This week's winner if Farewell to Trion (or Farewell Trion), which was submitted as an Old Time tune. I don't know this tune, and my life has been SO crazy recently, that I barely have any finger tip callouses, and you know what THAT means! But, I'm gonna enjoy this snowy, frigid day in central Iowa, open my mandolin case, and learn this one! Here's notation from from the Tradition Tune Archive, found on abcnotation.com And here's a mandolin video lesson on You Tube.
Here's my attempt ... mandolin, OM & mandola melodies, mandola playing rhythm. A slightly more "stately" (read "slower") tempo than I had anticipated, but - that's how it went down. With the added space from the slower tempo, there's more interesting harmonic stuff happening (maybe I'm justifying ). Looking forward to hearing more versions!
I like your "stately" version. It helps me get my head around this tune. I was having trouble getting a feel for this one. Great job, thanks for the post.
That's a fast first post! Did you know this tune already or just learn it very quickly? I'd be interested in knowing some of the history of this tune. A web search for Trion yields only a video games company and particle physics. Presumably, the tune is about neither of these. Who wrote it, or is it trad? Where did it originate? How old is it? Who or what is Trion? Do any of our resident old-time experts know? Edit: I could answer my own questions after finding this: https://fiddletails.com/2017/09/11/farewell-trion/
Thanks very much for the nice words. I learned the tune in a Matt Flinner course I took a while ago, and always loved the melody and whole feeling of the tune, especially played on mandola. The OM (a converted waldzither) is a bit of a beast to play on this! Nice job on finding the tune's history, Gelsenbury, very complete.
bbcee, this sounds really nice. I particularly like the up and down slides.
Thank you, Manfred, I look forward to hearing your impeccable version!
I like this one. I think the stately pace brings out the melody, it works well. I'm also impressed by the multi instrumental presentations.
We are snowed in here in the Midwest, and I actually am working on this. I'm struggling to figure out exactly the structure of this tune, the A, B and C parts, and how many you play of each!
I went with AA BB C. That seemed to work well. It took a little while to figure out the chords though. Being snowed in was always fun but then Texas does have it's' draw this time of year.
Robert, that's true about Texas? Where in Texas are you? I'm a native Texan, though I spread myself around several states these days!
I am just west of Fort Worth. I grew up in Wisconsin so I do remember lots of snow and 25+ below. I don't miss the cold much though.
Here is a basic version. I don't do too much Old time so I don't think I really have the groove right yet but I like it.
Great version bbcee. Here is mine on an Irin
great versions bbcee, Robert and maudlin, really enjoyed those, i gonna have to step out of my comfort zone and give this one a try, thanks.
Nice! This tune is proving popular. It's good to hear your interpretations. James Bryan, probably the same James Bryan who composed the C part to this tune, adds some wonderful complexity in the first video by arranging the parts in what sounds like an AA B AA B AA BCB AA B AA BCB pattern. I really like this and will try to learn it that way.
Lovely version Robert - you seemed to get the rhythm of the piece much better than I did. With regard to the structure if you follow the abcnotation version it is AABC with BC being written out as one.
All three versions have their own charm. How the parts follow each other is probably up to the player and his accompanist.
I agree with Frithjof & Gelsenbury- this tune seems to lend itself to playing the parts as one wants, and it's none the worse for it. I really like these two versions from the Two Point Duo!! Lovely instruments, both of you as well. @MaudlinMandolin, the neck on yours seems very wide as compared to Robert's, or is it the camera?
I'm still working on this. One thing about being away from playing your mandolin for some time... well, number one, there's the callouses! But, number two, is really concentrating on your technique. I don't usually play in this key. While I don't have wildly flying left hand fingers, I have a tendency to release the string, and 'hover close' between notes, rather than keeping my finger on the fret longer. In this key, if you don't want these notes sounding staccato, you really need to leave them down. I've also been working on my picking technique, practicing the 'rest' stroke. If you don't know what that is, that is when you follow through with your pick and rest it against the next pair of strings (but not enough to sound a note). I think this trains your hand to narrow the range that you are picking (I have a tendency to go over and further past the next pair of strings). By doing this, I think it makes it easier to play this faster.
Three nice versions of this beautiful tune! Two two-pointers and one ensemble version.
I’ve been learning this for a few days now. I thought I had it down better, but as soon as you start recording ..... Not sure if I never played it better, or I play worse as soon as I start recording. Anyway, maybe as a newcomer you’ll cut me some slack. Sorry for the noise of my hand banging the pickup. Love the tune, which I’d never heard before.
Kevin, Your link isn't working but if this is your recording below you did fine. I used to get nervous when I tried to record. When I started to get farther into the recording I was thinking "don't mess up now you'll have to start all over" so that is when I would mess up. I currently have a setup that allows me to go back and play over mistakes so I have relaxed a lot and don't make as many mistakes. Kind of a catch 22 thing.
Kevin, that sounds good. I am very familiar with the recording jitters.
That's a really fine version, Kevin. The psychology of recording certainly could be an interesting topic of research!
This has turned out to be quite the catchy tune. I definitely have the recording jitters along with playing in front of others jitters. It takes me so long (so many frustrating attempts) to record anything acceptable that several years ago I gave up doing so entirely. So, good for you, Kevin, that you persevered and now have a fine recording. I also noticed your string family sitting around you and want to add that those Flukes and Fleas are surprisingly nice-playing little ukes.
Took a stab at this one:
Well played. No jitters there.
I like the variations. Your motor's going real good.
I agree. Nice job. Great sounding mandolin too.
Is this tune quite difficult to play, or have I just not been socialised into the Old Time tradition yet? I've been trying to learn it, but it doesn't want to fall under the fingers. I guess I'll just work towards a very late submission!
Here's my attempt at it - finding the timing a bit strange; it doesn't seem to flow... Also a bit of pick noise - I was trying not to disturb the rest of the household, so was holding back a bit.. Filmed in glorious 4k, courtesy of GoPro..... you can hear the difference it makes Jim
Well played! Your playing is perfectly fluent, it's just that long C in the B part that sounds strange on mandolin without accompaniment or tremolo. James Bryan makes this bit more dramatic by bowing a long note with crescendo, but we can't do that on mandolin. It's a tricky but brilliant tune!
Jim - I agree with G. Tom - I also like yours.
I recorded a version of Farewell Trion on my Stanley A5 mandolin. Did a search before I posted and was glad to see it was already a SAW tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3RsdBHIYzM
That's how to add some Monroe to a tune! Love the sliding double stops, and you got that extra beat in the B section just right. That Stanley really speaks, Don, you must be pleased. I'm sure that humidifier adds to the special sauce it has. I've been playing this one a bit lately to keep it under my fingers, I'll try to do a post as well. Such good, diverse versions!
Lovely job on what looks like a tricky tune to get under the fingers, Don.
Sound like you and thet Stanley are bonding quite nicely. What?, is in your hole?
Thanks, Bruce, John, and Frank. Frank, I don't think you know me well enough to ask that kind of question. It's a Dampit with a piece of leather on it so it doesn't fall in.
Well done, Don! I tried to learn this tune when it was elected, but never got it up to the required speed and fluency. You have it down to a T. Those slides sound great.
Nice rhythm Jim, and fine playing Don, thanks for the motivation and for bringing this great tune back into the limelight. https://youtu.be/5N8sWcL4R54
Another free-flowing delivery, Simon. Fine playing.
I've been learning this song on banjo and have had a huge challenge figuring out the timing in the B part. I'm discovering, especially on the posts here, that there are at least 3 different ways people play it - most here & in other videos play it "broken," with 9 beats, others 8 (Robert Balch, Tommcgtx), a few 10. Even sheet music I find has it with 8 or 9 beats. Seems the most traditional is to play 9 beats. I've heard that it depends on how long a particular fiddler likes to hold the C in the 2nd & 3rd measures. So I guess I'll learn to adapt! This has been very helpful!
Thanks George, and thanks John. Yes this is probably the most crooked tune I know, so far. It may be best just to play a couple of alternating bass notes at the problematic part while you wait to see how others will play it. Also I think this was a rhythm off-day for me, so that adds something else to the mix. (Dropped my octave and broke a string today… ouch! ) Is it possible to fine sand the new string-tops in order to prevent squeak? Unbelievable the amount of wear on the old strings and even more on the frets.
