Hard Times - Stephen Foster

My fingerstyle arrangement of Stephen Foster's beautiful song Hard Times. Heard it sung on the Transatlantic Sessions, then heard Stephen Baugham's frailing guitar version and was moved by both. Then I heard a bit of it by Mary Flower and the ideas started flowing, and this is the result, tho' it still has a way to go. Hope you enjoy. Comments are welcome.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fingerstyle
• fingerpicking
• Hard Times
• Stephen Foster
• Atlantic Sessions
• Mary Flower
• Steve Baugham
• frailing guitar

[DavidCreamerMusic]

Gorgeous! Thank you so much! It was apparently published even earlier than that: 1854.

[coachdoc49]

@DavidCreamerMusic Thanks, David. I'm still playing it alot. Can't handle the words tho'. They are so depressing, and so appropriate for these times.

[bullysmom74]

wow, stephen, you are a gifted guitarist, i love your playing, i know many years of practice and time have been put in it by you, and now you are great. still love cat head blues, it isn't on you tube, or i didn't find it. did you talk to jeanie?  pat

[coachdoc49]

@bullysmom74 Bully, I'm not Stephen, I'm Doc Rogers from Warner, NH. The song was written by Stephen Foster in the 1890's and was a huge hit way back then. There are many wonderful versions of it, especially the Transatlantic sessions version, on Youtube. Glad you enjoyed it, and if I ever run into Jeanie, I'll be glad to say 'Hi.'

[markt158]

I'll try to work it out. Standard tuning? What key? (D?), can you give me some hints on any of the chords?

[coachdoc49]

@markt158

Drop D. Standard chords. The only odd chord is the diminished chord at the fifth fret.

[evenogarne]

Santa..?

[jonandletha]

Thanks for this video. It is beautifully done! We listen to it often. Do you ever come to the Stephen Foster Festival in White Springs, FL? We would come just to see you perform in person. Thank you for sharing your gift and talent with us.

[PeluMaad]

Nice...a song for the times....

[acmedata]

Beautiful ... thank you so much for sharing this.

[coolmamac]

Bravo.

[cobra952top]

@coachdoc49 Great job---but Stephen Foster died in 1864. He apparently wrote this poignant song in 1854.

[crossingforward]

SANTA CLAUS! =D

[bullysmom74]

@coachdoc49 oops , so sorry, but you know i like stephen, lol, jeanie is my firend who sang backup with elvis for 3 years, and backup with leon russell and so many greats, as you can see we are pretty old. sorry to bother you, now i have talked to someone from NH. have a good one.