This week's winner is a traditional Scottish song called The White Cockade. A white cockade or white rose was worn as an emblem of the Jacobite rebellion, or Bonnie Prince Charles attempt to reclaim Britain's throne for the House of Stewart. For more on this, check out an article here... http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/charlieb.html Legend--supported by shaky evidence--suggests The White Cockade was played on fife and drum as Minute Men marched to meet British militia at Concord on April 19, 1775 where a "shot heard round the world" began the American Revolution. History nuts like me will enjoy weighing the fact and fiction on this here... https://www2.bc.edu/~hafner/lmm/musi...kade_ryan.html I love this version by The Corries! Here's the Chieftain's playing a lively version of The White Cockade paired with Lily Bolero... Here's ABC notation from The Session... X: 1 T: The White Cockade R: polka M: 2/4 L: 1/8 K: Gmaj |:G/A/| BB BA/G/| dB Bg/e/| dB c/B/A/G/| BA AG/A/| BB c/B/A/G/| Bd g>a| b/a/g/f/ e/f/g/e/| dB B :| |:B/c/| dB gB| d/^c/d/e/ dB/=c/| dB/d/ gf/g/| aA AG/A/| BB/d/ c/B/A/G/| Bd g>a| b/a/g/f/ e/f/g/e/| dB B :| Here's one more... X: 2 T: The White Cockade R: polka M: 2/4 L: 1/8 K: Gmaj |: GA | B>GB>d c>BA>G | BGBd g2 GA | B>GB>d c>BA>G | FGAB A2 GA| B>GB>d c>BA>G | (3BGB (3ded g2 ga | bagf efge | d2 (3GAG G2 :| : Bc | d2 B2 g2 Bc | dcde d2 Bc | d2 B2 g2 fg | a2 A2 A2 GA | B>GB>d c>BA>G | (3BGB (3ded g2 ga | bagf efge | d2 (3GAG G2 :| Midi files and sheet music for the ABC found here... http://thesession.org/tunes/2479 Convert ABC to mandolin tab by copying and pasting it here... http://mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php
Marcy, thanks so much for helping me with posting the winners of the polls!!!!!
No problem, Barbara. I look all this stuff up each week for myself anyway so it's not any trouble at all.
I got my version from "The Scottish Ceilidh Collection For Fiddlers" from Taigh Na Teud. All the other versions I could find were in G, this one's in D. Maybe John can tell us which is the proper key? One time through on my Sobell mandolin and then my octave joins for the second two.
Very nice David... You always know what to do with such tunes
The harpsichord backing on that one gives it a baroque feel. Here is my version.
Are there lots of different versions of the tune? I have found lots of info on the web but it all seems unrelated? except for the subject - is this close to the same - its by far my favourite version...: http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/so...g_Charles).htm by Jed Marum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1HDEtuvhxs sorry to be so ignorant about this sort of music!
Lovely arrangement and mix of instruments David. MM, real bounce to your version - almost a hornpipe. Jonny - there do seem to be a number of unrelated tunes going under the same title. i like this version from Kate Rusby, accompanied by beautiful pictures of the Yorkshire Dales I find Marcy's Corries' version milldy amusing. I would have been about the same age as these children in the late 60s when it was filmed. To think I missed out on the opportunity of skipping merrily after 2 strange men, sinisterly dressed in matching uniforms as they paraded Pied Piperesque through the local community. Ah, innocent times. Here is my version, without dancing children
Well done James, a lovely jaunty feel to your version. I like your version as well Maudlin, catchy and concise. But my version owes a lot to David's, but maybe has more of a "march" beat to it. I have to say James I find the Corries version charming, and liked it better than any of the other clips on Youtube. It's the usual 3 mandolin arrangement from me .........[I need to get out more!]
Again a lot of fine versions and choices of instruments for this tune. I have paired it with The Eight Men of Moidart, another tune with associations with the abortive rising of 1745 and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Played on mandolin and tenor guitar with acoustic guitar backing. David H, I play the Eight men in key of D then go to G for the White Cockade just as a contrast. Not sure what the original key is but just fancied the change between the two tunes.
Wow. That took a while! I probably had to record this in at least 50 takes...the timing and rhythm in the middle quarter of the song was hard for me to get down. I felt like I was trying to beat a level on a video game and just couldn't get past that one tricky part. This is my first "Song of the Week" post. I was tense while playing and realized how much easier it was when I remembered to breathe and relax. I found the tab yesterday, (http://www.mandolintab.net/tabs.php?...ckade&id=02816) and tried it out for a few hours and then recorded this morning but that took an hour at least also. I'm hoping to realize some new improvements by joining the group, like on this one i learned to relax and breathe... although it TOTALLY doesn't show by the sloppy mess of a song presented in the video below, its actually my best take... I apologize to anyone brave enough to watch this. You all have some awesome mics and set-ups! I'm very impressed. I just recorded on my phone... the backing tracks some of you do are very cool also!
hey 9lbhammer - that was pretty good! its definitely hard work getting a take that you are happy enough to upload eh!
thanks. can't imagine pickin' the backing tracks, recording them, then dubbing over them, etc. One day though! Its cool to see what others have done to the same song.
9lb. Nice first post. It takes awhile to learn to relax with that 'red eyed monster' [recorder] looking at you. Just remember this is supposed to be fun. And, every time we play we become better. Gary
Very encouraging first post there. Do not worry about number of takes - most of us do the same but just do not tell anyone! I took many attempts to get the guitar and tenor on after the mandolin on my version. From what I could see your left hand fingering seems nicely relaxed; work on getting the picking as relaxed as you can too, and be proud of your first attempt. Remember what Gary says above.
9lbShellhammer, welcome to the group. You have a great tone, good rhythm, and something all the posters here have spoken about, fear of that recorded performance. For your first post, you've done better than most. And don't be phased by overdubbing, most of the time (in my case anyhow) it's a handy way of re-doing sections where you've missed a note or played the wrong one! Technology has moved on so quickly that you can have a multi track recording studio for a lot less than the price of an entry level mandolin these days.
Thanks a lot guys. I'm excited to have the chance to be in the group with you all and try something new each week. (and learn some in the process) John, I appreciate the tip to keep my picking hand relaxed. I've noticed how much better the tone is when the picking hand isn't so stiff, the notes ring out and I'm less likely to hear the pick striking the strings with that dreaded clicking slapping noise. Kudos to you all on your videos. They're really good and well thought out interpretations.
David, great tone and playing, as always. Glad to see you have some time again to post. Maudlin, nice clean picking at a good tempo. James, that's sweet tone from that (Eastman?) mandolin. Francis, you even succeeded in synchronizing your smile with the three mandolins. Sounds great. John, that's really nice dance music and great sound. Shellhammer , that was the name of the barber I was sent to as a kid in Germany. Going there required about the same courage as posting the first video. Great first video effort. Some folks have already given their recommendations. Here is my 2 cents' worth: At this stage, don't worry about multi-tracking and other fancy stuff. Use a metronome, shoot for clean picking and good tone and only speed it up when you have mastered the slower tempo with good timing.
Here is my effort:
Really pretty ornamentation, Manfred. Looks like we had the same idea on how to spend this evening. I enjoyed learning this along with David's beautiful rendition and was impressed with all the arrangements this week. Welcome to the group, 9lbShellhamer. Glad you stuck with it and got your first video posted. Here's one from Jeff and me.
Thanks Marcy. With yours you get, as always, this relaxed, inimitable Old-Timey feel
