This week’s winner is Sarah’s Mandolin, which was submitted as a Cape Breton tune. I am posting this in a timely manner (for a change), but my travel plans changed, and I am still not home, so I’m posting this from my phone! If one of you kind members would link to video and notation, I would sure appreciate it!
Thanks Barbara, here’s one of the vids I found: https://youtu.be/vJBgEnZDHOA X:1 T: Sarah's Mandolin Z: simonds R: slide M: 12/8 L: 1/8 K: Bmin c|:"Bm" d2B BAB FBd f2d|"A"cAe cAe "G"dAf ecA| "Bm"d2B BAB FBd fed|1"A"cAe "G"dcA "Bm"B3 B2c:|2"A"cAe "G"dcA "Bm"B2BB2f:| "Bm"bff a2f bae f2d|"A"cAe cAe "G"dfd ecA| "Bm"bff a2f bae fed|"A"cAe dcA "Bm"B2B B2f| "Bm"bff a2f bae f2d|"A"cAe cAe "G"dfd ecA| "Bm"d2B BAB FBd fed|"F#m"cAe "Em"dcA "Bm"B2B B3| (the chords are a bit different from the vid, there could be more Bm/A changes in the B part and I think I added more minors that day)
A mandolin version by Tergal 14: With tenor guitar backup: I couldn't find no sheet music or tabs.
Great to have this slide as SAW-tune. And hey, this is our own fellow SAW-member Robert Balch on mandolin and guitar in the first video. And more: his video was reference for a transcription in The Session. Congratulations, Robert!
Oh I didn’t know. Yes, Robert, really beautiful! I love the timing you have, with that extended hesitation. You can really feel that someone is dancing. Here’s the link to the pdf: https://www.dropbox.com/s/789brt7kur...olian.pdf?dl=0 (for some reason I don’t see the icon to post PDF’s here)
Thanks Frithjof & atsunrise. I really liked this tune the first time I heard it.
A nice steady, sweet tune Robert. You seem so calm.
Thanks Ginny.
Lovely tune, and great recording, Robert! Here is my attempt at it, played slightly faster and using the chords posted above rather than those at The Session. Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Vintage Viaten tenor guitar Martin
Sarah’s Mandolin https://youtu.be/0gbFcWE4pj8
Very nice Martin and atsunrise. I enjoyed them both.
Two very good versions already.... Here's my attempt https://soundcloud.com/njugglebreck/sarahs-mandolin-mp3 Jim
Really nice, Njugglebreck, I like the way you leap into the tremolo.
That's three good attempts, and each one different. I especially liked the effortless calm of atsunrise and the mandolin and tenor guitar sharing the melody in Martin's video.
I want to thank all you guys (again). You’re helping me to be more objective about how I actually do play. Just realised that I’m pinky nail tapper! Then I checked the top of the Octave... sure enough there are signs... Something else to work on.
What I find really interesting is how different the same tune can sound....
Three fine versions so far!
Interesting and varied deliveries of the tune so far, folks, and I really like the sound of the octave, atsunrise! My version is on mandolin with guitar backing. I changed the chords a bit from those printed in the pdf listed in the thread.
Really nice assured and melodic playing as usual, John! You have reminded me that I wanted to learn this tune.
Great version as always John. I liked the photo's too.
Lovely one John, and that lake too. Also I was wondering, I don’t know if there are any beginners or younger players out there, but you could just play the A part or what about the rock or punk version, whatever. You’re welcome, the more the merrier!
Yes.... Very nice
Great mandolin playing, John! I really like how the backup chords work with the melody. I have started to work on this tune, and I came up with a similar chord progression.
Beautiful as usual, John. Lovely lochs too.
Thanks, everyone, for very kind comments. Interesting point you make, atsunrise, on versions of a tune. It is up to the player to interpret the tune as he/she sees fit, though ultimately we will respond to any version of a tune by applying those criteria we ourselves hold to be important, and we see as being within the bounds of what the composer had in mind. Look at the way Scottish (and Irish) tunes have crossed the Atlantic then come back from the USA or Canada in very different flavours, influenced by the cultural sensibilities of the players who picked up the tunes and applied their ideas to them. The loch in the video is Loch Eck, a glacial fresh-water loch very near my home here. It is about seven miles long and very narrow, and is a very popular tourist spot as well as being the main reservoir supplying fresh water to most of the South Cowal area. I took the pictures a few days before I posted the video here, just for the video.
Nice versions so far. I myself need another week or two …
That’s a lovely place you live John, I thought you lived in Canada (which is also nice). I agree with what you’re saying, and the integrity of the tradition is important too. This particular song has a name, has these notes etc. But one of the problems I have is that I tend to over analyze these things. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that for anyone who can’t play this song very well, then don’t be like me -just post your vid, there are no mistakes.
Five fine versions of this slide so far, here is number six. Like John, I changed the chord progression from The Session a bit. I added a D-chord in measure 2:
Another lovely version �� I tried this on the tenor banjo today for the first time.... Changes it completely... If I'm brave I might try and record it tomorrow. Jim
Well done crisscross. A very enjoyable version.
Lovely playing, Christian, and your pictures are very well chosen to complement the tune.
Thanks Njugglebreck, thanks Robert!
Still extremely hot here, 90 degrees at five in the morning, but what a treat to listen to CC at breakfast time. Lovely, thanks.
Sounds great, Christian. I also like the backing with guitar arpeggio.
Thanks John, atsunrise and Fritjof!
Just in time – my version on mandolin without backing.
Fine playing, Frithjof! I really like the sound and the looks of your mandolin.
Really nice, Frithjof. I like that tempo and your tremolo too.
Thanks Christian and atsunrise.
Yes. It sounds great!
Well done Frithjof. I too especially like the addition of triplets.
Thanks Njugglebreck and Robert.
Fine clean playing, Frithjof. That mandolin certainly rings out.
Yes, nice triplets Frithjof!
Ah! One of those tunes that I loved but never learnt properly, buried somewhere deep in the to-do list. I'm having a good time listening to these recordings again.
