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Terry Baucom - AcuTab Transcriptions Vol. I

ACUTAB
Transcribed from the playing of Terry Baucom

Terry has long been counted among the most important and emulated players of the past two decades. Starting with his seminal recordings with Ricky Skaggs in Boone Creek and continuing throughout his tenure as an original member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out, Terry has laid down some of the most solid, consistent banjo picking in recent memory. His mastery of timing, tone, and good taste are evident in the pieces transcribed in this book.
Here are all the solos - plus selected backup - from the two hot Lou Reid, Terry Baucom & Carolina albums. Learn the exact licks from one of the most respected and influential banjo players in contemporary bluegrass. A valuable resource, indeed!
Here are all the solos - plus selected backup - from the two hot Lou Reid, Terry Baucom & Carolina albums. Learn the exact licks from one of the most respected and influential banjo players in contemporary bluegrass. A valuable resource, indeed!

About Terry Baucum

Most longtime observers of the bluegrass scene will be as astonished as I was to learn that Terry Baucom has never appeared before on the cover of this publication. His powerful banjo playing, after all, has driven the sound of some of the most prominent bands of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. While not a ground breaking innovator like Earl Scruggs, Bill Keith, or Béla Fleck, Terry Baucom is nevertheless one of the most influential and imitated banjo stylists of the past generation. As the 1970s rolled in, bluegrass fans were heatedly debating the merits of the "traditional" and "progressive" approaches. But in the middle of the decade, southern baby boomers were pioneering a third stream. This new sound featured a streamlined, almost aggressive rhythm (usually with electric bass); extra-smooth vocal trios; and an eclectic repertoire that mixed songs from classic bluegrass, Nashville country, and rock. None of these elements were new to bluegrass; what was new was the total package -- bold, hip, and sophisticated enough to appeal to younger listeners, but with a distinctly country sensibility and grounding in bluegrass basics that tradition-minded fans could appreciate, too.
That new southern sound has evolved into today’s bluegrass mainstream. One of the earliest bands to put it all together was Boone Creek. In 1975 Terry Baucom, then 22 years old. formed the group along with Ricky Skaggs, Wes Golding, and Jerry Douglas. They stayed together for about two years, releasing two albums, "Boone Creek" and "One Way Track." A few years later Terry was establishing the banjo’s sound in Doyle Lawson’s then-new group, Quicksilver, which for many remains the archetypal contemporary mainstream bluegrass band. (Sugar Hill Records recently re-released the first two Quicksilver albums on a single CD, entitled "The Original Band.")
If his career had ended there, Terry would still be an important figure in bluegrass banjo history, but it didn't. In 1985 Terry, along with guitarist Jimmy Haley and bassist Randy Graham, left Doyle Lawson and joined up with mandolinist Alan Bibey to form the confusingly named New Quicksilver, which lasted through 1987. Toward the end of 1990 he teamed with fellow Quicksilver alumni Russell Moore and Ray Deaton in IIIrd Tyme Out. In 1993 Terry and original Quicksilver bassist Lou Reid started Caroline. And recently the old New Quicksilver hit the road again under the name BlueRidge. (Jimmy Haley has since been replaced by Wayne Winkle.) Sugar Hill Records released their debut CD, "Common Ground," earlier this year.
On paper -- for example, in the AcuTab transcriptions book devoted to his music—Terry's playing doesn’t look too different from, say, J.D. Crowe's (although he often uses his index finger to pick strong notes where most players would use their thumbs). His distinctiveness and influence lie in his sound. Terry's playing is marked by Uzi-like timing, uncommonly dynamic 3-2 pull-offs, and the kind of punchy, in-your-face attack that has led some Virginia legislators to propose a mandatory waiting period for prospective Stelling purchasers. (Hey, just kidding, Geoff.)

Copyright @2005 The Stringman