Page 1 of 1

Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 6:11 pm
by Doug Working
I have been quite blessed by a member here who generously shared with me the tab to Londonderry Aire, transcribed by the great John Knowles.

I am truly grateful to have that transcription in my hands so that I can compare my transcription wth the pros. Like I said earlier, if there is a mistake, it's me, and not John.

Well, as fate would have it, there were indeed mistakes!

I need to digress for a moment here to say that I was a little curious about the date of the music. I know Chet recorded it on "Alone" in '74 or '75. Not sure which. Anyway the tab says "copyright 1956 Athens music (BMI)."

I was just wondering if Chet had been playing this arrangement for 18 or 19 years and it had even been released to the public years before he recorded it? It's fascinating to think about.

But back to the music, I sure did make some mistakes that the tab set me straight on. And hey! It sounds a lot better when I do it Chet's way!

The part that messed me up was something the tab clarified that I had never heard of called "implied harmony." It was new to me, and I'm surprised that even after studying music for years I had never ran across that. Basically, when playing triads, the melody is on the 2'nd string, and the 1'st string implies the harmony. At least that's the best I understand it.

Anybody else familiar wth it? Did Chet use it often? It's what gives Chet's arrangement here that beautiful, clear "ringing" tone, for lack of a better word.

And the more I go through this and work with it, the more it occurs to me the sheer genius of the arrangement! Incredible harmonies are evident all throughout the arrangement.

Since I was a boy, I had always dreamed of being able to play this arrangement, but it was SO imposing for a young kid!! It was like 20 levels above me! Learning it was like looking up at Mt. Everest! No way I was going to climb that thing!


Anyway, thanks to John Knowles and the kind person on this board, I'm making a dream come true. Believe me, it's not easy, and I'm working diligently on it every day. I don't have what they call "natural talent," on guitar. Got to work harder to make up for that.

It will be beautiful with a lot of work.

Re: Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:48 pm
by jean-luc
Hi Doug,
Chet recorded a first version of Londonderry Air in October 1955 for the album "in 3 dimensions".
He re-recorded the title in February 1973 for the album "Alone" published in 1973.
This piece would be, originally, an Irish tune composed in the 19th century.
All this is well explained in Mark S. Reinhardt's excellent book "The Greatest Songs of Mister Guitar"
Best Regards, Jean-Luc

Re: Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 8:08 pm
by Doug Working
That's where I'm mystified, because the one I'm looking at is the 1973 arrangement with a 1956 copyright date. Since it is the latter arrangement of the two. it should be copyrighted 1973 or beyond.

He also recorded a different arrangement on the album "First Nashville Guitar Quartet,"' and a fourth one, that being the "Solo Sessions" arrangement in E major, modulating to C.

Re: Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 6:00 pm
by jean-luc
There is also the version on the DVD "The Guitar of Chet Atkins" (with tablature) ?
JL

Re: Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:38 pm
by Doug Working
Is that the same one that he recorded on Solo sessions? (In E maj.)

Re: Copyright date of Londonderry Aire?

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:58 pm
by jean-luc
Here is the MP3 from the DVD.
Hope this helps
Jean-Luc