Week #80 ~ The Merry Blacksmith

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
  1. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    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.
  2. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    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.
  3. warh0rn
    warh0rn
    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)

  4. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    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.
  5. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    Douglas... interesting use of your Tone Gard!
    Warh0rn... I second Bertram's observance of your metronome accompaniment!
  6. Douglas McMullin
    Douglas McMullin
    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.
  7. Martin Whitehead
    Martin Whitehead
    CD, that made my feet dance.
  8. Tosh Marshall
    Tosh Marshall
    Absolutely fantastic vids this week, really great stuff.....I got up from under the bar, got sober and had a bash.....

  9. Manfred Hacker
    Manfred Hacker
    Nice clean picking, Tosh. Beautifully ringing tone from your new mando.
  10. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    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.
  11. CelticDude
    CelticDude
    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...
  12. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    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!
  13. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Clean and singing tone Tosh, another reference version there!
  14. warh0rn
    warh0rn
    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.
  15. Dennis Verhiest
    Dennis Verhiest
    Here's my tiny performance of the song. I play the mandolin for 12 days now, so be gentle
  16. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    Dennis .... very good! You must have played SOMETHING before picking up the mandolin! Welcome to the group!
  17. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    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?
  18. Dennis Verhiest
    Dennis Verhiest
    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!!!!
  19. Douglas McMullin
    Douglas McMullin
    Dennis, that sounded great.
  20. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    great stuff there Dennis, and very cleanly played as well!
  21. maudlin mandolin
    maudlin mandolin
    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
  22. jhuesgen
    jhuesgen

    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
  23. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Solid playing, very American accompaniment and that vintage 1940's technicolor look makes it a grand video, J!
  24. tnt2002
    tnt2002
    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
  25. jhuesgen
    jhuesgen
    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.
  26. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Lovely "Making Of ...", tnt!

    Now, not that you could play all of Irish music just with a loop machine...
  27. Eddie Sheehy
    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...

  28. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    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!
  29. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    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
  30. Michael Pastucha
    Michael Pastucha
    Nicely done! And I couldn't even tell you were playing through the pain...
  31. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    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:

  32. Eddie Sheehy
    Pure class Jill
  33. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    you are too kind, sir!
  34. Michael Pastucha
    Michael Pastucha
    I knew it would be good, but heck, that was just great!
  35. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Excellent Jill, those triplets sound like the blacksmith's coming on a sleigh drawn by very merry reindeers.
    Nothing wrong with the strings.
  36. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    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!
  37. Nigel Gatherer
    Nigel Gatherer
    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:

  38. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    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?
  39. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    rough or raw, it still sounds the absolute business, sir!
  40. dustyamps
    dustyamps
    The Merry Blacksmith on my Lyon & Healy mandolin banjo with only 4 strings.
  41. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Had to at least post something, still needs polishing but I think it’s merry enough!
    Still working on Sarah’s mandolin...

  42. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Very good, Sunrise. I see no need for polishing.
  43. crisscross
    crisscross
    Neither do I, sounds fine as it is!
  44. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    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.
  45. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    I'm always amazed at players like Sunrise who can reach the 7 on an octave with one finger stretch. Excellent tune Sunrise.
  46. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    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.
  47. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    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.
  48. Aidan Crossey
    Aidan Crossey
    Madly playing catch up here. The Merry Blacksmith on my G&O #34 mandolin.

  49. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    That's a nice version, with a bit of lilt. I must play this one again.
  50. gortnamona
    gortnamona
    well played Simon and Aidan, enjoyed both , you've encouraged me to relearn this one thanks
Results 51 to 100 of 111
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast