PDA

View Full Version : Birdsong's intro...



telepbrman
Nov-03-2004, 4:42am
Hey, would you please help me out on the into to the Dead's Birdsong. It's in E, and I have the guitar tab'd intro, but I am having a bit of trouble kicking her off....thanks, dy.

ira
Nov-09-2004, 11:25am
hey, are you talking about the birdsong "riff" haven't tried it, but i don't think it would be too hard. unless you want it way up high, you would prob need to kick it off on the low 'e' on the d course if it starts with e. i'm gonna give it a whirl this weekend. 'e' is always a tad difficult on mando if you want it in a low octave in standard tuning, but definitely doable- hey mandocrucian, jflynystl, kvk , spruce, duuuuuude and other gd/rock in the know folks- chime on in!

telepbrman
Nov-09-2004, 12:34pm
Ira: Thanks for the info, I have been short on time, and will get down and dirty with this "riff" this weekend also. I would like to start a post on the Grateful Dead and the Mandolin...what do you think? dy.

berkeleymando
Nov-09-2004, 1:04pm
There was a 'deadhead mandoplayer roll call' thread a while back that I rteally enjoyed.

I usally play Birdsong in D

D7 C D7
All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
D7 C D7
All I know she sang a little while and then flew off,
Bb F F C C G D7
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain.


This seems, for me at least, to make fingering the intro part a bit easier. I'll try to write it out and post it here.

dan@kins
Nov-09-2004, 2:00pm
The Grateful Dead and the Mandolin! Two of my favorite things!

Never thought of that Birdsong riff on the Mandolin! That is untilI read this thread. I'm getting hooked on this message board.

I think a Grateful Dead Thread is a great idea!

Regards,
Dan

Fred G
Nov-09-2004, 2:12pm
We played it in my band but I don't think I ever had it exactly sounding right[U]. Great song, sounds good with mando and acoustic guitar.

regdave
Nov-09-2004, 11:47pm
In E, the "Birdsong Riff" opens on B, second fret of the A string, then C#, D then up to F#,E,D,F#,A,F#,D,E. #Got that? Seemed faster than drawing up a whole damned sheet of music to put it on.

telepbrman
Nov-11-2004, 1:16am
100% thanks to all on this...I sat down and tracked it this way....

-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
---------------4---2---0---0---7---4-----------
---4---6---7---------------------------7---9---

Now what is a good E7? Keep me posted, dy.

mandocrucian
Nov-11-2004, 10:08am
<span style='font-family:courier'>-------------------&#124;-------------------
-------------------&#124;-------------------
---^0^2^4----2^0---&#124;-7^4^0----2--------
--4/-------------4-&#124;---------(4)-------


not slurring to the same extent, which gives more emphasis to certain notes.
-------------------&#124;---------------------
-------------------&#124;---------------------
---^0^2-4----2^0---&#124;-7^4-----2----
--4/-------------4-&#124;-----7--(4)---</span>

The first two notes are done with a pick glide (down-down). #The 7-4-7 D arpeggio is fingered 3-1-3. ^=hammer-on or pull-off. #You need to put The slurrings will get you closer to Garcia phrasing.

NH

jefflester
Nov-11-2004, 9:12pm
Now what is a good E7? #Keep me posted, dy.
-0-
-5-
-6-
-4-

or the rootless (the guitar's playing it, probably more than once, why do you need to? :-)

-4-
-5-
-6-
-4-

I'm used playing it (on guitar) in D.

jefflester
Nov-11-2004, 9:31pm
Or if you've got your 1st finger on the 2nd fret E on the D-string and your 2nd finger on the 4th fret B on the G-string (like at the end of Niles' lick), maybe this would work better

-4-(3) (or open and use 3rd finger on A-string, drop the 3rd)
-5-(4)
-2-(1)
-4-(2)

(I'm doing this without an instrument)

dan@kins
Nov-12-2004, 11:41am
Wow! I like this one! I'm familiar enough with the tune to take what you guys are saying here and play it in either D or E. Nice forum ya got here.

Would be nice to keep on going with this one. . .

Regards,
Dan

mandocrucian
Nov-12-2004, 1:40pm
If you are playing with other instruments, I would avoid putting the 3rd high up in the chord stack. #Keep it low, or better, just use R-5-b7 instead, as not to conflict with another instrument playing blue notes if they want to.

E5/7 #(no 3rd, used for either E7 or Em7)
--0---
--5---
--2---
--4---

To stay low (E & A strings optional), split on the D strings:

<span style='font-family:courier'># E5/7 #E7
E==0====0========
A==2====2========
D--2----2----2---
D--0----0----0---
G==4====1====4===

# E7
===0=======
===5=======
===6=======
===4=======</span>

Niles H

berkeleymando
Nov-14-2004, 10:35pm
Thanks, Niles for your informative posts. I really appreciate your presence here!

Staramouche
Dec-06-2004, 12:28pm
Wow---
Thanks for dusting off that gem, I forgot how pretty she sparkled....

Joe

wsm
Nov-14-2005, 1:50pm
I have been away for awhile and just discovered this thread.

Thought I might add my take on this one..

Here is how I play the opening, the S denotes a slight slide/slur upto the 4th fret..

------------------------&#124;------------
------------------------&#124;------------
---------^0^4^2^0-&#124;7^4^0^2
-S/4^6---------------&#124;----------(4)

Later on there is a little ditty that I play something like this..

-------------------------&#124;-------------------&#124;----
-------------------------&#124;-----------------2&#124;5---
---------^0^2^4^2^&#124;4^6^7^6^7--&#124;----
-S/4^6----------------&#124;-------------------&#124;----

My timing on this must be a little screwed up as I am a rank amatuer at tabbing music.

Edit: upon Edit: Trying to get this stuff to line up is difficult..

berkeleymando
Nov-14-2005, 3:19pm
This thread is great. I play Birdsong all the time now. Great to see a post in this one again. Thanks, everyone.

ira
Nov-14-2005, 3:29pm
thanks berkley. had forgotten about this thread and to play the tune- i'm all over it this week!:cool:

RolandTumble
Nov-14-2005, 4:35pm
I've been playing the opening riff (by ear) for a while now, but never got around to working out the rest of the song....

My understanding is that it was orginally written in D, but the Dead changed to playing it in E shortly after it rolled out.

jefflester
Nov-14-2005, 4:47pm
My understanding is that it was orginally written in D, but the Dead changed to playing it in E shortly after it rolled out.
It's in D on the "Garcia" solo album. IIRC, the Dead played it in D through 1973, then they stopped playing it altogether. When they brought it back in 1980 for the acoustic sets, it was in E.

But I could be wrong....