Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald clawhammer style

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Michigan Pickers

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Open to all Michigan residents. Primary purpose is the organization and scheduling of small local jams.

194 Members, Created 1/28/2011 -

Administrators: donmullins (owner)

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From sport on 6/7/2011 12:10:51 AM

Have any of you Michiganders worked out a banjo version of the wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald? Although the melody is kind of simplistic, (and perhaps borrowed from old Irish song: "I wis I were back home in Derry"- it is a nice part of michigan folklore: "The legend lives on from the chipewa on down of the big lake they call 'gitche gumee'"...

I am no singer but I will try ot post a clawhammer rendition before the 4rth of july.

FKL

6 Comments
earlsgranada says: 6/7/2011 5:45:48 AM I really would like to come up for a break in three finger style, and I don't know how I would tune the banjo or the right chords. I believe there are only four chords, A, or Asus2, Em, G, and D.
	Yellowhouseroad says: 6/7/2011 6:01:19 AM You could either try to play it in standard tuning, in which case the only different chord you have in there is that Asus2 which you can play as an A chord with an open B. Or you could try a model tuning where you raise the B, up to a C. And then you could capo it at the 2nd fret. Clawhammer would sound great on this tune. Maybe I'll try it myself.
	sport says: 6/7/2011 11:30:12 PM Thanks for the input I will try to post something in a week or two and dedicate it to my grandfather who was a commercial fisherman on one of the great lakes
	Scrat says: 6/15/2011 3:07:37 AM Mike Iverson has TAB and a clip up on his site. I've also wanted to get this one going. Paul
	sport says: 6/18/2011 12:17:34 AM Thanks Scrat for the lead- Mike's version is much better than mine and he can sing as well! Nonetheless, this will be a great "bonefire on the shores of lake Huron" song to frail this summer!
	banjowannabe says: 6/22/2011 7:11:30 PM I was running this through a processor so that it had a lot of the wah sound that is associated with the Lightfoot song. But basically, I was playing the melody on the second string (standard G tuning) and would occasionally throw in a chord progresssion. I thought "Wreck" was an entirely original melody, but found another Great Lakes shipwreck song in the Library of Congress recordings that was very similar. Still one of my favorite songs of all time. The Edmund Fitzgerald was built in a River Rouge shipyard. Never knew one ever existed. The Great Lakes will prevail. We are too unique. Michigan is too unique.
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