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Topic: Oh Shenandoah |
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 10 Sep 2019 3:01 pm |
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As with any folk song which started life unaccompanied, the melody suggests different harmonies* to different people. So b0b, go ahead and do your own thing - you can't be wrong!
* and metres
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Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 10 Sep 2019 3:25 pm
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It is so ripe for harmonization and reharmonization.
A friend's band I just saw last week played it (beautifully) and it reminded me of this special one.
https://soundcloud.com/jolt12/shen |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 10 Sep 2019 3:32 pm
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I want to do it with a beat, in 4/4. I can't get the phrasing at the end of each verse (across the wide Missouri). Anyone have a BIAB or MIDI file with a drum part?
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Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 10 Sep 2019 4:00 pm
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The oldest version I can find sounds very much like the versions of the mid-60's following the movie (although the movie is about the valley in VA, and the song is about an Iriquois Indian Chief):
https://youtu.be/vKlkLwMHcAk
If I were going to try to go in a different direction from the usual, I'd give Van Morrison's version a few repeat plays:
https://youtu.be/nj0IFKX7o68
He mostly plays with the timing of the melody, and adds many leading notes or extra notes, but still, it's the most original take on the song I found in a quick search.
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Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
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Graham
From:
Marmora, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 11 Sep 2019 3:21 am
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A great version of this song by Mike Sweeney on his Pure and Simple Country cd.
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RebelĆÆĀæĀ½ |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 11 Sep 2019 8:05 am
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Does the verse have an odd number of measures, or is there a bar of 2 at the end? I'm hung up on the phrasing of that last line.
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-š¯•“š¯•†š¯•“- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 11 Sep 2019 8:51 am
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I would phrase the last stanza differently, so Mis-sou are on beats 2-3-4 of the second to last measure over the V7, and -ri is on beat one of the last measure over the I chord.
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Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
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Posted 11 Sep 2019 10:57 am
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| Jon Light wrote: |
It is so ripe for harmonization and reharmonization.
A friend's band I just saw last week played it (beautifully) and it reminded me of this special one.
https://soundcloud.com/jolt12/shen |
Thanks for that, Jon. I needed a good cry! |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 11 Sep 2019 11:09 am
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b0b, take the time to listen to this boy sing it. (all vocal)
It is very correct 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NmKp5A8i3M
PS
This version is great if you love lots of pure harmony and big chords (made with human voices only)
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Phone: 480-235-8797
Last edited by Fred Justice on 13 Sep 2019 9:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Sep 2019 7:57 am
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I like Ernie Ford's vocal version best. There's just something about his booming baritone that impresses me when he does historical ballads. But if I were to do it as an instrumental, I'd likely copy this arrangement by Tom Roush, because the song is low on structure, and I think the chords and bass used in this version (after the first minute or so) help define it and add to the flow and movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6i5fTie20E |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Brett Lanier
From:
Madison, TN
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 2:50 am
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Ditto. Lovely string arrangement.
I'd wondered about the half-bar; Jo sings that measure as if it were a bar of 3/4.
I do think she's singing about the river, not the chief.
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 6:45 am
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Does anyone have a good version with drums or a least a steady rhythm instrument? I've actually seen it written as alternating between 3/4 and 4/4 twice on the last line. It's hard to count the timing in all of these legato renderings. Singers and conductors take liberties.  The Tom Rousch version seems the clearest for 4/4 timing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6i5fTie20E
How would a marching band play it? 
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-š¯•“š¯•†š¯•“- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 7:40 am
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The sheet music in my comment has it in straight 4/4 all the way through. A 20-measure verse is a little odd, but plugging the progression as written into BIAB with a half-time groove seems like a good place to start.
I donĆ¢ā‚¬ā„¢t have BIAB. I use Session Band for stuff like this, where the piece is relatively short and simple. You could knock this one out in minutes with it and then change accompaniment styles with 2 clicks. I donĆ¢ā‚¬ā„¢t think there is a marching band style though... |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 10:38 am
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That bagpipe version took me from "Oh Shenandoah" to "Ow! Shenandoah."
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 10:56 am
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Whatever. They, and many others, just call it "Shenandoah". I personally love pipes. To me, they share many of the same sonic qualities I love about steel.
Wikipedia has a pretty good article outlining a lot of info about the song, including a pretty extensive list of different but relatively well-known versions - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Shenandoah |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 11:55 am
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
| That bagpipe version took me from "Oh Shenandoah" to "Ow! Shenandoah." |
I was thinking Ć¢ā‚¬Å“Yo-Ee-Um ShenandoahĆ¢ā‚¬Ā¯
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 4:42 pm
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David, I actually love pipes too.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 13 Sep 2019 7:08 pm
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Fred
That Peter Hollens version is beyond beautiful! Thanks for posting it.
I can hear 4/4 all the way through - it's the 20-measure form that's unusual.
I did love Buddy's rendition (somewhere on YouTube although not, I think, officially recorded) but I also enjoy Gary Carter's take on his CD.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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