haiku - Posted - 09/14/2008:  05:40:17

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An old minor tune - one of my favorite tune to play!

Said to be originated with the Hammonds family from WV,i t's a 3 or 4 parts tune, with a key change from A-Dorian to A-major in the C part (and possibly D part)

I usually play it ABCB', where B' is a slight variation of B, and with the C part played half-minor / half-major.
Here's my rendition:
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...sp?id=13463#

And here's some more traditional versions on Youtube:

A banjo solo by FrostyMorn:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEf7gBT8eNY

A fiddle/banjo duet by the guys of the Black and Tan String band:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=S_npUT0gXmM

A multi-instrument workshop jam:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=iiItypAoye0

And of course Zepp's video:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp2ddwLIF0Y

You can find mp3s here:

The Chinkapin Hunters' version:
http://www.archive.org/details/Chinkapin_Hunters

Joel Mabus' version:
http://www.joelmabus.com/falls_of_richmond_mp3.htm

And of course on the BHO jukebox (but I can't check on them right now, due to a computer problem...)

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Good infos about the tune on ibiblio.org:
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FACE_FAO.htm (scroll down)

Where we learn that the title is indeed "FallS of Richmond", on the plural form.
It probably refers to the " falls of the James, marking the farthest navigable point on the James river, leading to the development of Richmond", instead of the "1865 capitulation (or "fall") of the capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil War"

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Here is Dwight Diller's tab for the tune (Sawmill Tuning)
http://www.banjohangout.org/tabnew/...mond-685.gif

Here's Don Borchelt's tab, I think it's for Thumb-lead style, in gDGAD.
http://www.banjr.com/pdf%20files/fa...richmond.pdf

Have fun!

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Folk music is not a crime!
http://www.myspace.com/hobohaiku

Loo P. - Posted - 09/14/2008:  07:27:49

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Thanks for all the links haiku. It's one of my favorites too. I still prefer to call it Fall of Richmond though :)

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Edited by - Loo P. on 09/16/2008 04:16:28

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 09/14/2008:  07:50:28

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One of my favorite modal tunes. Don't you all love sliding from the first to second fret on the second string twice, quickly? Makes me want to slide on all the strings when I hear how cool it sounds.

Anyone who wants to volunteer for OCTOBER and beyond for a song of the week? September is filled - looking for some great new tunes, but I need a list of helpful folks to fill in the blanks of the calendar. I'll take volunteers through the end of December, 2008.

Don't be shy - send me an email if you are willing to introduce a tune to the rest of this group.

Judy (inquiry@siliconheights.com)

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Have you visited the Tune of The Week area
for clawhammer players? Check it out on The
Banjo Hangout! Volunteer to do a tune for
October by emailing me at inquiry@siliconheights.com.

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 09/14/2008:  07:54:23

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There was a discussion last April about Falls of Richmond. The link is shown below:

http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=114167

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Have you visited the Tune of The Week area
for clawhammer players? Check it out on The
Banjo Hangout! Volunteer to do a tune for
October by emailing me at inquiry@siliconheights.com.

pernicketylad - Posted - 09/14/2008:  08:04:25

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Thoroughly enjoyed your rendition!The modal shifts really give it an eastern sound.....great playing,great drive!Got carried away listening to it!What kind of banjo did you play it on?
All the best!

There are three types of people in the world.....those who can count and those who can''t!

J-Walk - Posted - 09/14/2008:  08:22:47

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quote:

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Don't you all love sliding from the first to second fret on the second string twice, quickly?

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Yes, I do! How did you know that?

My favorite version of this tune is by Bob Carlin. At the end of the A section, he plays it differently than every other version I've heard. I've taken the liberty of posting a 10-second clip so you can hear it. Oh, and I also like that cluck.

And I don't care what anyone say, I will always call it "The Fall of Richmond."

g-hog - Posted - 09/14/2008:  08:48:14

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I absolutely love this tune. It seems very melancholy, pensive, moody, impressionistic, you could say, because for me at least, it changes with my exact state of mind at any given moment.

Although I don't claim to be any sort of banjo expert or knowledgeable about banjo, I do play this, and could probably put up many-mooded versions of this on youtube for every day of the week... but I think that might be boring to everybody except for myself...

Anyway... I call it Fall of Richmond, and I play it something like this, although however i feel like playing it at any given moment... I love the tune... it's really ... sorta dark and mysterious... solemn and kinda spooky or something...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ktWmo771E

I planned to put up more youtubes of my versions of things like this when my new Cloverlick banjo came in... but looks like he's been very delayed by lots of trouble and won't get back to catching up with orders until November...besides that my camera is no good and we have a new computer that I can't seem to get the hang of making videos look/sound good with... so ... this quality, the last batch of videos I did with the new computer... lousy quality... no new banjo either... ugh... anyway... for now... I'm linking to my own Fall of Richmond, for whatever it's worth to anyone else who feels like watching how I felt about Falls of Richmond on that particular summer morning a few months back. I hope to get my issues figgered out soon and get up some more youtubes at some point...it's fun to do that, since nobody around here is interested in banjo much.

haiku - Posted - 09/14/2008:  08:55:54

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I sorry G-hog, I meant to link to your videos as well, but it must have skipped my mind - I really like the cool background!

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Folk music is not a crime!
http://www.myspace.com/hobohaiku

olbap - Posted - 09/14/2008:  11:32:03

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J'aime beaucoup ton extrait. C'est super.

g-hog - Posted - 09/15/2008:  10:06:53

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Oh gosh, don't be sorry, Haiku... I don't ever expect anybody to link to my videos, and often feel ridiculous doing it myself. I didn't expect you to include mine in with all those others that are so well played...I just got excited and linked to it because I just love the tune so much... but it's not really any big deal to throw mine in there, I mean, not any big deal for anyone to have to see to compare, etc., when there are so many good banjoists out there playing these tunes. But for me, The Fall of Richmond is just an absolutely bone-chilling, really great tune!

RWJones1970 - Posted - 09/16/2008:  04:31:37

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*** Dwight Diller plays the finest version I have ever heard....definitely my favorite. G-Hog you do an absolutely fantastic version of the tune. You have that Diller rhythm going nicely. I have enjoyed watching all your videos on you tube. Your a fine banjo player. I have tried to get my versions of The Fall Of Richmond to have that strong Diller rhythm but I miss the mark. I think I am going to try to play a nicer version on Nylgut. Not too happy with the one I recently posted.

g-hog - Posted - 09/16/2008:  05:46:52

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Thanks for those very kind words. I skipped over to your page on b-hangout to have a listen and your versions of Fall of Richmond sound really nice... I loved listening to them. The Nylgut version is especially well done...you're gonna put another one up?

I see you have lots of stuff up there to listen to... great... Now I know what I'll be doing during my lunch hour today!!!! Stir-fry leftovers, lotsa coffee, and lotsa banjo tunes! Lookin' forward to that!

I really need to poke around and listen to other people's stuff they've got up here too...hopefully one of these days...

ponty - Posted - 09/16/2008:  13:04:09

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G-Hog,
I just saw your you tube clip. That was really nicely played. Lots of drive and energy.
I like this tune!

Sola Scriptura, Sola Christo,

haiku - Posted - 09/16/2008:  13:18:03

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quote:

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Originally posted by pernicketylad

Thoroughly enjoyed your rendition!The modal shifts really give it an eastern sound.....great playing,great drive!Got carried away listening to it!What kind of banjo did you play it on?

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Thanks - I'm playing a Deering Goodtime

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Folk music is not a crime!
http://www.myspace.com/hobohaiku

black flag - Posted - 09/16/2008:  14:37:26

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My favorite version of The Falls I learned from Blanton Owen and is in gDGBD (or A).

Tune it all you want--at the end of the day it''s still a banjo.

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 09/17/2008:  07:52:33

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Still looking for October Tune of the Week volunteers. Not all weeks are taken - please let me know if you will assist with this ongoing endeavor.

Those who have already done a tune of the week will get additional chances to share their favorites, but for now, it would be ideal to get NEW folks to assist.

So, please email inquiry@siliconheights.com if you are willing and able to do a tune of the week in October.

Thanks in advance - Judy

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Have you visited the Tune of The Week area
for clawhammer players? Check it out on The
Banjo Hangout! Volunteer to do a tune for
October by emailing me at inquiry@siliconheights.com.

RaiseTheHatchet - Posted - 10/15/2008:  12:09:35

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"One of my favorite modal tunes. Don't you all love sliding from the first to second fret on the second string twice, quickly? Makes me want to slide on all the strings when I hear how cool it sounds."

When do you come across that? learning the dwight diller version on here

haiku - Posted - 10/15/2008:  12:34:39

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quote:

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Originally posted by RaiseTheHatchet
When do you come across that? learning the dwight diller version on here

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On most version, that would be on the very first note of the B part I guess (a quick "phantom" slide 1->2 on the 2d string when on sawmill Tuning)

-----
Folk music is not a crime!
http://www.myspace.com/hobohaiku

Boyd1 - Posted - 10/15/2008:  13:45:33

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I love this tune too. I don't have any time right now, but I'm going to look closely this weekend. Thank you!

***************************
Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

Boyd1 - Posted - 10/16/2008:  10:05:37

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I found a little time. I've always played this in Sawmill gDGCD. I listened to and enjoyed your version in gGDGD. I have looked back at the other thread and people have also proposed gDGDD, gDGGD, gDGAD and gDGBD. Does anyone have any insights as to the advantages of one tuning over the others? For example, gGDGD obviously offers that rolling thunder bass string.

Also, I am slightly disappointed to see some actual evidence that the song is correctly called Falls of Richmond. I chose a long time ago to call it Fall of Richmond. I've created an image in my head that goes with the song. The army is leaving behind a burning city.

Aw shucks, water is prettier than fire.

***************************
Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

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Edited by - Boyd1 on 10/16/2008 10:09:03

rteale - Posted - 10/16/2008:  21:49:14

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quote:

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Originally posted by BANJOJUDY

One of my favorite modal tunes. Don't you all love sliding from the first to second fret on the second string twice, quickly? Makes me want to slide on all the strings when I hear how cool it sounds.

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...What !!! waddya mean.. Oh no !! I dont do it like that ;-)

The last time I felt like this was walking out of a history exam realising that I'd been spelling "medieval" wrong for years.


Anyway ... Judy you might have to provide a bit of info for the slow ones at the back. I'm assuming you slide up to the second fret twice (in sawmill) on the first bar of the B part - is that right? where a plainer version might play a count of 4 on the 'D/E' note.

Thanks

Ray

Boyd1 - Posted - 10/17/2008:  09:00:31

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Bad spellers untie!!!

***************************
Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

harvey - Posted - 01/13/2009:  12:53:41

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I'm liking this tune a lot -- currently playing a version based on the Diller tab provided by Haiku above.

Can you explain, Haiku (or anyone else for that matter) how you get to the gGDGD tuning you like to use for this piece? Do you just tune strings 1-4 down? That makes for some very floppy strings!

Cheers

cashwo_wv - Posted - 01/13/2009:  13:10:56

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Here are some friends playing the tune how I play it at Allegheny Echoes in 2007. I wish I could have been there but I was last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiItypAoye0

------------------------------
Chad Ashworth

haiku - Posted - 01/13/2009:  13:36:58

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quote:

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Originally posted by harvey

Can you explain, Haiku (or anyone else for that matter) how you get to the gGDGD tuning you like to use for this piece? Do you just tune strings 1-4 down? That makes for some very floppy strings!

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I tune strings 2-4 down.

From G tuning gDGBD:
1string stay the same, D
2d string is tuned down to G
3rd string is tuned down to D (one octave lower than the 1st string - it's same D as the 4th string in gDGBD)
4th string is tuned down to G (one octave lower than the 2nd string)
5th string stay the same, g.

You're right about sloppiness - I have medium strings on my banjo, light string would be too loose.
Even with medium strings, the 4th string is a tad bit sloppy, but I seldom fret it in this tuning (it acts like a low drone)
If I had many banjos, i'd keep one with heavy bass strings for this kind of low tunings...

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One can''t have too many drones!

http://fr.youtube.com/user/haikumathieu
http://www.myspace.com/hobohaiku

harvey - Posted - 01/15/2009:  11:47:44

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thanks Haiku. I do like the tuning. I've been trying aAEAE, without using a capo, to keep the strings a little firmer.