I'm a bit surprised this tune hasn't been SAW yet -- maybe it should? I've played this from an old arrangement for mandolin orchestra by an unknown (to me) Japanese arranger, found at the now-defunct Nakano site. Amazing Grace can be played in many keys; this one is in D major and E major. The images are renaissance paintings of the conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Mandolin 1: 1890s Umberto Ceccherini Mandolin 2: 1915 Luigi Embergher Mandola: 1925 Zimmermann waldzither Guitar: Ozark tenor guitar Mandocello & bass: Suzuki MC-815 All instruments played by me and multitracked using Audacity. Martin
Nice collection, nice arrangement, nice tremolo! Recently, I recorded this tune in an oldtime-meets the blues version. For the mandolin solo I also tried a little tremolo, but I'm still not sure how to approach it, count it out or go by feel.(It should help to have a bowlback). If the first note is a little out of tune, that's because I didn't record a reference-note. But the second is OK I think- https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/amazing-graze
Two great and strikingly varied arrangements. The tremolo in both is excellent. Criss, I love the old-time feel to yours. I hadn't ever heard that last verse before, and I like it a lot. Welcome to the Song-A-Week Group.
A few different variations of Amazing Grace!
Pretty much a "WOW" from me!
I just listened to my Soundcloud recording from seven years ago, that I had completely forgotten. I played clawhammer banjo. electric guitar and even sang two verses. Well, I gave up clawhammering, my electric guitar is a nice wallhanger and my voice is getting rusty. Don't know where I found the time and energy for so many musical activities. Nowadays I concentrate on classical guitar and work on the reststroke and position playing on my bowlback- Like in the following song: For GHall, working on her position playing, doesn't seem to be necessary, looks like it's coming naturally.WOW!!!
Great new recording on mandolin and guitar, Christian. Very clean and good sounding.
Nice peaceful versions guys, thanks Martin. GHall good to see you guys playing together too. Another lovely gentle tune CC well done, the guitar works well.
In the recording above, I had let the half notes ring and played temolo only at the ends of the phrases when there is time to breaze. This time, I tried to play the half notes tremolo with only a minimal pause to the next note. Sometimes it works, sometimes the pause seems a little too long. Any hints?
Here's my version, arranged by my teacher Barbara Allen. 2014 Weber Gallatin Strum Machine Here's the notation. https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/a...9&d=1632104595
Sherry, you have made a fine job of this one, tremolo, embellishments and all. Each posting shows definite progress in your journey. Was the backing done by your teacher or did you use Strum Machine again? Christian, you ask for any hints. I sometimes get the feeling that you are analysing your playing too much and it can lose its spontaneity. You sometimes seem to approach the tunes as exercises in tremolo or rest strokes or down strokes rather than just playing the tune freely. In your May posting above you mention that you sang as well as played. Do you ever sing the lyrics to yourself as you play? This might give you a way of approaching the phrasing in a different way. Your steel string guitar backing is again really excellent and recorded beautifully here. The guitar has such a rich sound.
That was lovely version Christian, and I love the tremolo banner! Sherry, I think that was your best yet! Very nice all around!.
Thanks, John and Frank! Your encouragement wants me to post more, which means I'm neglecting my chord exercises! John, I forgot to add the Weber and Strum Machine credits, so I've now done that. Christian, I appreciate your resurrecting this thread, as I was hoping for a chance to post this arrangement, which I love. Having said that, I enjoyed listening to each version in this thread. It's great we each play the same tune, with such different results.
Sherry, I’m really impressed how strive forward step by step. Nice recording!
That was quite a complex version, Sherry, triplet scale runs, tremolo and all. Well executed, fine playing! John you are probably right, but analyzing my playing has helped me a lot, I'm just no natural talent.
Christian, we all use whatever we have in our armouries and it is all completely valid if it gets us the results we want. I always enjoy your postings, playing and arrangements of the tunes you offer us.
Very nice Sherry, you seem quite comfortable with this recording business now. Well done.
Thanks Frithjof, Christian and Simon! Simon, I'm making progress on the recording; however, it seems the video just appears, ready to import to YouTube, when I can't really figure out how I got there. And I'm still trying to figure out the best place to put my music.
Well done!
Another re-visiting of an old recording of mine. This is the same Japanese arrangement I recorded in 2014 -- it's in our repertoire folder and we get it out occasionally as it's a fun and varied arrangement, trading the melody around between the first mandolin and the mandola (octave mandolin). Three verses in total, each arranged quite differently. This time, I've reduced the instrumentation to a romantic mandolin quartet: two mandolins, octave mandolin and tenor guitar. Played more freely, and the lighter arrangement opens up the sound. 1898 Giuseppe Vinaccia mandolin (x2) Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin Vintage Viaten tenor guitar https://youtu.be/jUPNbncaJNM Martin
Martin, the instrumentation has been streamlined into a romantic mandolin quartet... The performance has taken on a more unrestrained approach, allowing for a freer interpretation, and the resulting lighter arrangement significantly broadens the sonic landscape.
Beautiful!
Well balanced, lovely to listen to arrangement, Martin
Thanks, Jairo, Frithjof and John. I like playing this arrangement as it gives each instrument something interesting to do in what can a somewhat over-familiar tune. Martin
What a really interesting arrangement - and not straightforward to play accurately, I would guess, Martin.
