Great practice tool - the home movie

[David Horovitz]

I give dasspunk credit for inspiring me to record myself picking some tunes in front of the video camera. I highly recommend you give it a try. I shall attempt much more of this to help zero in on all my flaws. Plus, it's a good way to bring Mom and Dad into my kitchen, virtually speaking, since they don't live nearby.

Link to listen & watch (http://web.mac.com/dhorovitz/iWeb/music/listen%20&%20watch.html)

[sean808080]

great job...! wish i was that good. in time...

[Hal Loflin]

Good job David...Very clear and good technique. I will have to try this.

[ira]

really nice job david- though its prob a famous tune, i'm not familiar with banks of ohio, and that was my fav. piece -love those little 2 course tremolos-tab?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

thanks for sharing -nice looking mando btw.
ira

[Milan Christi]

Well done! Your technique is really nice - both hands performing like I wish mine would! Nice looking page, too. Thanks!

[David Horovitz]

Thanks for all the nice comments.

I used a metronome in the first clip of New Camptown Races and my timing is pretty good there. But then I played without metronome on the other two tunes. Timing is still okay in Banks of the Ohio but I'm speeding up in Whiskey Before Breakfast. I always find myself rushing the waterfall-type melody line in that tune. Anyhow, it's something to work on, which is the point of the exercise.

Banks of the Ohio has such a pleasant melody and then you get into the lyrics! "Took her by, her lilly white hand / dragged her down that bank of sand / there I threw her in to drown / watched her as she floated down." Gotta love bluegrass!

Even though many have recorded this tune, one of my favorite versions is from one of Tony Rice's early albums (his self-titled album, I think). My break is loosely based on the mando break from that recording (Grisman? Bush? other? - don't have the liner notes handy). In addition to this tune the album has excellent versions of several standard fiddle tunes: Stoney Creek, Eighth of January, Big Mon and Temperance Reel.

[levin4now]

Nice job David. Both the music as well as the website and videography.

What did you use for a camera (and the rest of your setup?)
Does dasspunk describe his setup somewhere on this message board?

[James P]

Does dasspunk describe his setup somewhere on this message board?
IIRC, Dasspunk was trying out the onboard video on his new Mac laptop.

[David Horovitz]

What did you use for a camera (and the rest of your setup?)
My setup was pretty low-tech. I simply turned on my Sony mini digital video camera (which is +5 years old) and played. The video and audio you see and hear was imported directly into iMovie on a Mac. I didn't alter the sound or video footage other than to create the transitions from one tune to the next. Oh yeah, I also propped up the video camera on a couple of cookbooks sitting on a chair in front of me. I was in the kitchen, after all!

I need to try this during the daytime when I can make use of natural lighting instead of the artificial ceiling lighting. Perhaps that would improve the video quality to some degree.

[Brian Ray]

Very cool David, glad you posted this. I enjoy seeing/hearing cafe members play and hope to see more of it in the future. I often practice in a mirror (and not just because I'm incredibly good looking). This is just an extension of that really... extremely helpful.

Your new A sounds great... I'm a huge fan of the old murder ballads...

[John Bertotti]

Man I get the page but no links or clips. John

[Tom C]

dasspunk, So i guess you too wish you were born rich instead of good lookin' http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
I like your Big Indian Blues. I listenned to your recording to hear how the tune goes. Nice job, and good help.

[Brian Ray]

Tom,

Being devistatingly good looking is a burden as you obviously know. Thanks for the compliment and glad it helps... but I beg of you to listen to Mike and David play it. I missed a few things... this was pointed out to me, just this last weekend, by this bald guy, wearing overalls playing this old beat up mandolin made in the twenties or so. He also made fun of my socks.

[sgarrity]

This is a good idea and I've enjoyed hearing/seeing you guys. Where can I post videos I record? Also, what kind of A-style is that? It's a good'un!

[David Horovitz]

This is a good idea and I've enjoyed hearing/seeing you guys. #Where can I post videos I record? #Also, what kind of A-style is that? #It's a good'un!
You need a web hosting service. Just do an online search for this ('web hosting') and you'll see there are many (too many?) to choose from. I'm using .Mac, if that wasn't already apparent the url to my site.

I'm playing an '89 Gibson A-5L. My poor Weber hasn't seen much playtime since getting the A.