Creole - Posted - 08/24/2023:  07:49:25

Looked up past Forum info on this subject and the links are corrupt or not what I am looking for as they date back to 2008. So now up to 2023, has anyone got any info for Sea Shanty music? I found one book on Amazon but it is all Tab. I read at a basic level and def not opposed to Tab but I def like to use the "lines and squiggles" :) where I can.
TY

Old Scratch - Posted - 08/24/2023:  08:23:45

There is a Mel Bay collection that is very good - not for fiddle, specifically, but then I doubt there is a collection of sea shanties that is specifically for fiddle.

Old Scratch - Posted - 08/24/2023:  09:05:33

This would be the one I was thinking of:  melbay.com/Products/94693EB/so...nals.aspx

I can't recall if it has many actual shanties; it might be songs and ballads mostly.

DougD - Posted - 08/24/2023:  09:30:12

Creole, I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for. These are songs, by definition, and were probably mostly sung without accompaniment. There just wasn't room on a sailing ship for somebody to sit around with a fiddle while everone else worked.
That said, many folk song collections contain sections devoted to songs of the sea. Here are several by John (and Alan) Lomax:
American Ballads and Folk Songs
Our Singing Country
Folk Song USA

I spent a lot of time with this one by Alan when I was in high school:
The Folk Songs of North America
American Songbag by Carl Sandburg is another one.

The Library of Congress has a lot of sea songs in their collections. Here's a finding aid:
guides.loc.gov/sea-songs-shant...llections
And this blog looks interesting:
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/01...shanties/
Hope this helps.

Creole - Posted - 08/25/2023:  14:36:26

Songs like Blow Ye Winds etc. Followed a band called Rusty Cutlass and they sometimes have a Violin back up/lead. I have some music off the INet. But was wondering if there were any books that would save me sooo much time and Print Ink. Much appreciate any and all of your insight and advice.
TY Mates

DougD - Posted - 08/25/2023:  15:04:31

"Blow ye Winds" is in the Mel Bay book Old Scratch linked, and probably some of the books I mentioned. If you haven't, check out the blog from the LOC - lots of interesting stuff there.
Good luck.

DougD - Posted - 08/25/2023:  16:02:04

Oh I see - its a Tiktok phenomenon. I just watched the original Tiktok version of the "Wellerman" and I guess its no coincidence that one of the singers is wearing a hat that says "YETI!"
I was around for the earlier "revival" of the 1960's and 70's, and at festival parties we used to play old time tunes and sing all kinds of songs. One I still remember (sort of):
"All for my grog, my jolly jolly grog,
All gone for beer and tobacco.
I spent all me tin, on the lassies drinking gin,
Far across the western ocean I must wander."
We were quite a bunch of old salts!

DougD - Posted - 08/26/2023:  12:45:19

Creole - Now I see why I've been hearing parody sea shanties in commercials for insurance on the radio!
When I used to hear these they might be accompanied by an English concertina or maybe a tin whistle, usually just playing the melody or a simple turnaround between verses.
Can you just play from the vocal line in these collections, and embellish it yourself if you want to? There's a sample page from the Mel Bay book you could look at.

Edited by - DougD on 08/26/2023 12:46:41

Creole - Posted - 08/27/2023:  08:27:33

I haven't tried embellishing, def want to learn. From what I have been told it is just playing through scales?

Old Scratch - Posted - 08/27/2023:  09:08:23

'Embellishing' is just adding notes and decorations from your own imagination. For example, if it's a half-note, play it as two quarter-notes; see if you like the way that sounds. If you have an eighth-note followed by an eighth-note a fourth above it - say, an E to an A - add the in-between notes (e.g., F# & G) in one long slur of 16th-notes. Etc. Experiment, in other words.

Creole - Posted - 08/27/2023:  16:17:24

quote:

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Originally posted by Old Scratch

'Embellishing' is just adding notes and decorations from your own imagination. For example, if it's a half-note, play it as two quarter-notes; see if you like the way that sounds. If you have an eighth-note followed by an eighth-note a fourth above it - say, an E to an A - add the in-between notes (e.g., F# & G) in one long slur of 16th-notes. Etc. Experiment, in other words.

Ahh okay. Now I am coherent.  (Good drugs in the 70's..) lol  Embellishing yes got it. Yes that is definitely fun to do with these songs.  TY

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