Guitarist's Forum

[Geoff]

For the guitarists out there...

Which is your favourite Ralph song to play? 
Mine is (still) Nanna's song. Just challenging enough (for little me!) without my needing extra fingers!

[Gibson]

Hard to pick one song from such a vast collection, but, at the moment, 3 favourites of mine to play are Hiring Fair, Slipshod Taproom Dance and Peppers and Tomatoes, all of which (I think) can be found in the latest songbook.  The reason being they are all great songs, great tunes, and relatively easy to play.

However, if you're feeling a bit more adventurous then you've got to have a go at Leah's Favourite and That'll Do Babe (also in the songbook).

Happy playing!

 

[peluche (Chris)]

If we're about to hijack this thread and turn it into a guitarist love-in 

Then, top three at the mo :
Summer Lightning (the intro is sooo good), Tequila Sunset (I don't bother detuning topE to D, just fiddle my fingers) and probably Hesitation Blues (not strictly Ralph, but I do play it 'Ralph Style' !!) ...
Chris

[Leighton]

England 1914 - Just love the thumb base line.
Barges - 'Fraid I do it in C (anyone else do it in C ?)
Mrs Adlam's Angels - the intro riff is a cracker.

But all this could change.............

From ear and not from song-books I'm afraid.

[Dave Russell]

To slightly sidetrack the thread - for the guitarists out there...

Which is your favourite Ralph song to play? 

It'd have to be Sweet Mystery...just love that descending semitone bass line on "Babe there's nothing wrong with me..."

[Al]

I'm a fan of 'em all but ones I particularly have enjoyed playing over the years and still return to them over and over again  include.....

England 1914
Nettle Wine
Birdman
Another Rain...
Summer Lightning
Run Johnny Run
Pity The Boy
San Diego Serenade ( ok not Ralph's but I like the arrangement )
Dry Bone Shuffle ( painstakingly worked out from Ralph, Albert & Sydney when I was student    )
Winnie's Rag
Bentley And Craig
Hands Of Joseph
Please Don't Haunt Me
That'll Do Babe
Arthur Blake
After Rain
The Setting
Sand In Your Shoes
I'm Not Really Blue

any Blake, Davis, Fuller or Buddy Moss rag....

the list just goes on and on .... 

[Ian R]

I'm a guitarist since the age of 11 (33 yrs). Learned with Ralph's right-hand style. Favourite to play? Gotta be Nettle Wine.

[Geoff]

England 1914 - Just love the thumb base line.
Barges - 'Fraid I do it in C (anyone else do it in C ?)
Mrs Adlam's Angels - the intro riff is a cracker.

But all this could change.............

From ear and not from song-books I'm afraid.

Barges is in 'C' (in the songbook).  I do everything in 'C' - I only know 3 chords...starting work on 'Am' next week.

I have to do them from songbooks, I'm hopeless at sussing them out by ear.

[Ian R]

Must be really awkward to do in C - unless you mean "G-shape" with capo on the 5th? I play it "G-shape" (intro: Em add 2 | Em6 add 2), with capo on 4th (= key of B), which I believe is how Ralph does it. If you mean "C-shape", the intro must be difficult to do in "Am-shape".

England 1914 - Just love the thumb base line.
Barges - 'Fraid I do it in C (anyone else do it in C ?)

Barges is in 'C' (in the songbook).  I do everything in 'C' - I only know 3 chords...starting work on 'Am' next week.
I have to do them from songbooks, I'm hopeless at sussing them out by ear.

[Leighton]

Ralph does it using the Emin intro and G-shape chord, you are right Ian,
Me I'm afraid I do it with a C shape with Emin barred on 5.
That's the trouble with not being able to read music.

[peluche (Chris)]

Don't s'pose anybody would be kind enough to give me the chords for Michael in the Garden would they 
Cheers, Chris

[Al]

This would be better tabbed, of course, but as its strumming I've never really got to grips with my tab program for that, only the picking ones...  but here goes anyway....its best heard on Ralph, Albert & Sydney, of course. I  can't remember it all but this will get you started whislt I work out the rest 

Drop sixth string to D

intro

A / Asus4 ( repeated x times, use 5th string as root ie avoid sixth string .. or mute sixth string with l.h. thumb  )

Verse

A ( play using the fifth string as the root and for emphasis on the beats )
Out in the garden Michael amongst the bushes

G ( play bottom G on 5th fret of 6th string )
Michael is crying 

{The riff following this line involves a hammer on from the 4th fret 5th string to the 5th fret 5th string followed by the same on the fourth string and back to fifth fret 5th string whilst maintaining the strummed rhythm}

A
Caught in a spider's web its broken wings beating

G  ( as before )
There's a butterfly dying

{ riff again }

A
Oh la la la la la la la (    )

A
la la la la la la 

D ( avoid hitting 6th string at first )
And they in their wisdom day

D ( introduce 6th string as pedal just after 'Michael's' )       A
Michael's got something worng so wrong with his              mind

                             G
Well they must be    blind
                       D                       A
For they cannot see what Michael sees

{ between verses repeat A /Asus4 riff }

[peluche (Chris)]

Great stuff ... thanks Al 

[Ian R]

intro
A / Asus4 ( repeated x times, use 5th string as root ie avoid sixth string .. or mute sixth string with l.h. thumb  )

Even better - play the straight A chord with fingers 2, 3 & 4 on strings 4, 3 & 2 respectively, and put your 1st finger on the 2nd fret 6th string (to make it E). For the sus4, move your 4th finger up to the 3rd fret 2nd string and lift your 1st finger off the 6th string and play the 6th string (which will be open D).

The bridge alternates between E and D [a very lazy description, I know!]

[Al]

"Even better - play the straight A chord with fingers 2, 3 & 4 on strings 4, 3 & 2 respectively, and put your 1st finger on the 2nd fret 6th string (to make it E). For the sus4, move your 4th finger up to the 3rd fret 2nd string and lift your 1st finger off the 6th string and play the 6th string (which will be open D)."

ooh - never thought of that, sounds interesting so I will try it out tonight   

I've been trying to remember the "Michael where are you, where are we who say that you have something wrong with your mind" bit - many years ago I think I played it starting on D and sliding up to the 5th and 7th frets but I don't think that's what Ralph does - anyone any ideas  ?? 

Actually we should probably have a separate thread or something where those of us that play can swap thoughts on some of the tunes that haven't been tabbed ??

[Gibson]

Good idea Al.  Do you want the honour of starting the new topic?  Perhaps MAJ could be kind and move some of these posts once the topic is open?

 

MAJ adds: See below - I've moved the technical posts to this new thread so....carry on plucking!

[Ian R]

I've been trying to remember the "Michael where are you, where are we who say that you have something wrong with your mind" bit - many years ago I think I played it starting on D and sliding up to the 5th and 7th frets but I don't think that's what Ralph does - anyone any ideas  ?? 

That's an Edim7th chord [or strictly Em6th dim5th] which is basically the same as you move it up the fretboard in minor 3rds / every 3 frets. Voice the first one as:

String 4    3     2      1
Fret    2    3     2      3
Note   E    Bb   C#   G

and the next as:

String 4       3       2      1
Fret    5       6       5      6
Note   G      C#     E      Bb

etc.

[MAJ]

Perhaps MAJ could be kind and move some of these posts

Your wish is my command.......

[Leighton]

Must be really awkward to do in C - unless you mean "G-shape" with capo on the 5th? I play it "G-shape" (intro: Em add 2 | Em6 add 2), with capo on 4th (= key of B), which I believe is how Ralph does it. If you mean "C-shape", the intro must be difficult to do in "Am-shape".

England 1914 - Just love the thumb base line.
Barges - 'Fraid I do it in C (anyone else do it in C ?)

Barges is in 'C' (in the songbook).  I do everything in 'C' - I only know 3 chords...starting work on 'Am' next week.
I have to do them from songbooks, I'm hopeless at sussing them out by ear.

A while ago I put some "mp3 samples" on a website at http://members.lycos.co.uk/acousticmusic/ with a snippet of Barges in C-shape. They are a bit rough and I promise I will get better.
I thought Freight Train was passible.

Any of you guys out there got some "samples" ?

Leighton

[Al]

Well done MAJ - what speedy service 

Re- "samples" you can hear my rendition of "Kenny The Kangeroo" featuring my kids making assorted 'boings' in the background at
 http://homepage.ntlworld.com/poyners/kenny.htm    I uncharacteristically fluff a couple of notes on the instrumental at the end though