Scarborough Fair/Canticle

Here's one of my guitar students playing Scarbouro Fair. To make it just a little more challenging, I sang the Canticle part along with her. It took her two lesson sessions to finally get through the whole song on video without any major mistakes, but all things considered, I thought it came out pretty good.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
(S)he once was a true love of mine

Tell him/her to make me a cambric shirt
(On the side of a hill in the deep forest green)
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
(Tracing a sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needlework
(Blankets and bedclothes a child of the mountains)
Then (s)he'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)

Tell him/her to find me an acre of land
(On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves)
Parsely, sage, rosemary, & thyme
(Washed is the ground with so many tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strand
(A soldier cleans and polishes a gun)
Then (s)he'll be a true love of mine

Tell him/her to reap it in a sickle of leather
(War bellows, blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
(And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten)
Then (s)he'll be a true love of mine

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
(S)he once was a true love of mine

Category:

Music

Tags:

• guitar
• student
• folk
• song
• music
• simon
• garfunkel
• Jack
• Marti

[rgak5sit]

Jack, Your method of uploading students videos is a great idea.

Bob

[JacksGuitarStudents]

Yeah, in some ways it's even better than playing before a live audience in terms of honing your skills, because the camera won't lie and doesn't forget!

[aguyatthebeach]

And now for something more honest...

Very nice playing and voice... but, on a constructive note... it seems about a half step or so too high... try moving you capo down towards the nut a little more. - It makes your otherwise beautiful voice slightly sqeaky. Also, your teacher's voice has to go to an unnatural, forced falsetto in order to try to reach the latter parts of the canticle.

Those aside, very very nice presentation.

[JacksGuitarStudents]

Points well taken, though we were both having difficulties with allergies at the time, and this was mainly a guitar recital rather than a vocal one. She was still a fairly new guitarist, having only been playing for a few months at the time, so it's forgivable that her tempo dragged just a bit as the picking pattern was a little tricky. I think you are right about the capo, at least in terms of my voice, but I think the key was good for her. We appreciate your constructive critique.

[dirtpoe]

@JacksGuitarStudents

sorry, but as someone who has been playing for decades, this girl had not only been playing for a "few months" at the time of this video. are you trying to prop up your business, or what? Allergies? Give us a break...she did fine, however, your voice was horrific and I doubt sliding the capo down will help.

[JacksGuitarStudents]

@dirtpoe I have no argument with your opinion of my voice in this video, but I can assure you she had only been playing for, at best. six to eight months when we made this video. She is an exceptionally good student. She was indeed suffering from allergies at the time, and was not particularly happy with the way her voice was sounding, though, like you, I think she sounds fine.

[katiekat2458]

OMG why are you guys so rough on her!!!!?? SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND SINGS EXCEEDINGLY WELL WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE FACT SHE IS ALSO PLAYING THE GUITAR AT THE SAME TIME! She has done a beautiful job!

PLEASE TELL HER FROM ME :) :)

[40173k]

No mean feat singing and playing that at the same time. Well done. (Better on your own - sorry.)

[julianvasey1]

Excelent very nicely done.

[CosplayMagic102]

@aguyatthebeach u r WRONG!!!!! she did AWSOMELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u go critisize somebody ELSE (like someone who needs it!!!) X(

-Kunai

[CosplayMagic102]

awesome!!! hahaha! it seems like everyone but me uses a capo for that song......=D

-Kunai

[Eijkeren]

Well done !

[melodel2]

Lol I personally would not like my guitar teacher making me perform in front of a camera and then have it posted on youtube,

but overall she did good.

[Nuron666]

Nice job :)