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rubydubyr
Feb-15-2015, 7:23pm
I would like to play with my daughter. I play mostly classical, she plays mostly blue grass, but will accompany me on her flute for classical..... but, I'd like us both to play mando together once in a while.
I think some EASY folk tunes that we could both sight read, or do a close approximation of sight reading would be a good choice.
Anyone know a book of EASY folk tunes I could order? Or some internet sites that would have some easy folk melodies in pdf? I think knowing the songs before trying to play them would make the sight reading a lot easier.
So far, I've been able to find and download the pdf of easy versions of Scarborough Fair, Camptown Races, Yankee Doodle, and Amazing Grace (yes, I know that's a spiritual...)

rubydubyr
Feb-15-2015, 8:24pm
Ok, I just ordered the Folk Song Fake book (melody line and chords) by Hal Leonard. Over 1000 songs, over 500 pages bound with a plastic comb. Hopefully will be a good buy, sposed to be here by Friday...... hope its not like the picks I ordered that took 3 weeks to get here. :))

harper
Feb-15-2015, 8:24pm
Rubydubyr,

Skye Boat Song is an easy tune. It's a 6/8 Scottish rowing song and is slow, steady, and flowing. I have attached three versions. You could choose the harmony you wished to use.

BTW, where are you in Texas? I am in College Station.

Regards,
Evelyn

rubydubyr
Feb-15-2015, 8:35pm
Tyvm Harper! I am in the DFW area. How can a harp be a mandolin? :confused:

GRW3
Feb-15-2015, 9:08pm
If it's not easy it's not really a folksong.

zedmando
Feb-15-2015, 9:27pm
If it's not easy it's not really a folksong.

Kind of what I was thinking--but then some folk musicians do some complex arrangements...

But in general, this is true--but it still could be tough to play it with the same feeling.

crisscross
Feb-15-2015, 9:34pm
How about some Irish tunes?

-Star of the county down http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/de/archive/8/87/20090722183526!Star_Of_The_County_Down_Em_44_Lead. svg&imgrefurl=http://de.wikibooks.org/wiki/Liederbuch/_Star_Of_The_County_Down&h=1121&w=1404&tbnid=OZIve7IB_r9bVM:&zoom=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=113&usg=__KfH_1-4aTTSTW3vj8JMIia-LQr8=&docid=OgHpxofWMbRkpM&sa=X&ei=KlThVJLjBcbKaJasgPgK&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAA
-Molly Malone http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/svg/618.svg&imgrefurl=http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/618.html&h=512&w=582&tbnid=62bbb0mv1NusfM:&zoom=1&tbnh=92&tbnw=105&usg=__z1gYBTd8HqnXh9IGnP2lV76YKwc=&docid=1oX7BifRYVdqBM&sa=X&ei=gVThVIKADMTPaNXEgbAM&ved=0CCYQ9QEwAA
-Wild Rover http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_SongImage.pl%3Fsong%3DWild%2BRover%26low%3D6 0%26variantNo%3D0%26db%3DMain&imgrefurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_Song.pl?song%3DWild%2BRover%26profile%3Dnull %26lang%3Dde&h=637&w=859&tbnid=MrPJ1K70L3577M:&zoom=1&tbnh=97&tbnw=131&usg=___-ywdAI5DFi3Pq8orWHk-gvrxmE=&docid=BIlwoKM_e3ytaM&sa=X&ei=61ThVMCVIsvXavTQgAg&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAQ
-Londonderry Air http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_SongImage.pl%3Fsong%3DLondonderry%2BAir%26lo w%3D62%26variantNo%3D0%26db%3DMain&imgrefurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_Song.pl?%26profile%3Dnull%26lang%3Dde%26song %3DLondonderry%2520Air&h=742&w=859&tbnid=PMpdw6xN6eUloM:&zoom=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=104&usg=__hepbG11lrVJyQodyOjs3hdhUP_k=&docid=WN1LNwvK9LLtkM&sa=X&ei=MlXhVIDAJcrvaqSUguAL&ved=0CDQQ9QEwAQ

And, on the other side of the pond, though it's not a real folk song, but was comosed by S.Foster: Oh Susanna http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_SongImage.pl%3Fsong%3DOh%2BSusanna%26low%3D6 0%26variantNo%3D0%26db%3DMain&imgrefurl=http://www.free-notes.net/cgi-bin/noten_Song.pl?song%3DOh%2520Susanna%26profile%3Dnu ll%26lang%3Dde&h=588&w=859&tbnid=H9kAzYTdGO-CJM:&zoom=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=131&usg=__oFYt1zLrMXoqWoW3dJGWJ1SVEK4=&docid=zdjHBfzdgix1LM&sa=X&ei=i1XhVJKVDIPSaLbngvAB&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAA

If The Good Tanyas manage it, it shouldn't be too difficult for you and your daughter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ypb6rYZtm8

Jackgaryk
Feb-15-2015, 9:43pm
you pulled the trigger quick on that one ruby. If it don't work out for ya'll check out "Parking Lot Picker's Songbook: Mandolin". it's a good one. tabs, chords, notation and has cd's to listen to the tune. hope your songbook comes quicker than your picks did. :)

rubydubyr
Feb-15-2015, 9:56pm
thank you crisscross and Jack, very helpful :)
(and my daughter is coming on Sunday, so I hope the book gets here when it is supposed too) :)

Martin Jonas
Feb-16-2015, 6:47am
For folk songs (as opposed to instrumental tunes), this is one of my favourite places:

Link (http://www.kstez.de/html/folksong_collection1.html)

Melody lines and good, playable chords in well-presented PDFs for a great many public domain folk songs including most of the obvious ones and a well-chosen selection of less obvious ones. When printed out, makes a good songbook.

Martin

Bertram Henze
Feb-16-2015, 7:29am
S.Foster

Stephen C. Foster is a good resource for folk songs (every song was composed by someone, so I think they are folk songs nevertheless). Another one I can recommend is Hard Times (there is a thread on this (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=1529) over at the Song-a-Week Social Group).

JEStanek
Feb-16-2015, 9:54am
Rise Up Singing (http://singout.org/product/rise-up-singing-spiral/) is very good for chords. A very comprehensive list of folk and Americana songs organized well.

Jamie

Dan Krhla
Feb-16-2015, 11:12am
Definitely Rise Up Singing. +1 on that for sure. The Seeger songs are perfect for what you're looking for. Once you find some you like (Buffalo Gals, Erie Canal, Dan Tucker, Blue Tail Fly, etc) you can go a-googling for simple melody lines.

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/traditional-music/

Has a ton,
Best of luck, Please come back and share your successes! Dan

JEStanek
Feb-16-2015, 11:57am
There is also the TablEdit songs on Mandozine (http://www.mandozine.com/music/tabledit_search.php)and on the Cafe (http://www.mandolincafe.com/tabledit.html) in Mandolin Tab.

Jamie

bigskygirl
Feb-16-2015, 12:46pm
Our Town - Iris Dement
Orphan Girl - Gillian Welsh
Rye Whiskey - ?
S*** Makes the Flowers Grow - Cathy Guthrie
Tune of a Twenty Dollar Bill - Shawn Camp does a nice version (even has a mandolin break in it) as does the Lonesome River Band and you could just leave off all the embellishments and strum the chords
Guy Clark songs are nice too - The Cape, Anyhow I Love You, LA Freeway...so many check him out

Most of these are three or four chords over and over, just capo where you like to sing.

mandroid
Feb-16-2015, 1:27pm
seek out Back issues of Sing Out?

IWW 'little red songbook' for Labor songs .

StuartE
Feb-16-2015, 2:16pm
No chords in the little red songbook, iirc

allenhopkins
Feb-16-2015, 4:18pm
A few years ago ace picker Harvey Reid, along with Joyce Anderson, came out with The Song Train, (http://www.songtrain.net) which is a CD set and book of 56 songs playable with one or two chords.

This may have the kind of repertoire you're looking for.

rubydubyr
Feb-16-2015, 4:59pm
Thankyou all very much! :) I've saved the links!

rubydubyr
Feb-21-2015, 8:37am
ok, folk song book was SUPPOSED to be here yesterday... amazon didn't even SHIP it till yesterday and new estimated delivery is Monday. That probably won't happen either as we're supposed to have an ice storm on Sunday night/Monday morning. siiiiiiigh :crying: (the old gray Amazon just aint what she used to be)

rubydubyr
Feb-21-2015, 12:11pm
It's here, its here! OMG, with over 500 melodies, I can have SCADS of fun modifying and making arrangements for 2 mandolins, or mando and flute!!!!! Woo hoo, and just in time for my daughter's visit tomorrow! :grin:

130943130944

Nevin
Feb-21-2015, 12:19pm
Cool, have a blast.

rubydubyr
Feb-21-2015, 12:54pm
tyvm :grin: