Thought I’d give this Old English tune what I imagine is a Scottish flavour. Though it might not be! Also, thanks Bren for mentioning heavy breathing. I noticed that issue on my recording (too late), but it’s sorted out now. https://youtu.be/tLcrIGQMu4g HERE IS THE NOTATION FOR THE TUNE WITH POSSIBLE CHORDS Attachment 189648
Great tune and well played!
Well played, Simon. Certainly has that A minor to G major progression to it, or in your case Dm to C major. Lots of Scottish tunes follow this pattern. Lovely sound you have there too.
This is excellent, Simon. Nice sound with a soothing back track. And as John said, the Dm to G major progression.
Great playing as usual Simon!
Thanks guys, actually I might do it again with photos and in the original key of A dorian. I did play it in D dorian (all the notes of C major in the first part at least). And I did use Am chords to replace some C majors. It does feel like F major chord for the beginning of the B part, and maybe should be A major chord at the strange part? I practiced the rhythm slowly as DudDudDud ie. like a waltz and only playing the capital D’s. So: D- -D- -D- - Then I played D- - - -UD- - or to practice as 9/8 time again really slow D-UD-UD-U and then D-ud-UD-u again only playing the capitals. Hope this makes sense...
Here’s a vid of the click track I practice with. I added the extra beat in the middle to reinforce the feeling on 9/8 time, and prevent the last two beats from going reel-like. When the second beat sounds (it’s the first beat of the second triplet), I find my pick does a slight, in-the-air tiny downbeat movement. The last beat is the first beat of the last 9/8 triplet, and I think it should feel like that. Apologies if some find this learning device distasteful. No offence intended. I just think it’s the best!
Simon, thanks so much for posting this tune. A completely new one to me and your fine version really caught my attention. I recorded it on Tascam (with Boya mic) and camcorder, then loaded the Tascam file into REAPER and added the guitar backing, mixing this down to mp3 format. I loaded this plus the camcorder files into my video software (MovieStudio) and lined the tracks up visually from an intro chord - deleted from the final version. The camcorder sound track is also deleted once the sync has been achieved. I just used A minor and G major chords all through giving it an almost Scottish pipe tune feel. I varied the chord positions, using open chords for 1st and 3rd times and barre chords (A minor at 5th fret and G at 3rd) for second time. No clever metronome or other devices used for timing - I just played the tune from the Session score I downloaded, tapping a foot as I played. Your clever device and even cleverer explanation of what you were doing with your recording was away above my head, Simon, and I still cannot do DUDDUD for jigs!
Great version John. Well produced too. Very smooth. I think this might have to go on my "to learn" list.
Really nice John, your version sounds like it was played by a human being! Yay, go for it Robert, look forward to hearing yours too. I think this is one of my favourite tunes. It’s Am to G so you’d assume A dorian, all the notes in G major, but tantalisingly there’s no F# in the A part -so we have a lot of notes in the key of C major. B part starts with a C chord, probably/maybe are we going lydian? And the ship is listless. Strange too because dorian is usually a sad A part to a tragic B part. And then suddenly, towards the end of the B part, in the eye of the storm, F# washes up and we’re on a heading towards a G note in the second to last measure. But it’s too late!
Thanks, Robert and Simon. Interestingly, I have used the metronome facility on my DAW when playing on collaborations with Ginny and Dennis - it gives us a base to work from when we are not actually in each other's company and playing live, or working with an unfamiliar tune. Simon, A Dorian would indeed have the notes of the G major scale but also (I think) have the G major key signature with the F#. The notation suggests A Aeolian, C Major key signature and scale notes as you say, and the F# in the second part I treat as a passing note. If you look again at the start of the B part the first two bars have E, C and A notes, so the A minor chord works there rather than C Major, then back to G for the third bar, and the cycle of A minor and G can be continued. Second last bar with G, B and E can have an E minor or G(6) chord there. At least that was my thinking when I was doing the backing. Let's await further discussion now on this one.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,JOHN...Have a great day. !!!!!!!!!!
It's your birthday John? My most cordial congratulations, and may you look forward to many more coming! Interesting variety of versions of this, so far. Simon's totally reminds me of Brian Boru's March (or rather Brian Boru's Waltz). That semblance is completely absent in John's jig. Don't stop breathing, Simon - consider doing an ASMR video instead
Thanks for birthday greetings, folks. Just off a Zoom chat with my daughters and grandchildren. Great to have such resources when we cannot meet up in person. Hey, this is what the SAW group does as well - keeps us all in touch across the continents. Long may it carry on.
lovely tune , very well played Simon and John, enjoyed those. hope you had a great birthday John.
Thanks, Lawrence. Bertram, you have once again got me reaching for the dictionary (or at least pressing some keys for an internet search). ASMR Video indeed. Of course I knew you were talking about Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response! (anyone believe me? No?) Now I just want to use it somewhere myself to impress the masses (once I know what it actually means) and I look forward to the new videos we will all produce in totally relaxed way.
I wrote a long response to the ‘C major or Am for the first measure of the B part’ and ‘F or F#?’ discussion John, but my iPad deleted it. So I’ll just say that the use of C major in the first measure of the B part tugs and pulls, plays with, rather than supports the melody as Am does. An Am there is fine too.
John, you made yourself a very nice birthday present. Congratulations! Simon, you own a very smart iPad.
Frithjof, thanks for that kind thought. Never thought of it as a birthday present, but you are right. Something I enjoyed doing and I posted the day before the official birthday! I meant to add that in the video my colourful background comprises 4 hard foam playmats, used for children's playgroups, etc, and I just linked them together and placed them on the seat behind me, leaning against the wall (the tiles, not me!)
Love those colours John, and the mats are great for insulation on floors too. My cat would love it to bits. Maybe I’ll make one of them into a temporary cat basket, and then afterwards use all the little bits for something else.
What a cool tune. Good job to both of ya.
Thanks Mike. Many happy returns John. How many years is it now John? -probably no more than I feel right now!
Wow, porridge for breakfast and I haven’t played this tune for a while.
