FO-107 • Waltzing Matilda Chords and Melody

[justinguitar]

Lesson Link: http://www.justinguitar.com/en/FO-107-WaltzingMatilda.php

Questions...

[Al#]

Hi, really like this version and have just about managed to get it working more or less smoothly now.

However, its only really the verse and I was looking into playing the chorus "waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda..." in a similar style, so that I could play / sing the whole song. I can figure out the melody line, but it's a bit up the neck (5th - 7th fret) so how do I go about keeping the alternating base line going on the beat?

I've had a go at thinking about which bass note to play given which chord it is likely to be, e.g. an F, then trying to find the F notes on the neck that are close to my melody note, and can just about see this working in theory, but to play these bass notes and the melody notes simultaneously requires fretting hand contortions that don't seem right. Is there a suitable bar chord shape that would make this all easy (can do E and just about A shaped) or do I have to create a bespoke grip for this purpose?

Anyone got it figured out?

Ta in advance,

[Diamond Dave]

Al's only post and no one answered him! The folk fingerstyle forum is something of a wasteland. 

My aha! moment has been seeing what string and fret the lowest bass note is on and understanding that that determines what chord I should be using, e.g., third fret sixth string is G, first fret sixth string is F, third fret fifth string is C, etc.

After that, it's just a matter (for me) of taking it a couple of bars at a time, maybe writing out the tab in my notebook with "1 & 2 & 3 4 &" over it so I can help keep track of where I am, and eating the elephant a bite at a time.

Not hard in theory or execution, but it will take practice and a few weeks to get it down. Fortunately it's a beautiful (if poorly named) song--maybe we Americans don't know it because "Waltzing Matilda" sounds stuffy. Marketing is everything in the USA. Still, a beautiful song, with wonderful Aussie slang as a title, and one that you pickers down under should be proud of.