Lau in November

Going to see these guys in November.

Song Fragment in Key of D

I've been messing about with a descending chord pattern in the open G for a couple of weeks and today it's morphed into something which starts to feel like its got a verse and a chorus.
The chords are verse G/D/Em/Bm x3 G/D/Em/G/G/A.
Chorus D/A/D/G/D/A/G/D/Em/G/D/Em/G/D/G.

Now all I need is some lyrical genius from the Great North Strum to come up with some words!

Spancil Hill

A bit more from Toplcliffe
Spancil Hill

Guitar and Capo

This is a bit of guitar in open g using the capo on the 2nd fret.

Crippled Creep

These are a couple of the odds and sods that have survived from the other night playing with Johnathan at the Toll Bar in Topcliffe. It's a bit of a pit of a place but its cheap and does have the advantage of having the Angel pub directly across the road!
Crippled Creep

Would the Real Robert Johnson Please Stand Up?

or a bit More Revisionist Music History...
I know the internet is full of rubbish and this might well be another bit, but I've just been reading Steady Rolling Man which looks at Robert Johnsons recordings and asks whether the bluesman we know may well be the product of archaic recording techniques. It's proposed that RJ was recorded at the wrong speed and pitch and there some examples of his recording slowed down and reduced in pitch. I've had a bash at lowering the pitch on these samples. I'm not completely convinced but I think there may be something in it. I always thought that the original Dock Boggs recordings have a similar feel.

Crossroad Blues original


Crossroad Blues pitch lowered 10%

Conclusive Evidence: Wilko Frailing?!?!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ferret642#p/u/8/Hyr__kGhUC0

Frail that Geetar, Geezer!

I know its not banjo, but just finished watching the Julian Temple film 'Oil City Confidential' about Dr Feelgood and I think that we should adopt Wilko Johnson as an honorary frailer for his guitar style! Classic frailing - back of the nail downpicking - You're in my son!

Sandy River Revisited

I haven't played this ages while I've been tinkering with the guitar so I thought I'd give it a bash. As usual the composting effect came into play, and after a few stuttering efforts while I tried to remember it I found that I'd got the up the neck part which I'd previously struggled with! Tabs on David's Clawhammer Banjo site (see side bar).

Further Adventures in Open G

Open G tuning has really opened up the guitar to me. Taking what I know from the banjo fingerboard its much easier to find chords up the neck(or is it down?). This a little progression I've been messing with, which uses four finger chords moving the 'f' shape and 'd' shape.

Pokey La Farge and the South City Three

Went to see these guys lasy night at the Cluny in Newcastle - Brilliant!

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three "La La Blues" from Filipe Bessa on Vimeo.

Spancil Hill

Johnathan and I had a go at this Irish tune last night. I'd never heard it before and we'd never played it, so apologies to those who know it and love it.

Headwater - In The Dock 15th October 2010

Headwater Live - "Freight Train" from Jenn Strom on Vimeo.

Kate says,
Headwater Oct 15th 2010
Hearing Headwater is like listening to the West Coast of Canada in song. Freewheeling, fierce, sentimental and sexy, the Vancouver, B.C., quartet has earned its reputation as one of the finest acoustic roots groups around the old-fashioned way.

Since forming in 2001, the group has logged in thousands of kilometres criss-crossing Western Canada and playing to anyone and everyone willing to give it some love. With hooks, driving rhythms, adventurous steel guitar and mandolin solos, and beautiful three-part vocal harmonies all featured in tight, concise under four-minute songs, they found fans fast. Or they roped them in at first, street busking before gigs rather than hanging out waiting for crowds to come to them.

Tickets from In The Dock
They also do a great cover of 'I Kissed a Girl', we like!

Open G on the guitar

DGDGBD - thought I'd have a play about the the guitar in open g tuning, and I love it! It's really easy to take a lot of the stuff that you've learned on the banjo over. It's probably not the tuning for the determined jazz fan but if you're used to plucking a drum on a stick, it's OK.