My earliest memory of being fascinated by music is from kindergarten. I remember waiting, not very patiently, for "music time" each day. Mrs. Bragg would fold back the pages of one of her hefty piano books and call forth from the upright the accompaniment to some happy song as we kids chirped out the melody.
I took up the trumpet in the fifth grade, but I was actually more interested in the Gibson L-5 guitar which my dad kept under his bed. By seventh grade I was picking out whatever notes I could find by ear from the latest Beatles song. At about the same time, I began wading through the rather intimidating stack of Mel Bay Guitar Method books my dad had collected. Now I'm writing books for Bay! (Who'd have thought it?) My father encouraged me in every way and believed that a complete musician could play by ear as well as read notation.
In the eighth grade, I was at a jam session and saw an electric bass lying abandoned against an amp. I picked it up and began to play. By the time the session was over I had a new favorite instrument! I spent the next four years searching out every opportunity to play the bass. Then, one afternoon in my junior year of high school, my primary musical interest changed. A 'cellist performed at our school, and I suddenly knew I had to play a bowed instrument. I borrowed a violin and started lessons. A short time later I heard some fiddlin', and the excitement of that sound focused my musical direction.
I attended Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and received a B.A. in music in 1977. Along with my strictly classical studies in violin at the university, I played bass and fiddle in several local rock, country, and bluegrass bands. The New Grass Revival (featuring John Cowan on bass, Sam Bush on fiddle and Curtis Burch on guitar) was based in Bowling Green at that time, and I came to admire their stylistic creativity. Curtis took me under his wing and introduced me to a lot of the great old bluegrass.
My technique was finally getting good enough that I could copy other players note-for-note. That kind of style analysis was clearly productive. I began to share my insights on fiddle and bass styles with others, and eventually began to teach lessons.
Starting in 1976, I formed several bands with Byron House, a great bass player, who went on to play with Foster & Lloyd and many other great bands. Byron loved Alan Munde's banjo work, especially his first album with Sam Bush (Poor Richard's Almanac). Little did I suspect that years later I would have the chance to perform and record with Alan. We were listening to all kinds of music, just soaking up anything we could handle (and lots we couldn't). Because of this training experience, I've always found it difficult to understand the cultural walls that "purists" sometimes erect around themselves. On the other hand, I think style is worthy of deep respect. I'm more interested in mastering the unique subtleties of each style than in blending them.
I was appointed fiddle/violin instructor at South Plains College (SPC), in Levelland, Texas, in the fall of 1978. There, among a constantly enthusiastic and growing number of students and faculty members, under the visionary leadership of John Hartin, I became better acquainted with the great Texas music tradition. Texas has an unbelievably rich fiddle culture. In time, I began to work as a studio session player and later as a recording engineer and producer also.
Through my SPC association with Joe Carr and Alan Munde, I began to record with the group Country Gazette. I played bass and fiddle on Joe and Alan's new album (Windy Days and Dusty Skies), which includes three of my original songs. Joining me as fiddlin' guests on the album were Laurie Lewis, Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor, Randy Howard, and Billy Joe Foster. As a voting member of NARAS (National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences), the organization that gives the "Grammy" awards, I finally had a chance to vote for an album I played on when Windy Days appeared on the nominating ballot.
Ron Block (banjo/guitar player with Alison Krauss) and Mike Bub (bassist with Del McCoury), both SPC graduates, returned to the studios at the college to record several albums which I engineered. Those sessions were aided by spectacular fiddler Stuart Duncan (another former SPC student), mandolinist Butch Baldassari, and guitarist/vocalist Chris Jones.
As a teacher, I've also had the opportunity to work with many fine young country musicians, some of whom are beginning to make an impact on the national music scene. In the past year alone, two former students, Heath Wright (lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Ricochet) and Keith Gattis (vocalist/songwriter), have signed recording contracts with major Nashville labels. (Recently a student asked me to transcribe the twin fiddle parts from a George Strait hit on which, to my surprise and delight, the session player was a former SPC student.)
Over the years I've taught at quite a few fiddle camps and workshops. Last summer I traveled to Texarkana, Texas, for the Texas Fiddle Workshop with Dale Morris, Johnny Gimble, Orville Burns, Tawni Morris, and Robin Hobson. I'll be back there in 1996. This summer I'll also (for the fourth time) be at the SPC "Camp Bluegrass" in July.
Until then, have a great time!
Ed Marsh
Guitar & trumpet, age 11; Bass, age 14; Fiddle, age 17.
Whom do you consider to be your greatest musical influences? Bass: Past to present -- Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Chris Squire, Stanley Clark, Barry Oakley, Max Bennet, Roger Bush, John Cowan, Emory Gordy Jr., David Hungate, and Victor Wooten
Fiddle: Past to present -- Mac Magaha, Sam Bush, Kenny Baker, Vassar Clements, Richard Green, Byron Berline, Darol Anger, Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Mark O'Connor, Bobby Hicks, Benny Thomasson, Dale Morris, Woody Paul, Stuart Duncan, "Curly Ray" Cline, Ricky Turpin, Terry Morris, Alison Krauss, and Randy Howard
Are you a self-taught player?
Everyone's goal should be to become self-taught! At first I had lots of teachers: band, choir, garage-band heroes, rock stars (who never met me or cared). The first teacher I ever had who really cared and knew how to teach was Betty K. Pease (at Western Kentucky University). Of course I'm prejudiced, but Betty is near God in my book! She taught me why the "right" way is the best way. She showed me saintly patience, parent-like support, and the example of what a lifetime of love for the violin does for a person. The second great teacher I had was Stuart Duncan (actually he was enrolled in school to be my student, but...) Stuart never really tried to teach me anything, but his tone and attitude toward music swept me up. I just listened, watched, and absorbed all I could. My third great teacher is Alan Munde. No, he's not a fiddler, but his approach to fiddle tunes on the banjo has for 20 years inspired me to dig deeper into the true melody. Also, Alan knows how to use his sense of humor musically.
Do you feel that it's necessary to read music to become a great player?
Some of the best musicians I ever knew could not read music, so I'm tempted to say no. However, I was started on reading at a young age and encouraged to do it. It's too late for me to have a clue about what it would be like not to read. One thing is for sure. More and more great fiddle solos and tune variations are being published every day, and if you can read, you can take advantage of this wealth of material. The most important thing is to realize that notation cannot tell all the "feeling" in music. One has to learn the notes musically, and search for the right tone in the heart.
What was the most difficult thing for you to learn about playing the fiddle?
BOWING! As hard as it is to play the fiddle in tune, the bow consumes most of my attention. Controlling the pressure and speed is the key to good tone. Bowing is just like breathing is to a singer. Once you learn to control it, the bow reveals whatever emotion you are feeling.
Describe what you consider to be essential techniques. Do you have any inspirational words for new musicians to help them get through potentially frustrating times of practice?
The human body gets good at whatever it does a lot. The technique of practice is the most important. You've got to learn to zero in on weak points, then figure out why they're weak. It doesn't do any good to go over a passage ten times badly or halfway. If you're out of tune, quit sliding your fingers around and learn to put them down in the right places. If your bow contact with the strings is inconsistent, slow down and just "feel" the bow-to-string connection. Above all, be kind to yourself at practice each day! No one learns it all at once. If a technique or tune is important to you, give yourself 10 days of good work on it. Record it the first day and the tenth. Get to know what you can expect from yourself.
What musical equipment do you use? Do you use different equipment in the studio than you do when playing live?
EQUIPMENT:
BASS:
I play a 1965 Fender Precision bass with DiMarzio replacement pickups and a 1989 Fender P-Lyte fretless bass with Seymour Duncan "active eq" replacement pickups.On "live" gigs, I play through an Eden "David VT-25" head and an SWR "Goliath II" 4x10 cabinet. In the studio, I either run a line out of the Eden head or directly out of the bass.
FIDDLE: For the acoustic sound, I play my faithful old German"Strad" copy. My electric fiddle is a Chinese fiddle that I outfitted with a Barcus Berry piezoelectric bridge pickup, built-in volume control and 1/4" phone jack, and enough paint to deaden the body until it responds like a real fiddle at 103 decibels of volume (this final point, often overlooked, is why electric-fiddle conversions feed back too easily or sound dead). My amp is a 25-year-old Lab Series "L-5". I usually run a digital-delay pedal to fatten the tone on slow songs, but I just use the built-in reverb (or nothing at all) on the faster songs.
What do you consider to be your greatest experience as a musician?
As I think about this question, I believe that even more than the thrill of playing for big crowds, in faraway lands, or with famous people, my greatest experience in music has been the thrill of helping people learn music. I'm certainly no saint, but I can really say that the look of joy that students get on their faces when I help them overcome a major obstacle is a thrill. It reminds me of just how much time we musicians invest in learning, only to become impatient and expect instant success.
What are the highlights of your career to date?
1974 -- My first good group was with Leatherstocking Tales, a folk/rock trio, with Tim Barkley and Jeff "Smitty" Smith. I learned that when you play really good music, people might still be bored.
1976 -- My first good bluegrass band was Winter Wheat, with Jimmy Raley, George Neal, and David Roemer. We developed a following, got raises in pay, and traveled around the beautiful states of Kentucky and Tennessee seeing the inside of smoky bars, old cars and Motel 6's.
1977 -- I did a six-week Caribbean tour for the USO with a show band called Gemini 77.
1978 -- Went to work for South Plains College in their experimental Country/Bluegrass Music program.
1980 -- Began working as an engineer in SPC studios (see recording credits in biography above).
1982 -- Recorded with bluegrass band Lost Highway, with Stuart Duncan on fiddle.
1984 -- Toured Japan with the Sandyland String Band, the SPC faculty western-swing-and-country band.
1986 -- Recorded with the bluegrass band Weary Hearts, with Mike Bub, Ron Block, and Stuart Duncan.
1987 -- Began recording association with Alan Munde and Joe Carr.
1990 -- Engineered Keep On Pushin' by bluegrass band Country Gazette.
1995 -- Played bass and fiddle on Alan Munde and Joe Carr's first duet album, Windy Days and Dusty Skies.
Describe your first professional playing job.
My first pro job was a call to play bass in a top-40 country dance band. The guitar player was yelling the chord names at me, the drummer was yelling at me to play more steadily, and the lead singer yelled at me at the end of the night when he said "Go home and don't come back!" I was crushed for about six weeks. Now, twenty-plus years later, I still recall two good lessons from it: 1. Don't say you can play a style if you can't, and 2. Learn to say, "Don't yell at me again, or I'm leaving!"
What are your current projects?
I'm writing a couple of books on fiddling for Mel Bay, Inc., playing bass and fiddle on a new Alan Munde & Joe Carr album project for Rounder Records, writing songs for various groups and individuals, and trying to be a good husband to Martha.
What players do you enjoy listening to?
The list is too long to write.
What is your approach to backup playing for vocalists?
If you play when a singer is singing, consider the baritone or tenor harmony parts as points of departure. Otherwise, play mostly when he/she isn't singing. (See my Mel Bay, Inc., videotape called Bluegrass Fiddle Jam. Even though it's nominally about bluegrass, all sorts of backup playing are demonstrated and explained in detail, with written examples in the booklet that comes with it.)
(All are available from Texas Music and Video or Mel Bay, Inc.)
Electric Bass
Bluegrass Bass
Instant Jazz Bass
Today's Country Bass Styles, Vol. II
Basic Violin
Basic Bluegrass Fiddle
Today's Country Fiddle Method
All-Time Fiddle Favorites
"Hot" Fiddle Styles
60 Hot Licks for Country Fiddle
You Can Play Honky-Tonk Fiddle -- New!
Bluegrass Fiddle Jam -- New!
Super Fiddle Bowing Patterns -- New!
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