This week's winner, by a landslide, is Spootiskerry, which was submitted as a Shetland tune. This tune was submitted as an "Other Tune" a few months ago. Here's a link to that discussion. Here are some abc's for David Hansen's rendition: X: 1 T: Spootiskerry C: Ian Burns M: 4/4 L: 1/8 R: Reel K: Gmaj DE | G2 DE GDEG | DEGA B2 AB | G2 DE GABd |eged B2 AB | G2 DE GDEG | DEGA B2 AB | g2 ed edBA | B2 G2 G2 :| ef | g2 ed ed B2 | BABG E2 DE | GABd eged | B2 A2 A2 ef | g2 ed ed B2 | BABG E2 DE | GABd eged | B2 G2 G2 ef | g2 ed ed B2 | BABG E2 DE | GABd eged | B2 A2 A2 DE| G2 DE GDEG | DEGA B2 AB | g2 ed edBA |B2 GB G2 || Here's the video: They are playing this with more of a hornpipe (dotted) rhythm. Here's another by one of our members.... this one has more of a reel rhythm.
I really like this tune.... especially for what I see as great technique practicing potential! I'm playing this on my Collings MT2O mandolin, pretty slowly, for those who try to learn from the video! The first time through, I'm playing it as written, as a reel, comprised of quarter and eighth notes. The second time through, I'm playing it all eighth notes (except for the last measure!) Doing it this way, you can really concentrate on that solid *down up down up down up down up* picking. The third time through, I'm playing it with more of a hornpipe (dotted) rhythm.
Thanks Barbara, that was a very good instruction! You played it very clean... I kept it very simple. I have no idea how to put some extra's in this tune, so I wonder what the others do
Enjoying all the versions so far; thought it was about time I posted here again after a long absence, and might as well come back with a Scottish tune. Sorry, no backing on it (sounded good with guitar in Luurtie's version and the first version); I've ran it together with Willasfjord, one which often follows it.
I liked that Neil! You've put some real Scottisch flavour to it! What a nice sounding mandolin you've got there! Is it a The Loar?
You all are on the ball this week with three great sounding submissions. I knew I recognized the name of this tune. Here's a link to a discussion about it from last summer. There's a swinging version from David and Topher and some discussion on chords for accompaniment. http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/gr...457&do=discuss
Luurtie - thanks. Indeed it is a "the loar", the 520-vs, and I'm very pleased with the sound, especially since picking up a tonegard.
Hi do you post the sheet music each week, i read music and it's much easier to for me to play off the sheet music
Great tune, you guys are on the ball! My first introduction was back when David and Topher posted it. Thanks, Barbara, for your examples and descriptions -- it helps me understand it better.
Stevenmando, you could download the FREE ABC Explorer, copy the ABC listed above, import it into the Explorer, and, Voila, here is your sheet music.
You can also go to this site and just copy and paste the ABC notation. http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html There are so many more tunes available in ABC than in standard notation because it takes so much less space to store them. In a while, you'll get where you're reading straight from the ABC.
Great versions all round, you inspired me to have a go. I goofed up second time around but kept going.... The other vid I've posted before, it's from the White Lion Session in St Albans, Hertfordshire.......
This site has sheet music for many of the tunes we do, including this one. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/se...ootiskerry.htm
Nice one Tosh. I didn't hear a mistake. If you don't stop it's not a mistake. It's improvisation. Why does that session video make me thirsty? Gary
What a great tune! Very nice job, Tosh, and if you didn't play it the way you wanted, what you did play was just as nice. Neil's version with the added tune is excellent. Luurtie's Spootiskerry, with the guitar backup was also excellent. Barbara, thanks for the three versions with the different rhythms -- very helpful indeed. Will's straight ahead version is very classy. David's great playing and especially Topher's swing guitar backup are extremely inspiring...
Well got the sheet music and have been practising this morning and i do belive i got it down you would think the second half would be the most difficult but it has a flow to it that when you start playing it it just flows ,its realy a nice tune and once you get your finger memorie going and you work out all your kinks its great, now i just have to learn about my youcam on my computer that i have never used so i can download it at least i hope you can download it .
Thanks for the kind words GK & Michael, it is a great tune and as has been posted already, it's usually paired with Willafjord in sessions over here..... I got our group to play it today, (that's maudlin mandolin far left !) we are minus a few members but that didn't stop the rest of us having a bash! Steven, go for it, you'll be fine........
Okay, Tosh - here it is..and I left the mistakes in. I am trying to take the advice of others about holding the mandolin straighter, as I had a tendency to tilt it towards me so I could see my fingers better..not that that really helped..lol. To help get me over the video nervousness, I'm just going to keep making more.
That's great Kristin, well done. The more you video the more you will be relaxed. Mine's not perfect at all, but the important thing is you are having a go and that is fantastic. As for speed, check out Barbara's video, she plays nice and slowly and evenly to begin with and builds it up and that is more important than flying through it in my book and pleasing on the ear. Anyway job done, it's fun and keep it up......
Tosh, believe me, I started slowly...very slowly...lol..I always do. I'm very comfortable with the speed..just video nerves, because I don't make those errors when the camera is off. My intonation is also much better when the camera is off..lol. I will, eventually, get that fixed...valium, maybe..lol My playing is much crisper than I can ever get in a video..and that's frustrating..but, that will end in time and with lots and lots of practice and even more patience. Thank you for the encouragement..it's very appreciated.
I enjoyed Tosh's group posts... glad you few had a bash! Kristibob, very nice job. It may be time to drop the term "Newbie" now!
Thanks, Kay I'll gladly drop the "newbie"...in 5 or 10 years....LOL
You folks are all well on the ball! i've enjoyed listening to the slightly different versions so far... well done all round. When i first heard this tune i thought it would be another one of those dreaded finger busting exercises -and it is but not as bad as i was expecting. Here is my attempt:
I really enjoyed your poignant version, Jonny, nicely played! It was fun playing along with all you guys, and a great way to learn the tune. Thanks to Barbara for starting it out slowly so I could get the hang of it.
Boy, Kay..if I could dance a jig, you'd have me up and dancing!..Well done! Jonny, yours got me thinking about two people dancing together, by themselves..full moon, in high heather...gee...I'm such a romantic..lol..it just got to thinking of people in love.
Too many people to praise here. Barbara, very inspiring instruction. Tosh, good to see you back. Very nice playing. Self-help group seems to be fun. Kristibob, great effort. Advice from an almost newbie: A little bit more slowly would make it even cleaner. Kay, great playing with nicely dotted rhythm. Jonny, I wish I had had your ideas for this tune, which is why mine turned out to sound like a technical exercise (almost violated my own regulation above)
Nice Manfred. Just too short. Kay. Wow. I guess I haven't seen any of your posts lately. Very nice. Jonny. I liked that. Innovation is what makes music art. Gary
Kay, that was great! Especially your smile at the end!
Wonderful what you did Kay, Manfred, Kristibob and Tosh! Johnny, you get a great singing tone out of that mandolin. Speed comes with time, keep op picking buddy. You did very wel! I also found a Spootyskerry&Willafjord from Kev Thompson from Scotland. He's a wonderful Celtic singer en Robert Burns performer. I'd recommend anyone to watch more of his youtube video's..
I think it is great how this tune has just ignited a flurry of playing! it is a bit of a finger-twister, and very fun to play. And lots of fun versions now, very cool. Right on!
Wow, that was speedy, and the tunes go together very nicely. The first time I heard this was David and Topher's version. It's amazing to me how much it sounds like a swing tune. There were lots of great versions this week, but I thought the embellishments that Neil put in were extra special. Kristibob, I think you might need to start calling yourself an intermediate. Kay, your version had an exceptional feel to it that was consistent all the way through. Great job everybody!
Nice work Laura, and everyone seems to be all over this one. This is a very mando-friendly tune, just one big G6 arpeggio. Here's my go:
Wow, 2 very good versions Laura and David! It's a beautitiful mix Laura....easy listening" ....And I wonder, are you a professional musician David? It sounds a bit like a bluegrass-version the way you play it, wonderful!
Lots of excellent contributions this week. Thanks to Tosh my standard version has already appeared so here it is fingerpicked.
Cool fingerpicking, Mr Maudlin - I've never even really tried that on the mando. Thanks very much, Luurtie, I'm a long way from being a professional, but I do play a lot of bluegrass. Sometimes I get paid for it, and sometimes I get paid to stop doing it but it's really just for fun.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Everyone's versions have been delightful! This seemed to be an easy tune for my fingers, and I thought of it as kind of like playing a box shape. Luckily David clarified my thoughts by calling it one big G6 arpeggio. So THAT'S what it is! Like luurtie, I really enjoyed how David grassed it up.
Congratulations to all and what a variety of interpretations. I have just uploaded a version of Spootiskerry and Willafjord to my SoundCloud page, played on mandolin and guitar. Having problems with the speed on my broadband at present (it has become much narrower band!) so am not posting to YouTube until I get some solution to it. Here is the link to the SoundCloud tune: http://snd.sc/Rapo4Z
Sounds good JohnK, and also all the others above. John, I like the guitar backup there, it seems to balance it nicely. thanks for all the encouraging comments on my effort .
I should be embarrassed to admit this, and I am, but yesterday I had some time on my hands and I started thinking about this tune being one bit G6 arpeggio. Hmmmm... so I pulled up this thread and started click click clicking down the row until I had everyone going; then I would go back as the shorter ones finished and click again. I kept this going for some time, and sure enough it all went together nicely! Sadly, some work came in and put an end to my fun. Just now I repeated my experiment and found that while still nice, it wasn't nearly as much fun sitting here at home.
interesting. It works best with only the ones without backing, and definitely some blends sound better than others.
OK - and another from a newbie Apologies for the flubs - I promise I play this a lot better when I am not recording Cheers Sean
And when exactly were you a newbie, Sean? That was perfect. I really enjoyed it, and I hope to manage a similar take at some point. I struggle with reels - simple rhythm, but too fast for me. Coincidentally, Spootiskerry was part of my last mandolin lesson, so I thought I'd post it here while it's still almost current as song of the week. I did try to play it twice through, but messed up and ended up cutting the second part. Camera anxiety and the strain of take-22-or-so combined to make me leave it there!
I know exactly what you mean about multiple takes. I was up to "Video58.wmv" after recording three tunes for SAW! I got my first mandolin about two years ago. The celtic music seems familiar to me becauae I played the pipes for a lot of years. I don't think I will ever pull off a decent bluegrass sound. Lately, I have taken to looking at videos of contributers and how they improve over the years, and some of the changes are amazing. Keep plugging away, you are doing great. And Oh BTW - I have yet to have the guts to try a tune twice through. Otherwise it would be Video580.wmv. Good on ya.
Sounded good to me Gelsenbury, well played!
