Fingerstyle Cittern--Jig & Reel

[Broadsidejohn]

What a wonderful performance and great sound. I love early instruments playing celtic or old time music. Thanks for the posting. Zowie!

[dustys1banjo]

I'm a tenor banjo- mandolin player, wanted a deeper tone instrument, can't wrap my head around the guitar keyboard. Bought a cittern from Lark in The Morning and experimented with strings and tunings. I'm using paired tenor banjo strings plus a pair of .052 wound strings for the bass course tuned DAEBF# I find it extremely versatile for country, bluegrass, and old pop tunes. I have had many questions on this, but here's one bastardization that works.

[fergohanlon]

i love this...

[Lleyaweem]

Thank you Mr. Sobol for this masterpiece with the cittern. when I'm in a bad mood, this song always makes me happy! I hope that you will upload more video!!!

[topper326]

great playing! love the sound

[paddyryan53]

Same tuning as mine, any chance of the tab????

[Citternalia]

@paddyryan53 --chance, I suppose, but low probability--I've never used tab and have no plans to start!

[xxguitarhero48xx]

Do you recomend a Cittern or long scale Bouzouki?

[Citternalia]

@xxguitarhero48xx

Different tools for different tasks. Long-scale bouzouki is great for power-chord backup, murder on the left-hand for melody playing. If you come from a guitar background cittern is a close adaptation; if you come from a mando background octave mandolin is an easier switch, and it's better for melody.

[xxguitarhero48xx]

@Citternalia Thanks for the advice, there's not many people to ask over here in the states so I do appreciate it. I play a lot more guitar than mandolin, and all of my riffs and solos come from chords and open strings, unlike many bouzouki players. I was thinking for more rhythm purposes because of the beautiful full strumming sound.

[orb42]

incroyable gig man, j'ai été scotché!! bravo, this is a wonderfull work, thank you , RESPECT

[odeamusic]

jaysus... eveytime i watch this it blows me away. effortless... ^ master

[odeamusic]

jaysus... eveytime i watch this it blows me away.

[MrMichaelEdie]

Im gonna arrange this set for guitar if it kills me!

[Therion202]

That's tits!!!!

[martifingers]

This is simply wonderfully perfect musicianship (and a beautiful instrument!).

[bass0111]

Beautiful. Thanks.

[wmsang]

Superb. Absolutely top drawer - this guy is amazing.

[ronimac110]

fantastic

[M0DEAN]

Is there another name for that second tune? It sounds familiar.

[spiderrobby]

I never comment. Never.

But this was just fantastic! Thanks for posting.

[DeafFret]

dazzling!

[bandruid]

Congratulations!!

[luderlarsson]

awsome tunes! whats the tuning for this?

[Citternalia]

GDGDG, with reversed octaves on the bottom three courses (bass string on the bass side of the pair).

[odeamusic]

really well done man. fantastic. This kind of playing keeps me going. It makes me want to just work harder, ya know.

thanks.

[Agar101]

what i love best about your playing (other than the obvious smoothness and rhythm)

your triplets! amazing.

thanks for the post,

Ben

[Agar101]

sorry i meant to ask, it looks like a sort of rasguado idea for those triplets? is that about right? or is it more like a tremolo thing?

[Citternalia]

Tremolo--it's all upstrokes, where rasguados are downstokes.

[Yavor54]

OMG... Sobel on a Sobel... you can't beat that.

[Citternalia]

Sobol on a Sobell actually. But thanks.

[fanwick]

Hey! Thats really great.

Goes also well with the tenor banjo.

Thanks for the session.

.... and a big, big YEEEEHAAAA!

[9toonsis9]

Whoa! I keep coming back to this over and over again. Smoother than a baby's bottom. I play my bodhran to this or keep a beat on the desk. Just can't help it! Damn fine job!!!

[BmoreBusker]

how do you have this tuned?

[bitekle]

Waoh !

[MrCopperhead1861]

Always glad to a musician have fun while he plays :)

[chavialonso]

if you can play the cittern, howzabout a british jig & reel....

what? oh...

[Dracapalley]

Terrifically lucid playing. What a dream. Thanks for uploading.

[Citternalia]

Lo and behold the wonders of YouTube. Yes, if it was the Saturday afternoon before Easter that would have been me, first and only time in Hobgoblin. That was a nice Fylde archtop cittern btw, 1100 quid and a fantastic sounding machine.

[JakcF]

Hey i know this guy. I met him in Hobgoblin music in Bristol, I think he played this, he's brilliant. I played along on a Martin 12 string guitar, he introduced me to the cittern.

[nohomatt]

I am on stefans list for a cittern but cant decide on an 8 string or 10, why do you prefer 10 ( i believe you once had a 12 at dream guitars as well. Did you ever replace it with another 12?

[Citternalia]

I come from guitar, and prefer the wider melodic and harmonic resources available with more courses. Some players prefer the narrower spectrum for its focus and percussive attack. I do have another Sobell 12-string as well as a 12-string guitar at the moment.

[abraxas123]

The best cittern playing I have seen.

[Uuuuurk]

hoHA :O

[Citternalia]

Hard to find a good 10-string. I really like the Fylde archtops, they have the full sound without the sky-high cost. And Roger Bucknall of Fylde is very quick and responds well to custom requests as to scale-length and wood combinations. Nikos Apollonio in Maine is quite reasonable and makes nice instruments. Some of the Canadian builders are worth checking out--Lawrence Nyberg or Peter Cox; or Graham McDonald and Jack Spira in Australia. Or find a local builder that you you can work with.

[ProfQ]

Where can I buy a cittern that's easy on the wallet? Really the kind of instrument I'm looking for, but I can't find them anywhere, especially not in my price range

(low *cough*). BTW, absolutely great playing. You've been favorited, for sure.

[Citternalia]

Home-made thumbpick: take Herco heavy flatpick-shaped thumbpick, cut off the picking end and glue a white nylon flatpick tip into the frame--makes a more consistent and natural-sounding striking surface. Acrylic coating on index, middle, and ring fingernails--otherwise they wouldn't last one tune.

[barbarashultz]

I've got your Citternalia CD & it's one of my favorites. I see you've got your cittern capo'd... What do you have on your picking fingers?

[bookpacker]

Joseph, new cittern player here. What tuning(s) do you use?

[Citternalia]

GDGDG. Bottom pair are octaves with the the bass string on the bass side of the pair (reverse of a typical 12-string).

[Citternalia]

Thanks, Casey. See you at Sullivan's!

[tantoonie0]

Hey Joseph (if this is your profile), it's so great to hear your playing. This is Casey Phillips, the banjo player from Knoxville. We've played together a few times at Patty Sullivans, and I've always admired your work. This is excellent, as usual.

[BubCar2]

Thank you. Wonder how many cittern players could play it that well in the olden times :)

[llamadan40]

Wow! that is a beautiful instrument you have there!! where did you buy it? and for how much?

[Citternalia]

I got it from Elderly Instruments in Michigan, in 1990, when Sobells were quite inexpensive. Nevermore.

[hamrzlawnlake]

Why the backward pairs of strings? I been playing matched pairs on a 4 course and so far everybody loves the sound. This set went right into my favorites the second it started playing:)

[Citternalia]

The octaves increase sonority and give some extra cut when the melody dips low. Having the bass note on the bottom keeps the harmonic picture in the proper perspective. It's the sound I prefer--wouldn't say it's for everyone. Thanks.

[Legertymusic]

Lovely stuff, Joseph. Glad to see here on YouTube. How are you, my friend?

Zac

[Citternalia]

Still holding down the 2nd Tues. at the Acoustic Coffeehouse. Hope to see you there one of these...

[wolfandraven9999]

Oh my, that is amazing. I'm sure it must be so fun to play like that. I'm emigrating from the Irish Zouk to the Cittern shortly. I hope I'll sound like that sometime. I only do flat picking atm. Finger style looks very agreeable though.

[andfon7a]

Impressing! How is the instrument tuned?

[orpharion]

Fantastic, Joseph - a real master!

[ceteracorsa]

Huge tecnic! Congratulations, very beautiful tunes, but excellent swing and rythm, I love it!!!

What about some videos on English Guitar? ;)

Cheers