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Thread: Warm up song

  1. #1
    Registered User mbruno's Avatar
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    Default Warm up song

    I'm just curious if other people have their "go to warmup song" they use or if it's just me. I've been playing a mash up of Whiskey Before Breakfast and St. Anne's Reel as my main warm up song(s) for a bit since they provide a good combination of a variety of skills (chords, hammer on / pull off, sliding, etc).

    Anyone else have a go to warmup tune or two? If so which song and why?
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  3. #2

    Default Re: Warm up song

    Probably just because of my background in classical guitar, but I always warm up with some Bach.

  4. #3
    Registered User Chris W.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    After some tuning and noodling, I like to play President Garfields and President Grant’s hornpipes to warm up with. Both tunes are in Bb and if I play them in 1st position, my left hand gets a good stretch and all four fingers get a good workout.
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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    I have used this little ditty for a million years. I like to play it as written, and then to play it as a hornpipe, and try other rhythmic abuse.
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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    In addition, I have recently added a Wohlfahrt study, #3. I don't yet have it memorized, so I usually use this when warming up for a practice at home.

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    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Muddy Waters's "I Can't Be Satisfied" or "Alabama Jubilee." I've just played them a lot and they come fairly easily, though I can always use the practice. They loosen up my fingers without too much effort.
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  10. #7
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Red-Haired Boy, key of A. No particular reason other than years of habituation.
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  12. #8
    Registered User Willi Bahrenberg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Home Sweet Home for me. But I also like Whiskey Before Breakfast and St. Anne's Reel.

    Beautiful melodies, can involve all four pairs of strings, lots of room for improvisation, sound nice in every tempo.

    Many tunes in D share these characteristics, so yeah, D is my favourite warm-up-key, thanks for asking

  13. #9
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    I play St Anne's / Fischer' Hornpipe / Whiskey in that order. Someday I will try Whiskey before Breakfast. Literally! I'll occasionally sip a bourbon in the evening, but I've never tried it first thing in morning. Alas, that might lead to Farewell to Whiskey!
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  14. #10
    Old Guy Mike Scott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Mine is "Angeline the Baker". I guess because it's the first song I learned on the mandolin......
    Thanks

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  15. #11
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Liberty in D major seems to arrive at my finger tips, recently at least.
    That’s a tune, and Eyes on the Prize, Bruce Springsteen version, is a song I often begin without having to think about it first.



    And another:

    Last edited by Simon DS; Sep-17-2021 at 11:27am.

  16. #12
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Lately it’s been Kelly the Boy from Killane. I like the melody and playing around with it rhythmically.

  17. #13
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Quote Originally Posted by mbruno View Post
    ... and why?
    I prefer exercises for warm up, for this reason; I don't want to turn a tune into a warm up exercise. I mean, if and when I am playing that particular tune in a jam, or open mic, or a concert, I don't want it to sound to mechanical, like an exercise, and more like, "here is a tune you might like".

    I don't know if it is a real thing or not, because I have been using that first exercise I posted as a warm up for many many (many) years.
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  19. #14

    Default Re: Warm up song

    Used to be Old Joe Clark, but I've switched so it is usually Angeline the Baker now. Just songs that I learned to play and like to play.

  20. #15
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    I like to do some Mike Marshall Finger Busters, right and left hand for starters. He's got some playalong ones on ArtistWorks that I currently like, because I like playing along. After that, a song or two that I can do pretty well; Arkansas Traveller is one. Or maybe it will be some of Jim Bevan's student center MandoScales - Sexatonic Zigzag is a cool one that I like, or another one is Scales First Position. Then after that, whatever I'm working on.

    I am working on Liberty on my mandola, so that one runs through my head, alot.

  21. #16
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    ...I don't want it to sound to mechanical, like an exercise, and more like, "here is a tune you might like"...
    I agree about the mechanical issue. For me I think this arrives when I flatten the rhythm out, no emphasis and no rubato, and with good timing. Funnily enough I think timing issues can actually make a piece sound less mechanical, more like a human.

    I just remembered too that the songs I like to warm up with are usually very slow (difficult) and relaxed with a lot of feeling, 2/4, 4/4 (or 7/8) and heavy rhythm -blues, gospel type songs.

  22. #17
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    It'd be "Dancing Eyes", a great Sean Ryan jig - I usually start with some scales and some warm up exercises from one of Enda Scahill's books, and then launch into this jig - for me it's a great warm up as there's trebles, triplets and a few wee chords in it - here 'tis on my tenor guitar:

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  24. #18
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    If that's you just warming up Jill, I want to hear you when you are fully charged! Lovely bit of playing there.
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  26. #19

    Default Re: Warm up song

    Bonapart's Retreat and or St. Anne's Reel. Why? It's an automatic thing. Or an idiomatic thing. Anyway, it gets my fingers moving.

  27. #20
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    It changes. Often it's whatever tune I'm working on. One that's been maybe memorized, but not that comfortable yet. Right now it's Snigelschottis. Other times it's a Quebec tune. Also changes depending on mood and what am trying to accomplish with the instrument.
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  28. #21
    Registered User Matt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    It'd be "Dancing Eyes", a great Sean Ryan jig - I usually start with some scales and some warm up exercises from one of Enda Scahill's books, and then launch into this jig - for me it's a great warm up as there's trebles, triplets and a few wee chords in it - here 'tis on my tenor guitar:

    Nice!!

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  30. #22
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Sometimes I do some blues noodling. Sometimes I flog Leon Fullerton's "Run for the Money."
    Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)

  31. #23
    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Cold Frosty Morning.

  32. #24
    Registered User Matt Hutchinson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    Both Whiskey Before Breakfast and St Anne's Reel are tunes I naturally go to when I pick up my mandolin (and my guitar). Angeline the Baker is an interesting one - I've heard live recordings of Chris Thile and David Grier, and also Chris Thile and Bryan Sutton, where that's the tune they kick off with. Maybe it's a good loosener at any level

    If you haven't heard it, the Thile/Grier set is awesome. You can find it (along with lots of other cool stuff) here at SugarMegs

  33. #25
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    Default Re: Warm up song

    I play two jigs - Munster Bacon and Humours of Ennistymon. I love them both and they're also good left hand exercise

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