So I'm trying to record this tune, and really I hardly know it, so my fingers are wooden and it's not easy. And then I have a friend who waits until I start to record and then starts to make noises in the background. This time I decided just to play louder in the hope that no one would notice...
Every time great to have a friend… But you hold your concentration very good.
Have you got some new gear for recording,Simon? Your recent offerings seem to have acquired quite a bass-heavy accompaniment - I am listening on headphones which will be amplifying the bass somewhat. You have been busy over the past week or so with this flurry of postings.
That's it, and that is just fine. I've been trying for years to be able to get through a tune all the way without losing the groove. Good on ya', man.
I, too, admire your powers of concentration! That's a very professional performance there. It's also a great tune, which I hadn't heard before. I love it!
Thanks Frithjof Dennis John an JLewis, I appreciate your comments, I really like the tune too, and I could've spent a bit more time practising it. But that's the year 2020 over and done with!
Reviving Simon’s posting of this tune… Recorded for the Facebook Tunesday Tuesdays group 19/12/23 (to share with the MC SAW group, of course). Ivor Pickard Octave Mandolin
Fine delivery, John, and a great sound from that octave.
Nice to hear the octave played full and clear as it were and a polka-style rhythm, (is it?). And very nice haircut John. I have been considering doing the same but the thought of January and February gives me cause for concern. Thanks for recording this for our Song a Week Social Group.
Thank John K and Simon. Simon, as regards the rhythm, I was just trying to get a feel that held its own with eg. the many melodian and violin versions out there. As regards my hair, I have maintained it at the current length (v short!) for some time…one doesn’t often see a full view of my head in the videos I post . However, it has got considerably greyer…which highlights it…esp. with light bouncing off .
It's age; happens to us all. My hair has become more brilliant-coloured too.
Very nice, John. The resonance of the octave really suits the tune. And you've taken your hat off.
Here we go! https://youtu.be/9g74bBlJejU?feature=shared
Two superb samples from two masters of the Octave...chapeau to both!
Magnifique, Simon!
Loved it, Simon…great playing of the OM, great musical accompaniment and lovely supporting video
Jairo, thank you very much for the comment…speaking only for myself, although I am flattered, describing me as a “master of the Octave” elevates me way above my station…though I am encouraged and will continue to aspire!
Thanks Jairo, Dennis and John W. Me too Jairo, I am just a humble servant of my octave mandolin. -btw though, my last tune was ‘trending’ in the Folk section of BandLab. Yes I’m not sure what that means either! I think it’s because I half let-loose and gave all the instruments, bodhran and drones some really groovy, psychedelic sounds.
It’s a great joy to listen to both videos of both of you non-masters , John and Simon.
Great work gentlemen!
Thanks Frithjof and Frank. Yes we’re all getting there, but what a long hard road!
Two fine examples of great octave playing!
Ahhh I must apologize...I called you "masters of the octave" because I got confused and thought it was John Kelly who was playing...Don't believe me, It's just kidding!!
Ah, John W. We share another common factor in the ever-diminishing and ever-greying tonsorial department. I am happy for listeners to think that your playing is mine or vice versa. The SAW Group is such a comforting place to be and where else would we pick up such accolades?
We can be proud of our tonsorial developments, John K…and I am more than happy to be commended in your guise.
Played on my Vogtland-beauty accompanied by Thüringer waldzither: https://youtu.be/aaN-SyxgclU
Volcanic playing Frithjof! How did you get the split screens?
Thanks, Simon. Due to some craftmen’s work, I couldn’t use my usual place for recording and had to improvise. I recorded the mandolin first without metronome and as you may hear with much too long delay for the last tone. To add the accompaniment, I put my smartphone on the music stand and played the video into the Bluetooth earbuds. Watching the video while playing waldzither was a kind of similar to playing live together. I had to borrow a second device for the filming. For the audio I had my Zoom H4n Pro. I processed all files into Microsoft Clipchamp. It is easy to do a split screen there. Adjusting audio and different video footage is terrible in Clipchamp.
The waldzither sounds fine as a backup instrument and the Vogtland beauty plays this nice melody very beautifuly, Frithjof
Nice post production work, I guess you could have a count down on the lead vid to use as a mark for the accompaniment vid, and then record everything onto the lead vid with the audio on the accomp vid blank. All the work done before you share your work with microsoft. That way both vids would have the same beginning length and there’d be no audio to sync. -I might try it to see if the theory works in practice.
Nice version, Frithjof, not hindered by the technical challenges you faced/overcame.
Such a nice melody! Well done.
Thanks, Christian, John and Dennis.
I like the work of the two Frithjofs, they complement each other perfectly...I hope they continue as a duo...
a very fine piece of playing and recording, Frithjof and Frithjof Junior! Always interesting to learn how others do their multi-tracking and split screen performances. We are so spoiled for the amount of software, and so much of it free, that we have access to nowadays.
As I said on YT, I really enjoyed this, Frithjof, and love the Thüringer Waldzither. The bonus here was the description of how you did it. I am not familiar with any of the software (I am a Mac user), but it is really interesting to play a duet with the video - but is there not a potential latency problem?
Thanks, Jairo, John K., and Richard. Richard, no more problems with latency then in other recordings. The audio was recorded separately on the Zoom and later mastered in Audacity. Thus, I had three tracks to handle with in the video software: 1. The tired mandolin player, 2. The waldzither player who had sadly to look at the first one to accompany him (no wonder he couldn’t smile either ) and 3. The mastered mp3 of both. I muted the video tracks after synchronizing. Probably a similar procedure as others do. The difficulty was more the using of an unknown smartphone with different software and video format.