rodgersjohn - Posted - 05/13/2009:  19:22:34

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Does anyone know the tuning Roscoe uses on a song called Willow Tree? I can't find anything about the song. No lyrics, no nothing. Any help?

My true love''s a blue-eyed daisy,
She won''t come and I''m too lazy.

Chris Berry - Posted - 05/13/2009:  22:27:15

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Regular G tuning.

BRUNO25 - Posted - 05/14/2009:  03:34:34

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Roscoe's one of my favorites and I can't ever find any info on any of the songs he plays anywhere. Man! that's frustrating.

It''s noon somewhere!

mwc9725e - Posted - 05/14/2009:  05:12:33

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quote:

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Originally posted by rodgersjohn

Does anyone know the tuning Roscoe uses on a song called Willow Tree? I can't find anything about the song. No lyrics, no nothing. Any help?

My true love''s a blue-eyed daisy,
She won''t come and I''m too lazy.

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His lyrics don't seem to be easy to find. What I did was to do it the old fashioned ( before the web ) way --- play the recording bit by bit and write down the lyrics. I may still have them, I'm really not sure, it's been a few years. If I find them, and you still need them, maybe I can just email them.

Here's the lyrics as I remember them. Keep in mind that Holcomb wasn't careful about his enunciation, so a few things here are my best guess of what he said. But anyway, that's how the folk process has always worked, right?

If I was a little sparrow,
had little wings and I could fly,
I'd light beside my own true lover,
and if any came courtin'
I'd be by.

And if I was a little swallow,
had little wings and I could fly,
Id light in the arms of my own true lover,
and there I'd sit
til the day I die.

I'd rather be a weeping willow,
weep for weeks, for months and years.
then I wouldn't be nothin' but a weeping willow,
and all I'd drink would be my tears.

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Edited by - mwc9725e on 05/14/2009 05:19:02

chip arnold - Posted - 05/14/2009:  07:46:02

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Here is a resource for lyrics to a ton of songs. More folk than American old time but really a lot of stuff.
http://www.mudcat.org/

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Take what is given
Give what is taken

Chip Arnold

whyteman - Posted - 05/14/2009:  17:33:40

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I'm glad to hear others love this song too. I think it's one of Ros' best recordings; notice his little "phew" at the end?

Roscoe note: I don't listen to my Roscoe Cds too much. Don't have to. I've found that after you hear them a few times, they are "burned into your mind" permanently and perfectly. Hard to explain. I imagine that those who knew him life have an even more intense feeling concerning this little phenomena.

"Married Life Blues" evokes a similar feeling in me as Weeping Willow.

Final note: The first two verses of "Willow" have some similarities to an Irish Folk song, "Singing Bird". The final verse is a departure, making it unique to me.

Don.

Haul off your overcoat and roll up your sleeve.

rodgersjohn - Posted - 05/14/2009:  22:08:23

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quote:

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Originally posted by whyteman

I'm glad to hear others love this song too. I think it's one of Ros' best recordings; notice his little "phew" at the end?

Roscoe note: I don't listen to my Roscoe Cds too much. Don't have to. I've found that after you hear them a few times, they are "burned into your mind" permanently and perfectly. Hard to explain. I imagine that those who knew him life have an even more intense feeling concerning this little phenomena.

"Married Life Blues" evokes a similar feeling in me as Weeping Willow.

Final note: The first two verses of "Willow" have some similarities to an Irish Folk song, "Singing Bird". The final verse is a departure, making it unique to me.

Don.

Haul off your overcoat and roll up your sleeve.

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Yea I can hear Roscoe's tunes in my head all the time. I have noticed that PHEW at the end. It kinda made me chuckle the first time I heard it.

My true love''s a blue-eyed daisy,
She won''t come and I''m too lazy.

BRUNO25 - Posted - 05/18/2009:  17:24:32

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I learned Willow Garden the other day. My version anyway. Found chords in G in a thread on the BHO. Still didn't sound right. So I took my tuner and let it pick up notes. I don't know if he did it intentionally, or if it was just the recording, but it was down a half step from G. This phenomenon can make picking out tunes very difficult sometimes.

It''s noon somewhere!

Chris Berry - Posted - 05/18/2009:  21:21:31

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Old-time musicians (whether country, blues, etc.) often tuned to something other than concert pitch. The trick is not to rely on the notes, but to learn to recognize the different "atmospheres" (to borrow Wade Ward's expression) of the tunings. It takes some experience of listening and playing, but isn't terribly difficult (unless someone's using a very odd tuning indeed).

Let me offer some tips -- listen for the lowest note in the piece -- this will usually be the open 4th string -- and listen to the drone and try to figure out the relationships between these notes and also between these notes and the keynote (tonic) of the song. The tonic is (usually) the note the song ends on (some songs like Willie Moore end on the dominant or V note, which in G would be a D, but that's pretty obvious to the ear).

If the low note, the open 4th, is the same as or an octave lower than the keynote, chances are that you're hearing some kind of variation on C or D tuning (including Reuben tuning). If it's a fifth off, you're probably in a G or A tuning. If it's something totally different, good luck (although you're probably in some kind of modal tuning). Then listen to the drone -- same or an octave higher than tonic? Then probably G or A tuning; if it's a fifth or a third off, probably C or D tuning. At least you'll have a start, and then the actual pitch will probably help you some. If the tune is in G# and sounds really bright, you're probably in G tuning tuned up -- if it has a low, gut string feel, you're probably in C tuned way down.

Also, is there any point in the tune where an open string chord is played? If so, is it major, minor, modal or just plain weird? All of these can help.
Chris