Bluegrass, Blue Prince, and the Blues

Key takeaways

Musical interpretation varies widely, and different performances bring their unique flavor, which can be both enriching and surprising.
Understanding music notation requires appreciating a vast array of symbols used internationally, including jazz charts, guitar tabs, and percussion notation.
Blues influences are deeply embedded in many modern genres through stylistic features like blue notes, vocal expression, and timbral qualities, not just the 12-bar form.
A recorded version of a song is just one frozen moment of its ongoing life; live performances and reinterpretations are equally valid expressions of musical creativity.
The human spark in music—spontaneous, live, and personal—is what makes each performance special, regardless of fidelity to the original recording.

Summary

Introduction and Podcast Overview

Kirk Hamilton introduces the episode's general theme of exploring listener questions on varied musical topics. He briefly mentions upcoming live shows, his new music released on Bandcamp, and expresses gratitude to supporters, particularly those on Patreon.

Bluegrass and Song Analysis - 'White Trash Wedding'

The discussion focuses on the harmonic and melodic nuances of The Chicks' song, particularly the harmonic change during the fiddle solo and the guitar’s role. Kirk explains the chord progression within the bluegrass context, emphasizing how the fiddle’s chords and the guitar’s fast, capoed figure contribute to the song’s energetic feel and development.

Music of Blue Prince and Musical Mysteriousness

Kirk examines a specific chord in the soundtrack of the game Blue Prince, hypothesizing it might be an electric violin, especially considering the recording’s credit for Richard Greene. He highlights how the sound’s unique character is achieved and recommends further listening to Lee Sklar’s YouTube channel for more insights.

Different Ways of Notating Music

Amy’s question about various forms of musical notation—traditional sheet music, jazz charts, guitar tabs, and percussion notation—is explored. Kirk describes each method’s purpose and nuances, and he advocates for understanding the broad diversity of musical symbols globally. He references a YouTube video by Tantacrul about the history of music notation.

Unique Guitar Solo on 'Hammond Song'

Kirk discusses Robert Fripp’s distinctive guitar solo on The Roaches' song, emphasizing its sonics—saturation, tape delay, and long glissandos—rather than harmonic complexity. The importance of Fripp’s use of Frippertronics as a sound design tool and ambient music pioneer is highlighted, with links to tutorials and recordings.

The Influence of Blues on Modern Music

The distinction between blues as a song form (like the 12-bar blues) and blues as a broader musical style is clarified. Kirk explains how the stylistic and timbral qualities—such as blue notes, vocal expression, and mood—permeate many genres beyond strict blues structures, including rock and pop. He advocates for understanding blues influence as a pervasive, stylistic influence.

Interpretations of Songs and Their 'Truth'

The episode explores the phenomenon where different performances of the same song, such as in recordings versus live productions, can feel inconsistent yet valid. Kirk reflects on the nature of musical spontaneity versus recorded fidelity, emphasizing the human spark and spontaneous creation behind live performances and recordings, encouraging openness to many versions of a song.

Show notes

Kirk answers a bunch of listener questions on topics like bluegrass guitar, the music of Blue Prince, good apps for training theory skills, Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics," a mysterious sound on a Gene Clark song, different types of music notation, and the legacy of the blues. All that, and a trio of terrific singer/songwriters stops by the studio to help answer a question about lyrics.

Come see Triple Click Live! Friday, July 11 at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. Tickets Here

Kirk has new music for sale on Bandcamp: Music For Podcasting and his original score for Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread

Thanks to The Wailin' Jennys for coming on the show! Stay tuned for a full-length interview episode this summer, and go see them live if you can. They are amazing.

7/27/2025 Update: Several people wrote in with theories about the "Lady of the North" sound, and Kirk has been convinced it's an electric violin.

FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

“White Trash Wedding” by The Chicks from Home, 2002
A live performance of “White Trash Wedding”
“Simon’s Theme” by Trigg & Gusset from the Blue Prince original soundtrack, 2025
Kirk’s recent essay about Blue Prince and music
Two good free music sites: musictheory.net and muted.io
“What Am I Here For” by Jade Bird from Something American - EP, 2017
“Across The Sea” by The Wailin’ Jennys from Bright Morning Stars, 2011
“Lady of the North” by Gene Clark from No Other, 1974
Bass legend Lee Sklar on YouTube
Mark Lager's 2024 No Other retrospective in Under The Radar Magazine
The terrific Wonder of Stevie podcast
Tantacrul’s tremendous video about the history of music notation
“Hammond Song” by The Roaches, 1979
Chords of Orion video explaining and re-creating Frippertronics
“The Heavenly Music Corporation II” by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno from No Pussyfooting, 1973
“St. James Infirmary” rec. Joseph “King” Oliver, 1930
“Cross Road Blues” rec. Robert Johnson, ~193x
“Down Hearted Blues” rec. Bessie Smith, 1929
Two versions of "Wedding Song" by Anaïs Mitchell from Hadestown, 2018
Kirk’s essay about musical creation and “The Spark”

OUTRO SOLO: Rob Reich, prolific bay area multi-instrumentalist, died unexpectedly a few weeks ago at the age of 47. It's an unfathomable loss. Rob recorded an outro solo for Strong Songs back in its very first year, so we're including it in this episode as a tribute to him and his generous musical spirit. Read more about Rob here.

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