Thanks Jill - believe it or not, that was my first take! Never happened before....
Lovely playing by All! John I gree with Susi that your OM sounds delightful. Scott
Alright, working on my pick direction and Harvest Home seems really counterintuitive to pick DUDU, especially that first full measure. Thoughts?
I can say what I do, Martin. Instead of DAFA DAFA, I play (pick direction noted below): D2FA DAFA d-dd udud (the D2 is really a D/A open doublestop) This analysis is the result not of thorough planning but of observation of an unconscious process, so I can't explain every detail of that, except that the dd on the first FA is a frequent motion-economic thing I do. Caveat: trying to mimic my picking motion is kind of plugging into my body coordination, which may cause severe and permanent traumatic damages...
I play dudu as a result of Joe Carr's advice in his on-line Mel Bay magazine lesson which you can look up.
Okay, Bertram's makes sense because of the "economy of motion" thing. It seems like sometime (just sometimes) it requires the pick to travel further to do the DUDU than is really necessary. Particularly when the 1st 1/8th beat is on, for example, the D string and the second 1/8th beat is on the A string. In that case there's less pick travel by picking UD. Of course, then you have to re-coordinate your pick direction back to DUDU thereafter. Thanks for the help guys.
I say stick with DUDU unless you're playing triplets or not in 4/4 time - consistency is your friend in the long term.
I've just come across Harvest Home in a tunebook, and as it's an old SAW tune, I thought I'd record it. Nice tune! Martin
The Harvest Home / The Cork Hornpipe played on my 1920 A model with J75's.
With some additional memphis licks on my telly.... https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/harvest-home
Here’s Off to California, with ‘real’ California atmosphere, added! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f6hTqZQGw0
This is really nice Mr. Sunrise. Is it me - I don't hear a Harvest Home - or is it a different one? Your title suggests two songs but I heard one. It's really nice though.
Sorry Ginny, complete chaos here. I uploaded the wrong vid. Luckily I could change it. Same visuals but now it’s got the backing track. And the right title! -I was cooking at the same time, so the vid is now fixed, but the meal isn’t!
It has an easy going rhythm like you play it, atsunrise. Nice idea to add ‘real’ California atmosphere.
Ginny, I’m really sorry, but I think I deleted your comment. What a day! Thanks Frithjof, I was thinking that, on the contrary, for a tune about California it needs to be a lot more easy going! But then again, it seems to be about a journey, or even just leaving to go there. Well it’s the heavy metal version next, I really don’t want get a reputation for being the easy going guy in our group! Wait a minute, a lot of your tunes are easy going too!
Fine playing of a great wee tune, Atsunrise.
Sunrise, your version is as light and easy as the sun setting (ironically) behind the mountains. But now I'm waiting for that heavy metal version, stand by your word! As for cooking while operating the web: as a musician you know that it's better to concentrate on one task at a time, don't you?
Ha, ha, thanks John, ok next time it’ll be greater with 4 variations of that first main riff and maybe an impro in the middle, and the accompaniment guitar needs a couple of bass runs and maybe a lead in, and no cars (X2) driving through it. -this Off to California was more like a road trip across the Mid-West than a hike across the Rockies. Ok, Bertram, next Song A Week it is, but I don’t do the clothing nor the makeup.
Well done Sunrise. I think the tempo is just right for a trip to California!
Many thanks, Robert, I’ve never been one for tripping though, there’s enough in my head already! Now I’ve realised that there are two tunes, so I’m working on Harvest Home. Big problem though. I really like the energy and gusto of Bertram’s version with the reel rhythm with accented 2 and 4. But I think this would mean learning the 12 notes in bar 4, the four triplets that is, as DUD,UDU,DUD,UDU. That’ll take a couple days at super slow, especially with the hesitations/slight swing or lilt maybe it’s called. -Or maybe it’s better to do another jig-like D-D,D-D,D-D,D-D, and for measure 4, DUD,DUD,DUD,DUD easy going style?
Oh, dang. I just recorded the wrong two songs! I did Harvest Home and Boys of Bluehill. I could've done Off to California, but I botched it. : ) Should've paid more attention.
None the worse for it, Mike. These two go together at least as naturally (if not better) as the scheduled pair.
Interesting timing on those, Mike, and really good delivery. You play them much straighter than I have done them and faster too! I posted all three tunes back in September - Harvest Home, California and Boys of Bluehill, and it is interesting to compare our two different interpretations of those great tunes. Here is the one I posted back then:
You're just trying to rub it in with that lightning-fast version of Harvest Home, Mike. I find that tune quite hard to play. The combination with Boys of Bluehill is a classic. Around here, they're almost inevitably played together, in either order. There's more variety in the third tune of the set. I think I've heard it with the Galway Hornpipe, Off to California, and probably others.
Here's my take on Harvest Home/Off To California recorded as a set using my Paris Swing Macaferri mandolin. I play each tune through once only, i.e. no repeat. There's a reason for that .... I find Harvest Home very difficult to play. All those triplets on the A string and in the descending runs. And yet they're essential to the tune. Harvest Home without the triplets is like The Pogues without Shane, Bloody Mary without vodka, Starsky without Hutch. (OK, that last one is stretching the point...) I can tag along in a session but I can only carry the load of Harvest Home on my own for so long. So, once through for each it is on this occasion.
The two make a fine set here, Aidan. Fine playing.
Very nice Aidan, I like the tone on your mandolin.
