An olde dance tune, here’s the .abc for mandolintab.net X:2012 T:Blue Eyed Stranger R:Reel C:Trad. O:England Z:Paul Hardy's Session Tunebook 2020 (see www.paulhardy.net). Creative Commons cc by-nc-sa licenced. M:4/4 L:1/8 Q:1/4=160 K:G "G"G2D2D2GF|"C"ED EF "G"G2A2|B2d2 "C"cB AG|"Am"E2 "D7"F2 "G"G2 D2:| "G"GA Bc d2G2|"C"ed cB "D7"A2D2|"G"GA Bc "D"d2d2|"G"B3c "D"d4| "G"GA Bc d2G2|"C"ed cB "D7"A2GA|"G"B2d2 "C"cBAG|"Am"E2 "D7"F2 "G"G4|] Hardy : https://pghardy.net/tunebooks/pgh_basic_tunebook.abc
Ooof! Changed my mind at the last minute, scrapped some tracks and added some nature lover vids. Hope you guys like what you hear!
Great performance, Simon. One of your best to date, I would say. Video clips are very pleasing too.
Thanks John, I wasn’t sure about adding the G drone which sounds like a lone piper playing on the mountainside, but I guess it sounds ok. Took me ages to set up the camera for the recording and then after all that I didn’t use it.
I was going to say virtually the same thing as John. One of your best !
Thanks Ginny I appreciate it. The sky often makes me think of people.
Beautiful tune and video!
Great stuff Simon! I love the tempo, and it sounds so right on that octave of yours - not that I'm condoning the use of octave mandolins
Very fine playing: relaxed yet up to speed!
Thanks Gentlemen, actually I got pretty excited about this one and played it on the octave really loud, first time really and occasionally too loud, hence the string buzzing. Strange, I found with the increased drive the instrument gives the pick more of a rhythmic bounce back to the forearm and the whole instrument body resonates. Also I had a bit of fun with that quick double beat that I managed get only in a couple of places, and also what I think of as a Highland Fling (but isn’t at all) but it’s where there’s a slight lengthening for example of B3 at the end of the first line of the B part to give a leaping feeling. Also I wanted to thank all of you guys.
Very enjoyable! Thanks, Simon.
Excellent playing and video!
Really like the drone and drum. Excellent.
Thanks guys the drone is actually from a recording on the internet, motivated by world events. I don’t think it’s a reed because there’s a rebounding randomness to it, more like a hurdy gurdy drone. The drum is my bodhran that really needs to get out more often, I’m going to have to check on my neighbour’s weekly schedule to be able to do some practice...
Well, Frithjof?
Simon, you know that my recent attempt has no real mandolin content (only the man who tried to play the tune plays mandolin, too). For friends who are interested:
Yay Lockdown’s relaxing. Breakout! Really nice Frithjof, I like the timing too, a sort of warm rhythm, if that makes any sense...
Nice job, Frithjof. That tree you are perched on seems like some mythical beast you have just slain in combat, and now you are celebrating your victory with a triumphal tune!
Or it’s a sad and melancholic strain, full of remorse. You’re playing for the loss of your favourite horse, thinking, ‘now I am going to have to cross the whole of Europe on this donkey!’ Like Captain O’Kane.
Thanks, John and Simon. Nice imagination. It was a funny situation anyway. It was an unexpected chance to practice outside but close to the car service station. Therefore, I craped my concertina and put it in a mandolin gig bag. A few minutes away I practiced on a clearance. It was nice to play in the sun. Unfortunately, I’m not skillful enough to play the concertina without support. I had to look for a seat. The old log was great. I even had a nice view at the river and occasionally the audience of two paddlers.
After a few dozen false starts, I managed to get through this one. But by that time it was dark.
Nice version, especially when you move up an octave which seems to carry the melody line better. The false starts are something we all know about and they make us better players.
Nice! Good rhythm and I really like the tone on that instrument. Yes, going up an octave, I’m going have to do that as an exercise. Thanks for sharing this.
Great to have another version and on a not so common instrument in addition.
