You've blown us all away with your whistle Dana, goes very well with the mandolin, what a refreshing rendition! Douglas there was more humor in your version than you apparently intended but that's exactly what this music needs , pleasantly different from many of us who look like they were performing at gunpoint , including myself.
It's true, Bertram. I was just thinking as I uploaded this post how people who see these videos are probably under the impression that I'm a grouch who goes around scowling all the time. Ironicly, That made me smile--which I really do pretty often--just not while playing apparently.
Not really quite sure why the stabilization on imovie cut off my smiling/struggling face but maybe its for the better. ^_^ Played on my latest ebay buy... Smith Creek Mandolin #19. (I really need to change out the rusty strings it came with)
That metronome is an interesting add-on, warh0rn. While the mandolin plays it sounds like hooves - "merry blacksmith came to town a-riding on a pony" clippety-clop-tick-tock... I must try some time-keeper of my own next time. Thinking about a robot bodhran player.
Douglas... interesting use of your Tone Gard! Warh0rn... I second Bertram's observance of your metronome accompaniment!
Barbara - I keep going through phases where I swear that my Phoenix sounds better without the Tonegard on. It is probably my imagination; the sides don't vibrate do they? It is probably just how the sound hits my ears when I hold the mandolin away from my body when the tonegard is off.
CD, that made my feet dance.
Absolutely fantastic vids this week, really great stuff.....I got up from under the bar, got sober and had a bash.....
Nice clean picking, Tosh. Beautifully ringing tone from your new mando.
What a cracking tune and so many great versions here. Barbara, must single you out (while in no way ignoring all the other versions) for your arrangement with the tenor guitar - your rhythm playing here was really super, and Marcelyn, very confident rendition too.
Thanks everyone, for the kind words. Glad to know the mando/whistle combination is a hit, as these are all I know how to play. Doug, the low instrument is a Jon Mann electric octave mandolin, played thru a 4-watt tube amp. My goal is a Donal Lunny/Alec Finn backup sound, but that may be a pipe(r's) dream. BTW, is that a guard cat on your avatar? Eddie - I learned this as a contra dance tune, so I too only hear this at one speed. Bertram - so you're "blown" away by the whistle. That's good, because sometimes I just suck at the thing...
Doug McM - great second version from you, and your Phoenix sounds great! warh0rn - great stuff, love the triplets in the second part! Tosh - lovely stuff sir! Played with such a nice feel to it!
Clean and singing tone Tosh, another reference version there!
Thanks everyone. I have really come along since I started last year. I am finding it really useful to have so many great renditions, goals, and recordings of myself.. to really show me where I need to focus when I practice. I wish I had done this from the beginning.
Here's my tiny performance of the song. I play the mandolin for 12 days now, so be gentle
Dennis .... very good! You must have played SOMETHING before picking up the mandolin! Welcome to the group!
There is groove with a solid timing Dennis, just too good for 12 days. Second what Barb said - what instrument did you play until 12 days ago?
I know how to play guitar, but haven't played on a regular basis since the 80's..... I always ended up as the singer...... Thank you very much for your compliments!!!!
Dennis, that sounded great.
great stuff there Dennis, and very cleanly played as well!
Nice rythmn on your playing Dennis. Here is the link to my mp3 played on a Gremlin. http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/at...3&d=1289568678
A little late, but it has been a busy week. I recorded both my guitar part and mandolin part into audacity. Then Video taped myself playing with it (recorded part was very low for video recording). then I adjusted the prerecorded audio volume levels down a bit and matched it with the video audio to get it close to perfectly aligned. I hope this is close to how you guys do it. I decided to play it 1 time through. Next time I will change the lighting so you can see my mandolin better hehe. Enjoy
Solid playing, very American accompaniment and that vintage 1940's technicolor look makes it a grand video, J!
Very good videos from everyone this week, I've been meaning to post, but been too busy. I was playing around with my boss loop station and thought it might be fun to try to play it all the way through from scratch. It's not the best recording, but I have to start working on Sally Goodin'. Looks like a challenge. Tom
great video! tnt, you need to Download "total video converter 3.11" There are free ones out there somewhere. I use it to clip my video and sometimes to disable audio if needed (because I recorded the audio track from the video by using "audacity" using the "record what you hear" function my sound card offers). That way you can get straight to the playing if you want to. Wish I had a loop machine, would make life easier, but there is Audacity i guess.
Lovely "Making Of ...", tnt! Now, not that you could play all of Irish music just with a loop machine...
I would have preferred to play this on a mandolin but I ripped my thumb open and it's a little easier playing a wide-neck. here it is on a Beard Zouk - GGDDAAEE - the stretches were a killer...
Nice one, Eddie! And janey mack I admire you for getting those stretches on the bouzouki - I was playing an octave mandolin today with a wide neck (Petersen Style 2 I think) and the stretches were fairly killing me!
Pity you didn't show us how you did those stretches Eddie, nor did we get to see your thumb (nothing like a good splatter movie). This tune, however, is not too bad stretch-wise, if you know which notes not to play
Nicely done! And I couldn't even tell you were playing through the pain...
Right, better late than never - here's my version. New strings on the Vintage A so it's a wee bit bright/harsh sounding still I think:
Pure class Jill
you are too kind, sir!
I knew it would be good, but heck, that was just great!
Excellent Jill, those triplets sound like the blacksmith's coming on a sleigh drawn by very merry reindeers. Nothing wrong with the strings.
Thanks Bertram! I guess I just got so used to the very old, dull sounding strings on the Gallatin (which I forever procrastinated about getting around to changing) that the sound of new strings is slightly foreign to my ears!
Boy, while I've known this tune for years, once the camera's on it's a different story! My version's rough, raw and ready:
Whoa Nigel, what a lively rendition, so much bodily expression - could you do it once more, but this time slide past the camera on your knees, leaving the floor aflame behind you?
rough or raw, it still sounds the absolute business, sir!
The Merry Blacksmith on my Lyon & Healy mandolin banjo with only 4 strings.
Had to at least post something, still needs polishing but I think it’s merry enough! Still working on Sarah’s mandolin...
Very good, Sunrise. I see no need for polishing.
Neither do I, sounds fine as it is!
Thanks Bertram and Chris. Funny though, it’s a bit like food. I like to do the cooking myself, but I love it if it’s someone else.
I'm always amazed at players like Sunrise who can reach the 7 on an octave with one finger stretch. Excellent tune Sunrise.
I'm impressed too. It sounds really nice, with that swift and steady tempo. This is the first reel I tried to learn, and I still can't play it. Reels and I aren't friends. Too many notes.
Thanks Ginny and Gelsenbury, I wouldn't say I could reach the seventh fret yet, well not cleanly and most of the time anyway. It’s one of my first tunes too. I learned it badly at the beginning and it became one of my many unfinished, almost dreaded tunes that I would play until I got to that bad part and then stumble same place every time. Fatalism. Only recently have I begun to iron them out, one at a time, each really slowly with a metronome. Working on ‘clunking’ helped (groups or patterns of notes) and also being painfully honest about where the problems were -not necessarily in the fingers. Learning to think like a mandolinist. The 1,2,3 1,2,3 DUD DUD jig rhythm again with a metronome helped a lot too, lots of string jumping exercises, and that’s just recent. Oh, I’ve written loads again. But thanks again, I really appreciate your kind support.
Madly playing catch up here. The Merry Blacksmith on my G&O #34 mandolin.
That's a nice version, with a bit of lilt. I must play this one again.
well played Simon and Aidan, enjoyed both , you've encouraged me to relearn this one thanks