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Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 06/19/2020: 06:42:55
TOTW 06/19/2020.
This weeks tune of the week is Orme Forster’s Flowery Girls. Ormer was a 2 finger picker from central Tennessee who developed his own distinctive syncopated 2 finger style.
I play the tune in clawhammer style having never tried 2 finger style. There are not many clawhammer versions out there. Please excuse the many mistakes..........
youtu.be/ojZYlt3pD_g
I first heard the tune on this banjo compilation CD called banjo festival about 10 years ago when I had just acquired a 5 string open back and was beginning my clawhammer journey. The version on this album was played by Rick Good in 2 finger style and immediately fell in love with it.
youtu.be/hANmVM_Jbl0
It was well above my abilities, and to some extent it still is, but by using The Amazing Slowdowner, about 4 years later I managed to figure how to play the tune in a rather clumsy clawhammer manner. Since then I have found that the tune is also somewhat of a obsession of Rick Goods as he re visits the tune every couple of years adding little modifications to it and in his latest version plays it with an orchestra. youtu.be/Mjl0jioC1mE
The original clip I heard of Rick playing the tune on the banjo festival cd is still my favourite as it has a beautiful sublime flowing quality and subtle tonal and sostenuto qualities.
There is also a clip of Rick playing for a flatfoot dancer which is enchanting:
youtu.be/UrIkBMDK-S4
The most note for note version I’ve found of this tune Ive found is by Joseph Decosimo who plays it a lot slower than Omer:
youtu.be/vzpW94pftak
It wasn’t until about 5 years ago when I uploaded one of my many attempts at the tune that I became aware of the music of its composer after his grandson Stephen, commented on one of my videos and said there were plans to re release an album of his music shortly.
The album of Ormers music is here and well worth a listen. Apparently he composed Flowery girls in under half an hour
youtu.be/YY4-rlCCtXU
I came across this broadcast by Art Rosenbaum a few years ago and it’s well worth a listen.
artrosenbaum.org/v2/omer-forster/
However I’ve never really delved into 2 finger style and all my versions are in clawhammer which is so readily inter changeable, I’ll have to have a go at Flowery girls in the style it was composed for but in the meantime, this is my favourite clip I’ve recorded of the tune, in Powys, Wales, with a babbling brook accompanying me. Such a lovely tune in a lovely place.
youtu.be/gxjKndZMN0E
Here is the tab I worked out for the version I play, if anyone has any variations, please share as I, like Rick Good, have become somewhat obsessed with the tune. It’s an obsession I never tire of.
JanetB - Posted - 06/19/2020: 07:38:14
That is so gorgeous a tune and sounds challenging to play. Your clawed version is just as nice as the picked. Here is a pdf file of your tab. I can't wait to work on the tune!
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 06/19/2020: 07:59:36
Thanks Janet for putting the tab up. I uploaded a tutorial version of the tricky c part several years ago for the people who asked for the tab.
youtu.be/RnYG1u80r20
janolov - Posted - 06/19/2020: 08:04:09
This is the music I like. Thank you!
RG - Posted - 06/19/2020: 19:46:12
Great tune and great playing! That Omer Forster album is really good, lots of great tunes.
ndlxs - Posted - 06/20/2020: 05:49:33
Such a great tune, beautifully played by all. I tried working out Omer Forester's version of Sally Goodin too, but never really succeeded in making it work for me. I can get through Flowery Girls 2 finger style, though.
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 06/20/2020: 10:07:57
Can you spots your tab of Flowerygirls Andy? I’ve tried opening it on your page but can’t. I’d love to try it in 2 finger style
janolov - Posted - 06/20/2020: 10:10:09
quote:
Originally posted by Hay-on-Wye
Can you spots your tab of Flowerygirls Andy? I’ve tried opening it on your page but can’t. I’d love to try it in 2 finger style
The tab is here: banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...p;v=23801 . You need TablEdit or the free TefView to read it.
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 06/20/2020: 11:28:38
Just been reading an article about Ormer Forester and the recording of his album in 1977 and in the final paragraph it states Flowerygirls was a composition of fiddler Walter Warden.
Does anyone know of a Walter warden in white oak creek Tennessee?
ndlxs - Posted - 06/20/2020: 14:45:17
Interesting about Walter Warden. I googled him; he was an early influence on Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, and it looks like he was active 1900-1930s. Most likely he never was recorded on fiddle...
ndlxs - Posted - 06/20/2020: 16:00:13
I am intrigued by this being a fiddle tune; since the second part goes up high on the banjo, one of two things:
1) the tune is actually in a different key so the second part can be higher, since most fiddlers don't play much past 1st position (high B)
2) the second part is played an octave lower on the fiddle,
I am a rudimentary fiddler, if anyone out there who is a good fiddler wants to try it, I'd love to hear it...
JanetB - Posted - 06/20/2020: 16:20:27
Such a lyrical piece, Neill. I'm like you, I'm prone to play it clawhammer, as in this mp3. The tab is still my 2-finger arrangement, but I don't like the pick noise in the recording and my bare fingers just don't bring out the tone. It needed very little modification to claw. I used my short-scale Doc's Banjo (only 18 1/2") and I went to the very last fret! In the radio show by Art Rosenbaum, he says that Omer used his bare fingers. What great tone and smoothness he had!
Interesting note, the recording I listened to in the second half was symmetrically played --A, B, C, B, A.
Jack Baker - Posted - 06/20/2020: 18:07:40
Beautiful song and tab Janet. Would you just make up chords to fit this song or just leave out any chords and just enjoy the banjo by itself?....Jack
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 06/20/2020: 19:26:04
Amazing playing Janet considering you’ve learnt that tune in a couple of days!!
What’s more remarkable about Omers playing, considering as you noted from Art’s comments about him using bare fingers and as the article stating, Omer had a K banjo Is his clarity all the way up the neck. I wonder if his thumb had such calluses on it from manual work to be usable as a pick.? I work as a gardener and night my nails. I can sometimes pinch the skin on my thumb with my teeth to form a ridge that lasts for about 10 mins of playing.
The origin of the tune coming from a fiddler is also very intriguing. I would have thought Ormer would have acknowledged his source of the tune had that been so. As Andy says, the 3rd part of the tune would seem to high for fiddling at the written pitch. I suppose it would be played an octave below as Andy points out with an open string used if at all to act as the drone. Without a recording or comment from someone who actually heard the tune played on the fiddle , we will never know I suppose but it would be interesting to hear a fiddle player out there try the tune.
JanetB - Posted - 06/20/2020: 19:48:41
quote:
Originally posted by Jack Baker
Beautiful song and tab Janet. Would you just make up chords to fit this song or just leave out any chords and just enjoy the banjo by itself?....Jack
I use chords mostly when I play with others or when I sing. Sometimes I use chords to help with fingering a banjo solo. Here is tab with chords for accompaniment that should come pretty close. I think it's wise to play along and adjust as needed.
Thanks for the kind words, Jack and Neill.
Jack Baker - Posted - 06/20/2020: 20:09:31
Thanks so much Janet. I always love your work...Jack
Originally posted by JanetB
JSB88 - Posted - 06/26/2020: 12:10:01
Just a cheeky post to bring this topic closer to the top of the list as I am learning it from Janet B’s 2 finger tab
maryzcox - Posted - 06/28/2020: 11:34:45
Hello TOTW folks--somehow I missed this post--but absolutely wonderful ! A friend actually gifted me this vinyl back in 1977 because he played newgrass bluegrass & wanted me to hear it because he thought it was the most beautiful banjo tune he'd ever heard and wanted me to play it.
This is the most charming tune--I listened to it alot--but never played it. And gave away all my vinyl years ago before it got popular again. But it was such a treat to hear it again.
Thanks for putting it up :)
Best banjo wishes,
Mary Z. Cox
maryzcox.com
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 07/12/2020: 14:03:29
quote:
Originally posted by maryzcox
Hello TOTW folks--somehow I missed this post--but absolutely wonderful ! A friend actually gifted me this vinyl back in 1977 because he played newgrass bluegrass & wanted me to hear it because he thought it was the most beautiful banjo tune he'd ever heard and wanted me to play it.
This is the most charming tune--I listened to it alot--but never played it. And gave away all my vinyl years ago before it got popular again. But it was such a treat to hear it again.
Thanks for putting it up :)
Best banjo wishes,
Mary Z. Cox
maryzcox.com
Have you learned the tune yet Mary ox, I'm looking forward to your rendition
Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 08/14/2020: 06:55:07
Here’s a recent addition to YouTube videos of the tune by Joseph Decosimo . Best I’ve heard imho.
youtu.be/wInSHhOjnEc
