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[tiny]

Hello, can anyone help me out on the chords for the Cuckoo's nest please. I am looking at the notation from Lionel Bacon's Morris book,
the Bledington tradition and I'm not sure of the key. It has a b flat but I don't think it is in F major and I don't think it is D minor either.
On playing it on my C/F box I have taken the thirds out of the bass chords and it makes a very good sound with rocking from G to F which is great for the first or second time through but I then want to add more depth and chords and I'm not sure where the tune goes. I have experimented with trying out chords and although I don't mind discord nothing seems to sound right. I hope this makes sense!

I'm not playing this for Morris more of a piece to play in a club.

Any help much appreciated.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Any use?


http://tunearch.org/wiki/Cuckoo's_Nest_(4)_(The)


Sir John

[tiny]

Thanks John but the link won't open for me.

[tiny]

Opps!  the link has opened I'll study it. Thanks.

[Chris Ryall]

It is in dorian mode, Liz.  With one b in the key signature that would place it in G minor, but with an E Natural rather than an Eb (major 6th being characteristic note of dorian).

I play it in Em on my D row. it works straight up snd down the row, though I tend to cross finger the lower notes.

Rocking from G into F and back is the simplest bass for dorian Gm. You can rock your Bb chord  on the A music (ie casting it in to relative minor) as the E  nat is not expressed. I quite like that.

But in its B music the E is expressed and you need to respect the mode by rocking the C/G bass on bars 3 and 4.

[tiny]

Thank you Chris,  much appreciated. I get the jist of what you are telling me but I struggle to understand the theory of modes.

I shall try it tomorrow its a bit late tonight for my neighbours.

Interestingly I have just returned from a concert given by Andy Cutting at the Fleece at Bretforton, (fabulous playing as always), and he played the Cuckoo's Nest with some very nice bass indeed.

Thanks again.

[tiny]

Well I have tried it as suggested and it works very well.

It is much easier to play on the outside row in a minor key, but does sound so good in the key it is written from the Bacon book. Time for some thinking.