Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

They just keep coming. Another one from Carl.
Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

Johnny Merde

Carl's got the digital recorder at the moment and he sent in some audio with the slightly misleading title of Johnny Merde. I was expecting something a bit scatological but instead got this guitar sketch which is slightly more sensitive and introspective than the title suggests.

Cigar Box Uke Part 2

The neck is now on, but I did make a bit of a balls of it and the last fret has about 10 screw holes in it. Nothing a bit of wood filler won't cure.

I didn't quite get my measurements right for the placing of the neck too, so it's reassuringly off centre.

Cutting the sound hole was also a bit of a trauma, hence the attractive oval shape.

I did manage to glue the old bridge on though without too much trouble.

Next step is too see if I can get any sound out of it!
Gonna pick up a set of strings on Monday.

Oooh, nearly forgot - spoke to the mighty Stan Gee yesterday, and I'm also going to pick up my new Windsor Popular no2 as well. Can't wait.

Cigar Box Ukulele

After looking at folk and homemade instruments lately I thought I'd have a go at making a cigar box uke. I've cheated slightly, as I have a knackered soprano uke that I got from a charity shop for £10, and I'm going to use the neck for my new instrument. Otherwise I've no previous knowledge of making a musical instrument. I did get the inspiration from the GUGUG guy on You Tube.

First of all I had to get a cigar box. This is a plywood one, as it's all I had. It was lined so I stripped it out as the felt would dampen the sound - if I get any!

Then detach the neck from the original uke. Not that easy without damaging it, but with a bit of careful picking and hacking away it came!

Next I marked up the location for the neck and sound hole using the top of the old uke as a template. I think I'll make the sound hole larger eventually, but first things first.

I also kept the bridge from the old uke, but I'll need to get some new machine heads as the old ones wouldn't stay in tune and it was a pig to get in tune to start with. Next I need to attach the neck and cut the sound hole - I'll keep you posted.

The Great North Strum

Well done Mark!

Had look at the highlights on the BBC I player check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mydtn/Athletics_2009_Great_North_Run_Highlights/
you're 24 mins 42 secs - classic!

Cautious Man

Always liked this Springsteen song, Cautious Man, and recently found the chords for it on Ukulele Tabs.com It's a bit cheesey and downbeat, but hey we all feel like that sometimes.
Cautious Man

banjo-ology

I'm fascinated by the infinite variety of stringed instruments, and recent discussions on Strikes a Chord have got me thinking about the origins and variations on the banjo.
Japan's Shamisen a three stinged affair.


West African Akonting

John Henry

Trying out a new tune - John Henry which is a really famous American railroad ballad.
It's a very simple song, just G/D7 but sounds very driven.

Diddley Bow - tastic

Not only have I got to get me one of these, but I also think every band should have Edward scissorhands on snare. Wild.

Diddley Bow!

Been some talk on Tangier Sound about the Diddley Bow... never heard of it? me neither. We here's Seasick Steve givin it some.

Cowboy Waltz Tutorial

I Ride an Old Paint - Woody Guthrie

Cowboy Waltz

Mark over at the Great North Strum has recorded a banjo version of Cowboy Waltz by my brother Carl.

Summerhouse Blues

I know you shouldn't polish a turd but this little ditty that Bruce and I came up with while he was oop north has got me hooked. So here's a final revised version.

Summerhouse Blues.

Irish Washerwoman and Cowboy Waltz

Last few bits of audio from the August Jam.

Irish Washerwoman (Sorry about the terrible timing on the snare at the beginning)


Cowboy Waltz

This sounds much better with just one banjo accompaniment.

Martin Stephenson - Ballad of the English Rose

To my shame I haven't heard anything from Martin Stephenson for a long while and this week I downloaded his latest album High 7 Moon 5. Here's a track from it.

Summerhouse Blues

Thought it could do with some words..

A/A7
Sittin' at the window singing this song, watching the sun going down.
D7
Sittin' at the window singing this song,
A/A7
thinking that the summers all gone.
E7
No point pretending
D7
Nothin to lose
A7/E7
I think I got the summerhouse blues

Verse 2
Baby's been crying, baby's been moaning, baby she wants new shoes,
Baby's been crying, baby's been moaning, baby she wants new shoes,
Ain't got a dollar,
Nothing to choose,
Baby's got the summerhouse blues.

etc, etc...

Summerhouse Blues - Andy Dalton, Bruce Fisher