Aussie Frailers

PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW SITE

2011-06-13T08:22:00.001+10:00

OUR NEW SITE IS NOW UP AND RUNNING AT

http://aussiefrailers.my3gb.com/index.html

The new site incorporates the Aussie Frailers blog.

You can download tablatures from the new site, and we can incorporate any reasonable features that you may want.

Please add the new address to your favourites and visit frequently.

For those of you with a sentimental streak, this old site will remain here for reference purposes.

Paddies Down Under

2011-05-24T16:52:00.001+10:00

To keep you amused for a wee bit whilst the new site at http://aussiefrailers.my3gb.com/index.html gets up a head of steam, here is a wonderful bit of musical fun for you to watch.

It may not feature a banjo, but as a person who spent St. Paddy’s Day last year in the excitement of the parade in Dublin, I just wish that I had spent this year’s St. Paddy’s Day on the concourse of Central Railway Station in Sydney.

Thanks to the Irish

Farewell, Aunty Jack, we know you’ll be back…..

2011-05-14T04:53:00.001+10:00

Senior members of the Executive Sub-committee of the Blog Posting Tactical Group of Aussie Frailers have been busy constructing a second generation site for the AUSSIE FRAILERS BLOG.

We think that things are progressing nicely on the new project.

We are slowly but surely migrating (as any senior executives would put it) the material from this site (yes, this very site at which you are now gazing in amazement, with your bottom jaw hanging down on your upper chest) to the new site.

Senior executives always have to have a fancy excuse why they take actions that to others would seem to be a futile waste of time. Our excuse is that the new site will be able to house everything under the one roof, with the AUSSIE FRAILERS BLOG being incorporated into, and blending seamlessly with (another senior executive turn of phrase) all of the other material that is offered on the old site, but which seems to be mostly overlooked or quickly forgotten.

Now we’ve just pulled a classic senior executive trick on you, by making you read all of the waffle first, before we divulge the address of the new site which we would beg you to visit and then give us some feedback.

The new site is: http://aussiefrailers.my3gb.com/index.html

Now don’t just sit around mumbling cute phrases of utter joy, admiration and amazement, get across there and see for yourselves.

Has he aroused your curiosity?

2011-04-05T12:23:00.001+10:00

In a comment on our posting, This could make you hopping mad!, Pete recommended a site called The Great North Strum. The blog master there is Mark Davies, of Middlesbrough, Cleveland, UK.

Click here to check it out.

A Few Tasty, Tempting Morsels from the Blackwood People

2011-03-28T18:33:00.001+11:00

You will recall that on 5 March 2011 (just a few back rolls of your index finger on the old mouse wheel) we featured a video from Aussie Frailer, Toby Fehily, who attended this year’s Blackwood Fiddlers’ Convention. Of course, you will know from keeping a keen eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section (just over there past your left hand) that the Blackwood musicians will be at it again next year. One of their key people, John Uren, has written to dangle some inducements before our eyes. Here is what John has to say:

Welcome liberty.

Finally found the space to check out your site.

I note that Dave Hellens (5 string bluegrass) who features on the Blackwood clip will be playing at St Albans with Hunter & Suzy Owens and will be giving a workshop.

We also have Richard Galluzzi on old time banjo playing with Shiny Top Strings where flat picker Jim Rush will also probably add some banjo.

Keep up the good work.

John U

THIS COULD MAKE YOU HOPPING MAD !!

2011-03-27T09:59:00.001+11:00

No doubt, all of you avid followers this blog will, by now, be well acquainted with Andy, who is better known as Northern Banjo Boy, from Thirsk, in North Yorkshire, UK. Well, there’s no doubt about it, Our Andy certainly does his homework! You will recall that on 14 March 2011, we featured a wonderful musician singing and playing the “cumbus.” Andy has identified the musician as the talented Turk, Mevlüt Keskin, and that his instrument, in Turkish, is a “cümbüşle.” Many thanks for that, Andy.

Andy has also turned up another gem. He has left a comment on our item of 20 March 2011, which showed davidmm83 playing his bass banjo which was made from a discarded marching band drum. In his comment, he gave a link to a posting on Northern Banjo Boy, which features the Duke Davis Banjo Band playing “Ida.” Without detracting in any way from the accomplishment of davidmm83, it is to be noted that Duke was playing a much more elaborate bass banjo. Now, it is hard to predict whether you Aussies among the Aussie Frailers will be as proud as Punch about Duke’s instrument, or that you will slink quietly off to your shed, sit in the corner, and sob for a couple of hours, when you hear Duke describe his strings a being made from kangaroo gut, or that perhaps you will become irate and demand that the ANZUS Agreement be immediately shredded. Anyhow, here is the video link. Now, CLICK HERE and be off to the Northern Banjo Boy site (and be sure to have a good romp around whilst you are there.)

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT !!

2011-03-20T10:14:00.001+11:00

Aussie Frailers may well have come across some photos of home-made, improvised bass banjos, especially from early days in the Apple Isle (good old Tasmania.) Well, it is one thing to see an old photo, but it is entirely another thing to hear one played.

With a little bit of serendipity on side, I came across a YouTube contribution by a fellow who signs himself as davidmm83. David has made himself a bass banjo, based on a discarded marching band bass drum. Here is David, playing his made-in-Kansas banjo, affectionately named “The Thunderbucket.”

David and Good old Thunderbucket

You call THAT a banjo ?? THIS is a banjo !!! (Thanks, Crocodile Dundee.)

2011-03-14T18:18:00.001+11:00

You will no doubt recall that the Aussie Frailer who put us onto the Blackwood Fiddlers’ Convention, was Sam Rubera.

Sam is a very interesting fellow in his own right. He describes himself as “a poor, mostly itinerant circus performer/luddite.” Rest assured, dear readers, the man may be a circus performer, but he is certainly no Luddite.

In e-mail correspondence, Sam, among other things, slipped in a lead to a fellow who plays what an uninitiated person such as myself could only describe as a “twelve string banjo.” Here is a sample of his works:

More strings than a puppet show!

Now, to satisfy some of your curiosity, here is what Sam had to say:

That guy playing the cumbus (pronounced something like "chim bush" (George Bush's Korean half-brother)) is really awesome. I have emailed the guy who made the video recording, and, in my fractured Turkish asked about the musician; the response was that he is a relative of the guy who made the video and he has never been a professional musicianer. The song is called Usandim which means "I got tired", I can't tell if it is a folk song or a modern one, but it is very popular and there are heaps of recordings of it. I have been attempting to translate it, I don't know why, it sounds far better in Turkish; the first line is

Keske gelmeseydim Yalan Dünyaya

I got so tired of living in this lie world

I like it!

Incidentally, I have been on a bit of a Turkish music kick of late, and if any readers of Aussie Frailers knows where I can get a cumbus, I'd much appreciate it. In fact, I would consider swapping a banjo or two for it.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few banjo playing circus performers in Australia, I am the only one who plays old time and classic style, but I know three or four bluegrassers and a tenor player…….

Sam

OH DANNY BOY, THE SITES ARE CALLING ……

2011-03-12T09:35:00.001+11:00

It is really exhilarating to add world-wide contacts to our local ones. Here is a note from Danny, son of Pete of the UK FOLKIES Folk Music Community:

Hi all
Danny from UK Folkies here. I just discovered your website via my dad Pete, I'm gonna be putting a link up to you on UK Folkies, feel free to pop on over any time (note to self, think harder before naming your website) Despite the name we've got members from all over the world, so you Aussie guys are more than welcome to join in the multinational madness.
I think I'm gonna steal your 'some of our favorite site's' idea as well if you don't mind
All the best to you all down under.
Danny

Both Danny and Pete voice some doubt about having a site name that is, let us say, too parochial, and thus, perhaps, too limiting. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? Please let us have your views and opinions.

Peter Rushton Puts in His Two Bob’s Worth

2011-03-11T14:55:00.001+11:00

Peter Rushton, from the Old Dart, where they still respect the quid, even if not the bob, etc., has written regarding the shut-down/stay-open debate.

Cedric is biding a wee bit of time, thanks Pete. At least, I think that is the case, provided that you meant “dearth” instead of “dirge.”

Pete has issued us with a kind invitation, so for those of us who would like to take up the invitation, the first thing to do is to visit the UK FOLKIES Folk Music Community.

Here is what Pete had to say:

Hi Folks

Pete here from the good ole U of K Or England if you prefer!

I recently emailed Patrick about the dirge of comments from our mate Cedric, I was concerned for his welfare. As I realise, you guys have had a few problems just lately with flooding and fires. ( A good Government would arrange for those to cancel each other out ).

Anyway I hope that Cedric is fine and just biding his time before regaling us with his well considered comments once again.

Please keep the website going( Too late to vote, but that's my style ). Like us at UK Folkies you have chosen a name with limits, with 20=20 hindsight we could have chosen better. Maybe we could post stuff on each others sites to let people know that we both have members from around the world, even America. , where Benjamin Norman turns Cedrics writing ,and my scribbling into songs.

Take care guys.

Pete

P S

I used the words Government and Good in the same sentence. SORRY !

BEST WISHES TO OUR MENTOR, PATRICK COSTELLO

2011-03-08T10:34:00.001+11:00

There could not be many Aussie Frailers (in fact, there could not be many frailers from anywhere) who do not owe a debt of banjo gratitude to Patrick Costello and Pat Costello (also known as Dear Old Dad.) Patrick is currently in the process of jumping several health hurdles, so we wish him all the best and send him this “card” with its Aussie floral emblems. (Click on their names to visit their site, Daily Frail.)

EVERY TRUE AUSSIE LOVES THEIR UNCLE TOBY’S !!

2011-03-05T02:46:00.001+11:00

One of our foundation members of Aussie Frailers, Toby Fehily, has had the good fortune of attending one of the fun conventions that Victorians bung on when they are not too distracted by ravaging floods or frightening bushfires. He brings us a great report and notice of an upcoming event (and knowing Toby, I don’t think that he would pull an April Fool’s Day joke on us.) Here is what Toby had to say:

Hi Cedric!

Here's a link to a video I took of the Blackwood Fiddler's Convention:

South of the Border

It doesn't even come close to covering a smidgen of what went on there. It was sensational. The Yarra Junction Fiddler's Convention is coming up on the April 1st - no-one in their right mind should miss it (nor should anyone in their wrong mind either). I expect to see a sizeable delegation of Aussie Frailers there!

And I'm sure I speak for plenty of others when I humbly beg you to keep going with the blog. I know we aren't the most vocal readership, but I'm siding with PeeBee - we all appreciate the fine work you do. However, I must slightly disagree with PeeBee by saying:

Keep on blogging (that's an ORDER - not a request!)

- Toby

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR PEEBEE

2011-03-01T10:26:00.007+11:00

Trust our good mate PeeBee to answer the call to duty!

Most of you will be acquainted with the works of P.B. “PeeBee” Guttenburg and the Carson’s Crag Family Players. Their site is listed down near the bottom of our page (twice, actually.) Well, PeeBee has responded, and he has “donated” one of their great interpretations, but you can be well assured that there are plenty more where that came from.

There are at least two mysteries to be solved by those of you with a Miss Marples turn of mind. The first is: where is this place called Carson’s Crag? The second is: is there some sort of creative genetic link between PeeBee and Johannes Gutenberg who made the first printing press in 1450 and thus changed the world?

Anyhow, here is PeeBee:

……….and here is what he had to say:

Dear Cedric and the Aussie Frailers,
I have voted to keep the blog going-it would be much missed up here on the Crag if it were to evaporate.
Cedric -you have always encouraged others efforts at music making and I hope you realize how much it is appreciated.
Here's my version of Tom Paxton's "Talking Vietnam Pot Luck Blues"-a gift to the Aussie Frailers.
Keep on blogging (that's a request -not an order)
PeeBee

……….and here is his donated rendition for you to enjoy:

YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU !!

2011-02-26T11:47:00.001+11:00

100% of ten voters in the recent Aussie Frailers referendum, voted to retain this Blog.

Is there a silent majority out there in cyberspace?

If so, does the silent majority agree with the voting minority? If you do, then your belated vote would be appreciated, by virtue of your sending in sound files or video clips of your performances, interesting articles, useful hints to banjo players, and tabulations of songs, especially traditional Australian songs.

It is as easy as falling of a gum tree log to send in a contribution. Simply type up an e-mail addressed to aussiefrailers@gmail.com , attach your contribution, and then press the “SEND” button.

If you have done some tabs, but they are in handwritten form, still send them, and a member of our large editorial team will put them into the format that is suitable for interested viewers of the site to download.

If you have a sound file or a video clip to send, then simply attach that to your e-mail. If you have loaded something onto YouTube, then please send the URL of the YouTube page.

Remember that this site is yours, but it can only be of use if you all contribute to its content. Please also remember that another way of contributing, is to go to the word, “COMMENTS” at the foot of each blog posting, click on it, and then leave a comment. Comments are a great way to stimulate interest and to stimulate others to contribute.

The scrutineers are counting the votes. Keep our visitors amused for a while, will you please, George.

2011-02-21T18:09:00.001+11:00

Well, voting has progressed! It is disappointing to note, though, that at this stage, only ten keen beans have bothered to cast their votes. We thank those voters for their trouble.

To think that this is an Aussie site, and down here in the antipodes, voting is compulsory!

Have a little listen to George Formby singing My Grandads Flannelette Nightshirt whilst our highly paid scrutineers count the votes, again, and deliberate on the ramifications of the tally for the future of this site.

George Formby and his little banjo thingamy.

DEMOCRACY IS COMIN’ -- TO THIS BLOG TODAY

2011-02-04T13:26:00.001+11:00

Democracy is not much chop if it is all talk and no action.

This is your big chance to exercise your political clout!

<-- <-- Look to your left on this page, and you will see a small polling booth where

you can have your say on the continuation or demise of this blog.

We await your decision!

Brand New, Very Old Horizons

2011-01-30T17:16:00.001+11:00

For those of you with an eclectic approach to the banjo and its capabilities, we have added the Thumb-Lead Banjer site to Our Blog List which is down near the bottom of this page that you are now reading. If you look at that list, you will see displayed a very short version of the latest posting to each blog.

The Thumb-Lead Banjer site deals with all manner of things related to the distinctive style of banjo playing known as THE 2 FINGER THUMB-LEAD BANJO STYLE. Most frailers will find this a fascinating style, and you can find it explained by clicking here. Why not visit and see for yourself!

Aussie Advice

2011-01-29T08:47:00.001+11:00

Sam Rubera was an Aussie Frailer from the outset, before we had this blog. As a result of the posting about the BLACKWOOD FIDDLERS’ CONVENTION, John sought some advice about preparing for jams. Sam has responded to this call, and here is that response:

G'day friends, regarding the questions about blackwood post, I'd say: learn to pick up tunes on the fly, and, if you haven't already, start a rigorous conditioning program, for, on arriving you will need to be able to spend three days subsisting on nothing more than cheap whiskey and some dry crackers.

Also, I occasionally post to this blog: http://2ftlbanjer.wordpress.com/ you should all check it out. Hope to meet some of you at blackwood.

Sam

Thanks very much, Sam. Now, is there more advice forthcoming from you experienced jammers? There surely must be. So, please jot it down and send it to aussiefrailers@gmail.com.

SOME GOOD BASIC ADVICE NEEDED

2011-01-20T09:01:00.001+11:00

If you scroll down on this page, you will see an entry on 7 January 2011, regarding the BLACKWOOD FIDDLERS’ CONVENTION.

We have received a very pertinent e-mail from John. Here is what he asks:

what should i be practicing for the blackwood jam meet? still a relative novice at the banjo so what do i really need to practice to be able to participate in the jam sessions themselves?? john hipopp@bigpond.net.au

John’s questions really strike a chord (metaphorically speaking) with those of us who have not yet had the opportunity to attend a jam session.

If you have ever attended a jam, Blackwood Fiddlers’ Convention or otherwise, could you please jot down a few ideas to address John’s queries, and send them in to this Aussie Frailers blog so that we can put them up for all interested players to see. Our e-mail address is: aussiefrailers@gmail.com .

AUSSIE BAILERS

2011-01-15T09:51:00.001+11:00

To all of those people who have been affected by the dreadful floods in

Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania,

our thoughts are with you.

We offer special warmth to any AUSSIE FRAILERS who have become AUSSIE BAILERS. Please let us know if we can help in any way, and tell us if your beloved banjo has now found a new freedom, having been washed down a river and out into the Pacific Ocean or the Great Southern Ocean.

IXL JAMS ARE FABULOUS, BUT THIS JAM IS EVEN BETTER !

2011-01-07T17:51:00.001+11:00

Put up your hands all of you frenzied frantic phenomenal friendly frailers who have never heard of the

Blackwood Fiddlers’ Convention.

Put up your hands all of you fearless fanatical fabulous festive frailers who have never even heard of

Blackwood.

Well, take you hands down and grab a pen and note the details given a bit further down.

Now, you people from other parts of the world, are completely forgiven for being a bit in doubt about dear old Blackwood. However, it seems incomprehensible that any Aussie Frailer worth her/his salt would not know that Blackwood is in Victoria, Australia, and is just over an hour north-west of Melbourne.

The Blackwood Fiddlers’ Convention is held annually, and this year, 2011, it will be held on 18-20 February in the Blackwood Reserve (known locally as the Cricket Ground.)

They attract some pretty friendly characters, as the following photo taken at the Frailing Workshop at last year’s convention shows.

Now, if your pen still has some ink left, note down this link, or simply click on it to go to their site where you can learn more still:

http://www.blackwoodfiddlersconvention.com/

2010–> 2011

2010-12-31T09:03:00.001+11:00

It is time to say a very sincere thank you to all of those people who have given our site over 4,900 hits since we kicked off at the beginning of 2010.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

We Aussie Frailers trust that you have also had a rewarding year, and we wish you an even more rewarding 2011.

In just 15 hours, down here in the antipodes, we will see the old year out and the new year in. We have already downloaded our banjo tablature of Robbie Burns’ Auld Lang Syne, in preparation for getting out our banjos whilst our families and friends link hands and sing with feeling at midnight.

Of course, it wouldn’t really be a proper new year without new year resolutions. So, here is the Aussie Frailers’ New Year Resolution:

We resolve to make 2011 a happy banjo year, and to put Australia more indelibly on the banjo map by posting, on this blog, more banjo tablatures of traditional Aussie songs, and more videos of our performances of Aussie songs as well as songs from the rest of the banjo world.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Seasonal Greetings

2010-12-22T18:55:00.001+11:00

Whatever festive season you choose to celebrate,

may you and your banjo, or a banjo near you, enjoy every minute of it,

and may all of your loved ones enjoy you and your banjo and

the good cheer that it brings forth.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HATE DAYLIGHT SAVING ?

2010-12-22T18:44:00.001+11:00

Cedric Down Under is normally a placid fellow, but despite Christmas drawing near, he writes in a somewhat disturbed tone:

Being a person of extremely limited pigment, I have a natural inclination to hate daylight saving. I do not need more sunlight; I need less sunlight. I have no trouble making Vitamin D in restricted exposure to the sun’s rays.

Probably more importantly, I feel that it is a form of discrimination that gets far too little roof-top screaming and ranting. I am one of the 25% minority of the population who are NIGHT PEOPLE ! The 75% majority, who are MORNING PEOPLE, revel in getting out of bed with the sparrows. We NIGHT PEOPLE do not like it at all !

Is it any wonder, then, that when daylight saving reared its ugly head last October, in my part of the globe, my revulsion needed to be vented through my trusted friend, the banjo? The result was my latest song, Where the Sun Won’t Shine. I hope that some of you NIGHT PEOPLE out there will sympathise with my position.

The tablature for Cedric’s song, Where the Sun Won’t Shine, is downloadable from here on Aussie Frailers. He also has a Braille friendly tab available, and this will be uploaded soon.

THE BIG STAR WITH THE LITTLE BANJO

2010-11-27T11:52:00.001+11:00

Well, the Lancastrian lad, George Hoy Booth has been departed from this mortal coil for nearly fifty years. However, his performances are still as entertaining as ever.

You probably know him as George Formby, the comedian, ukulele whiz, banjo ukulele whiz and singer. Here he is with his banjo ukulele doing Our Sergeant Major. The video shows George and his friends in World War II RAF uniforms, having a poke at the RAF equivalent of a sergeant major, that is, a warrant officer.

If you feel like a serious challenge, take up your “big banjo” and try to keep pace with him.

Our Sergeant Major

The Wreck of the Old 97

2010-11-21T12:59:00.000+11:00

For those of you who have a soft spot for steam trains and those who drove them and stoked them, here is something special from Allie Manzino in New York.
For those of you who have never ridden in a steam train, climb aboard, anyhow, and enjoy Allie's singing and playing.

WRITING ABOUT SONG-WRITING FOR RIGHT OR WRONG

2010-11-20T12:51:00.001+11:00

Cedric Down Under has contributed to what will hopefully be an on-going thread on this blog. Here is his method.

I am a relatively newcomer to the 5-string open-back banjo world, and to song-writing. However, I am a brazen little upstart, and as such, should provide you with plenty of ammunition to take pot shots at me. In fact, I challenge you to fire off as many rounds as you can.

I have been a poet for much longer than I have been a banjo frailer. I have pretended to sing for much longer than I have pretended to play the banjo.

Because I have mainly sung spontaneously with friends on home visits, whilst travelling in cars and trains, and around camp fires where there were no musical instruments (although we sometimes sang in harmony, and thus “chordally”) I am fundamentally a melody person. I subscribe to the notion that melody is more primitive than chords. Having said that, though, I do strongly subscribe to the notion that melodic tunes are not mere random collections of notes, but are series of harmonically related notes which are, therefore, “chordally” related. As well, I agree with the observation over numerous centuries, that the human vocal organs are partly flutal and partly chordal.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a song as: A metrical composition adapted for singing, especially one in rime and having a regular verse-form; occasionally, a poem. That provides my model.

Since you were able to bear with me during that long-winded statement of my personal position, I will now get on with my description of my song-writing.

Firstly, I must experience something that I think is worthy of a poem. That experience can be something that has happened in the world about me, or it can be something about which I have been pondering or even brooding. I then decide, somewhere down in my tiny wee brain, that I should express it as a poem.

Just as I am about to slip off to sleep one night, the nucleus of the poem will pop into my head. Sometimes, I will immediately write this down on paper. During that night, and/or the nights immediately following, bits and pieces and embellishments of the poem will wake me and I will note them down. In this manner, the poem will eventually be completed.

Secondly, I must decide that this poem should become a song. I then convert the poem into lyrics by ensuring that the corresponding lines in each verse have the same number of syllables. I then allow it to go through a similar process as that of writing the poem. I wait until one night, just before sleep, or during my sleep, a melody hits me and I start mentally singing the lyrics. I make a mental note of the tentative time signature, and I try to go over and over the melody quite a few times so that I can remember its general structure when I wake in the morning. (I am too selfish and lazy to get up during the night to start working on the next step.)

Thirdly, in the proper waking state, I mentally check out whether the tentative time signature is to be preferred. Some poems can go just as well as lyrics in say, 3/4 time, as in 4/4 time. Some are better suited to 2/4 time or 6/8 or some other time. (I tend to steer away from 6/8 time and just make do with 3/4 time.) Having decided upon the time signature, I then start picking out the melody on a keyboard and writing this down on a treble staff in my musical work book.

Fourthly, having noted down the melody with the lyrics properly phrased beneath the musical notes, I commence writing the first draft of the tabulation for 5-string banjo. Labouring under the difficulty of having only three active neurones left in my old cranium, I find this part the most difficult and the most time-consuming. The key of the tune is determined by the actual notes used on the keyboard, and is thus determined by the configuration of flats or sharps. The first and the last chords used in the verse will be the major chord of that key. I bear in mind the bump dit-ty bump dit-ty of 4/4 timing, or the bump dit-ty dit-ty of 3/4 timing, and tentatively tabulate all of the notes that correspond with the “bumps.” I then examine the notes of each bar (or measure) to see whether they collectively form a chord for the given key, and if they do, then that chord is tabulated for the “dit-ty’s” of that bar. If they do not, then I examine the notes of just the “dit-ty’s” and tabulate which chords fit them.

Fifthly, I play the song over and over on the banjo. As I do, I polish the song up as much as I can. Sometimes, I will change a “dit-ty” back to its component notes for a smoother sound, or for emphasis. Sometimes, I will split notes, sometimes I will make pull-offs or hammer-ons or slides. With respect to the lyrics, I often make small modifications such as changing a word so that the first syllable of a new bar (or measure) starts with a consonant, when emphasis is required. Whatever happens, I keep playing the song over and over to make sure that it hangs together. This, of course, is an on-going task, and includes continual checking for simpler ways of achieving the same ends.

AN ANONYMOUS BUT EXPERT ESSAY ON SONG-WRITING

2010-11-18T16:05:00.001+11:00

I am replying to the song writing question.

I guess I don't have much experience with this topic, but I have written a few songs. There have been a couple of songs where I'd read the words and find the timing or how the song beats or phrases. There have also been a few where I'll write a tune and I'll get a feel for the timing and mood, then I'll write words. I, again, am not a 'experienced' song writer but I'd love to share a few things.

First off, when I write a tune, I start with or in the key of G. It's just easier for me to play. I just start frailing the G chord and then I think of another chord i.e. Am or Esus2 or E then Esus2. I investigate to see if it’s either a minor or a major chord progression. I sometimes find that I'll get to the end of the verse or when I feel the verse or chorus is over to make a transition... then I'll change the key one semitone higher or lower to 'feel' the song. Sometimes I'll go that semitone and make it a minor. I'll play it in a 3/4 or 4/4, and rarely a 2/2 or 6/8 timing. For example: (I'm going to write a tune now.)

4/4
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
------------------------------
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
D -   -   -   G -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
D -   -   -   G -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Em-   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   Em-    -    -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   Em-    -    -
C -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Em-   -   -   -   -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   -   -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
G -   -   -   Gsus4G -
D -   -   -   G -   -   -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Em-   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   Em-    -    -
D -   -   -   C -   -   -
Em-   -   -   D -   -   -
C -   -   -   D -   -   -
C -   -   -   Em-    -    -
D -   -   -   -   -   -   -
C -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Em-   -   -   D -   -   -
C -   -   -   Em-    -    -

I find, also, that mistakes make the tune, generally. When I find that I meant to play an F and I play an Em or whatever... I mess with that until I use it or lose it. I am a big fan of phantom notes (hammer ons & pull offs). That's how I count the "and" 1(Phantom)2(thumb)3(Phantom)4(thumb). I break up the reparation of the phantoms with rests occasionally. When I find the timing and I approach words, that is when I find the melody. There's something about hearing a tune and finding that it is strangely familiar.

Is knowing music theory a must when writing a song? I don't think so, but it is a good tool to have. There is something ingrained in our brain that allows us to hear what's the next note to a song or scale. I believe that our mood is either dictating the tune or a song that was going one direction and is rapidly changed to another feeling when a "mistake chord" is strummed. For another example: hit a G note. Now hit a random note that isn't too far away in pitch. Now hit the first and then the second notes that you just played. You can hear where it's going, but as soon as you hum the third (prospective) note (randomly) you can find the makings of a tune, not so randomly. Our brain is trained for pattern solving. Music is a pattern that we all know.

Take that G and chord it then take the next note that you hit and chord it. The third note that you hummed... find it and hit that note on your instrument, then chord it. You've just written the first 3 chords in your song. You don't like the one chord or you want to hear something different? Turn one of those 3 chords into a minor, or 2 of them or all 3 into minor keys. Maybe you'll want the next set of chords to be minor... just mess around. The only bad chords that you can write are the ones that don't project who you are or what you like.
Some people know this already, but some may not. Let's assume that you hit the G, then you hit a B note next. On an octave scale in G, it goes... G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. (This is why I start with the key of G. It stays in the major notes.) Now counting the half and whole steps between the notes in a scale. This explains the black and white keys on a piano.

G (1/2 step) - white
___________________
Ab (1/2 step)- black
___________________
A (1/2 step) - white
___________________
Bb (1/2 step)- black
___________________
B (1 step)-      white
___________________
C (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
Db (1/2 step)- black
___________________
D (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
Db (1/2 step)- black
___________________
E (1 step)-      white
___________________
F (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
F# (1/2 step)- black
___________________
G (1/2 step) - white
___________________
Ab (1/2 step)- black
___________________
A (1/2 step) - white
___________________
Bb (1/2 step)- black
___________________
B (1 step)-      white
___________________
C (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
Db (1/2 step)- black
___________________
D (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
Db (1/2 step)- black
___________________
E (1 step)-      white
___________________
F (1/2 step)-   white
___________________
F# (1/2 step)- black
___________________

The black and the white words above look like keys to a piano (sideways).

To stay in a standard tuning (generally) the song is played in a 1, 4, 5 progression. In the case of G that would be; G, D, C. We find that those are the 3 major notes of the scale. If we take a C then 1, 4, 5 is now C, F, G. It's not always the case to have whole notes in a whole note key 1, 4, 5 progression.

Major Key - Chord Pattern

Key of C
C - F - G

Key of D
D - G - A

Key of E
E - A - B

Key of F
F - Bb - C

Key of G
G - C - D

Key of A
A - D - E

Key of B
B - E - F#

Key of Db
Db - Gb - Ab

Key of Eb
Eb - Ab - Bb

Key of Gb
Gb - Cb - Db

Key of Ab
Ab - Db - Eb

Key of Bb
Bb - Eb - F

Take your right hand and turn your palm facing you. Put the middle and ring fingers down something like this \,,/_ . If ever in doubt of what the 1, 4, 5 progression in any key is... this is how I do it. The key is your pinky, Ring is 2, middle is 3, index is 4, and thumb is 5. Take the key of B - B, E, F#.

Here's a great tool that I used a lot during the beginning of my music adventure. http://www.hotfrets.com/songanator.asp This helps to not only see but hear what the chord progressions of various chord behaviors are.

If you want to learn how to chord and to see what other chords there are... http://chordlist.brian-amberg.de/ try this. This is a great resource. Remember, the 1, 4, 5 progression is only a guide... and who reads guides anyhow? Don't assume that everything has to be played in that progression. Think outside the box, you're a musician.

Recap:
Mood - 3/4 or 4/4
Major or minor
Progression
think out of box
Hope this helps.

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

Now what do you think of that?

Please leave comments on that detailed contribution.

You may do things quite differently from that, or differently from it in some aspects. Why not have a go at describing your method and sending it in.

No matter how we go about the adventure of song-writing ourselves, we can always benefit from the insights of other song-writers.

Perhaps if we get some more articles, we can give some impetus and choice to others who have not yet had a go at song-writing.

You,too, can remain anonymous, if you wish!

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

WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG ?

2010-11-06T09:59:00.001+11:00

If you are writing a song, what do you do first?

Do you write the lyrics before you write the tune?

Do you write the melody before you write the chords?

Do you have the song inside your head before you express it , or do you express something serendipitously, and then work on it inside your head?

Song-writers have different ways of hatching songs. What is your way?

Please send a description of your song-writing technique to aussiefrailers@gmail.com . It will be interesting to compare people’s approaches.

HE MAY BE A SCOT, BUT HE IS ALSO A FANTASTIC AUSSIE

2010-11-02T15:28:00.001+11:00

For those of you who are familiar with the works of Eric Bogle, you don’t need to be reminded of his talents. Eric was born in Scotland, and the Scots are no doubt proud of their expatriate boy. He is a superb poet, songwriter and performer. He has the ability to crawl into the crevices of the Aussie psyche to produce works that grab our heart strings.

It would be an odd Aussie, indeed, who would fail to be moved by Eric’s And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Accompanied by his mate, John Munro, on guitar, Eric sang his famous song at the Sidmouth Folk Week in Devon, UK, in 2009.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Eric kindly consented to Cedric Down Under tabulating the song for frailing (clawhammer) banjo. That tab is available by following the links to our free tabs in the left hand column of this blog. If you are anxious to get a look at it, then simply click here.

If you would like to learn more about Eric’s accomplishments, then please visit his blog.

HERE’S AN INTERESTING PITCH ON AN INTERESTING TOPIC

2010-10-23T09:07:00.001+11:00

Tim Davis, from South Korea, is our first member to take up the gauntlet and submit a musical article. The subject is fascinating, so comments and follow-up contributions to the debate would be most welcome. Here are Tim’s ideas.

I found the posts on Tangier Sound (see September 7, 2010, Patrick Costello’s First Steps to Frailing) about talent to be interesting. I have always been interested in the "talent doesn't exist" debate. In fact, I had a long series of email exchanges with a close friend about this topic last year. I think by the end of it we were able to agree that talent is credited far too often for things that are actually skills learned through hard work. Basically, I'm only willing to concede to talent in cases where a person's physiological characteristics give them an advantage at acquiring certain skills. And even in these cases, having this characteristic does not imply that they will acquire the skill without a lot of hard work. For example, being very tall does not mean you will play in the NBA, but it does give you an advantage in pursuing that goal.
For music, one interesting topic is that of perfect pitch (also known as absolute pitch). That is, being able to tune an instrument without any reference notes or being able to start off singing in the proper key without any reference. This is the closest thing to a natural musical talent that I have found, but even this is a skill that is acquired. One theory is that there is critical period in our development during which this skill can be acquired and after that it cannot be acquired. Perfect pitch is more common in East Asia than anywhere else in the world due to the languages having certain tonal characteristics.

While I was pleased to see that absolute pitch is a skill that is learned, and therefore not a talent, I was also disturbed at the possibility that there is a window of opportunity for learning the skill. My gut instinct is not to believe that this is true. I can accept that it is easier to learn during the developmental ages just as language is easier to learn, but not that it is impossible. Out of intellectual curiosity, I've been investigating some of the methods of teaching absolute pitch. The emphasis is on how the tones feel. It's not about memorizing or measuring the pitch; it's more like a sensation like how we know what fresh cut grass smells like.

Here's an experiment to try. Take a song that you play often on the banjo in the key of G. Now capo at the third fret and re-tune your fifth string to Bb (if you can) and play the same song. Now, of course all of the pitches will be higher, but does something feel different other than it just being higher pitched? It's very abstract and we can't quite put our finger on it, but something just feels different. If you get this feeling, then this is sort of the beginning of being able to feel absolute pitch. I can feel this difference of how something just doesn't feel right about it, and I believe this is beginning to being able to identify notes by hearing them. Now, it may be ridiculously difficult to refine this to the point of having absolute pitch, but this makes me believe it is possible.

The next obvious question is whether it is worth the effort to learn this skill. For me, I'm not going to torture myself by pursuing it, but I do have some interest in messing around with it from time to time.

Relative pitch is something we can definitely learn as adults though. For example, a person who is "tone deaf" can learn to have very good relative pitch by working on this skill. Relative pitch just means if you are given a reference tone then you can identify other notes based on their distance from that reference tone. For example, if I sing a C note, then you can sing an E note. I would do this by mentally singing do re mi and then singing out loud the mi. The development of relative pitch is what we refer to as ear training, and there's really no debate about this being a learned skill and not a talent.

Far too often, talent is credited for things that are skills learned as a child. For example, I grew up in Tennessee and had a lot of exposure to country music. So, when I sing a country song, people will comment that I have some natural feel for how to sing it. But this isn't a talent. It's just that I spent a lot of time hearing Country songs. If someone who has never heard country music also spends a lot of time listening to and singing along with Country music, then they will also develop the same feel for it.

I think that many of the Aussie Frailer followers would be interested in this topic, and would like to encourage them to submit their observations and opinions on this fascinating debate. I am sure that it is a topic that all musicians, from rank amateurs to polished professionals, have pondered from time to time.

More Turn-ups About Turnip Green

2010-10-19T10:23:00.001+11:00

On 13 October 2010, we featured the band called Turnip Green. On the weekend of 9-10 October, they had performed in South Korea at the Gwangju International Community Day, and at the JungJangno Recollection Festival.

Now you all know that Aussie Frailers is a modest blog that is not prone to skiting, but in this case, we are making a special exception. Firstly, we have featured this group during their inception period; and secondly, we shall remind you all of this when this group becomes famous.

The striking feature of their sequence of performances, is the internationality of enjoyment. We can tend to be a bit parochial about where we think “folk style “ numbers will go down well. Turnip Green’s efforts, and their venues certainly dispel any notion of cultural boundaries of enjoyment. The following photograph gives a performer-eye-view of one of their audiences.

As well, the group, itself, crosses boundaries. Not only were they performing in South Korea, but they were from two American nations. Trevor Homeniuk (guitar, vocals) and Andrea Hildebrand (guitar, vocals) are from Ontario, Canada, whilst John Hale (harmonica, vocals) is from St Louis, Missouri, USA, and Tim Davis (banjo, guitar) is from Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Tim Davis has written a summary of their great adventure, replete with photographs and videos. Among other things, it covers their accomplishments and the trials and tribulations of performing under equipment dependent situations. To immerse yourselves in this experience, please go to Tangier Sound (the Costello blog), and to Tdiddy (the Tim Davis blog.)

Don’t leave the table until you’ve finished your Turnip Green.

2010-10-13T18:24:00.001+11:00

Most of you will be regular visitors to Tangier Sound, the blog of Patrick and Dear Old Dad Costello, who are world-renowned and appreciated teachers of frailing banjo and of guitar. At that site, you most probably will have been familiar with Tim From Korea.

Now we have a treat for you. We have four numbers performed by Tim and his talented colleagues, Turnip Green, at the Jung Jangno Recollection Festival in Gwangju, South Korea on 10/10/10 (which, incidentally, was also the wedding date of Patrick Costello and his sweetheart, Amy, in Manassas, Virginia, USA.)

Here is the Green Turnip feast:

Outback Artist Does it Again!

2010-10-10T09:49:00.002+11:00

If you were impressed by the colourful, artistic offering immediately below, then be sure to visit the brand new blog of the artist (jaminorn, aka Benjamin from Utah, aka Banjoman) at http://folkdupmusic.blogspot.com .

His blog has been added to our list of our favourite web sites and to our blog list (scroll right down to the bottom of this page) and you can take a short-cut to him from either place.

A word of warning: except in the privacy of your own bedroom, please do not attempt to rapidly say the title of his blog ten times in succession.

No hills – no hillbillies ??

2010-10-07T11:26:00.001+11:00

One of the regular contributors to Daily Frail or Tangier Sound (The famous Costello blog) is Benjamin Norman (also known affectionately as Banjoman.)

Banjoman’s talents go far beyond banjo and blues harp, and obviously reach all corners of the globe.

So, You Love Frailing, But You Also Have a Hankering for Bluegrass !

2010-10-05T17:05:00.001+11:00

You will notice that in the left hand column of this blog, there has been added a link to our Aussie Cousins. They are, none other than our friends who exercise their left hands in a different style. They are at The Australian Bluegrass Blog.

They are not just good people because they gave Cedric Down Under and our own blog a good airing at http://australianbluegrass.com/index.php/aussie-frailers-blog/ , but simply because they run a very interesting and informative site.

Why not pay them a visit and see for yourselves.

SONGS OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

2010-09-14T15:46:00.001+10:00

There were lots of great songs that came out of the American Civil War (1861 –1865).

It would seem that from the harshest of human circumstances, there spring, among many other things, two great artistic streams: those of humour and song.

Some of the songs of the Civil War emerged from the Union forces and followers of the north, and some emerged from the Confederate forces and followers of the south. Numerous of these have survived to the present day and are still sung with great gusto.

One of the songs of the north, Marching Through Georgia, has been tabulated for 5-string banjo by Cedric Down Under. Like all of the other tabulations from our Aussie Frailers site, it is free. If you peruse the left-hand column of this page, you will see the links to our tabs of Aussie songs, and other songs. Why not have a good fossick around among the available tabs and then help yourself if you see something that takes your fancy.

If, by chance, you look at our available tablatures, and you come to the conclusion that nothing there is your cup of tea (or nip of whiskey or whatever turns you on) then don’t run off in a huff, but determine that you will tab out something that reflects your own taste, and send it in to us so that it can be included.

There’s Always Something to Celebrate!

2010-09-08T13:37:00.001+10:00

How many times have you been asked politely to redeem your beloved 5-string, open-backed banjo, or some other cherished instrument, from the pawn broker, so that you can attend a party and play “Happy Birthday” to some very young or very old person?

Well, if you are not into birthday parties, how about this: how many times have you been at a New Year’s Eve party, or a dancing-in-the-street party on 31 December, just waiting for the big hand to reach twelve and cover up the little hand which has just arrived there, and someone loudly and publicly requests that you whip your banjo out of your hip pocket and start playing “Auld Lang Syne” ?

No matter how you answered the above two questions, you would have to admit that finding frailing banjo tabulature for either of those songs is a frustrating business.

Be frustrated no longer! Simply follow the Free Tablature link in the left hand column of this page, the one marked “Click here for All Other songs,” and follow the musical scent to successfully print off each of these traditional songs of celebration.

Eureka !! Not the stockade, but the mighty brain.

2010-08-26T09:19:00.001+10:00

I once had an uncle who said that if I brought him ten empty jam tins and a roll of disused No. 8 fence wire, he would turn it into a push-bike for me. I saved up the jam tins, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find a roll of disused fence wire, so I didn’t get that special bike. Now, that might sound like a load of balderdash, but the following story is absolutely fair dinkum, authentic, truthful and based in fact. It even has photographic evidence that will convince even the most devout sceptic. It was sent in by Nathan, whom you no doubt will know as one of our Aussie Frailer followers, as surely as you all periodically acquaint yourselves with the latest enrolled followers down there in the left-hand margin.

Nathan writes:

I thought you might be interested in a little project of mine.

I have an old ‘Harola’ open back banjo circa 1920.

It was given to me by a family friend when I showed an interest in learning to play. It originally came with a velum head that split about a year after I started playing. I wasn’t able to find someone local to repair my banjo and after an offer from another friend to buy his resonator banjo I put my Harola in the wardrobe where it stayed for almost a year.

Fast forward to six months ago when I was watching a video on you tube where a brass pan was used in a banjo to give it a ‘steel guitar’ effect the pan was not secured to the pot except by the tension of the strings and four screws that were placed inside the of the pot which the pan was able to vibrate against.

I thought I might try this with my banjo so I bought a thin steel tray and not wanting to damage my banjo in any way I bent the tray around the pot and secured it with the tension hoop. The result was a really shiny and very attractive looking banjo that sounded terrible, there was no way for me to put any tension on the tray so it had little resonance and no tone.

Then one fine morning ‘Eureka’ the idea popped into my head as I was getting out of bed to use foil, not the ultra thin foil that you get on a roll but the much thicker foil that is used in disposable baking or BBQ trays.

Then that very same day as if God was watching and thought he would give me a hand my Mother in law just happen to come over with some plant cuttings that were being carried in a lovely new Aluminum baking tray. So after thanking her for the plants I took it off her and began to cut it up for my banjo.

My first attempt was an absolute success!!!! The tension that I was able to get out of the aluminum was impressive and the sound was great. I was very encouraged by this and set about trying to find another metal that would suit as aluminum although it is very malleable is also very delicate and prone to the slightest ding. A friend at work told me about ‘copper shim’ which is used in engineering and mechanical work, it is basically just very thin copper sheeting that is pliable and seems to be quite durable.

So what you see in these pictures is the final result of a very fun and alternative idea for a banjo head that is durable and relatively inexpensive.

I will send you a video or sound clip soon with me playing on it.

Sam throws his hat in the ring!

2010-08-14T17:26:00.001+10:00

Genuine, died-in-the-wool, fair dinkum, authentic and valid Aussie Frailer, Sam Rubera (bless his dear little G-string) is on a tabulating spree.

He has started by adding to our tabs, Julianne Johnson.

If you cast your eyes down the left-hand column of this page, you will see lots of good stuff, including the section labelled FREE FRAILING BANJO TABLATURES. If you click on the instruction, Click here for All Other songs, and follow the links, you will have the distinct and undeniable pleasure of seeing Sam’s brilliant tablature.

When you have downloaded a free copy of Sam’s tab, you will probably say to yourself, “Self, self, old chum, I reckon that I could knock out a few of them there tab things.”

When you do follow suit, you simply attach your tab file to an e-mail, and zap it down through the ether to aussiefrailers@gmail.com . If you have a tablature editor program, please use it, but if you can, please send the tablature either as a .pdf document or as a .jpg picture (after you have scanned it and probably reduced its size to a manageable level.) If you don’t have a tablature editor, don’t go into a frenzied fit of frustration, but do the tab as neatly as you can, and send it to the editorial team for transcription.

Thank you in anticipation.

YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU !!!

2010-08-03T13:50:00.001+10:00

Do you have a favourite number that you play on the banjo? If so, do you also sing that favourite number?

YOU DO !!! Great! Either way, please record it and send the file, either as a video or as a sound file, to aussiefrailers@gmail.com .

Have you been compiling tablatures of some of your favourite songs?

YOU HAVE !!! Wonderful! Please send a copy of the file to aussiefrailers@gmail.com . If you don’t have a tab editor program, then perhaps we can transcribe your tab for you. If you have been working on a song or two, please make sure that you include the lyrics in the corresponding parts of the tab.

Do you know of any upcoming jam sessions or folk festivals or what have you?

YOU HAVE NODDED YOUR HEAD !!! Fantastic! Please send the details to aussiefrailers@gmail.com .

Do you have an opinion that you would like to express, or a handy banjo hint that you would like to pass on to others, or a banjo question that you would like others to have a crack at answering?

YOU HAVE BEEN COGITATING ON SOMETHING !!! Terrific! Why not spell it out in a text document and send it off to aussiefrailers@gmail.com .

Hang on, now, haven’t you forgotten something?

YES, YOU MEANT TO LEAVE A COMMENT OR TWO, DIDN’T YOU !!! Stupendous! Go ahead now, and leave comments to your heart’s desire on any of the blog postings that catch your eye on this site. It is simple to do. Just left click on the word COMMENTS that appears after each posting, and a dialogue box will appear, just waiting for you to express your opinions or feelings.

THANK YOU.

Cold weather? A good laugh will warm you up!

2010-07-01T12:27:00.001+10:00

Who said that a five-string banjo couldn’t have a sense of humour?

Put your ears on, plant your feet firmly on the ground, and enjoy our staunch old mate, Greg Mabardi, in one of his serious, studious moods.

Take a Link to the Old Times

2010-06-02T14:24:00.001+10:00

It is great when an Aussie Frailer shares a discovery with others in the banjo world. Anyone viewing this blog is welcome to send in useful and interesting links.

One of our regularly viewing Aussie Frailers, Bert Graves, writes:

My first contribution to Aussie Frailers

http://timesaintliketheyusedtobe.blogspot.com/2008/11/library-of-congress-banjo-collection.html

This link is to a guy who has uploaded a heap of old timey/banjo old LP records for all to enjoy. Each lp can be fully downloaded and he has even put up pictures of the album covers and sleeves.

A Victorious Victorian

2010-05-24T17:58:00.003+10:00

Toby Fehily, one of our keen Aussie Frailers, has struck a chord in parts

southern. He writes:

The Lomond Hotel (225 Nicholson St, Brunswick East) has old-timey

sessions every Saturday from 5:30pm onwards. I popped in last Saturday

and it was fantastic. There's a very relaxed atmosphere and anyone oughtta

feel comfortable joining in. Plenty banjo players there too. I plan to
make it down there as often as I can and I reckon all the other frailers
should try to make it too!

Here's a little extra information:

http://melbourneroots.blogspot.com/2010/04/old-timey-session-lomond-hotel.html

A Wonderful Stream of Thought

2010-05-09T12:37:00.001+10:00

Our Triumph Legend, Athol, has notified us of the upcoming Karuah River of Music Festival that will run from 6 pm on Friday 14 May 2010 until dusk on Sunday 16 May 2010.

Registration is at 6 pm on the Friday, at the Karuah Pub.

For the full programme, and contact details, and all of the other information, simply follow this link:

http://www.krom.org.au/program.html

Karuah is a friendly, riverside country town, with great people. This is well worth taking your banjo to.

Karuah is situated on the old Pacific Highway, between Raymond Terrace and Bulahdelah, heading north from Newcastle, NSW.

Musical Magician Makes Spanish Senora

2010-05-06T09:01:00.001+10:00

Well, Andy, the Northern Banjo Boy, has pulled another trick out of his bag. He has, to quote his good self, taken Spanish Lady and “Finally stuck the two parts together!”

It is obvious that you are all agasp at such a mystery, so here he is with proof positive.

An early Aussie number by a current Aussie talent.

2010-05-02T08:51:00.001+10:00

Many of you will be well acquainted with the guitar playing and singing of Raymond Crooke, an Aussie who has featured on this Blog before. He has a repertoire that challenges the number of galaxies in the universe.

One of Raymond’s latest releases is The Exile of Erin by John McGarvie.

John McGarvie, like Raymond Crooke, was a truly multi-talented fellow. Among other things, he was a Presbyterian Minister, and he arrived in the colony of New South Wales on the good ship Greenock in 1826, whereupon he was appointed as the first ordained minister of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. He remained there until 1830, then went on to contribute broadly to the colony.

The Ebenezer Church was built by six families who had arrived from England aboard the Coramandel in 1802, and seven other families who settled at Portland Head on the upper reaches of the Hawksbury River. It is the oldest continuously serving church in Australia, and the oldest extant schoolhouse in Australia. It opened as a church in 1809 and then also as a school in 1810.

So, here is Raymond bringing us a wonderful early Aussie song.

Andy teaches triplet tricks.

2010-04-28T18:49:00.001+10:00

Andy, our Northern Banjo Boy from the Old Dart, breathes life into the Spanish Lady with some help from Ken Perlman.

“Andy” River Belle

2010-04-25T21:45:00.001+10:00

No doubt, you will have all taken the trouble to scroll down to the bottom of this page to Our Blog List, and gone off into the ether to visit the Blog of Andy at Northern Banjo Boy.

Well, Andy has been working on Spanish Lady, one of the numbers in Ken Perlman’s Celtic & New England Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo. Some terrible person from this Aussie Frailers Blog has been harping at Andy to record that number. Andy has not recorded it yet, but has graced us with his rendition of Sandy River Belle. Thank you, Andy.

For all those who op aroun wiv a log on their toes!

2010-04-21T08:35:00.001+10:00

Let’s get the blood streaming through our arteries again, with a rollicking good tune from the indomitable Greg Mabardi.

This time, he sings the old convict transportee song, Botany Bay.

Let me introduce you to Betty.

2010-04-17T15:10:00.001+10:00

I recently assumed custody of two old banjo-mandolins, that belonged to, and were played by, the couple who lived next door to us about fifty years ago. In honour of the neighbours with whom we had enjoyed many a sing-along, I have named the banjo-mandolins “Joe” and “Betty.”

Both instruments were made by the British firm of George Houghton & Sons, and bear the GH&S trade mark. Joe is a “Melody Major” model, and Betty is a “Model 75.” They were both endowed with natural animal skin heads. Joe’s is in passable condition, and whilst both were still playable, Betty’s head was broken away around half of its circumference. Having never changed the head of any member of the banjo family, let alone a natural skin head, I decided that I should follow one of the links given on this very Blog site. So, I contacted the Banjo Brothers, Leon and Peter, whose details you can see over in the left-hand column, if you swivel your gaze over there for a second. Betty has now enjoyed a rather lengthy return trip to Melbourne from Sydney, and now very proudly sports her new head. (Some of my friends have been harping at me for decades to get myself a new head, and now I can see the merit in what they have been saying.)

Here is what Betty now looks like after her head change. Of course, her head is still made of natural animal skin.

Look at that skin. Isn’t she beautiful? Even motley skin can be very attractive! If you let your mind go blank, and just gaze dreamily at Betty’s head, you can see anything that your fertile imagination can conjure. Who needs to look up at the clouds to dream, when they can look at a Banjo Brothers brand-new head!

You’ve read the book, now see the movie

2010-04-07T08:45:00.001+10:00

For those who follow Patrick and Dear Old Dad’s site at Daily Frail, you will no doubt have heard PeeBee Guttenburg’s sound file of his song, Bridge of Peace. Well, PeeBee has now made it into a video, using material that was already in the public domain.

PeeBee writes:

I was 12 years old Vietnam was happening.I got myself an Army camo-jacket sewed on a peace patch and tied a tie dye scarf around my arm .I was Hendrix -I was political -I was a PROTESTER.
Johnny and I went down to the Marine base to stand outside chanting a "Uncle Ho" chant and throwing cherries(?) at the guard.Finally he leveled his M14 at us and screamed "F*** you-you little jerks!!"-we ran and we saw another soldier rush up and stand between us and him waving his arms.
That was the sum total of my Vietnam-what a little jerk I was.

Now, a word of warning: Below this contribution by PeeBee, you will find another of his contributions, Breakdown Buick Blues. That sound file generally auto-starts. If that happens, you will need to turn that sound file OFF and then turn this video ON.

A Tale of Woe from Long Ago

2010-04-03T09:57:00.001+11:00

Here is a note and a great contribution from PeeBee Guttenberg. Many of you will be acquainted with PeeBee as a contributor to dailyfrail.com.

Hi Cedric and the Aussie Frailers-here's a sample of the stuff I do.

"Brokedown Buick Blues" It's based on a real incident when I was much younger of being stuck on the highway after a cheap first car (they always cost you a FORTUNE in repairs in the end) coughed and died after just a few hundred miles.

This song has harmonica and slide banjo and a not too subtle nod to the great blues song "Ragged and Dirty" of which my favorite version is by the Aussie Hokum Blueser -C.W. Stoneking. Hope you like it PeeBee

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet !

2010-03-26T11:56:00.002+11:00

If you are looking for a great resource site for clawhammer (alias frailing) banjo then here is one for you.

It is a site that is run by David Payne in the UK, and its address is:

CLAWHAMMER BANJO TAB

Now if you are subject to the occasional wee little memory lapse, don’t worry. All you have to do is to scroll down to the bottom of this page, where you will see our section labelled SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE WEB SITES. You will find David listed there, together with other sites that are well and truly worth regular visits.

When did global heating start?

2010-03-22T17:19:00.001+11:00

Have a good listen to Greg Mabardi’s rendition of Augathella Station, and venture a guess as to whether things were “cooler” in the old days. (We’re talking here about the climate, and not the ladies!)

Get your picks and shovels ready….

2010-03-19T08:53:00.001+11:00

P.B. “PeeBee” Guttenburg, a very talented contributor to Dear Old Dad and Patrick Costello’s Daily Frail Blog, has made a kind offer:

If any of you Aussie Frailers would like to download my feeble attempts go to
http://peebeeguttenburg.posterous.com/
where there’s a load of free songs to ” strip mine”-help yerselves-

Keep on Pluckin’
your old “mucca”

PeeBee

COME WHAT MAY

2010-03-18T09:53:00.001+11:00

May 2010 will be a month that kicks off the activities to be offered on this Blog.

So far, we have two offerings for May, that have been advertised on this Blog.

1 – 10 May Scroll down to see the notice that Steve Cooper from the UK will be visiting on the Gold Coast, and would welcome a jam. Let’s show him what good old Aussie hospitality is about. Send an e-mail to AussieFrailers@gmail.com to be put in touch with Steve.

21 – 23 May Scroll down just a bit, to see the notice about the weekend Pickathon that Wendy Holman is organising at Imbil in Queensland. Follow the link, there, to Wendy’s Fingerstyle Blog to make arrangements. Talk to any Aussie Frailer who has been to one of Wendy’s get-togethers, and you will surely get fired up.

PICKATHON in Sunny Queensland

2010-03-16T15:29:00.001+11:00

Many of you will have already followed the general link to Wendy Holman’s Fingerstyle Productions (to be found in the left-hand column of this Blog.) For those of you who have not yet made this great excursion, now is your big chance.

Wendy has the following good news to announce:

I'm organising a weekend pick (bluegrass and old timey) at Imbil (1 hour north of Nambour) 21-23 May 2009.

Participants only. BYO everything.

All will be made clear in the info on the Fingerstyle website. If not, please ask.

http://blog.fingerstyle.com.au/imbil_pickathon.html

All the best, and really good layout on the blog.

Cheers

Wendy Holman

FINGERSTYLE

(07) 5476 1955

Toby Fehily Struts His Strings

2010-03-15T14:49:00.001+11:00

Here is what Toby has to say:

I've decided to bite the bullet and send in a video I made of me having a stab at Darlin' Nellie Gray. It's Brad Leftwich's arrangement of Kyle Creed's version of the tune from his book "Roundpeak Style Clawhammer Banjo" (great book!)

It was one of the first clawhammer tunes I ever heard and really got me inspired to continue practising at the banjo back in October last year when I was starting out. I was intimidated by the high quality frailers on your site already, but figured I shouldn't be so shy and if I posted, it should encourage other newbies to show what they're up to too. Its still a bit sloppy and the rhythm is completely all over the place, but I really just wanted to share something with the Aussie Frailers. Also, I haven't reneged on my promise - I'm still working on a tab and trying to get my scanner working so I can send it around. I've narrowed it down to my arrangements of Whiskey Before Breakfast, Boatman's Dance or Cold Chisel's Khe Sanh - got any preferences out of those three?

Hope you're well,

- Toby

P.s. It's in a strange key, capoed up to the 8th fret (I think!). I was playing along to some Bascom Lamar Lunsford tunes and forgot to take the capo off. Just letting you know in case you were wondering why my banjo sounds so high-pitched!

Northern Path Sweeper

2010-03-14T09:30:00.001+11:00

It certainly doesn’t take a Northerner long to respond to a call-to-arms.

You may well think that this contribution is a great rendition of Sandy River Belle by the very talented Northern Banjo Boy. Well, you are forgiven if you did think that. However, it is actually a declaration by Mrs Northern Banjo Boy regarding how she has to do all the work while His Nibs does all the playing. As you keep one eye on the brilliant left hand up and down the neck, keep the other eye on the window.

Seriously, though, enjoy the Northern Banjo Boy’s playing, and, at some stage, scroll down to the bottom of this page, where you will find a link to his Blog.

Let’s Have Those Contributions

2010-03-13T12:31:00.001+11:00

You can’t hold an Aussie down (or back) for long.

You can’t hold a frailer down at all.

So, this Aussie Frailer is now back in business.

Please send videos of your latest performances, and sound files of your hints, or practical advice, or viewpoints on things banjoish, musical or whatever, and documents of your compositions, and song tabulations.

I am waiting with bated breath for a deluge of fresh material that can be posted here.

Jack does it again!

2010-03-03T11:30:00.000+11:00

What a multi-cultural musical world we live in!

Here is Jack, a Yorkshireman who lives in Kent, playing the de facto national anthem of Australia, Wlatzing Matilda.

The music of this song was written by Marie Cowan and the lyrics were written by the famous Aussie poet, Andrew Barton Paterson who was better known by his pen-name, The Banjo. His pen-name, however, was not derived from our favourite musical instrument, but was actually the name of a racehorse!

Attention all Queenslanders

2010-02-20T08:54:00.001+11:00

This could be a

BIG BREAK for

BANANA BENDER

BANJO BASHERS

From 1st to 10th May 2010,

Steve Cooper,

from the UK, will be visiting Australia on his honeymoon.

As well as bringing his lovely bride, Steve will be bringing his other sweetheart, his banjo. They will all be staying with relatives at Carrara, on the Gold Coast of south-eastern Queensland.

During his stay, Steve would like to jam with any Aussie Frailers, and could make a bit of a bus trip to do so.

If you can offer some genuine banjo hospitality to Steve, by way of joining him in a jam, then please e-mail him, care of

aussiefrailers@gmail.com

We all love a rollicking good shanty

2010-02-17T15:06:00.001+11:00

One of our foundation members, Greg “Mumbles” Mabardi has quite a few of his performances on YouTube. As well, he has tablatures that are available here on this Blog for free download.

Here, we feature Greg’s rendition of that old favourite that would get anyone, drunk or sober, joining in. It is South Australia.

No matter how carefully you listen to Greg singing, you will still be left wondering how he ever earned the nickname of Mumbles.

Who says that size counts!!

2010-02-14T16:00:00.001+11:00

Let’s see what the marvellous George Formby can do with his pocket-sized member of the banjo family.

Look how handsome Aussie Frailers can be !!

2010-02-07T14:32:00.001+11:00

The prolific Bill Rollins promised us that he would show us his aesthetically pleasing physiognomy if we all became active. Well, he is carrying out his part of the bargain !!

Here is our fabulous frailer with his rendition of Sally Ann.

Bill Rollins brings home the dough with “Angeline the Baker”

2010-02-01T12:34:00.001+11:00

Here is another video of Bill frailing away to his heart’s content.

Bill has promised that if we all become active enough on this Blog, in his next contribution, he will actually let us see the face lies behind the fingers that deftly bring his banjo to life.

A traditional Australian song from Raymond Crooke

2010-01-28T17:53:00.001+11:00

Raymond Crooke is an Aussie with an aim to promote folk music.

He sings to guitar, but is also accomplished at fiddle. To say that his repertoire is huge, would be an absolute understatement. He sings in numerous languages, and has promoted folk songs from many different cultures. It is well worth a visit to YouTube just to see Raymond's contribution.

Here is Raymond's rendition of Lachlan Tigers, a traditional Australian song about top shearers.

For those of you who can take a challenge as the Lachlan Tigers did, then get out your pencils and your music manuscript books, and do a tablature of this song for frailing/clawhammer banjo. Then, have the tab loaded onto this blog, and you will have added to Raymond's effort to promote folk music.

Something nice to listen to

2010-01-27T08:58:00.001+11:00

There is no doubt about the Victorians; they like to see themselves as the leaders, and they like to actually be the leaders.

In fact, though, we are very much indebted to Bill Rollins of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, for taking the honours with his rendition of Spotted Pony.

WANTED -- Everyone’s a STAR, everyone’s a WINNER !

2010-01-24T17:23:00.001+11:00

We are now set up to show the world what you can do.

If you have something already on YouTube, please e-mail the YouTube link.

If you are a techno-whiz-kid, and you have made an .MP4 video clip of yourself enjoying your favourite stringed instrument, then provided that it isn’t longer than ten minutes (preferably much shorter) send an e-mail to arrange a file transfer (such as by SendSpace.)

Similarly, if you have made a sound file of you and your favourite banjo or one of its relatives in .MP3 format, please attach it to an e-mail.

If you have gone to the trouble of tabbing out one of your favourite numbers, and you would like to share the tab with others, then put it into .PDF format and attach it to an e-mail. It can be traditional Aussie stuff, or anything else that takes your fancy.

Tablatures of traditional Aussie songs for banjos, and particularly for 5-string open-back banjos, are really few and far between. Why not pick yourself out a couple of numbers, and set to work to make them just a smidgen less rare.

If you have long entertained the fancy that you would make a better journalist than Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen, then please feel free to submit your reams of copy via e-mail. However, the subject matter should be in some way relevant to banjos and banjoists (or their second cousins once-removed.)

Don’t hold back, now -- GO FOR IT !!

Welcome to all devotees of the 5-string, open back banjo

2010-01-19T18:05:00.001+11:00

Whilst this site serves as a focus for Australian banjoists, particularly those who frail (that is, those who play in the clawhammer style) we welcome anybody who has an interest in that style. We also welcome the players of other folk instruments, including the oldest of all musical instruments, the human voice.

We hope to be able to advertise venues and times of folk festivals and even small group jam sessions.

As well, we would like to make banjo tablatures available to all.

Most importantly, we hope that this blog site will serve to allow Aussie Frailers to get to know one another and perhaps to be able to get together to jam and to share ideas and encouragement.

If you would like to submit ideas for the site, tablatures, hints, general information, or perhaps a lesson or two to assist beginning players, then please contact us by e-mail at the address shown in the left-hand side bar.