Sandy Boys

[hellindc]

Anybody know where I might find the tab for "Sandy Boys". I don't see it hear or in the CoMando tabledit files. Actually, I can figure out the melody, it's the chords. Our mountain dulcimer jammer plays it a lot in A. I can hear it going from A to G, but I'm not sure of the turn around. Is it D-E-A or G-E-A, or something else? Are the A and B parts the same?

[G_Smolt]

No G in the "sandy boys" I know...

Like most oldtime tunes, it isn't an exciting tune to play rhythm to.
In The Key of A, in the "A" part of the tune, stick on the A chord through the first 3 measures, then play the last measure AEAA.
In the "B" part, if I remember correctly, the pattern would be AAAA ADAD AAAA AEAA

As an aside, one of the guys I used to play oldtime with (still do, but rarely) started a movement for the "politically correct" renaming of some oldtime tunes...Cause for great mirth at sessions where someone would yell out "Sandy Persons" or "African-American Aristocracy"...

[hellindc]

Whoa! I wonder if I'm confusing Sandy Boys with something else. Whell, I'll try to stick to 1-4-5 and see if I'm on the right track. Thanks for the help.

I try not to mess with lyrics, but my general rule is don't sing or say anything you wouldn't say to another person's face. "Sandy Boys" is pretty innocent.

[John Flynn]

I know three versions of "Sandy Boys." They are all in A. One is modal and two are not. One of the non-modals has a D chord in in the B part and the other doesn't. Also, depending on the version, you can hit a G chord when the melody lands hard on that B note or you can hit an E chord. Both work, but they are different sounds. The E is more traditional, the G more modern-sounding.

I think with old-time chords, you really have to look at the melody of the version you are doing and figure out what your chord options are and then try those options and see what kind of of a sound you want.