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Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?

29 Oct 12 - 04:01 PM (#3427917)
Subject: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,MichaelK

Does anyone have harmonica notes for the song "(the bonny) Shoals of Herring?" Thanks!


29 Oct 12 - 06:46 PM (#3427994)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: McGrath of Harlow

I'm impressed by anyone who makes use of written notes when playig a harmonica. And surprised.


29 Oct 12 - 08:35 PM (#3428039)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Steve Shaw

Just listen and play along, and try to add something rather than just play the song tune. My instinct, I think, would be to play this song in first position, so work out what key it's in and use a harp in the same key. I might even prefer a tremolo harp personally. And there's no need to be playing all the way through or to do the same thing in every verse! Whenever you accompany a song, you always have to remember that the point of a song is the song, not the harmonica player.


30 Oct 12 - 12:10 AM (#3428131)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,999

Ditto what my friend, Steve said. Harps can make or break a song, the latter more often than the former. A little can be lots.

You need to play with the melody--play to back it up. The notation ain't gonna help. Listen to the water flow and help it flow down the river--and if necessary, up.


30 Oct 12 - 12:21 AM (#3428132)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST

Shoals of herring harptab


30 Oct 12 - 08:40 AM (#3428265)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Steve Shaw

That tab would drive the singer mad if that's all you played all the way through! I've changed my mind about the tremolo, by the way. It sounds fine on a blues harp. I think I was subconsciously avoiding it sounding like a concertina!


04 Nov 12 - 06:22 PM (#3431033)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,MichaelK

Ok thanks a lot everyone!

I'm new to the harmonica, awesome instrument but I'm learning- like steve shaw said- its better to play by ear, picking out notes can drive you up a tree lol


04 Nov 12 - 06:58 PM (#3431050)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Steve Shaw

If you listen to the recording(s) of the song that you like you can focus on the background accompaniment and hear what's going on there. Get some inspiration from that. Also, listen to lots of other songs with accompaniment and notice how the instrumentalists are in the service of the singer, not promoting their own axe! It doesn't matter what instruments are used. Accompanying songs, I find, is a damn sight harder than just playing tunes. There's many a potential pitfall that will have people talking about your bad taste behind their hands... Been there, done it, got the t-shirt!

Clichés are good here too. "Less is more" is a good one to start with! ;-)


05 Nov 12 - 10:10 AM (#3431308)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,leeneia

Can you read music, Michael? If so, you find find the notes at this site:

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

You enter 'Shoals of Herring' in the search box, then just keep clicking till the format you want - gif, pdf, MIDI or even ABC shows up. Sometimes it seems like you clicked the same choice more than once, but don't give up.


06 Nov 12 - 04:06 AM (#3431683)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST

My program HARRMONY can do tab which is suitable for many free-reed instruments, including harmonica, anglo concertina and melodeon.
Not harptab format though - there hasn't been any call for that, though it would be possible.


06 Nov 12 - 08:54 AM (#3431764)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: pavane

Sorry, that last post was me - lost my cookie. And the program is HARMONY


06 Nov 12 - 09:20 AM (#3431782)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Mr Happy

That link gives the genre as 'Irish' eh?


08 Nov 12 - 12:01 PM (#3433085)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,MichaelK

@steveshaw- yes, been listening to songs with it and I'm noticing its used mostly (except for a few professionals of the blues type) as an accent for the music rather than the "focus".

@pavane- great I'll check it out- do you have a website or something? A quick search didn't bring up anything.

@leenia- thanks! some great stuff there

I found this site to be very helpfull with getting started (some folk tabs and a forum as well)
www.harmonicaclub.com


08 Nov 12 - 12:58 PM (#3433127)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Leadfingers

It would appear that ANY song or tune that ever gets recorded by an Irish singer or group immediately becomes Irish , regardless of where it actually originated !


08 Nov 12 - 02:40 PM (#3433198)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST

My web site is here


08 Nov 12 - 02:43 PM (#3433202)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: pavane

Sorry - lost my cookie again. Last post was me


08 Nov 12 - 02:44 PM (#3433205)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: pavane

Ewan McColl - Salford Scotsman was Irish too!


08 Nov 12 - 04:52 PM (#3433270)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Tattie Bogle

That would be the Yarmouth in ireland, Scotland or Salford then?


08 Nov 12 - 07:14 PM (#3433349)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,leeneia

Leadfingers, to the hapless folk who have been barraged by rock and Nashville country all their lives, "Irish" has come to refer to authentic traditional music of the British Isles or America. Music that's crisp and quick, played on a fiddle in 4/4 or 6/8.

The druggie next door once heard us playing Renaissance music, and she was tickled pink, She asked my husband if that was Irish music. He told her that it was not quite Irish music, but it was a lot like it.

We folkies know that such music might have come from Ireland, Scotland, Newfoundland or Texas, but to the man on the street, it's Irish.   

Naturally the media is in no hurry to clear this up. Once the general public started hearing this music, Nashville would go straight down the tubes. It would be like allowing one clean spot on an old rug.


05 Apr 15 - 02:29 PM (#3699815)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,Randy

Hello, Folks
I have the harmonic tabs for Shoals of Herring except for the four line introduction beginning "With our nets..." I would like to play it in the style played by Liam Clancy. I'd appreciate any help available. Also, when the Clancy Brothers play this, what key harp is being played? Thanks for your help. Peace.


05 Apr 15 - 06:16 PM (#3699868)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler

What is the key used in your recording? Establish this and get hold of a gobiron to match.


06 Apr 15 - 07:52 AM (#3699997)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,Grumpyguts

Let me get this straight. You want tabs for a song that was adapted from various traditional sources by an actor who carved a career as a folksinger/songwriter. You want tabs for the moothie. FFS, if you can't play it by ear, DON'T BOTHER, and learn another instrument such as the spoons. What you are doing is what kills 'folk' music stone dead.


06 Apr 15 - 08:11 AM (#3700002)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: GUEST,#

'I have the harmonic tabs for Shoals of Herring except for the four line introduction beginning "With our nets..." '

The intro is often/usually done with no accompaniment.


06 Apr 15 - 02:53 PM (#3700101)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harmonica notes for 'Shoals of Herring'?
From: Dave Hanson

The beauty of standard notation is that it applies to most instruments.

Dave H