That was so cool, Eddie! I love the sustain the open strings were making and how you went from the melody to chords to ramp up the energy. It's clear you're having a great time. Loved it.
I've been really busy playing with various bands ever since Christmas. It has kept me really busy learning new tunes and arrangements for the performances but the frenzy has now seemed to die down and am looking forward to concentrating on just the SAW group for a while and not missing any more songs of the week. I have watched a bunch of fantastic versions of this tune on this thread and just had to comment on a few of them: Eddie: fantastic sounding instrument and please bash those chords anytime you want to -- love it! Tosh: nicely played and how could you not be happy? You're playing an instrument built by Paul Shippley Marcelyn: that's some mighty fancy pick work. I kind of like your "triplets". Not quite sure how to do that duh-duhduhduh or the preferred duhduhduh-duh either. I use the Homer Simpson method: not really a triplet just one big DOH! Bertram: that's how it supposed to sound as far as I'm concerned...Wow! David: what a great sounding mandola. Your triplets were very tastefully sprinkled in there so as not to overwhelm the tune. Thanks!
Great stuff Tosh and Eddie! Love the Beard OM - sounds the business that!
Tom, I don't think your question has been answered, so here goes...The only way I have found to turn ABC into tabs is to sit down with a pencil and paper and do it manually. I haven't found a decent on-line conversion engine. For those interested, here is a tab for this song that looks quite similar to the ABC, except it's in 6/8 time. I'm late to the party, but hope to contribute soon and frequently. I'll begin working on the tab tomorrow. It looks like new songs are chosen every Friday. Is it acceptable protocol to post songs late, after their featured week? Oh, and I'm really impressed by all of the submissions. Great stuff here folks!
Ed, getting the Song A Week posted during its "offical" week is something we all strive for, but life sometimes gets in the way and songs get posted late. It seems to be perfectly acceptable to "resurrect" a song of the week at anytime. In fact, there are quite a few that keep coming back as new versions get posted! And you can even occasionally sneak in a song that isn't even played on an instrument from the mandolin family! Even banjo! Really.
Tom and Ed- You can copy ABSs and using the File/Import menus...import directly into TablEdit for tabs. You must be using the re registered version however. Scott
Eddie said: A move is a move Bertram. At least the language didn't change for you I have to kindly object, Eddie. There is a classic German dialog between two men which sounds totally different in both regions: Before: "Wo gehstn hi?" "Ins Kiiino." "Wos schaustn o?" "Quo Vadis." "Wos hoastn dös?" "Wo gehstn hi." After: "Wo gehsse?" "Im Kinno." "Wat kuxe?" "Quo Vadis." "Wat haisstat?" "Wo gehsse." See what I mean - where I live now, people seem to have less time for talking As for the more recent renditions: Impressive chord playing Eddie, barre chords is the one thing I could never do. Tosh, that Shippey has the punchy tone it takes to drive the tune into people's ears, with solid playing to deliver the blow. I refrain from analyzing final chords, though, or your new hair-do (I suppose that's enforced by the whitecoats...)
Thanks on the ABC/Tabs question.
There's a few of my mates would like to put me in a straight jacket just for playing the mandolin Marcelyn! They obviously have no taste. Jill, Michael & Bertram thanks for the kind words. Michael, I'm always happy when I pick up my Shippey's....love 'em to bits. Bertram, the men in white collars suggested it was time to get it cut. I prefer it long, and at my age I'm fortunate enough to still grow it long, so here's to a years time!!!!!
This is from the Fiddler's Fakebook. I merrily added some ornamentation of my own (in the right place ??). It took me countless takes and then I merrily messed up the penultimate bar. Well, I tried to cover this up inconspicuously ...
Eddie great played and what good sounding octave. Tosh don't be afraid if the white men come, they will give you a quiet room and a Mandolin.
Manfred also very nice played and of curse could we talk and understand.
Manfred, that's great and don't worry about the ending...I loved it! Bernd, I haven't seen Jack Nicholson so I guess I'm OK! So long as I have my music & mandos I'm happy.....
Your tone and playing are always so pure and clean, Manfred. You should have let the tape roll just a few more seconds, because I can't imagine what a mistake by you would sound like. Really nice ornamentation too.
Tosh, keep on playing and stay away from the Cuckoo's Nest... now that's a great name for a Pub...
I'll keep on playing Eddie, don't worry about that. I'm sure there are a few pubs around called the Cuckoo's Nest! Actually the tune Cuckoo is a hard piece, anyone done it? I know the Swarbrick version.......
Manfred sounds really pretty , so clean and accurate.
Lovely stuff Manfred and great tone as well!
Wunderbar Manfred. Always include your flubs, gives you something to improve on - laying down a marker so to speak. This isn't about recording our "best performance".
Very, very nice, clean, with spirit and made my feet tap away!
That's a definitive reference version there Manfred, on a very sweet sounding mandolin (oval hole rules again!) Eddie, I'll say Cuckoo's Nest would make a good name for a pub, but my favourite is still
Bernd, Tosh, Marcy, dcdan, Eddie, Jill, Loretta and Bertram: Thank you all so much for the praise. It encourages me to practice even harder. As I have already said in a different post: I don't have an OT, IT, or Bluegrass background. So I rely a lot on the examples you guys set. Then I take the notation and practice, slowly cranking up the tempo.
Here's Merrily Kissed The Quaker's Wife played on my National Resophonic mandolin.
I have been curious about the sound of RM-1s for such a long time and here come the cavalry in one thread! Wonderfully mellow playing, Michael, and without the footage I would never have guessed it's a resonator instrument. Proof again that the pick is the voice.
First time out of the gate...Sorry for the few hiccups!
I can hear you got that jig accentuation down Ed. Good work! You should interview your right pinky about what he is up to and why he apparently would dislike the company of the other fingers In other words - there seems to be some unneccessary tension left in your right hand (if that makes sense).
Hi Bertram: Thanks very much for your kind remarks. I was excited to see triplets in the song that would be my first submission to the group since I've been working almost exclusively on jigs for the past couple of weeks. Isn't my right pinky a hoot?! This is something my instructor and I looked at, and it appeared to us that the more splayed my fingers are, the less tension I'm holding in my right hand (and especially my wrist). As I've become more relaxed with the instrument over the past few months, I believe I've actually opened the other fingers up more...I call it the "sophisticated tea cup holder posture". In his video "On Mandolin Tips" Mike Marshall calls the splayed fingers "a little odd"...I'm honored. Thanks again for your comments.
Welcome Ed. Nice job. Is that your Morris A5 your playing? Sonny is a nice guy. I live about an hour from him. We've talked on the phone a few times. I was looking at one of his F4's last year and made plans to visit him to play it. But, he sold it the night before so that trip was cancelled. I'm sure I'll make it there someday.
Hi GK; thanks for your kind comment. Yes - that's old Night Train (Morris A5 #178). I love her more, and she sounds better, with each passing day. Best money I've ever spent on anything, ever. Sonny is a great guy!
Nice job on that Ed, you're definitely getting that jig feel to it!
That was really wonderful, Michael. It got my motor runnin! Ed, you hold your pick just like my daughter. She'll be so happy that she's not the only one waves her pinky. I think it looks cool. I was tapping those six beats through the whole tune.
sophisticated tea cup holder posture Now that I think about it, mine just might look similar if I'd rest my wrist and let my fingers hover. Instead, I have been a pinky planter (sounds like the pioneering profession of some forensic Johnny Appleseed) for decades and only during recent years changed to light pinky-brushing the mando top, thus making that rebel pinky look more casual.
Late entry! I'm just glad I got in on this one, a tune I've known for a long time. I played it in the key of D instead of G for a change and it is on my GDAD tuned Jack Spira zouk. ~Kyle
We're glad you made it Kyle. I love to here the Zouk's do these tunes. Great job too.
Wow! Kyle that was great... you got my feet a moving!
wow michael you made the resonator sound so sweet ..nice light touch. I usually use it for more bluesey stuff. I only used it here because it was the one of been playing non stop lately and it was close at hand. You take it down a whole different road.
Manfred, Michael & Kyle; those are exceptional videos! Really impressive in every way. Thanks so much to everyone for the kind remarks are warm welcome. I worked a lot this weekend on Aura Lee, so I'll likely post early and maybe work on tunes from prior weeks. Is there a list of all the weekly tunes somewhere?
That's what I'm talking about, Kyle! Foot tapping around the office with that one!!
awesome Thanks everyone!
Ed. Scroll down and you will find 'Table of Contents'
Kyle that was awesome! Your Spira sounds the absolute business as well - great stuff altogether!
What all said, Kyle - the ultimate killer zouk experience, rich and brilliant sound
My second SAW tune. I'm still trying to figure out a good place in my house to record. This is the living room couch, which is far enough back to see me, but too laid back for good posture... and my camera doesn't seem to have much pickup at this distance....
Ryan.... that was nice... tell us about your mando... it's sweet sounding!
Nice job Ryan. I see you have a pick holder just like mine.
Good job Ryan. This tune sounds right at home on your Kentucky KM-172. Nicely done!
It is a Kentucky KM-172, which was partly chosen based upon a review here by Ed. The mandolin is easier to actually play than I was expecting... but more difficult to get good tone. At least my callouses are starting to come in!
Kyle - sweet. That is a great sounding zouk. At least in your hands!
Very sweet, indeed, Ryan. I can relate to camera and playing spot challenges. I have a webcam and my office isn't the best place to play for me. Can't wait until I can get one of those Q3 cams I've read about.
Better late than never. One of the last tunes recorded with the Vintage A before I pack it up and ship it off to SoCal...Excuse the slight distortion, I forgot to lower the volume on the laptop before I started recording so it's breaking up a wee bit....