captbanjo - Posted - 04/01/2016:  05:29:38

Here is the first of two tunes for April. It is a well-known hornpipe called Harvest Home.  I consider this something of a beginner tune and that may be because it was one of the first Irish tunes I ever learned. In fact, the video of me playing it on my then brand new Deering banjo is the first Irish tune video I ever recorded a few years ago:

youtu.be/7Z6ow8P0DrM

For a  different  perspective, here is a fiddle version:

youtu.be/B9aUAOZj_n0

Have fun!

Wayne

bhniko - Posted - 04/01/2016:  10:48:55

That Deering Calico sounds as if it is totally happy being in your lap. Nice, clear picking.

captbanjo - Posted - 04/01/2016:  12:48:01

Thanks bh.

I enjoy hornpipes. They are so tuneful and loaded with triplets, usually as part of the melody. Harvest Home is a great exercise for getting triplets in a descending pattern from the first string to the third.

Wayne

BobGooday - Posted - 04/03/2016:  08:07:25

Hi all,

I got my first tenor banjo about a month ago so I'm new to the instrument, and to banjohangout. Looking forward to learning some new tunes each month. I had a go at making a video of me playing Harvest Home this afternoon (also my first time making a video), all comments greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Bob

VIDEO: Harvest Home - Tenor banjo
(click to view)

 

captbanjo - Posted - 04/03/2016:  08:39:33

Excellent Bob! I'm assuming you play other instruments? Who is playing the guitar? 

 Nice job! 

 By the way, I'm a size 10.  😀

Wayne

quote:

---

Originally posted by BobGooday

 

Hi all,



I got my first tenor banjo about a month ago so I'm new to the instrument, and to banjohangout. Looking forward to learning some new tunes each month. I had a go at making a video of me playing Harvest Home this afternoon (also my first time making a video), all comments greatly appreciated.



Cheers

Bob

---

BobGooday - Posted - 04/03/2016:  08:56:43

  banjohangout.org/global/ckedit.../icon.png) center no-repeat #ff0000;cursor:pointer;background-size: 9px 10px;top:-1px;-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 2px 2px;border-radius:0px 0px 2px 2px" title="Insert paragraph here">↵

Thanks Wayne, I've been playing mandolin for about a year now, so I actually already knew this one! And it's me playing guitar and bass on the video. My recording/filming setup is very primitive, but this was a fun start.

Bob

quote:

---

Originally posted by captbanjo

 

Excellent Bob! I'm assuming you play other instruments? Who is playing the guitar? 

 Nice job! 

 By the way, I'm a size 10.  😀

 

 

Wayne

robmac07 - Posted - 04/05/2016:  07:53:28

Here's my attempt at 'Harvest Home'. One of the first tunes I learnt 18 months ago.
I really enjoy playing hornpipes.

VIDEO: Harvest Home
(click to view)

 

captbanjo - Posted - 04/05/2016:  08:47:59

Rob, I remember hearing this when you posted some videos on the forum before the Irish four string sub-forum existed and thinking how fast you got with it. You also get a nice crisp tone from your banjo.

Wayne

benhockenberry - Posted - 04/05/2016:  08:53:39

Nice job, Bob and Rob! Okay, that was altogether too much rhyming.

Here's a quick version:

mikeyes - Posted - 04/06/2016:  14:06:23

Nicely done, Ben.

I've always found this to be a hard tune to play well, probably because of the four descending triplets in a row. Here is a version by my friend, Ryan Duns S.J, on a whistle. Don't bother trying to play along unless you are up for a challenge



Mike Keyes

Edited by - mikeyes on 04/06/2016 14:07:03

benhockenberry - Posted - 04/08/2016:  16:27:17

Thanks Mike-- Wow!  I don't think I've heard that one of Ryan's videos.  I never really know how to vary this one up since I only hear it one way; there are some great variation ideas in this video.  I love what he's doing with melodic variations and half-holing slides between 0:45 and 1:00 or so.

I think 4 triplet runs in a row is my limit -- that's what keeps me away from The Belfast.  Kudos to Rob McCarthy for bringing out that beast of a tune a couple of weeks ago!

mylesm - Posted - 04/09/2016:  03:25:03

This guy puts a fair few variations on it

youtu.be/wfBkJt0u-qw

captbanjo - Posted - 04/09/2016:  05:22:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by mylesm

This guy puts a fair few variations on it

youtu.be/wfBkJt0u-qw

---

Judging from the amount of people who dislike it than like it, I'm thinking he might have stated the melody a little better, at least once. But he can pick for sure!

Wayne

captbanjo - Posted - 04/09/2016:  19:07:06

Regarding speed, Gerry O'Connor once told me I was  playing Harvest Home too fast and that I should not give in to the 'dreadful' trend of playing tunes too fast, as happened in too many sessions in his opinion. (I wish that were my problem!) Considering who this came from, it left a mark on me. 

He also had an interesting statement regarding triplets: "Remember, they are not going to be as fast as you think they are going to be."

Wayne

Tom Hanway - Posted - 04/15/2016:  01:10:27

Nice job Wayne, excellent teaching here.

All the best ~ Tom

sfoster73 - Posted - 04/26/2016:  06:13:12

Ok, I'm working on this as my first banjo tune. A little more difficult than I expected it to be, but I think it will come around.

captbanjo - Posted - 04/26/2016:  07:36:39

Scott,  I think you'll find that most of this tune falls into place fairly easily with the exception of the descending triplets. If you can't do the triplets at first, I recommend that you simply play eighth notes.  Once you have the tune under your fingers, you can isolate the triplets and work on them. 

There are different ways to approach this pattern of triplets. Since I use fingerpicks it does not apply to me. But with a plectrum, I would recommend that the easiest way to do it would be to do a continual D/U  right hand pattern with the right-hand from the first string to the end of the triplets on the third string. 

Good luck,

Wayne

sfoster73 - Posted - 04/26/2016:  09:01:33

Thanks for the advice. I was able to get the triplets after a bit of time just running that section. What's really killing me is that, for some reason, dotted 8th notes have always killed me without a drummer. :)

Tonight I'll be sitting with the metronome to smooth those out. But I picked this up to do something different and help out my guitar, so this should do it. :)

5stringJim - Posted - 05/10/2016:  13:28:48

Here's my version of said chune....had to use 3 fingers to get it right.....

VIDEO: Harvest Home
(click to view)

 

captbanjo - Posted - 05/10/2016:  13:50:28

Well done! Are you using TIM for the triplets or TIT?

Wayne

quote:

---

Originally posted by 5stringJim

 

Here's my version of said chune....had to use 3 fingers to get it right.....

---

brewerpaul - Posted - 05/10/2016:  17:10:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by mikeyes

 

Nicely done, Ben.

I've always found this to be a hard tune to play well, probably because of the four descending triplets in a row. Here is a version by my friend, Ryan Duns S.J, on a whistle. Don't bother trying to play along unless you are up for a challenge



Mike Keyes

---

Ryan's a dandy player.  I play Harvest Home with our band. We usually play it through twice pretty sedately then kick it up to Ryan's pace for a third go through.  I love some of his ornaments, particularly a "blue' note that slipped in there once or twice. I think I'll borrow that for my own playing.

brewerpaul - Posted - 05/10/2016:  17:12:43

quote:

---

Originally posted by captbanjo

 

Regarding speed, Gerry O'Connor once told me I was  playing Harvest Home too fast and that I should not give in to the 'dreadful' trend of playing tunes too fast, as happened in too many sessions in his opinion. (I wish that were my problem!) Considering who this came from, it left a mark on me.

Wayne

---

Many years ago I read the autobiograpy of the great pianist Artur Rubenstein. One quote of his that stuck with me all that time was "Most people play fast pieces too fast and slow pieces too slowly". It's as true for traditional tunes as it is for piano concertos.

captbanjo - Posted - 05/10/2016:  17:40:21

Wow...great Rubenstein insight!

Wayne