Hobart Smith's Soldier’s Joy - Clawhammer Banjo Lessons Series

Описание: Soldier’s Joy from Hobart Smith, taught by Hunter Robertson.

I’ve been thinking of a follow up to my banjo instructional DVD for a while now and with all this enforced time at home I finally got around to the first lesson, Hobart Smith’s Soldier’s Joy. With so many people stuck at home, I've decided to put it out for free. Enjoy!

Tuning is gCGBD.

Try using a backwards fingerpick on your frailing finger, I'm pretty sure Hobart used one. Also, playing close to the bridge will give a brighter sound and I think helps play this up to speed, as the strings are less mushy.

The video has been recorded in such a way that slowing it down to 50% should still give a clear picture of what's going on.

Soldier’s Joy (AKA Love Somebody, King’s Head…) is a widespread tune that dates to the end of the 18th century, at least. Lots more information here: http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SO_SO...[1]

This lesson is based on four recordings of Hobart Smith playing it on the banjo:
Folk Legacy (    • Hobart Smith-Soldiers Joy (Old Time Banjo)   )
Friends of Old Time Music (    • Soldier's Joy   )
In Sacred Trust (    • Soldier’s Joy   )
one from Club 47 in 1963.
There is some variation through these that I haven’t covered in the video but it goes over the majority of it.

For the parts: on the Friends of Old Time music recording, he starts on the same coarse part as I do in the video, so let’s call that the A part, then he plays the first fine part I show, so let’s call that B. Then the coarse variation, so part A’. Then B. Then the alternate fine part, B’. Then B, A. So: AABBA’A’BBB’B'BBAA
On the Folk Legacy recording he plays: BBAABBAABBAA.
On the In Sacred Trust recording: AABBAA’BBAA’BBAABBB'AABBAABBAA
On the Club 47 recording: A’A’BBA’A’BBB’B’BB.

Moral of the story, play it as you will.

Enjoy!

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