Frankie McWhorter

Texas Sandman

Transcriptions

A visit to The Woodshed is where you find Frankie McWhorter behind the scenes with a rare insight into his recording of “Texas Sandman.”

Late night in the kitchen or on the front porch at Camp Creek Ranch Frankie shared his passion for the old tunes.  He had an amazing, I would say an uncanny ability to play melody then turn around to render second and third parts for the harmonies.  Though it is impossible to capture subtle nuance in standard notation the transcriptions reveal the depth of a true musician immersed in the old sound.

These early visits hangin’ out at the ranch led to the album and the transcriptions were done to capture the style and preserve for others to play.  They represent the bare bone of not just Western swing but the true nature of the old frontier sound with fiddles playing twin and triple harmony the way it was done back when.

The notes and bowings are a guide to develop your own style.  They will get you started then let Frankie and your ears do the rest.