Topic: there but for fortune

I love the old Phil Ochs song  'there but for fortune'does anyone play it much, if so, what time is it in and do you normally strum or pick it? I normally sus this out but i haven't actually heard this for a long time so thought i would ask. I know Joan Baez sang it. Well, i normally sus it on most songs but there's the occasional one that flummoxes me!

Re: there but for fortune

Hi there Hopeful,

I have in front of me as I write the 1963 sheet music for "There But For Fortune". It is in Common Time (4/4) and each chord is played for two bars. When I play it I both finger pick and strum as the mood takes me.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Re: there but for fortune

Thankyou for that Roger, will start practicing that when i pick up my guitar again after my set of nights.( groannnnnnnn)!!

Re: there but for fortune

When you play this do you play it in the key that's shown on chordie. Starting with c and  fm?

Re: there but for fortune

Hi Hopeful

Sorry for the delay in replying but I have been moving and have not had too much time to be on here.

The answer is yes the original sheet music is C to Fm.

Take care,

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Re: there but for fortune

Hi Roger,
hope your move went ok. Sorry to keep on at this one but just one last question! I just wondered what picking pattern you do when you pick this tune. I have been learning a couple of patterns but really basic ones and would like to try a different one. Just wondered what one you did for this tune.

Re: there but for fortune

does anyone have the chord progression, or sheet music for the song

"twenty days and twenty nights", the composor was ben weisman

Re: there but for fortune

Hi Hopeful,

A longish explanation to something that is done almost automatically, I even had to get my guitar out to write down how I play it, so here goes.

C.  Thumb picks the fifth string, index finger the third string, middle and ring finger pick second and first strings together, index finger picks the third string. That is the first bar. The second bar on C is the same apart from the thumb picking the fouth string.

Fm, Am and Am7 are picked in just the same way.

D, F and Dm the thumb picks just the fourth string for both bars.

G and Em the thumb picks sixth the first time and fourth on the second bar.

I hope that is clear. Your thumb is the only finger that plays different strings.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Re: there but for fortune

Thankyou very much Roger for your help, much appreciated.That's given me a new pattern to practice.