Gourd Joe Clark
July 9, 2008
West Palm Dan writes:
Well here’s my first go at a tune on my beautiful Gourd Banjo. As you watch this please bear in mind that I’m a beginner playing a decidedly advanced instrument; this banjo is fretless and lacks the advantage of modern hardware for projection, giving me a double whammy of more difficult fingering and attack.
When I try Phantom hammer-ons they simply get swallowed up a lot of the time, I think that’s just my lack of skill showing through
I made sure the instrument was in tune before filming, but my fingering may be off so the song may sound a bit wrong. The tune is the ever popular “Old Joe Clark.” Critiques welcome.
A Folk Musicians Guide to Web Publishing
July 9, 2008
A friend contacted me the other day asking for help starting a web page. As I was helping him it hit me that there may be other folks out there who are having a hard time figuring out how to start a blog, upload a video to YouTube or take part in Wolfgang’s Transcontinental jam session.
Dear Old Dad always says, “When you see a need, fill it“, so I knocked out a nine page tutorial that covers the tools I use to run this web site.
Farther Along
July 9, 2008
Art in Washington writes:
Pat and Patrick,
This is an arrangement I saw in one of your publications. I love it. Now to play softer or sing louder or both. Somehow when the memos got passed out on being more chordal and less melodic I was standing behind the door. I need to go back and figure out what to do with my left hand when passing an open “G”. I see others doing things with theirs; but my left hand thinks it needs to play melody. I know this is not the Sufi way. I guess I had better refer to the “Book of Five Strings” Any way, this song pleases me and recently has come to have great personal meaning for me. I hope that it pleases you.
Very Truly Yours,
Art
P.S. Come to Pasco and live in my basement; your room and the hot plate are ready.
More Transcontinental Jamming
July 9, 2008
Wolfgang has more audio files up in his wonderful Transcontinental Jamming project.
This is a great project and I hope all of you take the time to get involved in some way.
Wolfgang also has a YouTube video up featuring his playing and some pictures from his trip to America.
