Camera Stuff
March 21, 2010
Angeline the Baker
March 21, 2010
James in the UK sings Angeline the Baker.
Sandy River
March 21, 2010
Andy in the UK writes:
Patrick
I’ve recently been working on a version of Sandy River Belle.
There are a lot of different versions out there and here’s mine.
http://northernbanjoboy.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-practice-tunes.html
More Rosin The Beau
March 21, 2010
Hello Patrick and DOD,
I have been watching your videos for a few months now, and I just wanted to say thanks for all of the help. I came upon owning a banjo by accident, and figured I would just try it out. I had never heard of frailing banjo until I went to youtube and typed in “banjo lessons” in the search field. Such a fourtunate turn of events. I have never thought that a banjo could have such a full sound. I am really enjoying learning to play.
My main interest right now is learning how to play Irish tunes. Here is my first attempt:
Thanks for setting me on the banjo path!
Cheers,
James
More Cryin’
March 20, 2010
James in the UK writes:
Hi Patrick,
Seeing that there were so many comments on Andy’s brilliant post of ‘Just can’t keep from crying’ it is clear that everyone enjoyed it.
It is possible to capo up to the fifth fret and play along with his travel banjo, but I have tried to play a version in open position on a regular banjo in G tuning.
Attached is an MP3 of this, and a word document of the lyrics and chords used.
My version is not up to Andy’s standard but may be a rough guide for others to work from.
It is another new old song to me and I really enjoyed learning it.
Thanks again, and greetings to all.
MP3: http://tangiersound.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ijust-cant-keep-from-crying-1.mp3
I Just Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes
Banjo chords open G F C Bb C (fifth fret)
I just can’t keep from crying sometimes
Just can’t keep from crying sometimes
Oh my heart’s full of sorrow
And my eyes are filled with tears
An I just can’t keep from crying sometimesInst break
I’m on the King’s Highway
An I’m travelin’ night and day
I just can’t keep from crying sometimesInst break
I thought when she first left me
I’d grieve a little while
Soon it would be all over
And I’d journey with a smileBut my thoughts as I get older
When I think of what I told her
I have to keep from crying sometimesInst break
I cannot keep from crying sometimes
I cannot keep from crying sometimes
Oh my heart’s full of sorrow
My eyes are full of tears
An I cannot keep from crying sometimesI cannot keep from crying sometimes
I cannot keep from crying sometimes
St. Pat’s
March 20, 2010
Chris in the UK writes:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day ,
I thought I’d send a tune to mark the occasion. I’m a bit late. But never mind- at Tangier Sound every day is St Patrick’s Day.
St Pat’s Tune
MP3: http://tangiersound.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/st-ps-day-tune.mp3
The Dans at St Patty’s
March 20, 2010
West Palm Dan writes:
Hey Pat and Patrick -
I wanted to share this with you. Our St. Patty’s gig went great,
better than I expected! We played for just over two and a half hours,
playing mostly Irish standards with a few more modern covers mixed in.
The crowd really got into songs like South Australia, Black Velvet
Band, Wild Rover, Real Auld Mountain dew, Paddy Kelly’s Brew, and
others, clapping and stomping along. It was quite a rush! We even had
two opening acts.Here’s a pic. We filmed most of the show; hopefully the footage came
out well. If it did, I’ll chop it up and send it along.
Still Here
March 18, 2010
James wrote:
Where have you gone? I haven’t seen anything new. Have you quit doing the workshops?
Dear Old Dad hurt his back in the big snowstorm. While he has been recovering (he is doing fine, fret not) I decided to focus on some things beyond the Internet.
I love working on my books (as soon as Songs For Sunday starts shipping I will be starting up the next book) and when I am not writing I am making time to enjoy big little things.
I spent a big hunk of yesterday afternoon walking up and down the road to Brick Kiln listening to the gravel crunch under my shoes.
With Spring on the way I am overwhelmed with birdsong. A few weeks ago I realized that I was hearing the call of a great blue heron for the first time. For the last twenty years I was sure they were mute, but it turns out they make this wonderful bullfrog croak. I was so excited I almost dropped my camera in the marsh!
It’s nice to be alone with the sounds of the Chesapeake and it is even nicer to take a drive through the country with my sweetheart. Everything still seems new.
I am also getting things ready for the Retreat, the week at Camp Adventure and some other adventures that are in the works.
So while I am not here every day pounding out workshops anymore there is plenty of instructional material to keep you busy. A search on archive.org for the phrase, creator:”Patrick Costello” yields 377 workshops, our Youtube channel has 285 videos and that is really only scratching the surface of everything Dear Old Dad and I have posted since 1997.
Countdown
March 17, 2010
As I write this Frailing Banjo Lesson One has 299,808 views. Given the huge number of people watching the video every day we should break 300,000 pretty soon.
That number doesn’t factor in DVD sales or folks accessing the files on archive.org – but it is kind of cool because I was hoping we would get here before my birthday next week.
Update 3/18:
Well that was fast. This morning the stats read 300,077.
Hurts Me Too
March 17, 2010
PB Guttenburg writes:
Hi Patrick and D.O.D.
Here is my version of “It Hurts Me Too” one of the most interpreted blues songs first recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red.
Appalachian Muzzleloaders
March 17, 2010
Thomas writes:
Two more from the Appalachian Muzzleloaders
Broken Hearted Hoover Sucker Guy and Everybody Wants To Be A Cat which I started way too fast, but we dealt with it.
Broken Hearted Hoover Sucker Guy
MP3: http://somersetbanjo.com/DR000057.mp3
Everybody Wants To Be A Cat
MP3: http://somersetbanjo.com/DR000060.mp3
Name That Tune
March 17, 2010
Chris in the UK writes:
Hi Pats,
Hope all is going well. Looking forward to the book. I expect Patrick is busy signing them all. Got to keep the fans happy.
Here, meanwhile is a Master-Class from the Kings of Perfection:
So you’ve written a great tune, now comes the difficult task of giving it a name. On this historic recording, you can hear the creative process in real time- as it happens! I think you’ll agree, this painstaking mental battle shows us living up to our name.First find somewhere where you can concentrate, and not be disturbed. It can be difficult in the big city. We use an old diving suit, but the choice is yours. It’s a bit snug with the three of us and the banjo can be pretty uncomfortable at times especially when the two guitars are brought in. They say great art comes from suffering, we believe that greater art can come from needless suffering. Then, let the thinking process begin. Make your mind a blank. We have. It’s easy. It’s reversing the process that’s the difficult part.
I sometimes wonder if anyone else could have found a better name for this “tune”? And you know, the more I think about it…
As they say, it starts off badly, tails off in the middle and the less said about the end…
Still, it was the first time we’d heard the tune too!
But I think it demonstrates the creative agony of the true artiste. Now we would like you to share that agony…
Keep It Down
MP3: http://somersetbanjo.com/Keep%20it%20Down.mp3
Wednesday Music Moment: A Very Good Year
March 17, 2010
At least he isn’t climbing a mountain . . .
A Little Sign Of Spring
March 16, 2010
I was happily surprised to find a dandelion blooming in the back yard today. Spring is almost here!
Songs For Sunday Sample
March 15, 2010
Here is a sample from my soon-to-be-released book, Songs For Sunday.
This Is My Father’s World: http://somersetbanjo.com/sunday%20song%20sample.pdf
About The Song:
When Maltbie Davenport Babcock was a pastor in upstate New York he loved to take frequent walks along the Niagara Escarpment, a place that offered amazing views of Lake Ontario and the countryside. When he left for his walks he would tell his wife, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”
Maltbie must have been a neat guy. He is said to have been an expert baseball pitcher and a wonderful musician. In addition to his work in New York he spent fourteen years counseling students at Johns Hopkins University.
After Maltbie died at the age of 42 in 1901 his wife began publishing collections of his poems. One of the volumes contained the work that would eventually be sung as This Is My Father’s World.
The music is an old English melody arranged by Franklin Sheppard in 1915.
Companion Bible Verse:
Acts 4:24
24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
