Chord Req: Matty Groves

Subject: Chord Req: Matty Groves
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 12:42 AM

I was wondering if anyone knew the chords for matty groves? I tried to work it out, but it sounds all wrong to me, maybe some guitar players could play this and tell me how it sounds to them?

E             D   Am
A holiday, a holiday
Am             C       D
The first one of the year
Am    D                Am       Em
Lord Arlens wife came into the church
    D       Am    Em
The gospel for to hear

Thanks! I've searched the internet about a thousand time, and no luck...

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:10 AM

I'm sat here without my guitar but try starting on Am. That may get you a better result.

Andrew

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Maryrrf
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:06 AM

I think that first chord is definitely a minor - Am or Em depending on your vocal preference.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 11:48 AM

Chords I use (nicked from the Fairport version)


Em
A holiday and a holiday and the first one of the year

    G                  D               Em    D      Em
Lord Donald's wife came into church the gospel for to hear

Feel free to PM if the key isn't right and I'll tranpose for you if you need it!

Hope that helps

Chris

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 01:10 PM

Thanks everyone! I have a habit of singing very badly anyway! :) I was just trying to get a vague outline for my little brother... although i'm not entirely sure he should be singing about all that sex and death at the age of nine.
thanks again!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 02:11 PM

My dad used to sing me to sleep with Matty Groves and do all the voices as well. It used to scare the pants off me!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 02:46 PM

Lol, i'm not surprised! 'he struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall'? it's enough to give anyone nightmares, that!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 02:49 PM

I was only eighteen at the time! :-)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:18 PM

I think its

(Em) A holiday a (D) holi(Em)day
and the first one (C) of (D) the (Em) year
Lord (G)Arlen's wife went (D) into the church
the (Em) gospel (D) for to hear

All of the Ds except for the third line might with advantage (according to taste) be D9s (with the top E string left open)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Maryrrf
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:19 PM

I used to sing my kids to sleep with Matty Groves as well. They turned out okay!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:00 PM

Well if i ever (god forbid! ) ha ve kids, i might just stick to puff the magic dragon :)
thanks for all the chords!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Moonunit
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:06 PM

I wouldn't recommend letting your prospective kids loose on the "magic puff" if I were you... That sort of thing is illegal dontchaknow! ;-)

P.S. On second thoughts, it might be a better sleep aid than Matty Groves!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: GUEST,RiffRaf
Date: 26 Aug 08 - 01:00 PM

Hi guys

I play this in my band and as far as i know its as follows

(Dm)A holiday, a holiday, the first one of the year
(C)Lord Donald's wife (G) came into the church (G)the gospel (C) for to (Dm) hear

If anyone has the tab to the rest of the song i'd b grateful, like the riff in the middle. We currently play this stripped down to these chords and a fiddle accompaniement, but wanna play the little extra bit!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Maty Groves
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 26 Aug 08 - 01:37 PM

First thing to be sure of is whether you are aiming for teh Fairport tune or the traditional one. I play Fairport - and it's above and I'm pretty sure of it!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST,Adrian Delso
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 12:09 PM

Thanks to Richard Bridge for the fuller arrangement. I'm scoring a rahk version for an internet collab!

Uh, Riffraf, your version just doesn't quite work, sorry!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Matty Groves
From: pavane
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 10:13 AM

A couple of comments

a) "THE" traditional one - surely there are more, if you include the Musgrave versions (mostly UK, whereas Matty tends to be USA?)

b) "THE" chords? There are usually many alternative possibilites for a tune, none of which can be called THE only RIGHT one.

(I used to sing Nic Jones's (totally different) version to keep me awake when driving at night, but that's thread creep)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST,Rich
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 04:08 PM

I play it with just Dm and C with fills doing the rest. That is, the Fairport-styley version as opposed to the Nic Jones/ Martin Simpson Little Musgrave arrangement.

I'm pretty sure Simon Nichol plays it with only these two chords, (I think he uses Am and G capo'd on the 5th fret if memory serves).

when I saw Fairport (Acoustic) Convention in Kendal a few years back he introduced it as follows:

"This song has two chords and 19 verses which makes it a folk song, whereas if it had two verses and 19 chords that would make it a Steely Dan song".

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Matty Groves
From: Musician.Shane
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 12:52 PM

I have just came up with a chord progression that Fairport Convention uses, and it is the nicest I think. (Put the capo on the 5th fret)
Capo 5
Am                                              (C)    Am
A holiday, a holiday the first one of the year
Am                                     G                        Am
Lord Donald's wife came into the church, the gospel for to hear

(Repeat)

For a version to play along with and learn it, watch (listen to) the Fairport Convention video on YouTube.
: ) Enjoy!