Imagine for string orchestra on Vashon Island, by John Lennon

The original music video:
John Lennon - Imagine (official video):
http://youtu.be/yRhq-yO1KN8

Here is a guitar tutorial:
Imagine - John Lennon - Acoustic Guitar Lesson
http://youtu.be/APrCtX4FAPE

And a violin tutorial:
Imagine - John Lennon (Jon C. Chen - Violin Cover):
http://youtu.be/5gDZaGcoLGI

Intro: (C Cmaj7 F) 2x

Verse
C Cmaj7 F F
Imagine there's no heaven
C Cmaj7 F  F
It's easy if you try
C Cmaj7 F F
No hell below us
C Cmaj7 F F
Above us only sky

Chorus
F Am/E Dm Dm/C
Imagine all the people
G G G7
Living for today, ah-ha

Verse
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too

Chorus
Imagine all the people
Living life in piece

Bridge
F G C Cmaj7 E E7
You, may say that I'm a dreamer
F G C Cmaj7 E E7
But I'm not the only one
F G C Cmaj7 E E7
I hope someday you'll join us
F G C
And the world will live as one

Verse
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Chorus
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Bridge
You, may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Freylachs from Podoly, klezmer sheetumusic, recording and chords

This is a companion song to the one we learned earlier this year, Hangu from Podoloy.  Sheet music and chords are below.  Click the youtube link to start at 1:40, where Freylachs begins, or hit play in the screen below to hear both tunes together!

http://youtu.be/0NP4Fwy5yrM?t=1m40s

Don’t Mess With My Toot Toot, chords, lyrics, and recording

Click here for the youtube live concert, Doug Kershaw and his band playing don't mess with my toot toot:
http://youtu.be/pQjGc2NdrAQ

No sheet music for this one, we'll learn it by ear!

By Denise La Salle 
Tabbed By Larry Mofle

Chorus: 
G
Don’t mess with my toot toot 
G
Don’t mess with my toot toot 
                        D
You can have the other woman 
                      G
But don’t mess with my toot toot 

Verse 1:
G
When I was born in my birth suit 
G
The doctor made up his mind 
                          D 
He said: “You're gonna be special 
                 G     
You're gonna be fine

So you can look as much 
But if you much as touch 
You’re gonna have yourself a case 
I’m gonna break your face 

Chorus

Solo 
 
Chorus 
 
Repeat 1st verse

Chorus

Jumbolaya Cajun tune, recording, sheetmusic and chords and lyrics!

Jumbolaya's another Cajun tune, written by Hank Williams, and may be based on an older Cajun tune, like the way much music truly is based on what came before, especially in the folk tradition.

Here's R Cajun and the Zydeco Brothers playing it: sheetmusic, chords and lyrics await your viewing pleasure below :)

http://youtu.be/ehvPAGE8pw4

 

Jambalaya
written and recorded by Hank Williams 
G                             D7
Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
                                      G
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
                                 D7
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                       D7
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filet gumbo
                                       G
Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
                                  D7
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                   D7
Thibodaux Fontaineaux the place is buzzing
                                  G
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
                                     D7
Dress in style and go hog wild me oh my oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                     D7
Settle down far from town get me a pirogue
                                   G
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
                                   D7
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
repeat #2

I's the B'y sheetmusic and lyrics in G

This evening I thought I'd post some music for I's the B'y, a song we taught way back before the blog got started.  The song's author is unknown, and may be a re-writing of an older ballad, but in it's most recent form, it originates in Newfoundland.  For more info and all the verses, click here.

Each chord gets 3 beats.  The chords for it are:


G G D D
G G C D
G G D D
C D G G

The melody is the top line:

The words vary widely depending on whose version you sing.  Here's the version we have sung:

I's the B'y who builds the boat
I's the B'y who sails her
I's the B'y who catches the fish
and brings 'em home to Liza

I took Liza to the dance
Faith but she could travel
Every step that Liza took
Covered an acre of gravel



From the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada - We are told that although the song may have originated in the 1870s, probably in a Newfoundland fishing village, interest in I's The B'y did not spread outside Newfoundland until after the song was heard and transcribed by two researchers interested in Newfoundland's folk traditions, Kenneth Peacock and Gerald S. Doyle. Its melody and lyrics were transmitted throughout Canada in the songbook Folk Songs of Canada by Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston (1954), relying on Peacock's transcription. Teachers and students outside Newfoundland were eager to learn about the music of the newest province, which had joined Canada a mere five years earlier, and I's the B'y quickly became a favourite of classrooms and choirs across the country.

EVENING RISK @ the Roastery A BIG HIT

***************UPDATE 10/16/12: ****************

We had a rockin' fun time last Thursday night at Minglement with 7 excellent players showing up to jam!  I have some recordings to post later this week.

The next EVENING RISK will take place on NOVEMBER 15TH, 7 PM, at the Roasterie.  Mark your calendars and join us if you can!

***************************************************

We will have our FIRST EVENING RISK get-together THIS THURSDAY!!

This group is open to anyone who wants to come out and share a musical hour plus.  Beginners welcome.  If you have RISK music already, please bring that along as we will probably do some of our favorite tunes.  You can find and print out or listen to all the music here on the RISK site!

The Roasterie is closed during the time we will be there, so bring a drink or snack if you need one.  There is a small fee of $5 per session.

Looking forward to some rockin' evening jams!!

Cheers,

Kim and Shane

Pentatonic/Blues Scale Tutorials!

This evening I thought I'd share some excellent tutorial videos of how to play the pentatonic or blues scale on all sorts of instruments. These scales are move-able to any key you want to play in! Warning: you WILL want to have your instrument IN YOUR HAND when you watch these videos, so you can try them out and play along :)

Violins/Violas/Cellos go here to see a 5 string electric fiddler:
http://youtu.be/q3vUP8eSR7I
Note: The performer (Shenzu) plays in a key that is great for Viola and Cello, not so much for violins. Violins should pause the video to try out the pattern on the G string, or shift to 3rd position on the A string to play along with the video.

Guitars go here to learn both minor AND major pentatonic scales:
http://youtu.be/BgRzzvVWBrU

Ukuleles go here to learn the minor pentatonic scale:
http://youtu.be/WSevRgWnBbY
...and here for the major one:
http://youtu.be/wXwA7wPHVZE

Then watch this video for some inspiration of how to put some feeling behind the notes: Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio playing 'In the Cluster Blues' live!
http://youtu.be/r4kvzWLSDT4

Hangu from Podoloy

This evening's post is Hongu from Podoloy, and transitions into Freylachs from Podoloy.  Both are Old World Klezmer tunes, played by the Hungarian Klezmer band, Di Naye Kapelye.  We will learn the second tune in the fall!

 This second video is the Di Naye Kapelye Live!  Enjoy!


Newly posted, here's the sheetmusic for the tune!
 http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/1956f166ffed208662b779a2376eb651f77e04d8


Here's the viola part:
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/1956f166ffed208662b779a2376eb651f77e04d8

Road to Lisdonvarna

This week I'll bring a traditional Irish tune to Risk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erDdjsxRm3E
Here's Tab for the guitars, sheetmusic for the fiddles and chords for all! A traditional Irish tune, the kind that gets stuck in your head! And it is about an actual place, see below for the juicy details...

A little history of Lisdoonvarna..
Lisdoonvarna hosts an annual Matchmakers Festival and draws singles from all over the world. Each year, during the month of September, this small village on the western coast of Ireland offers the chance to find another lonely heart... The name Lisdoonvarna comes from 'Lios Duin Bhearna', which means the lios or enclosure of the fort in the gap. It was in the 18th-century when a top Limerick surgeon discovered the beneficial effects of its mineral waters. People travelled from near and far to bathe in, and drink, the mineral waters. It was due to the popularity of these mineral springs and the huge amount of people going there that led to the Lisdoonvarna "matchmaking tradition". September became the peak month of the holiday season and with the harvest safely in, bachelor farmers flocked to Lisdoonvarna in search of a wife.
-------------------------from "FiddleHangout.com"

Yours in Risk taking,
shane

Red Haired Boy and The Beggarman

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the latest and greatest in the land of RISK! Today at the Roastery we started a new song, Red Haired Boy, and now, as promised, here is the sheet music and a video! Also, here is Red Haired Boy TAB for guitar and a Video for any brave guitarists, and here's Red Haired Boy Tab for Ukulele and a Video for any fearless Ukuleyers who would like to try out the tune!

Red Haired Boy

Fiddlers note:

1. this sheet music is a rough guideline, and should not be followed note for note. Improvise!
2. any time you see the same note twice in a row, add a "roll" or other decoration.
3. this song works really well with double stops - try adding the open strings below the one the melody is on!

OK, now for the fun! We'll start off with a nice friendly version, then get wilder as we go :) See you all next week!

http://youtu.be/XKp5Bkc04j4

http://youtu.be/vRXJzCdrEDs

http://youtu.be/tRZ9vhlcsdg

RISK: String Fiddle concert on Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Dear Friends of the Rock Island String Kollective,

Vashon Island's own folk orchestra, the Rock Island String Kollective, will be presenting a Pre-Thanksgiving Concert at 7pm on Sunday, November 20^th at the Vashon Methodist Church (17928 Vashon Highway SW). Come enjoy the sweet strains of Irish fiddle tunes, Klezmer music, Beattles classics and Jazz Standards.


We will be sharing the stage with Vashon's own community choir, the Free Range Folk Choir! Come enjoy the harmonies of a cappella choral music from South Africa, Republic of Georgia, Israel and the US.


As always, admission is free; donations in support of the event are welcome.

We hope to see you there!
Shane Jewell & Kim Thal, co-directors
Vashon Rock Island String Kollective

Snowden's (Genuine Negro Jig), the Carolina Chocolate Drops

This week's new tune is one the Carolina Chocolate Drops perform. Here's a youtube video of them playing it, and below is the sheet music. They call it Genuine Negro Jig, or Snowden's Jig after the man who wrote it, a local fiddler in the south of the US. Enjoy!

Interestingly, it is more of a Reel than a Jig, since it is not in 6/8 time. Regardless, what an awesome tune! I had the pleasure of seeing the Chocolate Drops in concert this summer - they are amazing performers live, and put on one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. Dom plays the bones (he is the guy on the left), Rhiannon plays the fiddle on the right. The man in the middle (Justin) is no longer part of the group. The Chocolate Drops album, Genuine Negro Jig, won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Calling all Fiddlers and Pickers of Stringed Instruments: Vashon Island's fiddle orchestra is tuning up for fall season

As the leaves begin to fall RISK is tuning up! The new season begins again on Tuesday September 27th. Once again RISK takers will be convening on the historic Vashon Island Coffee Roastery each Tuesday at 3:30pm (note the new time).

Also, take a look around the new site! Sign up for for the mailing list to have all newly posted tunes sent right you your inbox. If you have an idea for what you would love to see on this site, send us a note - we could use your ideas.

We are looking forward to a year full of music! See you soon,

shane