Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Anyone wanna help me get the timing down for this tune

#1

I am trying to learn how to play this song out of the Book Disney songs for Mandolin, by Hal Leonard

I am having an issue getting the timing down on the second line that is E7 “worries and your strife” i understand timing and all that but i cant seem to set my speed right on this part. In other words i cannot “feel” the natural swing to it as i play it. Even when i slow down my metronome. Its almost like the slower i play it the more difficult it is to really get that “feel” for it. But too fast and I cant keep up with it. I am hoping someone can play those first two lines so I can hear it and have a reference to go by. If you can help, thanks! I haven’t spent much time on it yet; honestly, being a little lazy, but thats what forum friends are for right?

And just for info, i got this book on the Everand subscription which gives you access to thousands of audio and e books and pdf’s and sheet music, pretty cool resource for study. I don’t make money from them, just thought it was cool.

barenec

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#2

I’m no mandolin but I’d just simple skip the &'s and play 1 2 3 4 instead of 1& 2& 3& 4& until I’m familiar and quick enough to try out the &'s on the E7 measure. :wink: The & notes may simply be the bass note Ab for the E7 chord??

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#3

Hi @Just_James James I am not a mandolin player but I find it helps me learn a banjo tune just to listen and try to play along. It doesn’t work 100% but it does help me find a path to follow.

Check out this arrangement

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#4

Thanks @JohnM . I’ve been doing that to get the idea of the rhythm but adding those extra notes is just really throwing me for a loop haha. The subtle timing difference is what’s getting me. I know it’s 4/4, but this particular riff, I know, is gonna have a natural swing sound to it that is more of a feel than a count if u know what I mean. I’m reminded of a small riff in the guitar lesson in Devils dream. On the count , the riff was simple and stilted. But as I heard @BanjoBen play it, it had very slight sustain/slide/and pause that all happened rapidly that made the short 6 notes really have a swinging feel to it. I heard it once and was able to pick the riff intricacies all up by ear. So I’m hoping to get that here. But I’m sure it will come if I keep at it.

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#5

Thanks @Archie. I have used this for other parts in this song. This guy is great! The part he plays for that particular section is just different enough sounding to me to not be helpful haha. Dang! It is a great cover though.

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#6

Maybe you just need to hear someone else play it? See if this helps.

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#7

Maybe this’ll help…!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MryUodGkls

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#8

Maybe I misunderstood. Are you trying to learn the chords for singing, or the actual music notation on the sheet you posted?

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#9

@Mark_Rocka no problemo. I was talking about the notation. But it was still helpful to hear the chords played through. Sounded great.

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#10

@Lucy_L thank you so much! That’s exactly what I needed! It was helpful to hear the 2 measures after too. Sounds like that was more my timing issue. I was making trying to slide into that next measure more complicated than it was. Thank you again so much :hugs:

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#11

@Lucy_L I have a follow up question. And I know it comes down to maybe preference but I noticed in the tablature for one section it sounds a little off (pictured below), and it ends on a B note. But the chord is a G. The youtube video posted above, the guy performing the piece changes this part slightly and it ends on a G note (pictured below). It sounds better and more lively like the rest of the song. Is there a musical reason why the composer of the tablature would pick that riff instead of the one that “sounds” right? Is this personal choice or is there some type of jazzy musical theory at play here that makes us lowly amateurs feel inept in the wake of its musical science? Thanks again for ur help. The song is coming together nice for me. @JohnM @Archie @Mark_Rocka @Jake I’m interested in ur thoughts too as this can apply to any instrument or song really.

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#12

This is way above my pay grade @Just_James I am sure some of the younger student’s can help you solve this one. It’s got me pretty licked (pun intended)

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#13

:laughing:

#14

@Just_James, Let me take a stab at it. The melody note correctly ends in G (ending note for “life” is G i.e. 5th note D string) as the key is G. However, some improvisation is done between the ending note and the start of next stanza (or chorus). C-chord notes are used for that improvisation that ends in C in preparation of the stanza that starts with a slide from F# to G. That part you can make it up as you’d like as it is done in the second picture if it fits.

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#15

It makes musical sense because in that moment, you’re in a C chord, and 2nd string 3rd fret is a C note.

If I’m reading it right, it’s just a turn around lick played over G and C chords to get you into the next verse.

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