This week I practiced playing, “Down By the Riverside.” This song is identified as an African-American spiritual piece, and dates all the way back to before the American Civil War. Through a bit of research, I discovered that this song has been used an anti-war song, particularly during the Vietnam War. The song was first published in 1918 and first recorded in 1920.
This was one of the first songs that my grandpa taught me on ukulele when I was learning how to play. For this reason, it felt like a good piece to choose for my first song on the guitar. In the video, I played and sang through one verse of the song. There are a few different verses that I did not play where the words switch. The chord progression for this song is also quite easy and repetitive, hence the selection. It incorporates three basic chords: D, G, A7. I also added in a D7 chord to transition from the D to the G.
I played this song to a metronome beat of 110. This felt appropriate for the speed I normally play the song at. I listened along to a metronome through my AirPods while I was playing the song. I found this to be really helpful and effective for keeping tempo.
I really liked how you gave the history of the song! It’s so sweet how you chose your first song to play. Also so awesome how you adapted it so easily to guitar, adding a chord for easier transitions. Using your airpods to listen to the metronome is such a smart idea as you can hear it more clearly whereas I imagine the guitar would sometimes drown it out. Lovely playing!
Ummm Beyonce who??
Jk jk but seriously Teagan you are so talented. I loved reading about the history of this song and then hearing your own personal connection to the song. Having a special memory connected to a song especially someone like a grandparents makes it even more special.
Thanks for sharing, looking forward to seeing the rest of your blogs!