The Thornbury Ramblers

“Any of these; basically anything with strings,” says Dave Arnold when asked which of the six, well worn instruments on stage he plays. The Thornbury Ramblers, an Old-Time band named after the Pennsylvania township where they spend most of their time practicing, came into being, “only because people started asking us to play for their events,” says Doug Linton, who plays banjo, guitar, fiddle, and harmonica, and also manages the band’s schedule.

Old-Time music? That’s Bluegrass, right? “We hear that all the time,” says “Banjo Bill” Talley. “Really, the difference is that Old-Time came first, mostly to accompany dances.” The origins of Old-Time come from English, Irish, and Scottish folk music, with a strong African influence. Talley continues, “Being dance music, Old-Time is not showy, but always has an up-beat." Bluegrass was invented by Bill Monroe in the 1930s and, and is more focused on soloists and performances than is Old-Time.

Dressed in blue jeans, ball caps and plaid shirts, these five musicians never really set out to play for anyone but themselves. In the spirit of Old-Time music, they played on the porch for years until someone asked them to accompany a dance or two, and play the Thornbury Township Pumpkin Festival while families carve pumpkins and enjoy fresh-pressed apple cider. They like being asked. “It’s not the money,” says Carl Baron, who also plays the trio of stringed instruments and is the only one of the group who plays for money regularly. “We do it as an excuse to get together and play.”

(Sidebar)

Dueling Banjos -- Bluegrass vs. Old-Time

Old-Time music as a style is the oldest form of North American music, but the label itself only dates from the early 1920s. The open-backed banjo is often, but not always played “clawhammer” style, with the strings being strummed by all of the fingers of a hand. The Bluegrass picking style uses three “finger picks” worn on the fingers, whereas Old Time picking is done without picks, using two, three or four fingers.

More variations on a theme…

Old-Time Music:
- Fiddle, banjo & guitar are the basics, but it is common to use whatever stringed instruments are available.
- Fiddle plays the melody throughout while others accompany, or entire band plays melody.
- Played as dance music and informally. Recordings have generally been rustic, do-it-yourself productions. Many of these have been collected by the Library of Congress.


Bluegrass Music
- Fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. Less traditional groups incorporate other instruments, including non-acoustic.
- Each instrument takes a turn at leading the melody in the song, using elements of improvisation, while the other instruments accompany until their turn for the lead.
- Primarily concert music. Many artists have recorded for commercial radio play and sales.

What do they have in common? Both styles are learned by “ear.”

The Thornbury Ramblers' "8th Album Cover," TBA: http://tinyurl.com/ycbsze