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Thread: Red-haired boy

  1. #1

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    So, Red-haired boy won the poll for July. This time I've decided to try to learn a more complicated version (or possibly a fast version), since I've played this tune a whole lot. Y'all know how my patience is when my picking doesn't come out right..so wish me luck and give me a kick in the *** if I complain!

    There are loads of nice and easy versions out there. One is on the MP main page (but taken from co-mando), it's very close to the Bert Casey version I've played.

  2. #2

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    It's an old Irish tune and there are lyrics to it, "The little beggarman" or something like that, it would be cool to use that somehow.

  3. #3
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    The melody for "Red Haired Boy" does, in fact, come from an old Irish tune called "The Little Beggarman", although a friend of mine who grew up near Dublin insists that it's actually called "The Jolly Beggarman". #"The (fill in the blank) Beggarman" is different from "Red Haired Boy" not only in its title, but also in the fact that it has lyrics and is usually played in D, unlike "Red Haired Boy" which is solely an instrumental and is usually played in A. #If you want to hear it, look for an old Ian and Sylvia recording; that was my first -- and still only -- exposure to it.

    Don Smith

  4. #4

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    The jolly beggarman is actually a completely different song. Nice, but not the same one as The little beggarman.
    I'd say The little beggarman and Redhaired boy are the same. If you play Redhaired boy to an Irishman he will tell you "that's The little beggarman". At least that happened to me when I was in Ireland..
    Btw isn't it the player who decides in what key to play a certain tune? I play Spancil Hill in Gm (it suits my voice best), but even if it's in Bm in the book, it's still Spancil Hill. Of course, it's different with instrumental tunes in which you don't need to adjust to how you can sing it.

    Enough of that, back to Redhaired boy. It'll be fun to start working with it. I've always just played the version I'm used to, because I know it well, but it'll be fun to play a different version.

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    With all this haggling on about jolly, little beggar-headed men, it's easy to forget just how few of these old, traditional fiddle tunes actually travelled as far as the carribean isles, there to be infused with the culture and flavors of tropical Jamaica.

    The version I posted is not one of them.

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    Great version Benignus, that brought a smile to my face . Now tell the truth, do you actually have dreadlocks or not?

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    "Now tell the truth ..."
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    lol (Hey what happened to your nose man?)

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    Man oh' man, I don't know what I was thinking yesterday.

    Today the grass is much Bluer, and the Little Beggarman's head is much more red.
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    Yep, this should be a bit easier on me, since I already know a simple version, will have to clean it up and garnish a bit before I post it.
    Since I just bought an alarm w/CD, I'll now wake up to RHB every morning, much to my wife's dismay!
    2001 Flatiron F5

  11. #11
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    Nice, creative version on the mandolin Benignus. #I would like to be more versatile with the rhythm and timing of basic fiddle tunes. #I've also listened to your guitar version and have always liked the tune on the guitar. #I learned RHB on the guitar long before learning it on the mandolin. My version (farmerf5)is the straight up, bluegrass jam version. #Like every tune I know, nothing fancy. #I actually recorded this version when I first saw the tune show up on the prospective tune list and forgot about it until the new 'Tune of the Month,' nomination was posted. #Dan



    Play em like you know em!

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    Plinker8,
    RHB was one of the first songs I learned on mandolin. Up until this month, I had always played RHB almost note for note the way you do. Sure, I had joked about jamming it as reggae, but hadn't actually tried until it came up as this month's tune. I figured since I've been playing ti for long time, that I'd rework it to a minor (Aeolian) key and call it, The Little Rastafarian. It's weird how you can still hear the source melody in there, even bent so far out of shape.

    That's also when I discovered files from a previous attempt at recording RHB. I didn't use any tracks from that old session, but having all the guides and folders in place was a good enough reason to try RHB again. I think exercising my creative juices on The Little Rastafarian must have put me in good shape, because this cool 'Grassy mandolin thing just sort of spat itself out all at once. It only took a couple more (dozen) repititions to make sure I really had it, then ... roll.

    I sure didn't plan on making two recordings. Hope nobody thinks I'm being a pig ... going back for seconds and all.

    - Benig

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    Compared with Benignus' two innovative versions, I've been very boring -- this is just a simple version of the tune, played straight. One possible point of interest might be that I played it on an old Neapolitan bowlback, not on the Washburn F-style like my previous recordings. As a result, not a very bluegrassy mood, but maybe a bit more of the Irish roots of the tune.

    Martin

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    I checked out all the versions posted so far. Martin, I like the sound of that on the bowlback. The song sounds good with the Irish roots brought out; not boring at all!

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    hey benig- oink, oink!
    just joshing. i really liked both versions, but as a fan of newgassy more than trad. bg stuff, i really loved your rasta version (had that funky ole bluesy feelin that made you want to move). ya got style!

    i really love this project thing in general, i broke out rhb tab i had and never learned, and am gonna give it a try myself. not much of a picker, but everyone here seems welcoming. thanks for the inspiration.

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    Registered User Dave Hicks's Avatar
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    Now that I've posted my version to Yahoo, I checked out the previous ones - what wide ranging interpretations!




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    dave,

    very nice groove to your version of RHB! i only need a glass of bushmills to go along with that one and the moment would be perfect. thanks!

    craig

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    Speaking of wide-ranging interpretations..... That's the first "jazz version" I've heard of this tune; nice!

    It's great that everyone is taking such a unique approach to this tune -- a little bluegrass, a little rasta, a little Celtic...all good stuff!

    Carolyn

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    Just checked your second version of RHB there Benignus. Very cool - have you got a record deal yet?

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    Hey, can I ask a stupid question? Where are the MP3s? I found them a month or two ago. I didn't find them on http://www.mandolinproject.150m.com/ or on the yahoo group site.

    -Ken

  21. #21
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Scroll down on the MP site to where it says "MP3 recordings" and click on the song titles there. This leads you to a separate page for each tune (and a further page for the Miscellaneous Musings), listing each MP3.

    Martin

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    Hi I like that jazz version. Planteco, any chance you could write out the chord substitutions for us?

    -Ken

  23. #23
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    Chord subs:

    A part
    | A7 A13 | Eb9 D9 | A7 A13 | Ab13 G13 |
    | A7 A13 | Eb9 D9 | A7 Bm7 | E7 A |
    B part
    | G13 | D13 | A7 A13 | Ab13 G13 |
    | A7 A13 | Eb9 D9 | A7 #Bm7 | E7 A7 |

    At least, I think that's what I used. #Rhythm mando uses 7ths instead of 9ths, 6ths in place of 13ths.




  24. #24

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    I just up loaded my version with mandolin only. I was a little nervous since I have only played for a little over 2 years.

    I made a rythym track but cant figure out how to merge them in time.

    Thanks
    Tim Saxton



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  25. #25

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    That jazz version is just great!!!!
    And I love your improvised thing, Benignus, not much my style but it was cool. (when it comes to bluegrass and folk music I'm extremely conservative)

    Tim, the only thing you have to do with Audacity is to have patience..if you have the newest version there is some fancy thing you can do to move tracks forward and back just by clicking and dragging, you'll have six little buttons on the upper left just below the menu, and if you click on the one on last one on the lower line, you can then move the track..I've tried it but I'm not very satisfied with it, I have to say.
    What I do is to first record a melody track (or if it's a song, I sing it with some basic back-up). Then I listen to that one in head phones and record a second melody track. Next step, I mute the second melody track and record a back-up track, that suits with the first melody track. Since both new tracks are recorded to suit the first one, they usually synchronize.
    It's takes time but it's the only way I can do it....
    I talked to a guy in a music shop yesterday and he said it's probably the soundcard that isn't good, so maybe that's the case for you too.
    It's quite annoying since I can't afford a new soundcard, I'm paying my new bike and I want to save for my trip to Ireland too. So maybe much later, and until then I'll just have to do this hard work just to do a decent recording.
    There is a better software named N-track studio, but it seems to require a good deal of memory on the computer, when I tried to save files as wav, the computer sort of just died and I got an error message saying I was out of memory. Very annoying since I was so satisfied with that software!!

    By the way, Tim, I like your picking. I love those basic versions played well. The versions posted so far are really nice.

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