THE ROWAN TREE - UK PHOTOGRAPHY Part 2

  1. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison

    Another collaboration with John Kelly, who actually did most of the hard musical work, as I continue treatment on my hands.
    The 'UK Landscape Photography Awards' is a great source of some original and creative artistic photography.
    The Rowan Tree, a Scottish song, is a song whose lyrics are from the Jacobite period.
    Sorry, I don't post time signatures, metronome beats or recording equipment. I just play the songs and enjoy my back and forths with John.
    Keep well everyone !! , we are, as many of you are, in strict lock-down for an unknown amount of time.
  2. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    Playing the tunes and enjoying the music is what it's all about, I completely agree. And by adding this beautiful photography, you're already going above and beyond.

    I'm not a gear-head either. But sometimes I remember to say how a clip was produced because it may be of interest to some viewers.

    I hope your hands will heal up well so that you can make lovely music like this for many years still.
  3. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Always lovely music and spectacular images from you Ginny. This one too!
    You play however you like, it’s true that other times and places the time signatures were far more diverse than they are now, and certainly very few metronomes!

    Hope you too are well, things here in France are actually a lot better since we had quite a sombre Christmas...
    25F last week, Forecast temperature next Thursday is 50F/10C -very warm!
  4. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    Thank you, Dennis. I mean no offence to the people who enjoy the techno banter. I just don't happen to be one of them. I enjoyed your Banish Misfortune today too.
  5. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    Thanks, Simon.
  6. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Your welcome Ginny
    (your joyful posts have been missed)
  7. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Thanks for kind words, Ginny. To say I did most of the musical work does not cover the immense effort you put in choosing suitable pictures and blending them with the music, and Rowan Tree was your choice of tune (see the chat about choosing tunes on Danny Boy) and one we discussed quite a bit, if I remember, including whether we put it in a set or as a standalone tune. I am glad we did it your way. I too try to avoid too much arcane technical talk as it is easy to get bogged down in theory to the detriment of our playing.
  8. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Sorry for lapse of concentration John, I wasn’t fully conscious that you had played a major role. And very nice, as usual. Your recording quality is definitely crisp and precise. I would ask again about your equipment...

    I watched Sierra Hull today, you know the vid where she G major zips all the way up the fretboard in 1,3,5,1’s
    I did the same thing for a while and then modified it to be more demanding: 1,3,5,7,1 and then on top of that I did variations.
    Then I tried to play my most recent favourite tune and my fingers couldn’t do it. They’d forgotten the flow.
  9. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    Well, I did play the mandolin but my wonky-fingers would not permit me to play the octave - so John did that and the guitar and whatever else he threw in there. Simon, I have posted more comments on the MC member's actual YT channels than here because it was so crowded. But I did listen to all of them.
  10. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    Lovely stuff the pair of ye and gorgeous images!
  11. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Thanks, Jill. I really appreciate your feedback knowing your own playing ability! Hope you are well settled back home in Ireland now.

    Simon, re your query about equipment: Ginny records on her Tascam DR-05 and sends her tracks to me and I load them into REAPER on my old Windows XP laptop and add whetever we think needs to be added in the way of backing or second instruments, etc. My tracks are generally recorded through a Rode NT1-A or a T-Bone 400c condenser mic via a Behringer U-Phoria interface. The mixing is done in REAPER (Ginny uses Audacity when she is mixing). I render final mix to mp3 CD quality for using in the videos. On my own solo recordings I use the same setup but also quite often use my Tascam DR-05 with the Boya mic you recommended. On my non-scenic videos where I appear actually playing I tend to use the Tascam along with my Sanyo camcorder. This makes syncing the audio track with the camcorder's audio a lot easier. I delete the camcorder track and keep the Tascam track.
    My system is very dated now but it is stable and I know my way around it. I have used this setup for the past dozen years or more. Laptop no longer has internet connection as Windows XP has not been supported for a long time, and my REAPER is back about version 3.5.
  12. Brian560
    Brian560
    Another good one John and Ginny !
  13. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    That's very fine melody picking Ginny!
    And equally fine accompaniment work John!
  14. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    Thank you for your kind comments. I am playing a Northfield A5 Special, D' Addario light gauge phosphor bronze, tuned with Snark SuperTight. Played with Blue Chip © TD 40. Recorded on Tascam DR05 with Boya Universal Cardioid Michrophone ( BY- MM1) in my studio (bedroom) Rendered on Audacity with John's mp3s as per his details above. Music notation supplied by 'Finale' with manual input and printed out on Canon ImageClass printer. Music then affixed to my desk lamp by Scotch Brand © tape. Videos compiled and set to music with archival retrieval of Windows Movie Maker because I don't know yet how to use the Corel Video Studio yet. (that was sort of fun after all) Thank you.
  15. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Beautiful video, Ginny and John.

    Thanks for the technical details, Ginny, but I missed the brand of the chosen beverage which helped you to do all this work…
    To be honest I like some words about the recording process from time to time. I picked up some good advises as a lurker and when I tried to do my first recordings.
    And until today I learn something about new hard and software and how to use it properly.
  16. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    I enjoyed the reminder of what mandolin you play - I looked it up straight away!
  17. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Thanks John, and Ginny, it’s nice to get important information about the outside world during lockdown.

    Today I practiced arpeggios in the key of G major all up the neck, plus two tunes, one is O’Leary’s Motorcycle and the other’s a surprise.
    And I forgot to record a track, and it snowed today.
  18. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    I don't have a problem with the tech talk - that's actually how I got my new Boya microphone that attaches right to the Dr-05. I'm just not up on it, don't expect to be and I'm happy others find it useful. Also, as many of you do, I don't go on any of the other forums where these things are discussed in more detail.
    Snowed here today too, Simon.
    Dennis, I have two mandolins that I alternate depending on the song. The other is my Larrivee.
  19. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Hiked up the hill/mountain in the dark, late tonight, 6 miles and 1300 feet climbed in heavy snow.
    Still snowing and no-one about, the snow on the trail was pristine, and loads of rabbit, hare, fox, dog and deer tracks. All covered over by the time I had hiked back down.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/4v7jga1hww..._8046.jpg?dl=0

    Got home late and my daughter said, ‘so I guess you haven’t heard about the 18h00 (6pm) curfew?
    -nope... Oops!
  20. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Late in on this, sorry... Those pictures make me feel terribly glad I am sitting warm and dry, slippers on and hot tea* in front of me after shovelling away at the snow outside
    The no-frills straight interpretation of the melody makes this longing for home more intense.

    *) there's chosen beverage for you, Frithjof
  21. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Thanks, Bertram. Your comments about feelings of home and cosiness are expressed beautifully in the lyrics of this lovely tune: "Entwined thou art, wi' mony (many) ties, o' hame and infancy." It is one of those nostalgic Scottish songs that can really tug at the heartstrings.
  22. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    My sentiments entirely Bertram and John, but when the snow falls heavy and the darkness closes in and the sheep are still out in the meadow, ‘cozy’ nevereth feeleth pleasant.
  23. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    I’ve been on another forum Ginny, English Concertina!
    The time is nigh, I’ve heard so many of David’s performances and thought, 'an English concertina would be very nice'.
  24. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Watch out Simon, once you go down that slippery slope it's hard to claw your way back up
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