Nice playin' and singin' Chris
Eddie, i guess i'm just a basket case.
Thanks, I always get in a rush, -another day or three would have helped
Chris, I do the same thing. but it's all about having fun.
Hey Chris, you're really inspiring me to work on some chording. I really liked your relaxed style of playing. It's fun to see a song in so many different lights.
Chris, that was great! Good to see you back posting here in the group!
Thanks, My relaxed style comes from lack of ability. For the first several years I passed on breaks now my attitude is any little break is better than none. I tend to stay right on the melody line or play within the chords. My attention span is not very high Barbara so I tend to go through periods where I get interested in other things. I like to work mostly on songs my band does but this forum has been a great source of inspiration.
I didn't have time last week to work on this and jazz isn't really my thing but here's my humble attempt at All of Me. Played on my Mandonator with some pre-recorded guitar and double bass.
That was great David! I foresee many smokey night clubs in the Mandonator's future.
David.... really cool! Does that thing play like a tenor banjo (in GDAE tuning)? Or do the strings feel more mando/guitar-ish?
The mandonator is tuned an octave above an Irish tenor banjo GDAE, the same pitch as a mandolin, in fact it uses mandolin strings but only 4 of them which makes it much easier to bend notes.
Wow, David, nice job! The mandonator seems just perfect for jazz, and you were doing some great fills and fun rhythms.
Thanks Dana, it was dubious when I started but I think it ended up sounding better than I thought it would.
Hey Ya'll, Here's a really cool expressive version of this tune played by Tim O'connell, Eric Skye, and Brian Casey. Eric Skye just posted this to the cafe forum today and thought you all would enjoy it! Tim's playing a Lehstock mandolin. Really cool to hear everybodies interpretation of this tune which I'm totally unfamiliar with!
Oh my, that video was just awesome! Awesome playing by all 3! And, are those dreadlocks?
Here's mine - just chord-bashing I'm afraid, I haven't quite got the melody yet...
Very nice, D'jango Sheehy!!
Knees! Knees! Jumping up and down at the bottom of the screen the whole time! How are we supposed to concentrate on the music?? Well, I averted my eyes, concentrated on the music, and that was GREAT!
Just joining the group, and I know this song was soooo a couple weeks ago, but since I just came back from Django in June, it seemed like a good way for me to put some of what I learned at the camp into practice. I am playing a Collings MT on the lead and rhythm tracks, and an Ashbory bass for the bass part. Hope you all enjoy it, and I am looking forward to many more songs to come. David Miller http://mandopelli.net
David, first of all, Welcome to the Group! And great playing there , nice jazzy feel!! think you really captured the Django mood on that one. hope to hear many more. Don't worry about the week the tune was voted in, feel free to browse back thru Barbara's extensive index and resurect any one you feel like playing, they are like old friends. Michael
Woah, that must have been some camp! Excellent rendition.
David, Really sweet, nice lines. Cheers Mark
Just dug out that old swing standard to practice reading notes on my tenor banjo in tuning CGDA.
I liked that banjo CC. Hadn't thought of that in a Swing format before. And the improv on a uke. Who knew. I guess Swing/Jazz isn't just for mandolins anymore. Nice job. Gary
Criss, that was awesome!!
After a few months of working on it, at last I can post "All of Me!" One of my teachers agreed to accompany me, then suggested we (i.e., he) do some editing. So we took 2 videos and here's the edited result. When I received the end product from him, I was disappointed to see he had cut most of himself out of the final product. My greatest struggle is with changing chords, but wanting Gerald to have a solo, I was determined to do the best I could manage.
A creditable performance there, Sherry. You played the tune with a fine sense of timing, both in your melody and rhythm, and those chords certainly moved about the neck fluently. You were aware of the guitar accompaniment as you played (watch your head as you count beats) and this is so necessary when playing along with others. Good work all round.
Great rhythm Sherry, well done. About the months working on the same tune, I hear you, I think we’ve all been there Really good effort too, with the practice time you’ve invested you’ll soon be picking up a jig in five minutes, and believe me there is a certain point when you do suddenly accelerate in improvement. I surprised myself one time when I decided to play as fast as I could, using the metronome speeding up by increments.
I really enjoyed this song, Sherry. It looks like it would take some good practice to get it as good as you have done. Bravo. !! I have found, and maybe this doesn't apply to you, but you could try it - if you hold the pick closer in your hand so only a little bit is peeking out - it might help the tone smooth out. Sometimes I have to adjust my pick position when I here the notes are getting plinky. I have a small cork ring on the back of my pick to keep it in place - but that doesn't always work. Just a thought. Great timing with your guitarist too.
Great entry into the swing-jazz territory, Sherry! You play very well together with the guitar. For accompaniment purposes you could try what the French call La Pompe, which is the Django rhythm. Chords without open strings played staccato on each beat of the measure.
Thanks, all, for your ongoing comments and encouragement, and especially for the constructive criticism. I REALLY need that and take it to heart. John, I have to watch the head bobbing, obvious counting and making faces. It's a constant battle. Simon, I don't know about picking up ANYTHING in five minutes, but I'm open to the idea! Ginny, I'm looking into your suggestion regarding the pick. The cork ring sounds interesting. Christian, I googled “Django rhythm” and watched part of a video. I believe that technique is above my current ability and would even be of little use to me with what I normally play. I am interested in improving my strumming technique, though.
Sherry, your face is fine and beautiful, head nodding to the beat is good too. I have such a just-lost-my-puppy look and I think it was David who once said - he can't find an in between face - he's either grinning or being maudlin. As for the pick, I'd put a picture here but I don't think I can do that. It's like a circle of anything, cork, thin rubber...and I know if I hold my thumb in that circle it won't slip. So maybe other people do it differently, but I was taught to hold it under the pad of my thumb with the point of the pick between first and second (middle) knuckle of the index finger. Just a thought. I was listening to your posts on YT last night and quite enjoyed them.
Excellent Sherry, I really liked it. As for La Pompe, don't worry, not only is it beyond your abilities, it is beyond the abilities of any mandolist whatever his level of expertise. Sure it can be done, but I do not know a mandolist who has achieved it in a satisfactory way, simply the mandolin register is not enough for such a task ... but there are the standard jazz chords and rhythms that work well, even the chords of Jethro that are easy to learn and work great with any jazz piece...
Wow, Ginny! You're my new best friend! What kind comments you've made. I appreciate them more than you know. If you're interested, I can send you instructions for posting a PDF to a social group. I believe posting a picture would be done the same way.
Jairo, thanks for the clarification! As to jazz, I believe I'll leave it for others to play - at least for now. "All of Me" I simply couldn't resist.
Maybe I dreamed this, but I'm thinking after I posted "All of Me" where I played with one of my teachers, someone commented something like the guitar accompaniment was more enjoyable than the mandolin accompaniment. I'm good at missing the obvious in just about any situation, so I watched and listened to the video after reading the comment. Turns out I'm in total agreement! And I understand better some of the comments in that thread in the Forum as to whether or not a mandolin is a good choice for accompaniment - not to mention a better understanding as to why none of the SAW group videos I've watched have mandolin accompaniment, at least to my recollection. Anyway, I hope the comment wasn't deleted for being at risk of offending me. I found it to be enlightening and would like the person to know it.
Autumn Leaves gave me the idea to try another Jazz standard:
I love the gentle, relaxed feel you get from these tunes, Christian.
Love it, Christian! And I relistened to the version you did as crisscross in 2015. Gorgeous!!!