Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'

Subject: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: DonMeixner
Date: 16 Aug 05 - 10:33 PM

Well I have searched every thing in the Mudcat about this beautiful song. If there are two jewels in "Pit Head in the Fern" they are "Kitty Kane" and "Anderson's Coast". And then to have Danny Spooner close out a set with "Anderson's Coast" on the concertina at Old Songs was just the nuts. It was the only "cool" event that entire afternoon.

It is a puzzle to me how so simple a melody can be so deceptive as to chording. I have worked this over several times and I have played it with only two chords and then I have used seven. Does anyone have a difinitive set of chords?

I don't want to start the whole "Specific chords are un-necessary" debate again. I'm not that good a musician. I would just like to play the song the same way twice.

Thanks, and Thanks again.

Don

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 03:52 AM

G'day Don,

I'll ask John Warner (he doesn't look into Mudcat all that often as Jack Halyard ... although JennyO may see this and try to coax a "definitive" set of chords out of him!)

He's probably off to the James Craig shanty sing tonight ... just a few hundred metres from where I'll be ... but I doubt that Patricia will let the leash that slack - so I'll chase him another night.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: DonMeixner
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 07:54 AM

Thanks Bob. that would be greatly appreciated.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 08:30 AM

Don, sorry I didn't get back to you by PM. I've never played the song on an instrument. I just tried, and I think your problem actually demonstrates the beauty of this simple melody. It works with two chords (1 and 4), but you can 'walk through' a pile of other chords.

Charley Noble does the song and plays banjo, I think. He says he uses the original tune, but it sounds different to me, but it might just be because he slows it down a bit, and it's a banjo, and it's Charley. (In other words, it's the way I'm hearing it.)

Bob, could you send John a message by pigeon, foot page or something? Perhaps Don could write a nice not to your wife? You could phone the other pub? Oh, Donnie dear, you'll have to wait, and hope the chords don't come too late. There's naught to do, but sit and pick... (telling self to shut up, so y'all don't have to.)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 08:40 AM

Bob - you're living in the future - the shanty sing is NEXT week (4th Wednesday) and as Danny will be guest performer, maybe you can re-arrange your life next week & join us.

Danny will also be appearing at The Loaded Dog Folk Club
The Dog the following Saturday

http://jam.org.au/moxie/events/sydneyeast/DOG-august-2005.shtml

sandra

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 08:43 AM

as I was trying to say before I hit submit

the second link leads to info about the concert, with a true to life pic of Danny, might as well blickify it while I'm here

Danny in action

sandra

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 06:39 PM

G'day again Don,

OK ... Sandra is right (I haven't been able to open the Yahoo reminder notes for local events, due to some conflict between their Javascript and Lotus Notes ... so I lose track of the events I don't regularly attend ...). Notwithstanding, I was off with the distaff side, enjoying Menopause - The Musical! and not able to chase up John.

I don't even know if John has this written down ... but I did transcribe the melody some time back and I've been meaning to get John's chording ever since. (I only really needed the melody ... but the guitarists who come to my Monday Night Workshop would appreciate chords!).

I suspect the really definitive, magnum opus set of chords would come from cornering James Fagan ... but he's off on the other side of the world (although I could ask his Dad, Bob Fagan, if he plays along, when James and Nancy visit the Antipodes). Anyway ... I should start with John ... it's his song!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 08:39 PM

Hi Don: Are you in the NYC area... I have a setting for it, in my odd little tuning I could show ya, tried it in standard tuning, and worked out cords that took real stretch with bar cords... not at all fun... but I have an easy way of playing it, but I'd have to show ya. maybe Maryland in October at the mudcat gathering...
lor

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: JohnB
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 10:11 PM

What do you mean, James Fagan's on the other side of the world. I saw him sing this very song at Goderich Celtic Festival (2 1/2 hour drive away), as what became their last song there (another story) ably accompanied by Nancy Kerr playing a borrowed Viola (from Jess Aerosmith of Crucible).
I think theirs is the definitive version of this wonderful song.
James plays it on his guitar shaped Bazouki, so what he plays may not transpose to guitar in standard tuning too readily.
JohnB apparently on the other side of the world.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 11:19 PM

Danny uses fairly simple chording on his concertina, so you could ask him, too.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: DonMeixner
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 11:47 PM

WEll I appreciate all the effort. Thank you all.

Don

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 11:55 PM

JohnB, as far as we in the Antipodes are concerned, James Fagan IS on the other side of the world!

I told John about this thread last night. He was on his way to bed at the time, but from his comments I gather he doesn't have chords written down as such. He's extremely busy for the next few days, but he said he would see what he could put together when he can.

Jenny

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 01:22 AM

G'day again,

Don,

From conversation with Jenny, I think that not only John doesn't have the "chords" written down ... but that any original concept of a simple chord has long sunk under the pattern of notes that are the song's accompaniment. I may be able to get John to "sketch out" the underlying chords, when he returns from Queensland, but that's not, by any stretch of the imagination, the whole story!

JohnB: Goderich ... Ontario ...? If I remember an idle map coordinates exercise I did, some years ago, that's almost precisely the other side of the world from me!

Desert Dancer (Becky): I'll see Danny Saturday week. I know he uses a cunning chordal style of accomapniment with his English system concertina ... but sneaks in separate notes as well. He may have a basic chord structure in mind ...

I was thinking that Bob Fagan might have a simpler "support chord" structure - if he accompanies James on this song ... when he's back in the Antipodes ... maybe ...

Regards all,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: lamarca
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 05:29 PM

I heard Anderson's Coast from Danny first, with his haunting concertina accompaniment, and George and I quickly found some neat harmonies that fit right in. Then last winter, we heard Gordon Bok sing it with guitar accompaniment - and none of our harmonies worked! Gordon had learned it from John when Gordon toured over in Oz... Since then we've heard several other folks here in the States sing it, and no two of them have the tune exactly the same. Obviously it's one of those deceptively "simple" tunes that sound different depending on who the singer learned it from, the singer's "Tune Memory" aptitude, the backing chords chosen by both the source and the interpreter and the phase of the moon...

It's still a fantastic song - we'd be singing it ourselves, if half our social singing group hadn't already gone and learned it first!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: DonMeixner
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 06:21 PM

My first hearing was from John Warner on "Pit Head in the Fern". The song has one of those melodies that latches on and won't give up.
It remained a snatch of memory for quite awhile. I'd be singing to my self at the bench while working on a bracelet and "..Where are you? My Annie..." would come from no where just to haunt me again.
   
   Then I heard Danny Spooner do it at Old Songs and I decided this was a must know,must do song. I did it accapella last nite at my usual open mic night locally and the room was silent. I don't know whether it is because the song is so good or because they have rarely seen a big bald guy sing with no guitar before. THe effect is still mesmerising and everyone was coming in on the "Annie" line
and singing a refrain to "The lonely moon".

   I'm sure we'll eventually agree on some chords but I want to thank you all again for the help. I appreciate it.

Don

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: InOBU
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 07:08 PM

Funny... it is the Kerr Fagin setting I heard, brilliant... and my guitar tuning is a little like a bazooki... so that may be why... Don.. email me at [e-mail] and send me a phone number and good time to call, I will give you my tuning over the phone, the rest is simple.
cheers
lor
PS It is a BRILLIANT song...

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 07:59 PM

G'day again,

John Warner is still incommunicado (Well, in Queensland ... nearly the same ... ) but I spoke to Bob Fagan. Bob hasn't actually accompanied his son James on this song ... Nancy does far too good a job to need augmentation ... but he learned Anderson's Coast from John Warner at a session years before James ever played it ... and he'll try to dredge his chords up above the subconscious level for me!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 08:21 PM

I think half the problem is that John uses a (to me , at least ) weird
tuning , which means he can put all sorts of passing notes in a fairly simple chord structure , which makes it a VERY complicated chord structure !! -- Sound Reasonable ??

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: DonMeixner
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 11:25 PM

Yup, It do.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Aug 05 - 06:10 AM

G'day Don & Manitas de Plomba,

Well, that's roughly what: "... but that any original concept of a simple chord has long sunk under the pattern of notes that are the song's accompaniment..."

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Aug 05 - 08:54 PM

G'day again,

Errrr ... well, I mean to say I meant to end that last line ..." means - by some means!

I have not yet heard back from Bob Fagan ... and I'm not sure when John Warner gets home ... but we'll end up with an answer ... or two - sometime!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Aug 05 - 09:00 PM

"John Warner is still incommunicado (Well, in Queensland ... nearly the same ... )"

Oi! I resemble that remark!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Aug 05 - 08:23 AM

Yes Robin, I imagine you do :-)

Actually, he came back from Queensland, but now he's down in Wollongong performing with the Roaring Forties.

I printed the thread out for him, cos every time I wanted to show it to him, Mudcat was down. He enjoyed reading it, and said he will reply as soon as he gets a chance. I'd say it's likely to be tomorrow.

Jenny

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: jack halyard
Date: 20 Aug 05 - 11:06 PM

G'day folks, Jack Halyard needs to contribute.

The problem with Anderson's Coast is that it moves through chords very quickly and that it works a lot better with the instrument playing harmonies along with the voice.

When I wrote it, I built the melody on the whistle and then experienced considerable frustration trying to build a chordal accompaniment on the 12 string. I was going to ditch the song as too predictable, long, box-shaped and boring but that Margaret Walters insisted that I keep trying with it.
Kim Poole suggested that I leave it with him and see if I liked what he did with it. I liked it very much indeed! It is Kim playing the accompaniment on Pithead.
He tunes his guitar in DADEAB for this song. He also uses DADEAD. Once I learned that tuning I re-set many songs to it and wrote a number in that tuning. What is noticable is that there are very few block chords, it is mostly harmony behind voice.

I've since heard a number of settings. Some really fine unaccompanied treatments by such people as Jenny Fitzgibbon are compleat and perfect in themselves. Danny Spooner's concertina gives it a gutsy shantyman's emphasis. I've heard it done with continuo computer, Irish Bouzouki, and I've finally got a 12 string version of my own that works.

Margaret Walters may have some written music from Kim and Kim may have tablature for guitarists who read it. All I want to say is that, as the song's daddy, I'm happy to see my little one getting about and enjoying her relationships with all and sundry. She has not so-far dissapointed her old man - in fact he has been more than rewarded in hearing the song being sung, talked about and arranged.
Feel free to play folks, she's a big girl now.

                               Good health all!

                               Jack Halyard.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 05 - 12:19 AM

Thanks Jack I appreciate the information. I'll sit me down tomorrow ans see what I can arrange myself. You have certainly built a fine song. If I ever get a set that works I'll post the chords back here if it is agreeable with you.

Regards

Don Meixner

Subject: RE: Chord Req: More about 'Anderson's Coast'
From: Leadfingers
Date: 21 Aug 05 - 06:48 AM

Nice to hear it from 'Daddy' ! I do a 'sort' of melodic pick on 5 string banjo , no actual chords but lots of 'odd' notes to fit round
the melody . Actual Chord shapes are just G , C , and D in various inversions with bits of hammer on !