Still on My Bucket List - Learn to Yodel - VIDEO

[davewerden]

I confess; I love yodeling! In searching for some old brass video I happened to run across this from a 1952 TV show. This was EARLY in the development of television so the video is hardly what we are used to, but the singing is top notch! The TV variety series was "All Star Review," and the live performance is by Rosalie Allen. She sings "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and "He Taught Me to Yodel." I worked quite a bit on the audio to help make her voice more clear.

https://youtu.be/3-m00c0dAAQ

[John Morgan]

Okay, I am conjuring up this image of Dave on the stage with his euphonium, playing a virtuosic solo with lovely melodies and variations showing his terrific technique. And then, all of a sudden, in variation 4, the finale, Dave puts the euphonium down to his side and breaks out in a yodeling frenzy to finish the piece. The crowd goes wild. It is all recorded. And the next day, on the radio, is Dave Werden's "The Yodeling Euphoniumist".

Well, maybe not, but I couldn't help myself. I, too, actually like yodeling. It is one of those things that might be akin to playing a bagpipe. You either love it or hate it.

Now the question we all want to know the answer to: Dave, have you done any yodeling yet? Willing to share that?

[davewerden]

Now the question we all want to know the answer to: Dave, have you done any yodeling yet? Willing to share that?

The odd truth is I have tested myself a bit. While I was still working I'd use the alone-in-the-car time to improve my singing. I started by increasing my high range by singing along with some of the pop songs I grew up with, which go higher than my natural baritone range. It actually did help! Now I can sing most hymns in either of two octaves.

And every now and then... I would try a little yodeling! I didn't get very far. To be a good yodeler you need to have a good natural high range and a good falsetto. The latter is very limited for me! Now that I'm no longer commuting, there are fewer changes to sing when no one can hear me, so...

[RickF]

When you said you always wanted to learn to yodel and was going to share a video, I thought for sure it was going to be Patsy Cline singing, “Love Sick Blues”. She hints a bit of yodeling singing “Crazy” but just the lilt in her voice. Here’s a link to “Love Sick Blues” by Patsy Cline:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO4BIFcIUHs

[davewerden]

While we are on the subject, here is one of the more virtuosic performances, by Margo Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbd4msnPQu4

[davewerden]

When you said you always wanted to learn to yodel and was going to share a video, I thought for sure it was going to be Patsy Cline singing, “Love Sick Blues”. She hints a bit of yodeling singing “Crazy” but just the lilt in her voice. Here’s a link to “Love Sick Blues” by Patsy Cline:

Yes! It is hard to beat Patsy for using such skills in a musical manner!

[davewerden]

But my favorite, and the guy who really started me thinking about this way back, is Kenny Roberts (not "Rogers"). He has a fine voice, and I like the coda he added to the song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gos3HK522Ug

[RickF]

Wow, that’s more yodeling than I’ve heard in a very long time. It has to be really hard to go to falsetto and get the pitch just right.

[davewerden]

It has to be really hard to go to falsetto and get the pitch just right.

I KNOW! In the bit of experimenting I did during my commutes I often did not get within a step of the right pitch. But like most things, sustained practice can do wonders.