Hello Jobe and welcome to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer! Thank you for your kind comments; I'm very glad you enjoyed the tune enough to learn this arrangement. Regarding the 6 1/2 fret: this fret was added later in the development of the dulcimer after the other frets had already been numbered; it's just the next fret after the 6th fret, so no bending required. Not all dulcimers have this 6 1/2 fret, however (though most modern ones do). To see whether your dulcimer does, take a look at your fret board and see if you have 4 frets evenly spaced beginning with the 5th fret. If you have this fret arrangement, you've got a 6 1/2 fret on your instrument. If you do not, your instrument does not have the 6 1/2 fret.
I hope that is helpful and not confusing. Thank you again for your comments, best of luck in your recitals, and once again, welcome to the friendliest dulcimer site on the internet. :)
Hi all! Thank you very much for your comments. Vivian, you're very welcome. I hope you find it helpful. Nila, I'm glad you enjoyed the tune. Barbara - no pizza required. :)
Brian, Thank you so much for writing the TAB, that was so kind and thoughtful. I am going to try at today and see how I do. I will watch the video as well to see how you are adding grace notes. So far that part is escaping me! Thanks again!
And thank you John for the suggestion as well. I had some success with that as well!
Barbara and Wayne -you're way too kind. There are plenty of very helpful and friendly people here (including yourselves). Thank you, though. I appreciate it very much.
I wanted to mention that in the 13th measure (3rd line, 3rd measure) there is notation under the tab staff that looks like a triplet. It's not- the notation in the middle is a "p" meant to denote a pulloff. Legible penmanship is not my fort. :)
I also wanted to mention that I wasn't looking at this video when I wrote the tab, and I see that the little grace notes I throw in are not identical. For the most part, this means I'm playing notes that are not in the tab (such as in the 8th measure, where there are none indicated in the tab, though I am playing the open bass and middle strings after the 005), but in at least one case, there are extra grace notes in the tab (such as the 4th measure, where I only played the 001 grace notes once, instead of the two times written in the tab).
It doesn't matter much; grace notes aren't essential anyway (though I do love the fill they provide). Please play it however you'd like to, and don't forget to have fun! :)
John, you're absolutely right - one of the best things about this site is the friendliness and helpfulness of its members. So...in that spirit, I sat down this morning and tabbed out Scarborough Fair for Vivian and for anyone else who might like to play it the way I have. I tried to use color to distinguish the main melody and chords from the accent notes I like to throw in there, but I see it's not very easy to distinguish between black and blue in this image. If it helps, I also tried to make the size of the fret numbers for the grace notes a little smaller, and they are not associated with note values below the tab staff (which is probably the most useful way to distinguish between them and the main melody notes). I hope this will be useful to someone. :)
Hello Vivian, yes, Brian does play it well (don't tell him I said that!) Folk play this in various tunings, but like him, I play it in DAc, (only with a noter ? ) Why don't you noodle around on the melody string only, just find the 'tune', I am sure that before long you will be adding stuff that just 'falls ' under your fingers. In DAc it starts on the first fret, for the "Are you" and moves to the fifth fret for "going" ie, 1,1, 5,5,5. then 2,3,2,3 Sing along with it , it helps a lot to start with !
Hopefully this is of some help, but I am sure that others will offer you more, that is what this site is all about !
Hi Vivian and John, thanks for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. John, I checked out your version and as I wrote over there, I thought it was excellent! Vivian, yes - that's me in the video. :) The version I am playing here is a slightly modified version of an arrangement that is copyrighted by Lori Keddell. If I ever do write down an arrangement of this, I will send it to you, but unfortunately, I do not have anything I could give you right now. Sorry about that.
Hi! I just love seeing all the video's that people post, this song is so pretty, and one of my all time favorites, and you (Brian?) play it so well. Thanks for sharing. I am still trying to get a feel for the styles of playing this instrument, and it is so helpful to be able to watch how people play. I am wondering, does anyone have TABS for this song? As a very very new player I am looking for a song that will really inspire me to practice practice practice. Thanks!
Carrie, Geekling - thank you very much for your generous comments. I appreciate you taking the time to listen and respond. Geekling - I'm also a huge S & G fan, and would very much like to hear your version of Scarborough Fair. And I also think you should make a video. :) No need to be nervous - FOTMD is a very friendly group, as you know.
Hello again! Just wanted to say thank you all for your kind words. I really do appreciate them. Janene - I want to hear your version when you are finished with it, please. Patty - I am glad your daughter enjoyed it, and if there is video or audio of her playing it on piano, I'd like to hear it also. Rocky - I knew what you meant. ;) And Judy - Thanks!
Brian, beautiful!!! My daughter was listening to this since I had my speakers on and not the headphones. She liked it very much. She wants you to know that this is one of her favorite songs she plays on piano.
Brian, love this. I'm working on a singing version using just a couple of the verses, but it's not my arrangement and is NOTHING like this. It's based on an arrangment by Helen Johnson. Have a free day today so trying to put up some songs...and thenmove onto new things. Enjoyed this!
Barbara - no problem at all. Larkin's book was the first (or possibly the second) dulcimer book I owned. Because I have friends who own a folk music shop, I've seen many many dulcimer books, even though I don't own too many, and I think Larkin's is among the best I've seen for actually teaching someone how to play.
Karen - thank you. I'd really like to hear/see your version of this also. <hint, hint> :)
Hello Jobe and welcome to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer! Thank you for your kind comments; I'm very glad you enjoyed the tune enough to learn this arrangement. Regarding the 6 1/2 fret: this fret was added later in the development of the dulcimer after the other frets had already been numbered; it's just the next fret after the 6th fret, so no bending required. Not all dulcimers have this 6 1/2 fret, however (though most modern ones do). To see whether your dulcimer does, take a look at your fret board and see if you have 4 frets evenly spaced beginning with the 5th fret. If you have this fret arrangement, you've got a 6 1/2 fret on your instrument. If you do not, your instrument does not have the 6 1/2 fret.
I hope that is helpful and not confusing. Thank you again for your comments, best of luck in your recitals, and once again, welcome to the friendliest dulcimer site on the internet. :)
Thank you John B! :)
Hi all! Thank you very much for your comments. Vivian, you're very welcome. I hope you find it helpful. Nila, I'm glad you enjoyed the tune. Barbara - no pizza required. :)
Brian, Thank you so much for writing the TAB, that was so kind and thoughtful. I am going to try at today and see how I do. I will watch the video as well to see how you are adding grace notes. So far that part is escaping me! Thanks again!
And thank you John for the suggestion as well. I had some success with that as well!
No rebuttal here, Wayne. Does Barbara know she owes Brian a pizza now?
Barbara and Wayne -you're way too kind. There are plenty of very helpful and friendly people here (including yourselves). Thank you, though. I appreciate it very much.
I wanted to mention that in the 13th measure (3rd line, 3rd measure) there is notation under the tab staff that looks like a triplet. It's not- the notation in the middle is a "p" meant to denote a pulloff. Legible penmanship is not my fort. :)
I also wanted to mention that I wasn't looking at this video when I wrote the tab, and I see that the little grace notes I throw in are not identical. For the most part, this means I'm playing notes that are not in the tab (such as in the 8th measure, where there are none indicated in the tab, though I am playing the open bass and middle strings after the 005), but in at least one case, there are extra grace notes in the tab (such as the 4th measure, where I only played the 001 grace notes once, instead of the two times written in the tab).
It doesn't matter much; grace notes aren't essential anyway (though I do love the fill they provide). Please play it however you'd like to, and don't forget to have fun! :)
~Brian
John, you're absolutely right - one of the best things about this site is the friendliness and helpfulness of its members. So...in that spirit, I sat down this morning and tabbed out Scarborough Fair for Vivian and for anyone else who might like to play it the way I have. I tried to use color to distinguish the main melody and chords from the accent notes I like to throw in there, but I see it's not very easy to distinguish between black and blue in this image. If it helps, I also tried to make the size of the fret numbers for the grace notes a little smaller, and they are not associated with note values below the tab staff (which is probably the most useful way to distinguish between them and the main melody notes). I hope this will be useful to someone. :)
Kind regards,
Brian
Hello Vivian, yes, Brian does play it well (don't tell him I said that!) Folk play this in various tunings, but like him, I play it in DAc, (only with a noter ? ) Why don't you noodle around on the melody string only, just find the 'tune', I am sure that before long you will be adding stuff that just 'falls ' under your fingers. In DAc it starts on the first fret, for the "Are you" and moves to the fifth fret for "going" ie, 1,1, 5,5,5. then 2,3,2,3 Sing along with it , it helps a lot to start with !
Hopefully this is of some help, but I am sure that others will offer you more, that is what this site is all about !
best wishes
JohnH
Hi Vivian and John, thanks for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. John, I checked out your version and as I wrote over there, I thought it was excellent! Vivian, yes - that's me in the video. :) The version I am playing here is a slightly modified version of an arrangement that is copyrighted by Lori Keddell. If I ever do write down an arrangement of this, I will send it to you, but unfortunately, I do not have anything I could give you right now. Sorry about that.
Hi! I just love seeing all the video's that people post, this song is so pretty, and one of my all time favorites, and you (Brian?) play it so well. Thanks for sharing. I am still trying to get a feel for the styles of playing this instrument, and it is so helpful to be able to watch how people play. I am wondering, does anyone have TABS for this song? As a very very new player I am looking for a song that will really inspire me to practice practice practice. Thanks!
Thanks Brian, always been a favourite of mine, I've known it a long,long, time!
Just resurrected a version of it I did noter/drone some months ago, and put it 'Play the tune' should you be interested ?
John
Geek - I understand, and I won't keep bugging you about it. I do look forward to seeing/hearing the video you describe below. :)
Carrie, Geekling - thank you very much for your generous comments. I appreciate you taking the time to listen and respond. Geekling - I'm also a huge S & G fan, and would very much like to hear your version of Scarborough Fair. And I also think you should make a video. :) No need to be nervous - FOTMD is a very friendly group, as you know.
Thanks again!
Hello again! Just wanted to say thank you all for your kind words. I really do appreciate them. Janene - I want to hear your version when you are finished with it, please. Patty - I am glad your daughter enjoyed it, and if there is video or audio of her playing it on piano, I'd like to hear it also. Rocky - I knew what you meant. ;) And Judy - Thanks!
Brian, beautiful!!! My daughter was listening to this since I had my speakers on and not the headphones. She liked it very much. She wants you to know that this is one of her favorite songs she plays on piano.
Brian, love this. I'm working on a singing version using just a couple of the verses, but it's not my arrangement and is NOTHING like this. It's based on an arrangment by Helen Johnson. Have a free day today so trying to put up some songs...and thenmove onto new things. Enjoyed this!
Kimberly - I will try to do it sooner rather than later. :)
Barbara - no problem at all. Larkin's book was the first (or possibly the second) dulcimer book I owned. Because I have friends who own a folk music shop, I've seen many many dulcimer books, even though I don't own too many, and I think Larkin's is among the best I've seen for actually teaching someone how to play.
Karen - thank you. I'd really like to hear/see your version of this also. <hint, hint> :)
I have been working on this tune too. Great job.
Another well done piece, Brian. Thanks for sharing.