David, I was only repeating what Jerry Holland told me. I suggested to him that there were other ways to play his tune and he agreed that the tune was so popular that there were bound to be a number of interpretations. This was just a part of a discussion of how one could make a living being a musician and a composer. As Bill Monroe said about the Elvis version of "Blue Moon of Kentucky", "There sure are some powerful royalties" and he apprectiated what the tune was doing for him. He did make a point of showing us how to play the tune in the workshop, however. My group plays it without that ornament and it remains a great tune.
I will try to record a better version, but thought I'd put this one up for entertainment value!
Barbara - you've got it nailed. I've been working on it for days and I'm not even close to that. You are a lucky lady. I have 3 wonderful kids - no grandchildren yet. It sure is something to look forward to.
Barbara, that was the greatest yet!!! what a cutie she is. Must See TV mike
I would be glad to be able to play like that WITHOUT distraction, Barbara.
Whoa, a mandolin star is born, and we are the ones to witness her first movie appearance! And she's got the power grip all figured out! A natural talent we can expect great things of...
My first instrument was a cigar-box and rubber band "guitar" my mom made for me and I remember "playing" it flat on my lap too. I always thought that was the first indication that I'd be a mountain dulcimer player, but I guess it's a common kid thing.
Ecco's down for a nap, so I got to record a little more. This version (still slow ~ about 125 bpm) I'm playing on my brand new tenor guitar, that Bill Petersen just completed for me. I picked it up from him on my way down to Texas. He's the maker of my octave mandolin, cittern & mandola.... I think he's great! It's got the same neck as my OM, so other than learning how to hold a differently shaped instrument (don't have a strap yet), and getting used to single strings, it's been pretty easy to pick up and play! The version that Keith put up earlier, and the mp3 sound clip of Jerry Holland, are being played about 215 bpm! The whole thing about those triplets... really, if you were going to play this tune as Jerry Holland intended, you'd be on a fiddle, wouldn't you? The difficulty here, is in just how to emulate a very specific fiddling sound, on a mando!
Wow, Barbara, great playing and i just Love that TG. what a beautiful sound, ya gotta post some pix soon. ok?? mike
Thanks Mike! I will! Nothing like getting to learn a new instrument...especially one built just for you! This is my first instrument that I've had built for me!
Yes, um, triplets, whatever...
Wow OS. That sounds kind of "new agey." Very kewl.
OS, you never fail to please! Triplets, Schmiplets! bah!
This may be one of those tunes that is littered with my video attempts! Here it is played once through, with the metronome set at 160.... about my top speed trying to incorporate triplets!
Man, I'm impressed with this. Great stuff everyone. It is a little discouraging because despite quite a bit of effort I have not been able to get past about 70 bpm with out an awful lot of sloppiness creeping in. My Mando is out in the shop for a couple of days, maybe I'll take a break and work some guitar stuff and see how it is when my Mando comes back.
That was spectacular OS! When's your CD coming out? I'd take one. Barbara, you're getting pretty fast and it sounds awesome on that new guitar. Do you tune tenor guitars to GDAE too? I bought a cheapo deepo for my husband while we were still dating, but I think he had it in DGBE. He traded it for an ukulele later, but I'd like to try one if I didn't have to learn a whole new finger pattern.
Marcelyn, thanks! Yes, I've got this tuned GDAE, like my OM, and my tenor banjo. Makes it easy to go from one to the other!
Very nice, Barbara, the tenor sounds sweet.
OS, I thought this tune was not interesting enough to interrupt my current consolidation phase (I need that sometimes) - until I heard your version. Wow. Now all of a sudden I get some ideas how this could sound on my OM - something fast, doublestopped but tripless (is that a word?). Thanks for the incentive. P.S. Do you have an mp3 of your rendition, somewhere?
OS - the Contra Dancers around these parts would absolutely love that!!! Terrific. I particularly like the part in the back up that sounds like a banjo - is that what it is? Here is a hip hop half time groove - it works! http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...l=1#post791016
Thanks very much guys - Rob, yes that's my 5 string banjo. This tune seems like it might lend itself way to Scruggs-style technique so I may do some work on that. I love the way this tune moves the accented beats around in the different parts. Bertram - I'm very pleased to hear my version's inspired you to try the tune, here's the link to download or play an mp3 version. It will sound great on your OM. Barbara that tenor guitar does sound good, and really nice playing. With the "triplets" it sounds like you're actually playing 4 sixteenth notes, but skipping the last one, is that right? I like that idea since it leaves your pick in the right place for the downbeat.
Thanx for the link OS, sounds good!
Nice job Barbara. Like the sound of the TG.
These triplets are a B**CH! Who knows exactly what I'm doing. In the B part, they are just triplets.... as the note that comes after them is on the next string, so it's not a big deal to then hit it with a down stroke. When I'm playing it slower, in the A part, I'm pretty sure I'm playing it as written... but as I speed up, there just isn't a way to play just 3 notes (DUD) and then a downstroke for that next note on the same string.... the next 'beat' is written as 2 eighth notes, but I think I'm playing 3 notes there too (UDU), but when I play it and tap my foot, that first note that I'm adding (the up stroke A note), is more of a pickup note... not directly on the beat. And yes, another way to think of it is that I'm playing 4 notes there where 3 are noted... Mike Keyes said earlier that 'diddley dee' described it... when I hear diddley dee, I hear 4 sounds "did ul ee dee" I've also toyed around with playing the first triplet as D-DU, which sounds more like an eighth & 2 sixteenths (rather than the other way around). It sounds a bit different, but accomplishes having the pick in the right play to have the 2nd beat as a downstroke. I also tried playing just a triplet, and then picking the 2nd beat as UD, rather than DU, but I've been working so HARD to get my pick direction consistent, having my downstrokes be on the beat, that I couldn't do it. There's also the option of hammering the B (2nd beat of the measure) and then picking the A as an upstroke. I'm having serious plumbing issues...was up mopping water at midnight, then again at 8 am, and am waiting on a plumber.... if I have time, and can find where my daughter took her laptop with the webcam, I'll try to record some examples! Hey Keith, do you think you could record your version, just a tad slower? So we could analyze what YOU are doing?
Ok, this morning, as I'm sitting here working on it with my mando, it seems that hammering the B that is the 2nd beat of the first measure, and picking the next A as an upstroke, is what's working for me....
hmmm, i've been dropping the B altogether and launching right into the dreaded triplets. hey Aurora is a long way from Cape Bretton, eh?
Yeah, I'm talking about the 'b' after the triplets. I'm dropping the first b the first time around, myself!
I just got started on this one. I'm playing the B pickup U and playing the triplet DUD and starting DU with the phrases after. I'm no Jill on the triplets, but it's worth learning to do. I don't know if I'll ever get it to any speed. OS, you're right about the changing emPHAsis of the beats in this tune. Makes it very interesting.
Don, that's the way I play it at a reasonable tempo, but once you start trying for that insane tempo, I just can't get from the last downstroke of the triplet, to another downstroke on the same string for the B. BUT.... at high speed, play the triplet DUD, then hammer the B (which I really love doing) and then pick the A as an upstroke, then you are good to go DUDU for the rest of the measure. I can ALMOST play it with Keith's version that way!
If nothing else it is a good work out to use to improve my triplets. Bottom line for me though is that I lose the groove if I try to play the triplets over 80 bpm or so - I don't have the skill to do it above that speed. You can hardly hear them anyway once you get up to dance speed. I have a chord idea for the B part someone better than I with some recording ability might try. Not a regular thing - just an alternate progression one time through for some variety and to build tension when you are turning back to the A part or into another tune - its like a drone only you just hit the chord hard (I'm thinking piano or guitar) one hit on the beat indicated and let it ring out - so for the D at the start of the A part you hit it hard once and let it ring until you hit the Em and that hit rings right through the end of the 4th measure - and so on. /D---/----/Em---/----/ /D---/----/Em---/--Am-/ second time through B part try this - again with one hit on each chord on the beat indicated - and let the chords ring - except on the last four measures starting with the F you can do some hard strumming right through that section. /D---/----/Em---/----/ /F---/----/G---/--E/G#-/ Then right into the Am a the start of the A part.
Great work, OS and Barbara. I am away from home tonight, but will try to post my attempt tomorrow.
OS, great arrangement! I love it. Barbara, the video with Ecco is great. So cute. That's what recording videos is often like for me too. I like the tenor guitar versions a lot. I actually think the speed you're playing it at is fine. I didn't mean to play mine as fast as did. There's been a lot of discussion since I checked in last. I'll record a slower version tonight if I can. However, I am a pretty inconsistent player. It likely won't be quite like the version I first recorded. In particular, I don't do a lot of conscious thinking about my picking patterns. Whatever happens, happens. It's something I should really work on.
Here is my attempt with a couple of duds. My biggest problem was this first triplet at the right speed and tempo. Sound and video are not always synchronous although I have used the same setup as in all other videos.
Terrific! Triplets and all. Great timing. I could practice that for a month and still not get those triplets at that speed.
Barbara - I love your new tenor guitar!! What's the scale like on that as compared to your tenor banjo? Well done Manfred! I haven't had much time to record any clips recently - I'm in the middle of dealing with an identity theft issue right now, lots and lots of paper work, janey mack it's a nightmare!
Jill, thanks! We've been missing your great videos.... Identity theft, oh no! Hope you get it straightened out soon! My tenor guitar scale is 21.5 inches (or thereabouts) same as my OM, and very close to my 19 fret TB. I picked my guitar up on the way to Texas, and I didn't bring my TB with me, so it won't be until I get back to Iowa in a couple of weeks, that I can compare them side by side..
Nice playing on your tenor guitar, Barbara, you inspired me to try it on mine. Nice playing as well Manfred.
David, great as always. Super fast triplets, too. And thank you and Rob and Jill for your kind comments
Great stuff there David! It sounds particularly awesome on your Fletcher tenor!
Great job everybody!! Finally got it mostly learned. sorry for the bizarre beginning, not sure what I was trying to do there. Next up will be learning it an octave lower.
Okay, here is my take on this tune: Brenda Stubbert's reel. A great tune I've known on whistle for some time. Now you make me learn it on mandolin. This is the first time I've tried to link to an mp3 that's here at the Cafe. The Preview makes me think it might even work...
David, Shaun and CD--fabulous. Totally rockin on the triplets.
Nice stuff, everyone! CD, nice MP3 mix. Is that you on all the instruments? What is that electric sounding instrument?
Don and Keith, Thanks for the kind words. Keith, that is me on all the instruments (where I discovered my guitar playing is the limiting factor; I'll have to get a real guitar player, my son, to do rhythm guitar from now on.) The electric sounding thing is a Goldtone Rigel clone mando GM-110, played thru a Marshall 30w combo with delay, and a Screamin Blues pedal for just a touch of trad Celtic distortion (should be a Screamin Greens pedal...)
Thanks for the kind words. On the octave this time. I like my mandolin video better...
sgarrity... very nice! Tell us about your OM....
Thanks Barbara, it's a Flatiron Octave/Bouzouki. It's got a 23.5" scale
Very nice.
I was away for the weekend - wow, so much has happened here! Jill, hope the identity theft gets sorted out - anyway, we will always recognize you by your triplets for being the real Jill! Manfred, you sure got your triplets together, good job. David, cool TG version there! (little Red Riding Hood: what a big ukulele you have!) Dana, very daring and out-of-the-box chords, and they all fit! Shaun, I liked your OM version much better, because the first one was a little creepy (long neck, no head)
Not the best camera angle on that mando video, that's for sure! LOL
