I second that, Welshman.
Thanks TelePlayer. I've been learning some irish music these days, and it's hard to find good material for irish guitar. I appreciate how much material you posted. That'll keep me goin' for a while.
I'm glad someone else mentioned Solas, too. They're great. For whoevers interested, one of Solas' ex-guitarists has produced a tutorial for Irish guitar, which I own and really enjoy. There's a lot to learn about the style. He talks about rhythm guitar only, but it's cool none the less.
Boy, I needa make sure I see the Chieftens sometime soon...
What's the name of that DVD? I want a copy!!!
On the subject of musicians have a look for Phil Beer/ Steve Knightley (Show of Hands) - an outstanding pair of musicians who seems to be able to turn their hand to anything with strings!! They have written extensively and their writing skills are awe inspiring
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
Ah Welshman,
I've always loved folk music. In fact its been a toss up as to which way may guitar playing leans sometimes. I love rock, country, 60's 70's pop too.
I was lucky enough to see the Chieftans way back in the mid 70's at Oxford. What a night, they had most of the audience dancing jigs in the seat isles. I've liked Irish music ever since.
I always remember them introducing their new bodhran player that night. They said he was a youngster at the time. The Chieftans themselves looked middle aged then. amazingly they don't seem to have grown older. Paddy especially has the same energy when performing. But that bodran player now looks the same age as them.
At the time I was well into The Spinners, still love their sound too but they have retired. Although Hughie Jones and Mick Groves still perform as solo artists. Here's a link to The Spinners if you are interested:
http://uk.geocities.com/davenhel_uk/spinners.html
There are further links there to Mick Groves page and Hughie Jones page. There are details on Micks page of a CD he's done of Ewan McColl songs. Ewan McColl! now there is a folk singer/songwriter and a half!!! but that's another story.
All the best,
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Thanks for that David .. now I really feel old! I was raised on the Spinners and to her that Cliff Hall is now 80+ is also inconceivable. I know a lot of folky purists scrned them but they managed to draw many a new fan (including myself) to folk music. Indeed I still proudly admit to singing and playing Ellen Vannin!!
You are right about Ewan - he was a grand singer with a voice to make your toenails curl. But for me the voice of that era has to belong to Bob Davenport. I remember once being asked to interview him at his hotel and he tried to sing a few bars into my portable cassette recorder. I ended up having to stand in the corridor as the VU metre kept going off the scale. I doubt many of the modern era singers like Gareth Gates could achieve the same.
I shouldn't knock them as I am reminded of my old bodhran teacher telling me there is no such thing as bad music. Having said that I don't think he had ever heard of Steps!!!!
Derek
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
Glad you liked the links Welshman,
I know what you mean about the Spinners, I was often laughed for being a fan but as you said they were part of the times that brought folk to the masses and you can't be too radical doing that.
Er! by the way I'm Chris (dogsbody). I can see the confusion as "David" is the one who runs the Spinners web page( I don't know the guy)
Here one of my favourite Ewan McColl songs that was done brilliantly by The Spinners. I haven't tried it out yet with these chords hope its ok.
It's really hard to find decent tabs and chords for folks songs on the net and this is the only version I've found so far.
Shoals Of Herring
2nd fret in G
With our nets and gear we're faring,
On the wild and wasteful ocean;
It's there that we hunt and we earn our bread,
As we hunted for the shoals of herring.
[G] O it was a fine and a pleasant day,
Out of Yarmouth harbour I was [D] faring,
As a [G] cabin boy on a [Fm#] sailing [E] lugger,
For to [G] go and hunt the [C] shoals of [D] herring. [G]
O, the work was hard and the hours long,
And the treatment, sure it took some bearing;
There was little kindness and the kicks were many,
As we hunted for the shoals of herring.
O, we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank,
I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing;
And I used to sleep standing on my feet,
And I'd dream about the shoals of herring.
O, we left the homegrounds in the month of June,
And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing;
With a hundred cran of silver darlings,
That we'd taken from the shoals of herring.
Now, you're up on deck, you're a fisherman,
You can swear and show a manly bearing;
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows,
While you're searching for the shoals of herring.
In the stormy seas and the living gales,
Just to earn your daily bread you're daring;
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands,
As you're following the shoals of herring.
O, I earned my keep and I paid my way,
And I earned the gear that I was wearing;
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes,
We were sailing after shoals of herring.
If I get time tonight I'll post "Dirty Old Town"
All the best,
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Count me in for the Spinners fan club, Chris - saw them several times in Liverpool in the 70's, and still have a couple of old VHS tapes of their concerts - I'll have to see if I can copy them to DVD one of these days....
As for the Cheiftains, I once took my Grandmother to see them....she was Irish, which is where I got the taste for traditional Irish music from....her particular favourites were the Clancy Brothers and a guy called Tommy Makem (I think!) Can you imagine taking your gran to watch a concert!!!
Step-son's calling this afternoon, we're babysitting for Patrick again....he's Irish (from County Mayo) so I'll ask him for some recommendations - step-son that is, not the 3yo grandson.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Did any of ye look at christy moore go here http://www.christymoore.com/ and look at lyrics some cool songs and chords there
Well as promised here is "Dirty Old Town"
Another Ewan McColl song also done by The Spinners and a miriad of other folk artists.
So this is for Welshman, Vic Lewis, frank2121 and all the folks on this thread.
(Capo 2nd Fret)
Intro: [D]
Verse 1:
I met my love by the gasworks wall, [D7]
Dreamed a [G] dream by the old [D] canal;
I [G] kissed [G] my [D] girl by the factory wall,
Dirty old town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Verse 2:
Clouds are [D] drifting across the moon, [D7]
Cats are [G] prow- ling on their [D] beat;
[G] Spring's [G] a [D] girl from the streets at night,
Dirty old town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Verse 3:
I heard a [D] siren from the docks, [D7]
Saw a [G] train set the night on [D] fire;
[G] Smelled [G] the [D] spring on the smoky wind,
Dirty old town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Interlude: (normal chord progression)
Verse 4:
I'm gonna [D] make me a big strong ax, [D7]
Of shining [G] steel tempered in the [D] fire;
I'll [G] chop [G] you [D] down like an old dead tree,
Dirty old town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Verse 5:
I met my [D] love by the gasworks wall, [D7]
Dreamed a [G] dream by the old [D] canal;
I [G] kissed [G] my [D] girl by the factory wall,
Dirty old town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Dirty old town, it's a dirty old [Bm] town. (slowly)
Outro: [A] [D] (with a lead part)
And heres a youtube link to the great Christy Moore and a couple of well known friends !!! doing a shortened version so you can all get the idea of the strum pattern:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byhkFe6AcNs
ps. I don't know what lyrics Shane McGowan is singing at the start might be gaelic I'm not sure. Hope poor chap has a good dentist now, but, boy can he phrase those lyrics well.
Have fun
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
My apologies to all,
Tried out the version of "Dirty Old Town" I posted while jamming with Rodders yesterday. It was ok but is probably not the most authentic version and both of us were not sure if the capo setting is right. Maybe we just couldn't get the feel of the song. Rod did pick out the tune really well though. I was sure I'd used a different set of chords on the song in the past and had no trouble then. Just shows that I shouldn't rush to post without having a strum of the item in question first.
Anyway while searching for a better version I stumbled across across another great web site for Irish songs. This one has not only guitar chords for a whole raft of Irish folk but also quite a few of them have youtube links already attached to give a really good idea of how the song goes. Dirty Old Town is on there too with different chords.
Here it is :
I[C] met my love by the gas works wall,
Dreamed a[F] dream by the[G] old ca[C]nal,
Kissed my[Am] girl by the factry[C] wall,
Dirty old[Am] town,[G]dirty old[Am] town
And heres the link to the site:
http://unitedireland.tripod.com/
Hope I have gone some way to redeem myself.
Chris :oops: :oops: :oops:
ps The link is in my favourites now :wink: :wink:
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Here's another link with some Folk/Bluegrass http://www.jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm
Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
ChuckNorrisFactsdotCom
Thanks for all these posts guys - especially the last one as I am always on the lookout for good mandolin tabs! I love the guitar and most times I am glued to it, but it is sometimes really nice to have a break and play my mando. :-)
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
Ooopss, didn't mean to double post this dogsbody, didn't see your post for some reason.
Here's one more...DIRTY OLD TOWN
G
Met my love, by the gas yard wall
C G
Dreamed a dream, by the old canal
G
Kissed my girl, by the factory wall
D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town
G
Heard a siren from the dock
C G
saw a train cut the night on fire
G
I smelled the breeze on the smokey wind
D Em
dirty old town, dirty old town
G
Clouds are drifting on the street
C
Cats are prowling on their beats
G
Springs a girl on the streets at night
D Em
dirty old town, dirty old town
G
I'm going to make a big sharp ax
C
Shining steel tempered in the fire
G
I'll cut you down like an old dead tree
D Em
dirty old town, dirty old town
G
I met my love, by the gas yard wall
C
Dreamed a dream, by the old canal
G
I kissed my girl, by the factory wall
D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town
You can watch The Dubliners play this great song on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvwlg5gYc_A
For more folk, including some great American folk music, check out Roger McGuinn's Folk Den. Yes, THAT Roger McGuinn of Byrds fame. Excellent site with many tabs for some great music.
http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/folkden-wp/?p=6935
Have fun!!!
And here's another great site!!!
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/irish-folk-music/irish%20songs/irish-songs.htm
