Mark - I would have like to take lessons with you, but you're just too far away. Can you (or any other message board readers) recommend any teachers in the NYC area that are close to your level ?

Thanks in advance.
Joe Videtto

keeping a relaxed picking hand!!!

tam reilly — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 16:26:29 GMT

Mark

just a wee bit of advice.Have you any tips about getting your speed up.I've been working on your version alabama jubilee and fun ranch boogie (Albert Lee).I'm just a wee bit short when it comes to the speed my right hand starts to tense up .I'm trying to keep it as relaxed as possible but when it gets to those sort speeds it's really difficult to maintain a loose hand.

all the best

Tam Reilly