This week's winner is a set of French Canadian tunes, Pays de Haut /Reel de Gaspe. Here is a link to abc of Pays de Haut from abcnotation.com Here is a link to Reel de Gaspe from thesession.org Here are some videos.
Looks like I am first this time - already had Pays De Haut in my armoury, notation courtesy of Ginny, so cheating a bit. Played here on mandolin and octave alternating and sharing lead, with acoustic guitar backing. I did a bit of syncopating of the rhythm in the secong part of the first tune. Once again I made the ten-minute trip to the River Echaig to get some footage of the river after recent rain - the water is coming from the High Country (Pays De Haut).
Fantastic playing John!
Very nice John! I like the mandolin/octave mandolin sharing the tune. Backup guitar is very well played too. Overall very enjoyable.
Very nice John.
Very fluent.
Nice, you’re making the Song a Week Group look good, John. That’s not cheating.
Thanks for the encouraging comments, all. Ginny, if you read this, Pays de Haut pairs really well with Bear Dance as well. I was trying it with John T, my regular playing colleague, the other day.
That is lovely, John! Here's my attempt at it- not nearly as polished as John's, and I only have the technical and musical ability to play one instrument at a time Jim
Well done Jim! Good job on the triplets too. I enjoyed your version.
I like this also Jim, gives it a different and nice flavour.
Jim – that sounds great. I like your technical and musical ability to play one instrument.
Great right hand wrist work, I adore tenor banjo players who are able to play these picked triplets!
Wow! Thanks for being nice to me..... All I can hear is the uneven timing and bum notes...
I was a little reluctant first. Then … inspired by John and Jim I decided to learn at least one part of the set. You only get the first tune of the set – pure mandolin, no triplets and not too fast.
Two fine offerings, gents. Good triplets there, Jim; Frithjof, you need to get the second tune added now after making a very good job of the first one!
Fine rendition Frithjoff!
Thanks John and Christian. John, I'll work on the second tune. Let's see...
I really like your triplets Njugglebreck, this tune sounds great on the banjo. And Frithjof, nice tone, if only I could pluck better! So, profuse apologies for my dearth of recent comments and for the tardiness of this humble offering, I have no excuse but laziness. I did do a backing track but had so many problems and still wasn’t happy that I ended up just turning down the offending guitar’s volume. Enjoy!
Great playing Mr. Sunrise. I watched on YT first and noticed the guitar was quite soft, alas now I know why. Still sounds excellent though.
Well done atsunrise. I like the nice lilt you gave it.
Thanks Ginny and Robert, yes that lilt is easily forgotten, I did a take before this that was straight, like a reel and suddenly thought, wait a minute, I thought this tune was warmer that this! Ginny, I might redo the backing with an electric bass, if it ever stops raining here.
-though the rain is not so bad because up until a week ago the summer heat wave oranges were inedible. Now the new mandarins are here.
Thanks atsunrise for your version. John wrote: Frithjof, you need to get the second tune added now after making a very good job of the first one! Oh, thanks John, that’s exactly the way a good teacher makes his student busy. Additional you gave us the hint that Pays de Haut pairs really well with Bear Dance. I deliver my homework today but please excuse the lack of any accompaniment.
Atsunrise, your video clip shows very good technique in both hands - picking and fretting! Relaxed picking and easy fretting action. Nice job. Frithjof, the teacher says "Well done, that boy". The three tunes make a fine set. Since my last idea of combining Pays De Haut and Bear Dance I have now put Bear Dance with that great Breton tune "The Wren". They too go so well together. There is your next assignment!
What more could a heart desire? A new assignment! I’m happy and busy again …
Wow, Frithjof, wow! I have never played, let alone recorded three tunes in a row. Congratulations! And thanks Mr. Kelly, but why does Frithjof get ‘The Wren’ AND the ‘Bear Dance’?
Consider yourself added to the homework roster, sir. Of course, we now await your version!
Ok, ‘The Wren’ and ‘The Bear Dance’ version it is then -though I’m still obligated to do that heavy metal version too.
Well done Frithjof. All the way through three tunes and no mistakes. That takes some concentration.
Thanks for the kind comments, atsunrise and Robert. I just tried ‘The Wren’ and ‘The Bear Dance’ together. That makes a good set for sure. Thanks John.
Frithjof, are you doing them in the same keys and tempo? I got the idea that the Bear Dance is faster? Maybe not. Still cant work out how to join them... And talk about versions, John, this afternoon I played an Irish tune that should be in D major but I translated it on the fly into harmonic minor (every time there’s a third I flatten it, and every time there’s a sixth I flatten that too). I thought it sounded great! -but I’m going to try tunes that are in different original modes to see what happens, maybe certain modes work better. (mixolydian?) I wont post them though, just talk about them...
I haven’t decided which of the 17 setting of The Wren (march) listed in The session I like most. These settings are mainly in the key of B minor or A minor (and of course we can transpose the abc easily). I’m used to play The Bear Dace in both keys too. I guess I play through them in one chosen key and connect them just with an upbeat. Any suggestions would be appreciated... I would prefer to accelerate the tempo step by step. Let’s see if I can do that.
I am a little late to the party this time as we were on vacation. I had the same idea Frithjof did. I took John's suggestion and added Beardance. Mine is a version I got off of a CD in the days when Riverdance was going strong in the US and the local Walmart had a lot of Irish CD's for a dollar or two. This was on one of them but I don't remember which one. It took me a long time to figure it out in those days but It has been with me ever since so time well spent. Mandolin - Weber Bridger Custom Guitar - Gibson J45 Studio
An excellent piece of sustained playing, Robert. You blend the three tunes really well and I like your version of Bear Dance, especially with the second melody instrument added in. Your video is a fine example of good use of both hands in all three tunes.
Concentration, focus, clean playing, super solid rhythm, tone, sweet! I’ve just realised that I’m not working hard enough, thanks Robert.
Hey Robert, may be you are a little late to the party but miles ahead of me with your performance! Like Jim you play the set a lot faster than me but nevertheless clean. And both of you have the right triplets in the Reel de Gaspe. Your Bear Dance version is so different and so tasteful – and it adds an interesting example to Simon’s thoughts about the play with different keys ore modes. Hello Simon, I’m happy to call you by your name from now on.
Excellent Robert !! Great transitions on the three tunes and Yes, how about that Bear Dance. I really like that version. That's a lot of notes all in one sitting. Especially with the recording light on too. BTW, Hello Simon..were you someone else before?
Me as well, thanks Frithjof. I was Mr. Sunrise before, Ginny. Now, I’d be happy for you and everyone else to refer to me by my first name, or Simon DS. -but if you prefer, we can keep it formal. Robert, I really like the backing track too, did you record it yourself, or is it software?
I decided not to play these tunes, so I rarely watched this thread. I missed a lot: Simon's great octave mandolin playing. Frithjof playing three tunes in a row on his beautiful mando. And Robert playing the same three tunes with a rhythm guitar accompaniment, flawlessly! Nice work Gentlemen!
Thank you all for the kind comments. This is definitely a safe place to post my music. Simon - I did the backing myself. I use Presonus software and interface. That makes it really easy. For about $100 US you get a PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 interface to your computer's USB port and the recording software. I found a site that has over 100 tutorials on the software so I worked through those until I mastered the basics. It is pretty easy and allows me almost unlimited tracks. It also allows me to fix the errors that often occur. Pretty cool.
Oh Mr. Simon Sunrise..the mask is off ! Everyone did a great job - I have never recorded three different tunes in one sitting, let alone, error free. Hats off to all.
