AboutMike Turner Expertise Folk Music, particularly the Child Ballads and that great body of industrial and work-related songs which arose during the Industrial Revolution. I am well-versed in the history of the Folk Revival, and I have a particular interest in political and agit-prop songs, as well as in traditional Irish dance music. For ten years I was a committee member and resident singer/song-writer/musician with the Grey Cock Folk Club in Birmingham (the pre-eminent traditional club in the English midlands, which was founded by Charles Parker of `Radio Ballad` fame).
Expert: Mike Turner Date: 7/5/2008 Subject: "Foggy Dew" clawhammer
Question Hello, I play clawhammer banjo and cannot seem to find the chord progression and/or tab to the traditional Irish song "Foggy dew". I've heard it played in G modal tuning with capo on the second fret and it sounds great, so that's the version I would like to learn but can't even find the chord progression. Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks,
Answer Hi Ryan,
A competent musician should be able to sit down with a recording of a "Foggy Dew" performance and work out a set of chords for it. Clawhammer implies a certain level of musical competence - I'd have thought that you would be able to carry out this procedure for yourself.
I do have at least one recording of the Irish "Foggy Dew", as indeed I have of the very different English song of the same name, but I don't think I can be of any direct help in working out the chords. I simply do not have the time these days for such exercises, as I only get two days at home in every seven, and it isn't enough time to run my life.
My favourite playing of "Foggy Dew" is a live recording that I made in 1978 of Na Fili playing at our club; the set includes the piece played as an air, a march and a reel, with the reel finally being played alongside a much-speeded-up march at the end. If you're short of a recording to work with, I could post an MP3 of this to my web site and send you the URL - let me know if this would be useful.
