St. anne's reel and g slow jam

[Kevin Briggs]

Hi, folks.

I keep playing with the video option on my digital camera. I just got my Fern back from getting some love up at STE, and it's like a whole new mandolin, again. So, I wanted to recapture the sound, so as to compare it a year from now. I opened it yesterday, and recorded a little later in the day.

I recorded:
1. A straight ahead "St. Anne's Reel"
2. A slow jam in G, just strumming to pull out the tone

Check it out... lemme know: http://youtube.com/profile?user=ktbriggs

I'm going to make some more coming up. If you'd like to here any particular songs for your own study, feel free to let me know. I know a bunch of fiddle tunes, and most of the versions I know are very straightforward at their core. I like it that way so I can have some room to improvise, without feeling like I'm missing notes or something.

Take your pick, let me know, and I'll record it:
1. Blackberry Blossom
2. Old Joe Clark
3. Soldier’s Joy
4. Whiskey Before Breakfast
5. Gold Rush
6. Arkansas Traveler
7. Roanoke
8. Alabama Jubilee
9. Red Apple Rag
10. Bill Cheatham
11. Ragtime Annie
12. Katie Hill
13. Cotton Patch Rag
14. Cripple Creek
15. Salt Creek
16. Red Haired Boy
17. Flop Eared Mule
18. Billy in the Low Ground
19. Sweet Georgia Brown
20. Bluegrass Breakdown
21. Bluegrass Twist
22. Bluegrass Stomp
23. Big Mon
24. Dixie Hoedown
25. Big Sandy River
26. Fire on the Mountain
27. Fisher’s Hornpipe
28. June Apple
29. Fireball Mail
30. Midnight on the Water
31. Faded Love
32. St. Anne’s Reel
33. Forked Deer
34. Honky Tonk Swing
35. The Flowers of Edinburgh
36. Ook Pick Waltz
37. Old Dangerfield
39. Minor Swing
40. The Rights of Man
41. Black Mountain Rag
42. Clinch MJountain Back-Step
43. White Water
44. Maybe one or two more here and there

Working on: Limehouse Blues, I Saw Stars

[pickinNgrinnin]

Nice job Kevin - very nice pickin and the Weber does indeed sound great. Looks like you are having fun!

[kestrel]

Yes. Really nice.

Is that (St. Anne's) done with just a video camera? Sound is really good. Playing too.

[micall5]

Yea those look great.
I already have one small question. On the video "New Weber Fern Mandolin," my question is on your intro. I tried to watch but the camera is blocking a bit. Can you email or post what you were strumming? Your fingering that is. I'd appreciate it.

[Rick Lindstrom]

Record 'em all Kevin. But watch out- people are gonna want tabs

Rick

[bradeinhorn]

sounds great. i'd like to hear alabama jubilee and whitewater

[kidgloves2]

how about Fisher’s Hornpipe

Btw, you have such a sweet tone!

[Kevin Briggs]

phantom4,
Amazingly, the recording is done with my digital camera on video mode. It's just a marvel of modern technology I guess.

Mical,
The intro to Whiskey Before Breakfast is what I think you are referring to. That's a standard, traditional fiddle tune intro. It's just sort of a shortcut way to start, in my opinion, but it's also very sensible. I'll explain as well as I can without getting into TAB. I start with my middle finger on the fourth fret of the G string (the lowest-pitched string), and in one downstroke I do a hammer-on to the fifth fret of the same string. I do that over and over again in the pattern on the video. I'll tell you what, tomorrow I'll post a short tutorial on that introduction, and I'll let you know by responding to this post.

Brad,
You dog! Alabama Jubilee and Whitewater.... It's my fault for listing them, dang-nabbit. Yes, I can play them. I will make an apology right now, before I post them sometime this week. First, I play the Alabama Jubilee that is probably taught to 11 year olds when they learn the recorder in middle school. Second, I don't play Whitewater up to the "Drive" speed. I'll do my best though. They can still benefit someone who is just learning. Man, that "Whitewater" is a bear, but it's fun as all heck to play.

kidgloves,
I'll try to get "Fisher's Hornpipe" sometime this week too. I just want to run through it a few times to find my fingers, so to speak.

Again, remember fello mandoholics that I play a lot of these tunes on the low-intermediate level, to leave room for improv. It's just dang easier than keeping up with Thile. I would learn a song a year if I tried to play like him. It's more fun for me to learn the melody and see how knowing that and improvising on that can help me play with other people.

[woodwizard]

Kevin, Sounds good ... Have you tried "Big Sciota"? That's a cool one for the mando or some Norman and Nancy Blake stuff. That's what I've been playing lately.
Like ... Father's Hall, Nancy's Hornpipe, Widow's Creek, White Oak Swamp, Valley Head. I really like Norman's tunes. Sure wish you were closer so we could get together and jam.

[micall5]

Thanks Kevin... that helped out perfectly. Look forward to watching more of your playing.
michael

[Kevin Briggs]

woodwizard,

I checked the link and you're right. That's the front of my YouTube page, and I have to have a theme song or something like that. If you scroll down you'll see more of my videos. I have nine in total, and they are all accessible from a lower part of the front page. I hope to keep adding them over the next month or so.

It would be nice to be able to jam together! Maybe sometime in the near future. I went to IBMA this year, and do some local festival hopping.

Thanks for the compliments!

[woodwizard]

Thanks, I figured that out and deleted that sentence... sorry. Keep pickin!

[Kevin Briggs]

Lol.

[Bruce Evans]

Hey! There is somebody else in the world who plays at my tempos. #

Thanks, Kevin. Halfway into the first part of St. Anne's I had to hit pause and grab a guitar. I enjoyed playing along with you on that and Whiskey. Keep'm coming. All of 'em. Your call.

[Kevin Briggs]

Thanks, Tocotodo!

I like playing lots of songs at a slower tempo. I will play them faster with Mighty Fine (bluegrass group I play with in Lancaster, PA) but love pulling the tone out at a little bit slower speed. "St. Anne's Reel" sounds so beautiful nice and slow.

[Ken Olmstead]

Kevin, what did you have done to your Fern? My Fern is also there being worked on(following Kevins lead I have deleted some comments here that could be irresponsible to some users and discussed specifics with Kevin on PM Thanks, Kevin)They are taking great care of me in traditional Weber fashion, however, I am soooo anxious to get it back!! I have been without my partner for awhile! Mary said I should have it in a couple more weeks. I like my F9, but is no Fern!! If my Fern sounds like what you have there, the F9 will spend some serious time on its hook soon. Thanks for letting me whine a little, I thought you might understand!

PS What kind of camera are you using there? The sound is really good!

[Kevin Briggs]

I sent it in for some warranty repair stuff that they took care of in a jiffy. I'm happy to discuss that via PM.

The camera is just a regular digital camera.

[Kevin Briggs]

Folks,

I just uploaded a short tutorial on how to play the standard fiddle tune intor that I use like it's going out of style.

Thanks for the idea, Micall.

I am also uploading "Fisher's Hornpipe" right now, so that should be ready in 20 minutes or so.

Thanks for the request, kidgloves.

Brad, I'm polishing up "Whitewater" and am trying to decide if my simplistic version of "Alabama Jubilee" will do it justice.

[Ken Olmstead]

Kevin,

These are sounding pretty great, lets here that thing tremolo a bit! How 'bout a waltz?

Thanks, Ken

[Mark Normand]

Great job on those Ken! Nice top40 (44) list you have there. PLease record all !
Got a Fern myself, really enjoying it.

[Kevin Briggs]

Okay, folks. I'll try "Midnight on the Water." I've never played it solo before, but what the heck. "Roanoke" also has some good tremolo.

[Rick Lindstrom]

Hey Kevin-

I just listened to you fiddle intro demo and noticed that you ripped out a phrase from Red Haired Boy- that's one I'd sure like to hear you play if no one else has suggested it!

Rick

[Kevin Briggs]

Added yesterday. It might be a little notey, but I'm still trying to find all the right touch points, so to speak.

[Andrew DeMarco]

I'd like to hear your blackberry blossom. It's the first fiddle tune I've hunkered down and actually am learning to play fluently (new years resolution!). I'm in love.

[Kevin Briggs]

I recorded "Blackberry Blossom." On my YouTube page, only the first nine videos are shown. You will see a link that says "View All Videos," so you can click on that and see the rest.

I hope you like it!