I don't know about you, but I had to spend some time at the beginning of this year getting back into playing anything else except Christmas songs ... the joys of being a newbie! :D It would be nice if some of you were again interested this year in swapping beginner-friendly tunes and sharing experiences of learning them - essentially a newbie take on the song-a-week group, with a much looser time frame and an explicit focus on the beginner. Karen (Garden Music) and I have a couple of suggestions for our next tune. Both of these are very popular standards, and both can be found online for free: Sally Gooden, a well-known fiddle tune: http://archive.mandolinsessions.com/aug07/Anthony.html My Darling Asleep, an Irish jig: http://www.mandolinsessions.com/?p=752 As usual, it would be great to share experiences and recordings in this thread. The aim is really not to get up to gig or session speed with these tunes, but - given the beginner focus - to explore each tune with its potential pitfalls and solutions for the newbie. Let's get started!
I'm in! I have printed both songs out. I am thinking to begin with My Darling Asleep, as I have not played any Irish jigs until now. Newbies, will some of you also join in? This is a great way to begin to build a repertoire of well-known tunes among mandolin players. Thanks, Dennis, for linking the Mel Bay site. It looks like a great source for free songs and good tips, too. Karen
Very good beginner songs! I didn't do "my darling asleep" in triplets though because I'm still working on straight forward up/down right hand technique. Do you want to post vids as they do on the song a week group?
You mention one of the typical problems there, which is also discussed in this thread on the main forum: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...udu-or-dud-dud "My darling asleep" is my second jig. I learnt the first one using any old pick direction, and then my teacher recommended an overhaul to adopt DUD DUD. It was a struggle, but I could see the purpose. With this tune, things are falling right into place. It lends itself very naturally to DUD DUD. Start with an upstroke, and off you go. It also makes me think of this discussion: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-in-Irish-trad Several experienced players mention here that there is a lot of rhythm built into the melody in much Irish traditional material, where it's not the strummy instruments that carry the rhythm. I think I can tell this is the case when playing this tune with a DUD DUD pattern. Of course, you need to decide what's best for you. But perhaps it would be helpful to try alternative patterns of pick direction just to enable yourself to make an informed decision. As for videos, why not? Personally, I just had audio in mind. And even that requires me to borrow a microphone from work! :D
I am loving "My Darling Asleep!" I have started learning it with the DUD DUD pattern suggested, which is a challenge and requires some thought at this point. However, by working on it slowly and trying to get that "Irish" sounding beat, the piece is starting to take shape. Good choice, Dennis. I also printed out "Father O'Flynn" from the same site to work on while in jig mode. Glad you are joining in, Ibanezae. Karen
Started working on My Darling Asleep in honor of Saint Patrick's Day. I'm digging it! Gotta love a good Irish jig. The DUD DUD pattern is a little tricky at first, but I think I'm getting the hang of it, and it seems to be spilling over into some of my other tunes.
I haven't been working on Sally Gooden and I can't access the Mandolin Sessions archive right now to check if this lesson is in the same key; but here's a free video from Brad Laird explaining a bit about playing rhythm on this tune. Apparently there is also a chargeable lesson on playing the melody. http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/mand...ooden-free.mov
OK, I'll go first: Here's an mp3 recording of my current progress on "My Darling Asleep": http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...d=1#post922779 Lessons learnt so far: - This works well with DUD DUD pick direction. - It's MUCH harder to play a tune three times in a row than to play it just once. - I need to speed up and play a more steady tempo. Unfortunately my metronome and I aren't friends yet.
Nice job, Dennis! I would say that my rendition is sounding very much like yours at this point. I'm working on speeding up, too. I'm also trying to concentrate on tone and adjusting my pick hold and attack to see what sounds best. Increasing my practice frequency is helping...progress is incremental, but it is there! Karen
Any progress on this, guys? We want to have a mini song-a-week group, so we need people to share their experiences! No need for videos if you're shy, just an mp3 or even some thoughts ...
Here's Sally Gooden, muffs and all
Hi everybody, a ne newbie here. I've been playing for 2 1/2 years on a Morgan Monroe mm-8. Love the instrament. The Brad Laird videos have been a big help to me, I recommend them. I'll try and get a recording of Sally Goodin as I learned it from the video. Dave
Hello everyone. I just joined this group yesterday. I`ve been playing for about two and a half years. I`ve been learning bluegrass but I`m a celtic girl through and through. I`m looking forward to sharing music and musical experiences. Can`t wait to start learning new celtic songs!
Wow, two new members in 24 hours! Welcome, both of you. If you like these tunes, feel free to share any time - there is no expiry date. ibanezae, your link doesn't lead me to anything I can make sense of. Could you check it for me, please?
Tried doing it from my iphone, i believe i have it posted now
Yes, it works well now. Nice playing, and a nice-looking mandolin you have there. Your bluegrassy slides are very effective and quite advanced. I'm struggling with this tune, partly because I don't find it that catchy. If I can't hum it, I can't play it. :D
Thanks for the nice words. I can't say this is a favorite tune either but it is simple. I stayed away from "my darling asleep" (a much prettier song) because of the triplets. Still trying to master the UDUD. If you don't care for the bluegrass stuff maybe you can give us a simple jig or reel for our next project. The mandolin is a Luna Trinity traded a Yamaha classical and Ibanez AE for it (maybe I need to change my handle now Brooks
