Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?

Subject: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: thespionage
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 01:27 AM

Perhaps it's because I love Pete Seeger's (and also the Weavers') versions of Woody's songs, but I think his songs sound even better on banjo than guitar!

(Note: I've played guitar for six years and banjo for about six months.)

Russ

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: Ernest
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:30 AM

I agree.
Ernest

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:57 AM

Woody liked guitar and mandolin.

eric

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: GUEST,Fullerton
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:32 AM

They sound great when played on my CD player!!! :o)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 12:04 PM

Mandolin.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie So
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 12:05 PM

Considering the number of tunes he cribbed from the Carter Family, how about guitar and autoharp?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie So
From: GUEST,The ghost of Leslie Riddle
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 12:15 PM

I suppose Dick, that you're aware that a lot of the songs that bear the A.P. Carter copyright were ones that he collected and/or stole from poor black folks.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie So
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 12:26 PM

Some of Woody goes great to Maybelle Carter-style thumb-picked "walking bass" guitar, played loosely and not densely. I like a mandolin in there somewhere too.

Depends, though, on the song. "This Land is Your Land" and his anthemic stuff in general "Pastures of Plenty" comes to mind) cries out for guitar bass runs. But stuff like "Ranger's Command" and "Hound Dog" go absolutely great on lonesome three-finger-picked banjo with lots of empty spaces.

Don't forget Woody played fiddle too, shakily, but well enough for "Cowboy Waltz" and a few other things. (Besides guitar, he also played banjo, though not well, and, yes, mandolin. And harmonica.)

The one thing I would say is, Woody's songs can't take too thick a background. To get that lonesome Okie sound, I'd say whatever you pick, make sure it has plenty of empty spaces,as above, and don't pile on the instruments. Not that an oldtimey group might not work (after all, as Jack Guthrie--and Arlo--found, "Oklahoma Hills" works with country backing), but I think ensemble accompaniment doesn't get at the real feeling of Woody's song lines. Solo is good, even solo mandolin. "Lonesome" is the keyword.

Except for "Car Car" and the Songs to Grow On, which is a whole nother kettle of fish.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie So
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 12:37 PM

And, pace Leslie Riddle:

"Cribbed" is gratuitous and unnecessary. Riddle worked hard for A.P. and no one is more grateful for what he did than I am, but why take a dig at A.P.? Mr. Carter always gave generous credit to his song sources in black music. They've been traced by various people, from Rev. F.W. McGee on "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room" to such recorded artists as Tarter & Gay.

I am glad to see any and all black sources credited; I think this is highly important and deserved.

But what is this thread creep doing in a discussion of Woody anyway?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: thespionage
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 01:31 PM

I agree that it depends on the song.The guitar, mandolin and harmonica songs that Woody did with Cisco sound fantastic.

With "Pastures of Plenty," have you heard Pete Seeger's version? I first heard it in the movie version of Alice's Restaurant. The banjo arrangement there is simply haunting.

Was Pete the first one to convert the arrangement to a minor key? (As far as I know, Woody only played major I, IV, V chords in D and G.)

Russ

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 01:40 PM

Curious, does anyone sing Woody songs unacommpanied?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie Songs?
From: thespionage
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:01 PM

When I saw "Holy Ground" at the 92nd St. Y, with the Klezmatics and Arlo (among others), they did one song a cappella that was apparently one of the few to which they had the original melody. I listened to it and I just thought, "This isn't Woody."

Russ

Subject: RE: Folklore: Best Instrument for Woody Guthrie So
From: number 6
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:11 PM

guitar ... most definately

sIx