Neil's Tunes

Grave of Bonaparte

2012-01-11T15:23:00.002-05:00

Greg PC has done some excellent research on this traditional song, and found some original (primary) documents, starting with:

a set of alternate lyrics (not the Know-Nothing ones) that preserves the theme of the song but which is really different. [Here's] an Italian blog that actually has the musical notation to the song! One thing I've found interesting is the fact that the second and third verses swap places in different versions. Most of the older versions I came across have it 1-3-2 which made me assume that maybe that was part of the arrangement Norman Blake had done, to switch the two. It makes more sense to me the way we sing it but it also made me question if we were getting it right from a tradition point of view. I need worry no longer. This version is in the order we're used to.

Also, Greg found the lyrics at the Library of Congress, and a chord chart with lyrics. Nice work on the research!

Rockband 3 Drums: Getting Started

2012-01-05T15:27:00.000-05:00

I believe it's possible to learn how to play drums by starting on the standard Rockband ("non-pro") drum set. In fact, I have the Guitar Hero drum kit (3 toms and 2 half cymbals), but it works with Rockband 2 and 3 as well. I always have fun when I play Rockband drums, even though I can only finish songs consistently on Easy. I've found that when I play drums, afterwards my guitar playing (real guitar and bass, not the Rockband kind) is much tighter; meaning, much more accurate rhythmically.

It seems that the best way to learn anything in Rockband 3 is to start in Career mode and pick the appropriate challenge; in my case, this means starting with the 11 simplest songs, and trying to reach three stars or more on each song. I just couldn't pull it off on Medium difficulty.

Once I got started, I could immediately see my improvement from song to song. I started off earning three stars, and scoring in the low 90's for accuracy; by the end I earned five stars on one song and four on several others, and put together some nice long streaks, where the drum highway lights up with a neon blue swirly pattern and the streak badge glows with the same neon blue. Also, I was scoring 95% accuracy or better, although I never finished higher than the top 90% of the leader board.

I learned how to hold the sticks loosely, so they bounce off the heads, and how to relax through my arms and shoulders, instead of trying to really hammer away. Of course, it's fun to really bang away, but to put together a decent streak, I found it best to try to relax into the beat, and not force it.

Some other tips:

when the track starts, bang your sticks together, or tap your foot (not the one on the pedal, the other one) in sync with the click track at the beginning of every song, so you are ready to make your first hit right on the beat.
Setting up the drums "righty-style" means I can cover the red tom with my left hand, and then drum the other pads with my lead hand (my right).
Try some rolls, in rhythm, during your drum breaks, when you trigger Overdrive. As with the rest of your drumming, focus on staying relaxed and staying on rhythm, instead of trying to bang out the wildest drum solo you can. If you come out of the drum break on the beat, you keep your streak alive, and the points mount up quickly. Plus, it feels great!

Knocking on Heaven's Door Verse 3

2011-08-18T22:50:00.001-04:00

Dylan didn't always sing this optional third verse:

mama wipe the blood from my face
i'm sick and tired of all these wars
there's a lot of people feeling just like me
feels like I'm knocking on heaven's door

The Alarm sings a cool version that includes this third verse.

Thanks, Chris G., for the words & video link!

Boneoke Aug. 17, 2011

2011-08-18T09:43:00.001-04:00

Just got back from the Bone. On the bass, I sang "Low" by Cracker; and "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Plus, for the first time ever, I also played bass on: "Pride & Joy" (SRV); "Better Man" (Pearl Jam); "Sweet Caroline"; and Creed's "One." I actually have never ever heard that Creed song before -- the rhythm guitarist showed me the chords once and we started playing.

Just Got Paid & The Rover

2011-07-18T13:16:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday todd, Brien and I played a cool version of "Just Got Paid" where we broke into Zep's "The Rover" and then came back to "Just Got Paid." I found some inspiration for some of the bass fills in Ver. 3 of The Rover bass tab. Todd & Brien were inspired by Dream Theater's "Big Medley" and came up with the idea for this rockin' mashup.

Key to the Highway

2011-07-16T23:14:00.001-04:00

By Big Bill Broonzy

Notable versions by Eric Clapton & Duane Allman, Little Walter, Junior Wells

I sang this with Ken at NGW, alternating verses, which we pulled from Blues for Peace.

8-bar blues
||: A | E | D | D |
| A | E | A D | A E :||

I got the key to the highway,
and I'm billed out and bound to go
I'm gonna leave here runnin',
cause walkin' is most too slow

I'm goin' down on the border,
now where I'm better known
Cause woman you don't do nothin',
but drive a good man 'way from home

Now when the moon creeps over the mountain,
I'll be on my way
Now I'm gonna walk this old highway,
until the break of day

Give me one more kiss mama,
just before I go
I'm gonna leave this town,
ain't comin' back no more"

So long baby, now I must say goodbye,
So long baby, now I must say goodbye,
I'm gonna walk this highway, 'till the day I die"

Rolling in the Deep

2011-07-16T23:01:00.001-04:00

Julie likes to sing Rolling In the Deep (chords).

Capo 3

Open Tuning: D

2010-07-31T00:06:00.000-04:00

I got back from the guitar monastery today and promptly tuned my little Yamaha to the Vestapol open D tuning: D A D F# A D. I reviewed some basic major scale forms, then tried them out strumming. I also worked on some Travis picking. This is a great tuning and I'd like to record some of the ideas I came up with while I was playing.

Rehearsal: Sat. 12/11

2009-12-12T22:33:00.004-05:00

With Todd - in addition to the usual, like "Learn to Fly" and "In Bloom," we covered:

And this was what worked:

House of the Rising Sun

For the next time:

DOA

I Can't Explain - The Who

2009-10-30T10:45:00.001-04:00

Guitar

I Cant Explain Chords by Who @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

I Can’t Explain by Who - guitar chords, guitar tabs and lyrics - chordie (nice job. includes solo breaks)

Lyrics

Who | I Can’t Explain lyrics

Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

2009-06-29T22:26:00.001-04:00

Wake Me Up When September Ends - from "American Idiot" (Green Day)

Wake Me Up When September Ends by Ulli Bogershausen Guitar Tabs @ GTabs.org

GREEN DAY LYRICS - Wake Me Up When September Ends

Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters

2009-06-29T00:43:00.001-04:00

From "There Is Nothing Left to Lose" (Foo Fighters) 1999

Guitar Tablatures - 1999 There Is Nothing Left To Lose - fftabs.com

Learn To Fly Tab by Foo Fighters @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Learn To Fly Chords (ver 4) by Foo Fighters @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Learn To Fly guitar tab by Foo Fighters @ XGuitar.com

Foo Fighters | Learn To Fly lyrics

Ape Man - Kinks

2009-03-16T18:28:00.001-04:00

Kinks - Apeman tab

It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World)

2007-06-26T21:35:00.001-04:00

It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World) by the Ramones just popped up on the iPod in shuffle mode, right as I was writing down my plans to bust out of the 9 to 5 world. How cool is that?

Upside Down by Jack Johnson

2006-06-02T21:16:00.000-04:00

http://www.olga.net/archive/main/j/johnson_jack/upside_down.tab

Artist: Jack Johnson
Title: Upside Down
>From the album: "Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George"
Released Feb 7th, 2006
Song written by Jack Johnson
Tabbed by: Lene Duus jubas4(a)hotmail.com
This file is my own work, tabbed from the radio version that's out now.

Standard tuning

Intro: E E F#m F#m x 2
Verse: E E F#m F#m
Chorus: E F#m A B
Bridge: G#m F#m G#m A B

Intro riff: (x2)
e--------------------------------------------
H--------------------------------------------
G---------4-------4-6------------------------
D----4h6-----4h6-------4--(---)-4h6 4h6-4-2--
A--------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------


Who's to say what's impossible
Have they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface break reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity
I wanna turn the whole thing

Chorus:
Upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's song
I don't want this feeling to go away....

e--------------------------------------------
H--------------------------------------------
G---------4-------4-6------------------------
D----4h6-----4h6-------4--(---)-4h6 4h6-4-2--
A--------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------

e--------------------------------------------
H--------------------------------------------
G---------4-------4-6------------------------
D----4h6-----4h6-------4--(---)-----2-2h4-2--
A--------------------------------4-----------
E--------------------------------------------

Who's to say I can't do everything but I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren't always just what they seem
I wanna turn the whole thing

Upside down
I'll find the things they say
Just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's song
This world keeps spinning and there's...

Bridge:
...no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning, spinning
round and round

Upside down
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away

Upside down
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away

Upside down
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away

Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Is this how it's supposed to be....
Is this how it's supposed to be......