Musical observations

[annathepiper]

I can sing Great Big Sea's "Clearest Indication" fairly comfortably in D. I like futzing with this song in general, and I've been anxious to learn it since I really love the guitar line; problem is, since the song is actually recorded in A, I have a hard time practicing along with it since I'm trying to train myself into figuring out where my hands and my voice should be working together to actually make the song. But now that I know I can sing it myself in D, maybe this'll help me figure it out on my own.

Also, I am not sure yet whether I want to play it with or without a capo. If I play with a capo on the 4th fret that takes me up to D, and also nicely high on the neck where I don't usually play; however, I've also worked out the without-a-capo chords. Perhaps as a mental exercise I should work out the 4th position chords and see if I can play those, since I haven't ever learned anything farther up the neck yet and that would be fun.

As a side note I shall also note the other GBS ditties that I can comfortably play and sing at the same time:

* "Old Black Rum" - if I sing it in D

* "Jack Hinks" - again if I sing it in D (are you all detecting a theme here?)

* "Trois Navires de Ble" - if I capo up to the 3rd fret, this gets into a comfier range for me, which takes it into B flat (yay! something that isn't D!)

* "Lukey" - I can do this in G, its native GBS key, barely; it's happier though if I kick it up into A

Other things on the queue to learn with the guitar and the singing and the music and stuff:

* Great Big Sea: "Goin' Up", "Something Beautiful", "Ordinary Day", "When I'm Up", "Boston and St. John's", "John Barbour", "Mari-Mac" (still looking for the perfect key for this), "Ferryland Sealer"

* Elvis: "Fame and Fortune" (song seems to be in B flat natively but I think my voice wants it in G; not sure yet), "Don't" (I MIGHT be able to do this in its native D, again not sure yet), "Follow That Dream", "Home is Where the Heart Is", "Gently", "Guitar Man" (in the strange alternate universe where Anna is actually a goddess guitar player ;) ), "Suspicious Minds"

* TOFOG/Russell: "Painted Veil" (I already know the chords, native key of C, I can probably sing this without capo), "Judas Cart" (though I'd prefer to do this one on the bouzouki because I know the fingerwork to play on that instrument and I don't know it on the guitar yet!), and I will damn well learn something off the new album yet but not sure what; perhaps "How Did We Get From Saying I Love You?" ^_^

* Heather Alexander: "Witch of the Westmereland" (yeah, I know this is actually a Stan Rogers ditty, but I really love Heather's version), "Tomorrow We Leave for Battle"

* Carbon Leaf: I want to learn SOMETHING of theirs but they're still new enough to me that I'm not sure what the heck of theirs I can comfortably sing in my range. What I'd REALLY love to do is learn the delicious mandolin parts all over Echo Echo and Indian Summer, but that's probably way beyond me. Sniffle.

Comments

[branwyn32.livejournal.com]

hi! it's branwyn (aka amanda) from the OKPK! I friended you, so I just wanted to let you know who I am...I know that I'm always baffled when mysterious LJers friend me. :p

Goin Up is nice and simple, it was the first GBS song I learned, and by far the one I play the best. One of the things I think is so interesting about their music is how simple the guitar chord structures are, but how challenging the rhythmic patterns are. Ferryland Sealer is another fave of mine to play...it's kind of deceptive, as the timing is alot easier than it sounds; so once you learn it, it's one of those fun songs that sounds impressive but is actually pretty simple to play. I like fooling folks into thinking I actually know what I'm doing... :p

[annathepiper]

Hey there and welcome aboard! I saw your post up on the OKPK on the blogs thread, indeed. :)

I can actually play both "Goin' Up" and "Ferryland Sealer"--if I just play them and don't try to sing along. The tough part for me on both of these songs is coordinating the singing with the chords. I always get thrown off in the middle of the bridge of "Ferryland Sealer", and the strum pattern on "Goin' Up" is odd enough to me that I haven't been able to figure out how to sync up my voice with it.

Yeah, I really groove on the interesting rhythmic patterns of the strumming, too! :)

[branwyn32.livejournal.com]

dude, i have the EXACT same issue on Ferryland Sealer! Don't believe a word I say. I just sound like I know what I'm talking about. I've been playing guitar for almost 10 years and I still screw up my F chords and can't fingerpick to save my life. I figure if I just act like I know what I'm doing, no one will notice... :p

[annathepiper]

Hey, if you've been at guitar for ten years, you've been doing it longer than I have. ;) I've only been at it for about four! Most of my musical background is in the flute. All these instruments that actually make more than one note at once AND let me sing as I play them are still very new and exciting to me in many ways. :)

I can't fingerpick on the guitar yet either, except for a particular little riff in a Meg Davis folk song I know and love. I want to pick it up, though. Especially since the guitar I have, a classical acoustic, is supposed to be good for that kind of thing.

[branwyn32.livejournal.com]

lol, I assure you, while I may have been playing for 10 years, it sounds more like 10 months.

Flute was actually the first instrument I ever touched...for about 2 weeks in fourth grade band. :) So I don't think it really counts. My background is really in singing. I got a bodhran recently and have managed decently with it, and I just got a cheap fiddle and a tin whistle. Still working on those... *squeak*

My first guitar was a classical acoustic! I was awful with that thing and switched to a steel string acoustic as soon as I could, so you're doing better than me in that department! I've heard classicals are supposed to be really good for working your hands, so that's definitely a good thing!

[annathepiper]

Ooh, fiddle and bodhran! I'd love to learn to play both of those, but the fiddle intimidates the hell out of me; I totally fear the lack of any visible frets. I've held a fiddle exactly once, and I'm sure it'd take me ages to get used to where to put my fingers. The one saving grace would be that since I've got some exposure to the mandolin, the tuning would be the same and I'd know the proper fingerings for various chords... assuming I could be assured of having my fingers in the right places. ;)

I am a sucker for percussion; I'd have taken drum in school band if my older brother hadn't already beaten me to it (he is in fact a professional drummer now). I've loved the bodhran ever since I heard one for the first time. But before I can tackle one of those, I want to make with the bouzouki love for a while.

I've played a steel string acoustic guitar a time or two, and was totally thrown off by the strings being so much closer together. Heh. I'd love to have one of those eventually, but it'll be some time before I can afford another instrument. And I actually rather like the guitar I have. It's a cheap student model and undersized, but for what it is, it's not half bad. It's older than I am, so it's had some time to mellow and get a bit of character to its sound. Plus I gave it strings that don't suck. :)