Martin Simpson - The Green Fields of America

[namasterafiki]

Actually, the tuning is DADGAD which is used in order to be able to play 'wandering tone'. Wandering Tone is when the chord is neither major or minor and plays on the 3rd and 7th intervals with both flat and neutral tones. It's primary purpose is to evoke feelings of both happiness and sadness, good and bad. It's what Irish music is all about!

[ianLP59]

@namasterafiki Nope, it's CGCGCD - trust me on this MS is a good friend of mine and I play this too, although nowhere near as well, this tuning is also a modal tuning in the sense that there is no 3rd interval so you can play it both in a major and minor key - very similar of course to DADGAD in that respect.

[hat6036]

@ianLP59 You should inform me on if he's gonna tour any time soon. I would love to see him

[agricola11]

@ianLP59 Just rediscovered my copy of his 'Leaves of Life' album, and it comes with a booklet in which he gives some notes on the songs and tablatures; he says his tuning on this one was in fact CGCGCEb.

[tlaverty]

I love hearing a man play this, who is intimate with the melody and roots of this song.

[ShipwrecksofEgypt]

Going back to my Looziana roots, am relearning slide guitar after 25 years away from it. This is hauntingly beautiful. Simple, but the nuances are profound. Reminds me of playing in graveyards in the middle of the night when I was a kid, or coming across an old house and wondering about the history there. I disagree with 19CACTUS51's statement about hopelessness, I would say that it is more about wonder of what is come before, and what is to come. Remember, this is an immigrant's song....

[rbbification]

ooooohhhhh

[19CACTUS51]

This tune evokes feelings of hopelessness…

[JadeLTanner]

what tuning is his guitar does anyone know?

[ianLP59]

@JadeLTanner The tuning is CGCGCD...

[jonnyheysus]

is this on any of his albums?

[szucsad]

@jonnyheysus

I think this is on Leaves of Life.

[robstar67]

saw him last night in montrose scotland

he played this perfectly

that,s about the 6th time I,ve saw him

over the last 3 years

sensational live

the man,s a real musical phenomenon

[Angushelen]

WOW great sounding guitar

[autodane]

@Angushelen Looks like his Sobell signatue model...

[sergaan]

all i can say - wow

[lealowo]

very sad and twice as beautiful

[shredmunga]

very moving, lovely slide guitar.

[csncsn00]

il suono è riconoscibilissimo:M Simpson. Unico magico con dentro tutta tradizione e la contemporaneita' Picasso Raffaello Caravaggio

[Cminor7sus4]

Si, est. Martin is a great soul. "Virtuoso" is too small a word. "Avatar" is more like it.