01/28/11 10:37:18AM @dana-r-mccall:
Thank you sam for the sweet comment. I was singing way to high in dad I do better well i think i do anyways in aea tuning it suits my voice better. If anything can. But thanks.
01/28/11 03:35:01AM @sam:
Oh Dana ... this is soooo pretty.
07/31/10 10:30:14PM @dana-r-mccall:
Thanks Sue the singing is a little high for me at times tuned dad.
07/30/10 11:14:30PM @scotty-lee-shuffield:
Flint - I'm not really big on fingerpicking on dulcimers (although I do it a lot on guitar), but your video has caused me to reconsider and revisit. Thanks for such a simple yet eye opening video.Scooter
07/30/10 10:29:56PM @sue-simms:
Dana, This is Great and your singing too
07/25/10 10:02:47AM @flint-hill:
Robin, Dana, thanks. I feel like I ought to give a whole string of disclaimers when I post something like this. I literally don't know what my hands are doing when I play a song, which is kind of an odd state of affairs.The song is the thing, and the picking comes from trying to find a way to survive playing the the song with the melody and beat more or less intact.So the "arrangement" if you can call it that is just a product of trying to get through the song. Anything that sounds like an ornamentation or embellishment is just some little pattern of plucks stirred into the mix to try to get the melody to fit the rhythm. I try to play as simply as I can, subject to the constraint that people need to be able to recognize what song you're playing.I don't even know that the whole business of breaking this picking down into three different rolls (the basic 1-2-3 roll, the pinch-pick run, and the 1-2-and-3-and roll) and recombining them is a reasonable way of learning to do this. This picking style just sort of grew out of Travis picking without my being aware of what I was doing. The video is an attempt to break it down after the fact, and I hope that's a helpful direction to take.Good luck with the song!
07/24/10 11:36:05PM @dana-r-mccall:
Thanks so much. This is a lot of help being able to see it slowed down and close up. Can't wait to try it and see how I sound trying to do it.
07/24/10 10:42:38AM @robin-thompson:
Ken, that's a really fine finger picking demonstration of Four Marys. I appreciate your doing this!
Dana, here's a little video showing how I fingerpick this song. The video is kind of slow and ponderous, which unfortunately, is just how I talk. If I had had more time, I could have made it shorter. It's played noter-drone using Lisa Sullivan's tab, for which thanks, Lisa! And also thanks for encouraging me to post these fingerpicking videos. I included a link to Lisa's tab in the video.Played on a Ben Seymour Galax tuned dddd. It's in the key of G, which starts an Ionian scale on the third fret of the paired melody strings.
07/23/10 02:34:34PM @strumelia:
Wow I know that feeling!- I struggle a lot with trying to sing with the dulcimer- the key of D is pretty much impossible for me to sing in (I'm no Jean Ritchie for sure! LOL) so I usually have to retune to some much lower key or do something else creative to solve the problem.
Thanks Lisa I knew it was kind of off in that spot also. Thanks for pointing it out so I know what I'm doing wrong. I really didn't even know I was in 3/4 time I just play like I hear someone else play and try to duplicate. As for the voice that was pushing it It was really to high for me I have a low voice.But I love trying! Thanks for the compliment.
The only thing I can see you having trouble with is putting extra beats in here and there, and then that starts messing with your 3/4 timing, causing a gap. Then you get back on track with the next phrase, but the gap seems a bit awkward. For one example, when you sing the words "There was" it should be one beat, but you make it into two beats, which turns that measure into 4/4 instead of 3/4. If you look at my tab HERE , it shows how the 3/4 timing works at that spot.I saw at least one other place where you are putting in an extra beat as well. It's not exactly easy to learn fingerpicking! But working with learning fingerpicking and 3/4 timing at the same time can be a real challenge. I suspect since we so often play 4/4 time, it tries to sneak back in and take over when we are trying something new and not watching out for it. You are doing GREAT! (pretty voice, too)
07/23/10 01:01:39PM @dana-r-mccall:
Dave I posted before I saw your comment but I think I'm trying to say the same thing I just don't know what I'm talking about. LOL I don't know very little about reading music. Just enough to get by on how to work out the timing on a song. I'm going to try and do what you said about breaking it down and see if I can make it sound more right. Thanks for all your help and if you have anymore suggestions I'm open for them.
07/23/10 12:50:34PM @dana-r-mccall:
Dave I was watching this again and I think where I'm dupl the melody is on the notes that are held i keep repeating them maybe I need a different pick pattern or maybe strum the held notes so it doesn't sound so repetitive.
07/23/10 12:20:06PM @dana-r-mccall:
Ok Dave I knew something didn't sound right about it but how am I dupl the melody notes? I use kind of a consistent picking patern thumb melody middle finger bass and index finger drone. I don't pick the melody string twice. I wish someone that finger picked lived close by I need to look at someone doing it then maybe I would understand better what I need to do. Thanks for you comment.
07/23/10 12:12:05PM @dana-r-mccall:
Thanks Folkfan I'll be waiting.
07/23/10 11:37:52AM @folkfan:
Dana, I'll be happy to let you have the tab to Mary Hamilton when I finally finish getting her story together. I'm doing basically what I did for Leezie Lindsay in taking all the variations of the song that I can find and putting together a complete story with all of the elements. So many of the variations will skip parts of the song and sort of leave you hanging as to why something happened or how. The tune variations are also interesting. I'm sticking to the one I'm most familiar with, but that may be why you are also finding it difficult to put the music to the words.Some singers will use verse variations that don't fit the music and just sort of fudge over the differences. This is, of course, irritating to me as I need the melody.
07/22/10 11:38:58PM @dana-r-mccall:
I've not tried DAA tuning yet but have wanted to so I'm going to try your tab tomorrow Lisa. Also thanks I love the site to look up ballads in your blog. Good ref site.
07/22/10 11:25:22PM @dana-r-mccall:
That is some story! And I love to try your tab folkfan thanks. Hey Lisa thanks I'm going to look that up now.
Thank you sam for the sweet comment. I was singing way to high in dad I do better well i think i do anyways in aea tuning it suits my voice better. If anything can. But thanks.
Oh Dana ... this is soooo pretty.
Thanks Sue the singing is a little high for me at times tuned dad.
Flint - I'm not really big on fingerpicking on dulcimers (although I do it a lot on guitar), but your video has caused me to reconsider and revisit. Thanks for such a simple yet eye opening video.Scooter
Dana, This is Great and your singing too
Thanks Flint !! I'am practicing
Robin, Dana, thanks. I feel like I ought to give a whole string of disclaimers when I post something like this. I literally don't know what my hands are doing when I play a song, which is kind of an odd state of affairs.The song is the thing, and the picking comes from trying to find a way to survive playing the the song with the melody and beat more or less intact.So the "arrangement" if you can call it that is just a product of trying to get through the song. Anything that sounds like an ornamentation or embellishment is just some little pattern of plucks stirred into the mix to try to get the melody to fit the rhythm. I try to play as simply as I can, subject to the constraint that people need to be able to recognize what song you're playing.I don't even know that the whole business of breaking this picking down into three different rolls (the basic 1-2-3 roll, the pinch-pick run, and the 1-2-and-3-and roll) and recombining them is a reasonable way of learning to do this. This picking style just sort of grew out of Travis picking without my being aware of what I was doing. The video is an attempt to break it down after the fact, and I hope that's a helpful direction to take.Good luck with the song!
Thanks so much. This is a lot of help being able to see it slowed down and close up. Can't wait to try it and see how I sound trying to do it.
Ken, that's a really fine finger picking demonstration of Four Marys. I appreciate your doing this!
Dana, here's a little video showing how I fingerpick this song. The video is kind of slow and ponderous, which unfortunately, is just how I talk. If I had had more time, I could have made it shorter.
It's played noter-drone using Lisa Sullivan's tab, for which thanks, Lisa! And also thanks for encouraging me to post these fingerpicking videos. I included a link to Lisa's tab in the video.Played on a Ben Seymour Galax tuned dddd. It's in the key of G, which starts an Ionian scale on the third fret of the paired melody strings.
Wow I know that feeling!- I struggle a lot with trying to sing with the dulcimer- the key of D is pretty much impossible for me to sing in (I'm no Jean Ritchie for sure! LOL) so I usually have to retune to some much lower key or do something else creative to solve the problem.
Thanks Lisa I knew it was kind of off in that spot also. Thanks for pointing it out so I know what I'm doing wrong. I really didn't even know I was in 3/4 time I just play like I hear someone else play and try to duplicate. As for the voice that was pushing it It was really to high for me I have a low voice.But I love trying! Thanks for the compliment.
The only thing I can see you having trouble with is putting extra beats in here and there, and then that starts messing with your 3/4 timing, causing a gap. Then you get back on track with the next phrase, but the gap seems a bit awkward. For one example, when you sing the words "There was" it should be one beat, but you make it into two beats, which turns that measure into 4/4 instead of 3/4. If you look at my tab HERE , it shows how the 3/4 timing works at that spot.I saw at least one other place where you are putting in an extra beat as well. It's not exactly easy to learn fingerpicking! But working with learning fingerpicking and 3/4 timing at the same time can be a real challenge. I suspect since we so often play 4/4 time, it tries to sneak back in and take over when we are trying something new and not watching out for it. You are doing GREAT! (pretty voice, too)
Dave I posted before I saw your comment but I think I'm trying to say the same thing I just don't know what I'm talking about. LOL I don't know very little about reading music. Just enough to get by on how to work out the timing on a song. I'm going to try and do what you said about breaking it down and see if I can make it sound more right. Thanks for all your help and if you have anymore suggestions I'm open for them.
Dave I was watching this again and I think where I'm dupl the melody is on the notes that are held i keep repeating them maybe I need a different pick pattern or maybe strum the held notes so it doesn't sound so repetitive.
Ok Dave I knew something didn't sound right about it but how am I dupl the melody notes? I use kind of a consistent picking patern thumb melody middle finger bass and index finger drone. I don't pick the melody string twice. I wish someone that finger picked lived close by I need to look at someone doing it then maybe I would understand better what I need to do. Thanks for you comment.
Thanks Folkfan I'll be waiting.
Dana, I'll be happy to let you have the tab to Mary Hamilton when I finally finish getting her story together. I'm doing basically what I did for Leezie Lindsay in taking all the variations of the song that I can find and putting together a complete story with all of the elements. So many of the variations will skip parts of the song and sort of leave you hanging as to why something happened or how. The tune variations are also interesting. I'm sticking to the one I'm most familiar with, but that may be why you are also finding it difficult to put the music to the words.Some singers will use verse variations that don't fit the music and just sort of fudge over the differences. This is, of course, irritating to me as I need the melody.
I've not tried DAA tuning yet but have wanted to so I'm going to try your tab tomorrow Lisa. Also thanks I love the site to look up ballads in your blog. Good ref site.
That is some story! And I love to try your tab folkfan thanks. Hey Lisa thanks I'm going to look that up now.