Topic: Ben Curry - You rascal you

[craigmulcahy]

Hello again all at weeniecampbell,

Recently i've been listening to a CD on the Document lable called 'Alabama: Black Country Dance Bands (1924-1949)', it's brilliant and if you've not heard it, hear it.

There is a Ben Curry version of the song 'you rascal you' that i'd really like to learn for my tenor banjo.

i'm still working on improving my ear and altho i'm getting much better, (learning the fiddle is helping a lot) still struggling, but hey it's all work in progress.

But if anyone has any ideas about the chords etc, anything to help me on my way i'd very much appreciate it.

Cheers,
Craig.
 

P.s. If anyone has any good advice about working out stuff like this i'm always open to peoples experience.

[samjessin]

Sounds like it's got a Coming Round the Mountain vibe to it.  It also sounds like he hits on the 4 minor.  What a great performer.  "With my banjo I'm gonna hit you."

[frankie]

It's a pretty common pop music pattern.  Pick the key that works best for your voice.  Each chord gets 4 beats except where a "/" is used - then the chords get 2 beats:

I V7 I/V7 I
I I V7 V7
I I7 IV iv
I V7 I/V7 I

in C, it'd be:

C G7 C/G7 C
C C G7 G7
C C7 F Fm
C G7 C/G7 C

[craigmulcahy]

wow, thanks so much Frankie,

Going to get working on this tonight, 

Any hints to help me working things like this out?

I don't want to have to ask every time I hear a song i want to learn, do you think it's just a matter of developing your ear as you play more, or do you listen for specific things?

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks again,

Craig.

[uncle bud]

Any hints to help me working things like this out?

I don't want to have to ask every time I hear a song i want to learn, do you think it's just a matter of developing your ear as you play more, or do you listen for specific things?

I'd say it's both. The more you play, the more you hear, the more you know what to listen for. You mention doing this song on tenor banjo. Just to clarify, is this more general question about figuring stuff out on guitar or on other instruments like tenor banjo?

Asking for help can't hurt either. Can't imagine anyone objecting, especially if you're working on your ear.

[craigmulcahy]

hey uncle bud,

Well, it was quite general really, i mentioned the banjo because i only recently got it and thought i'd be a good song to learn for the tenor,

However all the 'ear development stuff' is part of a general effort on my part to broaden my musical theory knowledge. For any instrument.

I only got a guitar last November and i have played and played everyday, and since also acquired my great grandads  fiddle and mandolin, which had been sitting around in an attic somewhere since he died, and it is really making all the pieces fit together, in terms of theory.

i've become a little obsessed, ha, in a good way and it really feels like stuff is really clicking and making sense, i'm just not quite there yet..... but it is very exciting,

Its like its not good enough for me to just learn old songs, i want to take it all apart like a puzzle, i think in the long run it'll make me a much much better player.

If that makes sense?

Cheers again everyone.

Craig.