Steve Reardon sent me a video of him covering Rambles of Spring and I just had to post it here!

You can find his blog at frailingbanjo.blogspot.com

Steve, since you live in Illinois, we HAVE to get together soon!

I said I would put up some lessons last week, but a Skype lesson turned into a week of jamming with a new student. It was fun to see the light bulbs turn on over someone’s head. Every time I thought I was ready to record a video, I would think of something else to help him out and off I would go on another 2 hours of playing songs.

I had some requests and most of them for Carrickfergus since I put up the video of me performing it at the Henry Reed Memorial Fiddler’s Convention.

So here it is and I just had to play it on the banjola since Fred got me hooked on playing it again!

Carrickfergus MP3

Carrickfergus (PDF)

CARRICKFERGUS

[G]I wish I [Am]was[D7] in Carrick[G]fergus,

[Em]Only for [Am]night[D7]s in Bally[G]gran,

I would swim [Am]ov[D7]er the deepest [G]ocean,

[Em]The deepest [Am]oce[D7]an for my love to [G]find,

But the [D7]sea is [G]wide[Em] and I cannot swim [D7]over,

[G]Nor have [Em]I the [Am]wings to [D7]fly,

If [G]I could [Am]me[D7]et a handsome [G]boatsman[Em],

To ferry me [Am]ov[D7]er to my love and [G]I.

Now in Kilkenny, it is reported,
On marble stones there as black as ink,
With gold and silver I would support her,
But I’ll sing no more now ’till I get a drink.
I’m drunk today and I’m seldom sober,
A handsome rover from town to town,
Ah but I’m sick now and my days are numbered, X 2
Come all ye young men and lay me down.

I got a couple of great email messages today and both concerned the sound of the banjo in playing ballads. The answer is not a simple one. It really depends on the sound that you are looking for in the song.

Sometimes you want to give the song some drive, even if you are not playing any melody with it. Sometimes you just want to put a little something into the songs without taking away from the music.

On many ballads, I really like a light touch. In this video you can watch Tommy Makem using the up-picking method or “Seeger Strum” to accompany him on Winds of Morning. The way he had arranged this song, the voice is the main melody instrument and the banjo is giving a light accompaniment.

On this song, Tommy is once again using the up-picking strum. This time, see how he uses the strum to give the song a great drive or galloping rhythm. He also using a down-strum to emphasise certain portions of the song to give a little kick to song.

Now, here is the great Grandpa Jones with the happiest of all songs about illegal booze: Mountain Dew.
Like the last song, the banjo is used to bring emphasis to the melody of the voice.

Here are two National Treasures, Stringbean and Grandpa Jones on Little Liza Jane. Notice that while they are singing, the banjos are keeping rhythm and then when Grandpa jumps to the melody, he uses the brush strokes to keep the rhythm going.

Lastly, here is Leroy Troy with his band, The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. You can see that when surrounded by other musicians, it sometimes a great idea to just accompany the rhythm and then break in when it’s “your turn.” The banjo is there and you can hear it, but with guitar, bass and fiddle you can hang back a little and enjoy the making of music.

Try all of these techniques, even when you are accompanying yourself. Let your voice be the melody instrument for a while and enjoy yourself, then when the song needs it emphasise the rhythm and/or melody and have fun!

Kelly Griner

Since I’ve gotten some requests, I have made some of my Frailing Banjo Lessons available on DVD. The DVD is playable on most commercial DVD players and all laptop and desktop computers.

Every month, I will be making the DVD’s available for sale here at BanjoMania. I am hoping that this will be another great way to help people all over the world, learn and enjoy Failing Banjo

Just put the DVD into your DVD player and watch the frailing banjo lessons on your TV. The video and sound quality is excellent and you can see up close what the left hand is doing.

The first video covers the songs:

The Holy Ground

When The Saints Go Marching In

Will Ye Go, Lassie, GO?

Gone

Peggy Gordon

Well May The World Go

Botany Bay

Katy Daley

You can purchase the first DVD here or find it on the Products Page

The second DVD is available now as well. It includes the songs:

One For The Morning Glory

Long Black Veil

Fiddler’s Green

John Henry

Farewell To Carlingford

Do Lord

Kelly, The Boy From Killarne

South Australia

Mountain Dew

You can purchase the second DVD here or find it on the Products Page

I was asked to backtrack a little bit and show a frailing banjo lesson on Mountain Dew. I usually only like to re-post songs that I recorded before I got the sound and HiDef correct, but you do what ya gotta do.

I hope you enjoy it and remember that there are hundreds of songs that use these same notes in a slightly different order. That’s like getting a hundred songs for one.

Mountain Dew MP3

Mountain Dew(PDF)

Mountain Dew

[G]Down the road from me is an old hollow tree

Where you [C]stand for a dollar or [G]two

The buzzards in the sky get so [C]drunk they can’t [G]fly

Just from sniffin’ [D7]Good Ol’ Mountain [G]Dew

Chorus:

They call it that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew,
And them that refuse it are few.
I’ll hush up my mug, if you fill up my jug,
With that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew.

My Uncle Mort, he’s sawed off and short,
He stands about four foot two,
But he feels like a giant when he gets him a pint,
Of that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew.

I know a guy named Pete, his hair ain’t so neat,
Though he fixes it with syrup and blue,
But it stays right in place, when he uses just a trace,
Of that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew.

Old Auntie June had some brand new perfume,
And it had such a sweet smellin’ pew,
But to her surprise, when she had it analyzed,
It was nothin’ but that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew.

The preacher walked by, with a tear in his eye,
Said that his wife had the flu.
She’ll be all right, if you give her a pint,
Of that Good Ol’ Mountain Dew.

This time around the Irish Pub Song Of The Day is a frailing banjo lesson on South Australia. I decided to cut out the quick A chord to the Bm even though it is correct, it was giving new players a hard time. Cutting it out is in effect, a lesson in itself. Sometimes you can substitute chords or leave them out, use your ear and see what you can do.

Play along and see what you can do!

South Australia MP3

South Australia (PDF)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In [D]South Australia [G]I was [D]born, [G]heave away, [D]haul away

In South Australia [A]round Cape [D]Horn, bound for South [A]Australia[D]

Haul away you [G]rolling [D]kings, [G]heave away, [D]haul away

Haul away, oh hear me [Bm]sing, we’re [D]bound for South [A]Australia[D]

As I walked out one morning fair, heave away, haul away
Twas there I met Miss Nancy Blair, bound for South Australia

I shook her up, I shook her down, heave away, haul away
I shook her all around the town, bound for South Australia

There ain’t but one thing grieves me mind, heave away, haul away
To leave Miss Nancy Blair behind, bound for South Australia

As we wallop around Cape Horn, heave away, haul away
You’ll with to God, you’d never been born, bound for South Australia

It’s time for some more playing in the key of D! I love this song and it is great on the banjo! Remember that frailing in the key of D is not as hard as it sounds. It’s fun and a great way to accompany yourself without putting on a capo and you can move the same progression up the next to play in different keys.

The Irish Pub Song Of The Day for Memorial Day, 2011 is Kelly, The Boy From Killane! Have fun and play along!!!

Kelly, The Boy From Killane MP3

Kelly, The Boy From Killane (PDF)

Kelly, The Boy From Killane

What’s the [D]news what’s the [G]news Oh me [D]bold Shelma[Bm]lier

With your [D]long barrelled [A]gun from the [D]sea

Say what wind from the [G]south brings his [D]messenger [Bm]here

With a [D]hymn of the [A]dawn for the [D]free

”Goodly [G]news ”goodly news do I [D]bring youth of forth

Goodly news shall you [G]hear bargy [A]man

For the [D]boys march at [G]morn from the [D]south to the [Bm]north

Led by [A]Kelly the boy from [D]Killane

Tell me who is that giant with the gold curly hair he who rides at the head of the band
Seven feet is his height with some inches to spare and he looks like a king in command
”Ah me boys that’s the pride of the bold Shelmaliers
Among our greatest of heroes a man
Fling your beavers aloft and give three ringing cheers
For John Kelly the boy from Killane

Enniscorthy’s in flames and old wexford is won and the Barrow tomorrow we will cross
On a hill ore that town we have planted a gun that will batter the gateway at Ross
All the forth men and bargy men march o’er the heath
With brave Harvey to lead on the van
But the foremost of all in that grim gap of death will be Kelly the boy from Killane

But the gold sun of freedom grew darkened at Ross
And is set by the Slaney’s red waves
And poor Wexford stripped naked hung high on a cross
And her heart pierced by traitors and slaves
‘Glory Oh ‘Glory Oh to her brave sons who died for the cause of long downtrodden land
Glory oh to mount Leinster’s own darling and pride dauntless Kelly the boy from Killane

The Folk Song Of The Week this time around is Do Lord. You can have fun with this song on clawhammer and frailing banjo.

Have fun and don’t forget the E minor chord!

Do Lord MP3

Do Lord (PDF)

Do Lord

[G]I’ve got a home in Glory Land

That outshines the sun

[C]I’ve got a home in Glory Land

That outshines the [G]sun

I’ve got a home in Glory Land

That outshines the [Em]sun

[G]Way be[D7]yond the [G]blue

Chorus

[G]Do Lord, O do Lord

O do remember me (remember)

[C]Do Lord, O do Lord

Oh do remember [Em]me

[G]Way be[D7]yond the [G]blue

I took Jesus as my Saviour
You take Him too
I took Jesus as my Saviour
You take Him too
I took Jesus as my Saviour
You take Him too
Way beyond the blue

This is a fantastic song and playing along on frailing or clawhammer banjo is just a great way to perform it!

Farewell To Carlingford is the Irish Pub Song Of The Day and I hope you take the time to play along with it.

Farewell To Carlingford MP3

Farewell To Carlingford (PDF)

Farewell To Carlingford

[G]When I was [C]young and [G]in my [Em]prime

And could [C]wander wild and [D7]free

There was [G]always a [D7]longing [G]in my [Em]mind

To [C]follow the call of the [D7]sea

(Chorus)

So I’ll [G]sing [C]farewell to [G]Carling[Em]ford

And [C]farewell to Green[D7]ore

[G]And I’ll [D7]think of you both [G]day and [Em]night

Until [C]I return once [D7]more, until [C]I return once [D7]more

On all the stormy seven seas
I have sailed before the mast
And every voyage I ever made
I swore it would be my last

And I had a girl called Mary Doyle
And she lived in Greenore
And the foremost thought in her mind
Was to keep me safe onshore

A landman’s life is all his own
He can go or he can stay
But when the sea gets in your blood
When she calls you must obey

I used the weekend to do some much needed work around the house and ended up spraining my finger. The bad news is that I won’t be putting up any videos for a little while and the good news is that I can offer you 15% Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol1.

It’s hard not playing my banjo and fretting anything for more than a minute with my right hand is a little painful right now. I am hoping that if I don’t use it for a while, it will heal up quickly.

To get the 15% discount, go to my page at Lulu.com at this link and then put in the coupon code MAYSAVE305 when you check out for an instant 15% discount.

I hope to be back soon.

Kelly