here is a nice simple tune that is pretty commonly heard at bluegrass jams. http://www.mandozine.com/music/searc...rder=A&submit= I thought I would try something different so I made two recordings the first with a rhythm and then a break and then the second time I played over the first one, first the break and then a standard chop.
very nice Chris! I'll have to learn that song. I don't hear it around the jams in St. Louis. Thanks DOn
ChrisStewart... Thanks! That was great. I don't bluegrass, but it wouldn't hurt me to learn some. I hadn't thought about multi-tracking with the video camera, I may have to give that a try. That, along with learning chop chords!
nice! jazzy little chord change at the " ... it was always his pride and joy" part of the song. i think you should get second prize in the "neatness counts" contest - the screen's a great idea. first prize has to go to chris travers, of course ... never seen a tidier, more orderly, more ship-shape-erly back ground as his. i'm more of a chaos, "heaps" sort of guy, myself ... - bill
Yeah behind the screen are my piles of junk -mostly remote control planes and the stuff that goes with them here in my office/hobby room.
Chris, like I said, I am a complete newbie on chop chords. Can you somehow show/tell me what those 'up the neck' chop chords you are playing, what they are, and what frets you are playing?
Those are great chords for chopping, very flexible in getting 7ths and minors, and completely moveable up the neck. The basic pattern for an A Major chord is (from G to E) 2245 which would be root,5th, 3rd, root. move it up a string and you have a D chord, 245X (mute/don't strike the E) with a 5th in the bottom. move the original A up a fret for a Bb chord, 3356. for an A-minor, just move the 4th fret to the third. 2235. To get a flat seven (minor 7), don't play the second root and play a flat 7 instead, 2243. Etc. These are cool chords, but in bluegrass you also commonly see the more standard "chop chord" whcih is (for an A) 9745. That's a 5th, root, third, root. Makes a very percussive sound IMO. Don
OK, here is a great chordsheet a friend of mine put together. The chords Chris was primarily using are called "A-shape" chords on this file. The chop chords you often see in BG are more of the G and C shape chords. Enjoy: Chord Sheet Don
yeah, the G is the D chord shape (245x) moved up to the 7th fret (7-9-10-x) and the D is the A chord shape (2245)moved up to the 7th fret (7-7-9-10) and so on -just those two shapes. Not the traditional chords normally used to chop on but (for me) much easier to use than the (7523) G which is a hard stretch but also hard to change from a G to a D I think if you listen to the tone produced at this position verses the lower position they also fit the song better. I use those two shapes a lot because they are so easy and easy to move up and down.
here's my go at it using the highly touted "power grip" (i posted the video to the message board - should have posted it here - sorry): d
Hey Bill, that was great! Did you already know that tune? How did the power grip work for you? Barb
Great, I need that power grip -I'll have to check into that. I guess it is posted on the main board?
Here is TAB for Grandfather's Clock from Dry Bones
And here is the TabEdit TEF file for Grandfather's Clock courtesy of DryBones.
Ok, here's my feeble attempt at Grandfather's Clock on my no-name Tenor Banjo, in Irish Tuning (GDAE) one octave lower than a mandolin. Even with my volume on my webcam turned all the way down, I had to turn away from the camera, AND try to play VERY softly (pretty hard on a banjo, haha!) to keep the video from making a crackling noise. Still don't have the harmonics thing very good!
Barb, how did you make that pic so big? I tried several times and could never get it right. Thanks for posting it for me. Jason
Jason, I don't know! I actually reduced it a bit before I put it on here!
My Grandfather's clock was too tall for the shelf so it stood 90 years on the floor... My dad used to sing it to me me when I was a wee lad... still brings a tear to my eye... The Clock stopped, never to go again when the old man died....
My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf So it stood ninety years on the floor It was taller by half than the old man himself And it weight not a penny's weight more It was bought on the morn that my grandpa was born And was always his treasure and pride But it stopped short never to go again When the old man died Ninety years without slumbering (tick tock tick tock) His life's seconds numbering (tic tock tic tock) But it stopped short never to go again When the old man died. At watching its pendulum swing to and fro Many hours he had spent as a boy As he grew into manhood the clock seemed to know For it shared every sorrow and joy And it struck twentyfour as he entered the door With his beautiful and blushing bride But it stopped short never to go again When the old man died My grandfather said that of those he could hire Not a servant so faithful he'd found For it wasted no time and it had but one desire At the close of each week to be wound Yes it kept in its place but not a frown upon its face And its hands never hung by its side But it stopped short never to go again When the old man died Then it rang an alarm in the dead of the night An alarm that for years had been dumb And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight That his hour for departure had come Yes the clock kept the time With a soft and muffled chime As we stood there and watched by his side But it stopped short never to go again When the old man died
Can't pass it up - dedicated to my Old Man.
Great tremolo-ing! We need more of that! Barb
I've never heard that played around here - but I remember my grandmother singing it to me when I was little. Barbara, thanks for posting the lyrics -I could only remember the first verse.
