Chords Req: John Barleycorn

Subject: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 02:33 PM

God I love this song but I can't figure out the chords. It could be because I have mangled the tune. The one I have is near the conventional English book of penguin folksongs. Any help?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 02:42 PM

You picked a wrong'un there,Les! It was tunes like that that convinced a lot of guitarists in the 60's that the old three-chord trick wasnt going to work for a lot of traditional English tunes. Or any kind of chord trick,even.
However, having said that, you can do all right with the Penguin version jiggling around between Gminor, Dminor and F if you like. But it's the Gminor that's the problem. Should it be G major? The tune gives no guidance, and neither to me sounds right. That's when you get away from chords. I would only play Gs and Ds against the first note (G) of the tune, and not play a chord at all.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: UB Ed
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 03:01 PM

Didn't Traffic cover this tune? Seems like an Am to Em to Am to either C or G...

Ed

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: South Side
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 03:34 PM

Yeah Traffic did this tune on an album called "John Barleycorn Must Die". Excellent Album! Winwood's acoustic guitar arrangement uses A G D Em and the occassional Bm. several variations on this theme.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 03:43 PM

thanks a lot. I feel slightly nearer this great song. Anyonr else?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 04:04 PM

I prefer Ron Kavanas version... The Traffic version was 'covered' really well by Jethro Tull on "A Little Light Music"

:-)

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 04:15 PM

Traffic got the song from the Penguin book, so whatever chording they used ought to work for Les.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 04:16 PM

Ok, does anybody know what Traffic used?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Homeless
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 04:20 PM

The Traffic version is capoed at the 5th fret, and uses D Am C & Em chord formations. clicky

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: UB Ed
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 04:28 PM

B'Jeez! You're as patient as I am!

Off the top of my head (which may be different than South Side's version):

Am Em G Em Am Em D Em (2x)
G Em G A B (1x)

Subject: Chords Add: JOHN BARLEYCORN
From: DonMeixner
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 05:52 PM

This is the way I learned it.

Don



There [D]were three [Am]men came [C]out [G]of the [Am]wes[A5]t [Am] [A5]
Their [D]fortun[C]es f[Am]or [G]to t[Am]ry [A5] [Am] [A5]
And th[D]ese three m[Am]en made a [C]sol[G]emn [Am]vow[A5] [Am] [A5]
John [D]Bar[C]ley[Am]corn m[G]ust [Am]die[A5] [Am] [A5]
[C]They've plowed, they've sown, the've [Am]harrowed [Am7]him i[Am]n
Threw c[C]lods u[D]pon his [Esus4]head [E] [Esus4] [E]
And [Dm]these three [Am]men were sa[C]tis[G]fied[Am] [A5] [Am] [A5]
John [D]Bar[C]ley[Am]corn w[G]as d[Am]ead[A5] [Am] [A5]

They le[D]t him [Am]lie for a [C]very l[G]ong [Am]tim[A5]e [Am] [A5]
Till the ra[D]ins f[C]rom h[Am]eaven d[G]id f[Am]all[A5] [Am] [A5]
And li[D]ttle Sir Jo[Am]hn sprung [C]up [G]his h[Am]ead[A5] [Am] [A5]
And s[D]o a[C]maz[Am]ed t[G]hem [Am]all[A5] [Am] [A5]
[C]They let him stand 'til m[Am]id s[Am7]ummer's [Am]day
'til he l[C]ooked both[D] pale and[Esus4] worn [E] [Esus4] [E]
And [Dm]little Sir J[Am]ohn's grown a [C]long, lo[G]ng b[Am]ear[A5]d [Am] [A5]
And s[D]o b[C]ec[Am]ome [G]a [Am]man[A5] [Am] [A5]

They've [D]hired [Am]men with s[C]cythes [G]so s[Am]har[A5]p [Am] [A5]
To cut [D]him [C]off [Am]at t[G]he [Am]kne[A5]e [Am] [A5]
They r[D]olled him and t[Am]ied him [C]by [G]the [Am]wai[A5]st [Am] [A5]
Serving [D]him m[C]ost [Am]bar[G]barou[Am]sly[A5] [Am] [A5]
[C]They've hired men with s[Am]harp p[Am7]itch f[Am]orks
Who pri[C]cked h[D]im to the[Esus4] heart... [E] [Esus4] [E]
The [Dm]loader he has [Am]served him [C]worse th[G]an t[Am]hat[A5] [Am] [A5]
For he's b[D]ound h[C]im [Am]to t[G]he c[Am]art[A5] [Am] [A5]

They've w[D]heeled him aro[Am]und and ar[C]ound [G]in the f[Am]iel[A5]d [Am] [A5]
'til they c[D]ame [C]on[Am]to [G]a b[Am]arn[A5] [Am] [A5]
And t[D]here they m[Am]ade a s[C]ole[G]mn o[Am]ath[A5] [Am] [A5]
On po[D]or J[C]ohn B[Am]arl[G]eyc[Am]orn[A5] [Am] [A5]
[C]They've hired men with the cr[Am]ab t[Am7]ree st[Am]icks
to c[C]ut him s[D]kin from [Esus4]bone [E] [Esus4] [E]
And the [Dm]miller he has s[Am]erved him w[C]orse th[G]an t[Am]hat[A5] [Am] [A5]
For he's gro[D]und him [C]betwe[Am]en t[G]wo s[Am]ton[A5]es [Am] [A5]

{And li[D]ttle Sir J[Am]ohn and the n[C]ut [G]brown b[Am]owl[A5] [Am] [A5]
And he's[D] bran[C]dy [Am]in t[G]he g[Am]las[A5]s [Am] [A5]
And li[D]ttle Sir Jo[Am]hn and the n[C]ut [G]brown b[Am]owl[A5] [Am] [A5]
Prove[D]d the strong[Am]est m[G]an [Am]at [A5]last [Am] [A5]
[C]The huntsman, he can't h[Am]unt [Am7]the fo[Am]x
Nor so [C]loudly [D]blow his [Esus4]horn [E] [Esus4] [E]
And the [Dm]Tinker he [Am]can't mend [C]kettle n[G]or p[Am]ots[A5] [Am] [A5]
Without [D]a little [Am]Barl[G]ycor[A5]n

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton, Manchester
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 02:29 AM

thanks this is all most useful. I shall the Yamaha some stick

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: curmudgeon
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 06:47 AM

Two chords -- Dm and C. Excessive chordage detracts from the song which is too grand to be messed with. While it may sound very nice with all the extras, the fancier arrangements draw the listener to the way it's performed rather than to the words and the tune. Read the notes on accompaniment in the Penguin book -- Tom

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton, Manchester
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 07:17 AM

Thanks for that Tom. I have been trying lots of chord changes but apart from general incompetence I can't hear them supporting the tune. Dm - F - Dm with the odd C and Am seem nearly there.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: curmudgeon
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 07:30 AM

John Barleycorn is not in a minor key, but rather in the Dorian mode, ie., a scale from D to D with no sharps or flats. Since an F chord can be derived from that mode, it can be used sparingly. And while an Am can be drawn out of the mode, it's too jarring. When tempted to throw in one of these, substitute the C.

If I have a chance later, I'll try to put in a verse with the chords I use. Although I've been singing JB for over forty years, I've been doing it unaccompanied or with concertina for the last fifteen or so and I'll need to bring the guitar in here to get it right. Besides, I've only had one cup of coffee so far -- Tom

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 08:54 AM

The version I put in is the Traffic version as near as I can tell. And I agree it is a bit chord heavy. I don't play all the chordds as written. Very often, actually all the time, I'll base some passing notes or partial chords for walk ups and walk downs through those extraneous chords. Also, there are about 40 versions of this song in the folk music world.

Don

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 12:24 PM

" fancier arrangements draw the listener to the way it's performed rather than to the words and the tune"

Which is often the cry of lousy performers everywhere, as some kind of justification for being lousy performers...

Play all the chords... and if you can fit more in, put them in as well!

:-)

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 01:19 PM

The fact that it is in Dorian mode is why I really dont feel you can use the !Vminor chord..it doesnt feel right(ie Gminor for the starting note, or Dminor if you are using Aminor shapes for the song).Trouble is, G major doesnt do the tune any favours either. I think this is a very difficult tune to harmonise satisfactorily(if by harmonise you mean using chords with three notes in them).

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:00 PM

I did a vertion of this on my last cd using DADGAD . It is wonderful to try some earlier tunes in DADGAD. My wife just showed me "Scotch cap" From her viol tuder . Anyway on Barleycorn its fun to play it in this very versitle open tuning. All the best Guy

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:25 PM

Hey Guy!

What are the odds you might share an MP3 of that track with a curious DADGAD player???

:-)

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Gurney
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:48 PM

Ah, musicians. How can they bring themselves to sing a drinking song without an ale in their hand?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 11:04 PM

John Barleycorn is a temperance song Gurney...

:-/

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton, Manchester
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 04:32 AM

I had a read of the other JB threads concerning its origin and meaning. As usual - many opinions. The penguin version seems very complete. Perhaps it was tidied up by someone who knew lots about theories of farmimg, death and resurection and son.

Anyway, John survives in this version to help the huntsman and the tinker so it doesn't sound like a temperance song.

Now the, Wild Rover, that wel know Irish drinking song surely an English temperance song?

But back to the chords. People sing and play and we either enjoy what they do or we don't. The Watersons with no chords, but voices does it for me, but I am willing to hear other versions with as many chords as you like.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Leo Condie
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 11:45 AM

it's not a song about drink at all, it's a song about killing a wee man with a funny name who comes back to life.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 02:20 PM

Some of the songs in Penguin were collated, certainly, but this one is almost exactly as Sharp got it from Shadrach ("Shepherd") Hayden. One line and a few odd words have been changed, and that's about all.

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 06:57 PM

Hey Clinton . i dont know how to do a MP3 but Ill send you my cd . I'll pm you . All the best , Guy

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 05:51 PM

Ye gotta loove t'is song!

I play it in A... and use the minor third very sparingly.

A(m) G D A(m) C D A(m) D(...7) F A(m) ...and repeat

Am(previous)... C D A(m) C D Emaj4... DG A(m) C D A(m) D(...7) F A(m)

Cheerio! ttr

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 12:07 PM

Thanks, I have tried much of this advice and feel nearer to something appropriate, but the close scrutiny you have helped me to achieve has revealed that I seem to have added a few new notes to the tune. I guess this could be mucking up a fine old tune or could it be the semi- oral tradition?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 02:35 PM

That's folk music for ya Les... Ya get it, ya change it a bit, ya send it back out into the world, someone else gets it, they change it a bit, they send it out into the world... and on and on and on...

Never let any dried up old hoor ever tell you you're doing a song 'wrong'!

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 04:25 PM

"Ah, musicians. How can they bring themselves to sing a drinking song without an ale in their hand?"

Guitar now, ale later. :shrug: Or ale now, guitar later. I'm not picky. But I can't hold the ale AND play the guitar simultaneously.

J

(Just came on board to ask a question about this particular song, as a matter of fact. Serendipity is wonderful.)

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: DonMeixner
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 04:49 PM

Have you never heared of straws?

Subject: RE: Chords for John Barleycorn
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 04:25 PM

see also the illustrated John Barleycorn