Week #212 ~ Loch Leven Castle

  1. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    This week's winner, by one vote, was Loch Leven Castle, which was submitted as an IT tune. I'm not familiar with it.

    I found this on abcnotation.com from The Scottish Fiddle Club of Oregon.

    I found this notation and mando tab on traditionalmusic.co.uk

    Here is a you tube video one of our own has out there!



    If anyone has any more links, please add them!
  2. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Nice playing, David. I'm sure it is you Barbara has posted!
    Here's my quickly assembled offering, with pictures not of Loch Leven Castle but of Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries.

  3. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Nicely done John, and great photos as well. It must be nice to live so close to so much history.

    Here's a link to this tune as an "other" tune:

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/gr...#gmessage16109
  4. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    That's a beautiful version John! I tried the tune myself yesterday, it's fun to play!
  5. James Rankine
    James Rankine
    If that's a quickly assembled effort John I'd love to hear the version where you take more care. I'd have to take a week off work to come up with something like that.
    My second post for song a week and so far the tunes have already been part of my repertoire (it will be down hill from here in).
    As Loch Leven Castle is in Scotland I'm going to claim this as a Scottish tune and I'm playing it on a Jimmy Moon mandolin, made in Scotland.
  6. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    Wow James, that mandolin has lots of sustain. Excellent playing!
    I mixed my version with guitar, and played the second part on my old accordeon. When I was a kid I've had lessons on it, but I remember that I played more fluidly 30 years ago. Since I'm in a transatlantic band I have to practise more on it. It's been a long time since I've seriously played it...

  7. maudlin mandolin
    maudlin mandolin


    Entertaining video John and James that Moon mandolin has a lovely ringing sound. Hendrick- nice accordion playing but are there no bass notes on your instrument?
    Here is a finger picked version.
  8. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    You're right Maudlin, I have an 80 bass accordeon. I thought since it is a Scottisch accordeon I'd use a single register with no bass-notes to make it sound a bit like a concertina. I love english concertina, but there very expensive..
    Nice fingerpicking on that mandolin Maudlin, I never tried that....
  9. woodenfingers
    woodenfingers
    Great playing John, James, Luurtie, and Maudlin! Yes, it must be nice to able to roam around those great old castles and get your own pictures as John does. James that mandolin is awesome and Maudlin I don't think my fingernails could take that kind of playing.

    Hendrik - thanks for your comments on Sally in the Garden. I agree that the accordion can sound quite good. Mine is a 120 bass/keyboard with 3 modes and I played it in the bassoon mode. It is about 50 years old and a bit asthmatic. I learnt on it as a kid, can't even get the straps on anymore, and my fluidity on it is long gone, you are still doing great! I also wish I could afford a concertina but hey, I have an accordion so I'll use it. I looked up threads on the cafe here for accordions in bluegrass and there were some comments. I found the best comment was that if you take the typical bluegrass trio of fiddle, banjo, and bass and replaced fiddle with accordion and bass with tuba you would have the three most reviled instruments all together in one band .
  10. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Your playing is much better than you give yourself credit for, James. The Moon sounds good too.
    Hendrik, I liked the introduction of the accordion into your version and the rhythm you have going is really driving along well.
    Maudlin, your fingerpicking is fascinating. The way you perform your triplets is surely taken from classical guitar playing? I can't get to grips with fingerpicking the mandolin though I have done it with the tenor guitar.
    The tune has certainly brought out some fine versions here.
  11. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Here we go - I was in a bit of a rush to get this done with this mandolin, it's a new one I have on loan from Marty Jacobson, so listen to the mando and not my playing so much. What do you think - shall I keep it?

  12. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    Keep the recording and keep the mandolin David! Very very nice!
  13. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Yes, keep both! Great drive in your playing there, David. Love the improvisation - enough to give a purist a mild seizure.
  14. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Thanks guys. Yes, I'm really liking this mandolin - plenty of fizz and pop, and a really striking mid-range to it. It's the perfect antidote to the darker tones of the Silverangel, and really easy and fun to play.
  15. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    That mandolin has a great sound to it--I really like Marty's whole design approach to his mandolins. I recommend you keep it since you're taking over my A5 sampling duties.

    And your playing sounds wonderful and inventive as always.
  16. James Rankine
    James Rankine
    David the mandolin sounds fantastic. I've never seen that design before and in this case different is good.
  17. Manfred Hacker
    Manfred Hacker
    I bet most mandolins would sound great in your hands, David.
    I don't wanna try to cure your MAS - but I think the tune would sound just as great on your "darker" mando.
  18. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Thanks very much guys. Don, I may well take your advice, but I'll never fill your mando-sampling shoes, I fear. James, I think there are only 1 or two others in the world, and none at all with the same features as this one. I'm sure Marty will build some more that look like it, but right now it's a rare bird. Manfred, I'm sure you're right, and I won't be throwing out the Silverangel any time soon, but I love the ability to have more than one voice to choose from, and this mando has some unusual features that make it a lot of fun, especially for making these recordings.
  19. dfalkiewicz
    dfalkiewicz
    To everyone that posted videos..............just awesome. Leaving Friday for 2 weeks in Scotland...............can't wait!

    David, I love the sound of your loaner.........not that you need another one..........it sure sounds fine.
  20. laura809
    laura809
    Lots of great versions. I particularly liked John's OM version, and the photos were a nice complement to it.
  21. woodenfingers
    woodenfingers
    OS, I'd keep the mandolin, it sounds very nice. Laura, very nice. I wish my guitar work was more like yours.

    My recording setup is quite crude. A computer type mic and a headset plugged into a sound card in the computer. I have to snuggle up to the mic to get any decent amplitude into the audacity editor so difficult to get video of me playing. So I make picture videos to give you something to look at. I have been borrowing pics off the web but decided to take a page out of Michael's book and use pics from the National Archives. Found some Ansel Adams pics from the Southwest. A bit of a clash of cultures but I hope you like them. They are from Acoma Peublo, Mesa Verde, and Canyon de Chelly. Also, the audio seems a little degraded in this video for some reason...

  22. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Laura, nice rendition. I like the way life goes on behind you in your video here! He might have at least walked in time to your playing.
    Bob, you have managed really well given your recording set-up. Adding the backing would have been interesting. Your pictures are of the castles of that part of the world, built as defensive homes to shelter folk in times of danger. As a Scot I like the idea of the two cultures meeting through sound and vision.
  23. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    Wow! Beautiful versions by all!
  24. Eddie Sheehy
    Great versions by all. David, that Jacobsen sounds miiiiighty purty... Of course you could make a 4x2 with strings sound good...
  25. dustyamps
    dustyamps
    Loch Leven Castle from The Fiddle Music of Scotland by James Hunter and the beginning of the fall colors.
  26. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Lovely version, Dusty! Great sound from your instrument.
  27. dusty miller
    dusty miller
    Great version Dusty, enjoyed it!
  28. Sasquatch
    Sasquatch
    I have always liked this tune but never got around recording it. Today, I was visiting my good friend and luthier Otis Singleton. He has made a guitar/Octave mandolin. This instrument resembles a 3/4 size Gibson guitar. It is unique in that you can exchange necks and have either a 6 string guitar or a octave mando. Otis wanted me to take this instrument home. Today was the first time I have spent time with one and I must say I am in LOVE! Otis may be building me one of these fine pieces.
    Our church is having a Christmas program next month and I would like to learn a couple of songs to perform on this OM.
    Anyway, I started noodling around with the LLC tune today and thought I would have a go. So here is my very first video playing an Octave Mandolin.

  29. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    I really like the sound of that instrument, Tim. Great playing. I've got to start enjoying some Christmas tunes too. There's a thread for Christmas songs here, so I hope you post the ones you put together for the program.
  30. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Nice playing there, Tim. Strong influences from flat-picking guitar especially in the second part. Very different from my Scottish interpretation. Love the instrument!
  31. Sasquatch
    Sasquatch

    Been a while since I posted anything. My son is learning bass and he loves this tune so we noodled around with it a few months ago.
  32. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    Good addition to the band! And nice to see you again.
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