groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/02/2012:  13:55:19

However she did it I sure did like it a lot!  If she put a whole bunch of tunes like that on a CD I would want to buy that... I don't buy many CDs... I would love that music in the morning, with a cup of coffee, just waking up... sweet stuff!

fiddle and banjo player - Posted - 02/02/2012:  14:47:33

quote:

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

However she did it I sure did like it a lot!  If she put a whole bunch of tunes like that on a CD I would want to buy that... I don't buy many CDs... I would love that music in the morning, with a cup of coffee, just waking up... sweet stuff!

---

 I didn't record it with a certain dance tune rhythm in mind...Now Peggy, thinking my tunes are CD worthy is a high compliment indeed, though I don't know if I deserve it yet!  I've thought of doing a 'at home' CD recording session, but my trouble is - as I'm a one man band - my tunes tend to be fairly short unless I really spend some time on them and record them with multiple instruments, which I didn't do for Miss McLeod's yet... 

DougD - Posted - 02/02/2012:  14:55:15

fiddle and banjo player - Its not the rhythm, its the structure of the tune. You're leaving out some beats or bars somewhere along the line. Look at any of the sheet music - each section is eight bars long. Gotta have those "straight eights" for dancing!

Don't misunderstand me - I like what you've done. It really sounds sweet and you've been creative with your version. It's not quite "Miss McLeod's" though. Maybe that's the way you like it, but you can't dance a reel to it.

Edited by - DougD on 02/02/2012 14:57:00

IFiddle4Fun - Posted - 02/02/2012:  15:10:44

quote:

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy



Fiddle 4fun, I've been here three years and still can't figure what I'm doing...lol...glad you are here! Hope you'll join our little virtual fiddle festival we just started with this thread!

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 Thanks! I appreciate the kind words!

IFiddle4Fun - Posted - 02/02/2012:  15:12:40

quote:

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Originally posted by squawkeye

quote:

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Originally posted by IFiddle4Fun

Sorry people I'm brand new and don't know what I'm doing!

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welcome!

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 Thanks!

IFiddle4Fun - Posted - 02/02/2012:  15:15:21

quote:

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Originally posted by fiddle and banjo player

quote:

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Originally posted by IFiddle4Fun

Sorry people I'm brand new and don't know what I'm doing!

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 IFiddle4fun - don't worry, we all have to start somewhere!  

Glad to see you at the Virtual Fiddle Festival!   

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 Thanks for the encouragement!  Your recording is oustanding!  Maybe someday I'll be able to play like you;  I do have an excellant teacher.

IFiddle4Fun - Posted - 02/02/2012:  15:17:11

quote:

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Originally posted by guitarzan856



Thank you, Fiddle4fun, and welcome! Don't worry, just like Peggy, I don't know what I'm doing about half the time, either. You should fit in just fine.

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 Thanks for making me feel welocme!

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/02/2012:  15:59:19

Doug, I call it artistic license...it's a wonderful thing to apply in Miss Mccleod's Reel or any folk tunes...unless you were specifically fiddling for dancers...in that case, f course, you'd have to play it mre dancy than listeny...in the mountain musicians I've heard, they didnt seem to care what a reel, Hornpipe r whatever was supposed to be...they just played it how they liked it...except people who played for some particular kind of dance steps, of course...soecific square dancingsteps, , etc. It's always very interesting to hear what sorts of inventive, creative twists people can think to put onto folk music...I think it's valid to do that, and also think its valid to stick exactly to tradition, and anything in between in good taste is what the gft of artistic license gives to us. I've heard some people back from the hollers play a Hrnpipe so crooked you couldn't walk to it! Im sure t was technically no longer a hrnpipe...But it sounded good!

fiddlepogo - Posted - 02/02/2012:  17:14:46

quote:

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Originally posted by fiddle and banjo player

quote:

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Originally posted by outoftunes



 

 Sweet--a nice lilt and fun drones. I take it that you recorded the drones separately? Really nice effect.

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 Yes, I recorded myself playing the drones after I had recorded the main reel, while listening to the main reel's recording in headphones.....If that makes any sense at all!   The Audacity program makes it all possible!   This was my very first attempt at adding drones, but I really like how they came out.  

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I'm just guessin', but when you add tracks in Audacity, it's a good idea to "select" both tracks, then find the "Align Tracks" function... which menu it's on I forget.  This removes a thing called "latency", which can make the rhythm sound a bit weird and wobbly.

squawkeye - Posted - 02/02/2012:  18:57:34

quote:

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Originally posted by fiddle and banjo player

Well, here's my version of Miss McLeod's Reel!!  Tell me what you guys think of how it came out...  

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/mu...?id=25961 (make sure your volume is turned up!)

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That's really pretty - beautiful tone. Like Doug said, in a time honored old-time tradition you've transformed the tune into a crookified jambuster (maybe 7.5 measures in the A part and perhaps some brief changes in time signature in the B part - all I know is I'd hate to notate it!).

Well done!

p1cklef1sh - Posted - 02/03/2012:  04:51:28

Today is my first attempt at this tune in practice, I am taking lessons from a teacher who posts on this site, I am so enjoying this so far! (fortunately I dont get frustrated too easy!)

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  06:15:25

Ok keep 'em comin', all you guys!!! Right now I am still struggling with an issue: how to pick the new tunes for our monthly festivals! I think what I've decided to do, since we all agree to stick to the tunes on old time jam dot com, I've decided to print off their list of tunes as it appears on the site...then I'm gonna cut them so each tune's name is on a slip...thrw them into something...like a hat but something more substantial, then close my eyes ad randomly pick from the hat- like vessel each month. This way, we get a tune...we might not know it, but we get to learn it and share it with the rest of the crowd. By the time we are packing up to head out to real live festivals, we know lots of tunes and our ability to learn new ones is greatly enhanced. If you play Irish or Canadian and that tune is way off the charts for that kinda fiddling, by all means you're welcome to find one similar enough, either musically,mhistorically, or however you see a connection, and work like the dickens on it and then share it with us at our festival time here. You can ply fiddle or if you feel like playing another instrument...that's great. You can either go strictly traditional or get wild and crazy with it...this whole idea is to rub elbows with other fiddlers and musicians, some like- minded and some with different approaches-- all for giving us a chance to share, a motivational boost to work harder and set goals, and mostly to just have a good time with each other. what 'chall think now if I just close my eyes and randomly pick a tune???? Or if someone else wants to volunteer to be our official hat grabbing', tune picker, that'd be great too...I'm willing for now though.

mthatcher61 - Posted - 02/03/2012:  06:30:13

Here is my poor stab at it...
I usually play with the heavy mute on because early morning is the only time I have to play. I dont want to wake the sleepers.

youtube.com/watch?v=TDA_l6BqqJo

robinja - Posted - 02/03/2012:  07:42:50

I like the idea of randomly choosing the tune. If anyone is on Facebook, there's a Milliner-Koken page where they're randomly choosing one tune per month from it and one from the Jeff Titon book and doing a similar thing. I haven't participated in that so far, but it's nice to have the option both there and here.

Judy

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  07:47:30

Mthatcher...I'm having trouble following your YouTube link... I'm dyin' to hear it but cant get there! If your on a desktop computer there is an icon at the top of your comment box to click on so that the link will be made active and clickable...I tried copy- paste but I'm n a mobile device and can't get there from here. Robinj..thanks for the feedback!

fiddle and banjo player - Posted - 02/03/2012:  08:07:41

Thanks squawkeye!  

I copied /pasted and got to your link just fine, Mthatcher - good job!  

Peggy, that sounds like a great way to pick the tunes, I think everyone would be fine with that.  Much quicker & easier way to pick! 

Edited by - fiddle and banjo player on 02/03/2012 08:11:30

DougD - Posted - 02/03/2012:  08:11:59

Worked for me. Good job mthatcher61, although I don't much like the sound of the mute.

That one led to a couple other good YouTube versions:  youtube.com/watch?v=NGcnvwGLyqA  and  youtube.com/watch?v=oOX6hobaU8Q

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  10:30:57

I guess I'll have to wait until I can get to it from the home computer... Daggone, maybe later on tonight or in the morning I can hear it. Its kinda a mess now...we've got the house retry torn up to replace floor joists, subfloor and flooring...the house was built over a hundred years ago and done in such a way as to be constant buffet to area termites...anyway, while we at all this tearing up we decided to rearrange some walks, rooms, etc,, and so it's hard to get to the area of the home computer...plus it might get moved and disconnected for a while...so...I might be able to use it some bt if somebody could activate the link maybe I could get to mthatchers! Gettin kinda worried about being able to link my own final version too... Assuming that my upgraded iPad won't have any trouble putting a video on YouTube for me...anyway...I would really like it if somebody could activate the link for me...

DougD - Posted - 02/03/2012:  10:34:26

Here you go:  youtube.com/watch?v=TDA_l6BqqJo

mthatcher61 - Posted - 02/03/2012:  10:46:17

Thanks Doug for fixing that link. I just logged on and saw the kerfuffle. Sorry about that. As for the poor sound, yeah its the mute, I blame it all on the mute, yeah thats the ticket... ;)

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  10:52:27

Thanks so much, Doug. Mthatcher...cool fiddling! I love hearing what people do in that cool B part of this tune,..it just seems to come outta everybody different, thanks again, Mthatcher...good job, good contribution! Also, Doug, I found the other YouTube link very interesting...looked kinda weird...they seemed pretty dressed up for partying right out there in nowhere...but the baby acted the same as they do today! Wonder where that was? I was wondering if maybe it was the Midwest....maybe by looking at the surrounding geography, but you couldn't really see enough to know. I thought the clothes were fancy and the fiddling was sorta on the long bow side, but it was too short to really know...gets my curiosity going! I think maybe about that time I think Henry ford was trying to save the art of old time fiddling, or would that have been later than this video? I noticed the fiddler looked older than just about everybody else. Hmmm...interesting...

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  11:20:56

I think I took a right back there at the fork in the road when I should have taken a left... but better late than never. Dern it,looks like all the shady spots are taken, I'll just have to get up when the sun does.  Whoops, forgot my sleeping bag, anyone got an extra?  Fest -tee-vallll!!!!  

Miss McLeod's Reel 1.0

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  11:36:55

Mikeyboy, pour yerself a cold 'un and relax under the trees a little bit...you played us all a great sounding tune! Sounded good! My husband was sitting here and turned around and said he liked that one a lot...take it as a good compliment, his exposure to my fiddling over these past few years as made him, not too crazy about the instrument in general, we could say...lol...but tolerant....anyway he went verb board and actually liked yours! Now I'm running' off to find a corn dog er something...hungry...what do we eat at festivals????

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  11:51:03

Thanks Peggy! And thanks for putting on this here shindig, great idea. Think I saw a booth over in the trees selling MegaBytes and Firefox Fritters, I'll let you know if they're any good...

erbus - Posted - 02/03/2012:  12:00:11

Hi there all you happy fiddlers

Being it's February and all I've been trying to learn me this tune.

Key of A would have been easier but here is my Canadian attempt in the key of G, standard tuning.

Thanks for giving it a listen.

Terry

Miss McLeod's Reel, Uncle Joe

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  12:08:09

I like your Canadianiness! I really enjoy hearing everyone's different takes, makes my understanding of the tune a little deeper with each one.

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  13:55:07

Whoo-Hooo...that really does sound like Canada!!!! Nice job...thanks for that taste of the far north! Mikeyboy said it best: it does really add some depth perception to my understanding of the tune to hear so many people play it. Thanks so much, Erbus...you're obviously a good fiddler and I enjoyed hearing it very much! Nt so sure about mikey's snacks, though...

fiddle and banjo player - Posted - 02/03/2012:  14:30:47

Great job Mikeyboy & Erbus!  We have such a great selection going here! 

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  16:24:58

So glad for the VFF, I'm in Denver and I have almost two feet of snow piled up outside.  Got the day off of work, so decided to be a little adventurous (for me).  Tried cross tuning in GDGD for the first time.  Need to play in it for about a million more times before I'm comfortable, but I really like how this tune sounds in it - or at least I see the potentialities of it sounding good.  

Miss McLeod's Reel 2.0

outoftunes - Posted - 02/03/2012:  16:57:28

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeyBoy

So glad for the VFF, I'm in Denver and I have almost two feet of snow piled up outside.  Got the day off of work, so decided to be a little adventurous (for me).  Tried cross tuning in GDGD for the first time.  Need to play in it for about a million more times before I'm comfortable, but I really like how this tune sounds in it - or at least I see the potentialities of it sounding good.  

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 Really nice work--I like the rhythm in tha A part and great tone on the B part.

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  19:16:52

Wow, Mikey! That is so cool sounding...very lonesome sound. I'm so tempted to try it in GDGD, but I get disoriented with cross tuning, which is weird because I avent been playing that long and started out thinking GDGd was how people tuned ther fiddles all the time! But when I switched over to GDAE I kinda got locked into it mentally...but anyway, this one here really sounds good. It has the sounds of being way, way back in a dark holler...very modalish, old sounding...rhythms sounding kinda squeeze box like...I really liked it. Maybe one of these days cross tuning will work for me again. I had a few minutes here tonight to see where I'm at with it and ....aaaaaahhhhcccckkkk...I think I've gone backwards from my earlier YouTube! Lol, I have a tendency to constantly fiddle with stuff, including fiddle tunes...anyway...thanks for putting up a great sounding modal and lonesome Uncle Joe! I think we are all learning a lot about the infinite possibilities of fiddling old tunes!

erbus - Posted - 02/03/2012:  19:44:51

Hey I like your version Mikeyboy. That's a nice low sound you got going there.

I never tried different tunings, I have enough trouble finding my way around standard tuning.

Terry

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/03/2012:  20:49:06

I've only dabbled very briefly with AEAE, never with GDGD. Mainly because I couldn't be bothered to retune, and standard tuning does have enough challenges. But I am now sold hook line and sinker. Helps that I now have a second fiddle that I can leave cross tuned. I strongly suggest trying it cause you get such a different sounds, and especially with AEAE or GDGD it's really pretty easy on tunes like this where you pretty much are only using two strings for the melody anyways, sou you just play the same fingerings on the lower strings. And you get the the bonus of being able to drone any of the strings, as well as the sympathetic resonance of the other strings.

Peggy, I like the squeeze box comparison, hadn't thought of it like that but it fits I think!

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/04/2012:  05:34:06

I think when I've tried GDGD or AEAE the problem is I can't seem to utilize those drones the right way...my tunes come out just boring and dull, and I find myself grappling around for double stops or something...I can't seem to figure out how to allow the drones to work with me and come out exciting and interesting like yours are doing. Maybe I need to try it more and see if I can get that feel...I love the sound!

jsfiddler - Posted - 02/04/2012:  10:03:35

Everyone sounds great!  I'm hoping to get a video posted in the next day or so.  Just started practicing this tune and once I have it posted I hope you all will be able to help me learn a thing or two. :)

outoftunes - Posted - 02/05/2012:  16:26:24

quote:

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Originally posted by outoftunes

Here is my beginner's attempt at Uncle Joe / Mrs. McLeod's. I'm aiming for a hybrid version between the version in Ryan's Mammoth Collection and oldtimejam.com's version. Since I'm a beginner, it took a long time just to get the tune up to this point from scratch, and there's a very long way to go. My order of priority is: 1) Improve intonation, 2) Increase speed to 80 bpm, 3) Work on the bowing to smoothe out the rhythm, 4) find double stops to put in.

If I manage to achieve any 2 of those goals before Feb 15th, I'll repost. Otherwise, this is my contribution!

WARNING: Listening to the attached MP3 may seriously decrease your musical ability.

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 So here's my second post. If you compare it with the first go through (check the media under my user profile), I think that it's definitely improved. The bpm is up around 107 (though that was pushing it a bit too far--the rhythm wavers, especially in the B part just after the "hop high") and the intonation is definitely better. Occasionally I hit a drone string (half by accident, half on purpose!). I've enjoyed working on this tune as a focus point for the past few weeks. Lots to work on all around, of course, but it has been profitable practice for a new fiddler. Thanks for setting up the VFF, Peggy, and I'm looking forward to the next tune.

Uncle Joe 5 Feb

fiddle and banjo player - Posted - 02/05/2012:  16:59:32

Good job OutofTunes!  It's fun to hear different recordings by the same fiddler as they learn them!  

jefferylong - Posted - 02/05/2012:  22:36:15

Here's my entry. From the Jackson Plectral Society Jam. Fiddlin' Tennessee State Trooper David Killingsworth and myself (Jeff Long) on an old tune called "Skunk in the Collard Patch". I was looking for a video of your Uncle Joe. I know I've done it before - just couldn't find the video. Will try to turn it in later if that's OK?

VIDEO: Skunk in the Collard Patch (click to view)

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/06/2012:  05:41:47

Well... First off, I am just astonished by these tunes ya'll are putting up here.  OutofTunes... the difference is absolutely amazing!  My gosh it's like night and day and you are playing the thing really, really GOOD!  Good job!  If we can have a whole month to work on these things we can really see some changes in our playing!  I think you sound great!  I really like it.

Jefferylong, wow... I am just entirely so jealous and tunring green and drooling all over myself watching that video!!!  That's what I would love, a little group like that to just play like crazy anytime we wanted... which is what drove me to think up this virutal festival idea... just to have others join me anyway I could get them to because there is nothing around me in real life.  Anyway, besides having a little playing group I drooled over, your playing is just awesome too... I was thinking maybe your state trooper friend might get up and go stop you for speeding ????  Ha ha...but he didn't,  just a joke... but your fiddling sounded awesome to me.  AS to playing a different tune and the "official" rules of our festival:... well here was my original idea:  we choose a tune a month... we play that tune and work on it all month.  As to playing a different tune... I was okay with that idea because some tunes won't be for everybody, some of us are newer at playing and some tunes just don't agree with some people... I'm of the mind that I would try to force myself to work on it anyway and try to improve myself in that way... but I know sometimes that's easier said than done.  Also, some people here are more IRish fiddlers and so some of the tunes we pick might not really work for them either, so I've said that, officially,  if it makes you think of another tune, do that other one instead, by all means just join in with us.  What the heck, we don't need a bunch of sc hool house rules dictating our fun in the virtual fiddle festival.  I know, though, that at your skill you can probably play anything you want, like Pogo... and you two both put up old versions for our festival...lol... that's fine with me... you guys are so good and have tunes on hand to use.  I can't say anything people could do here by participating is wrong... I enjoyed your contribution very much.  You guys are GOOD!  I say the official way is to work on the tune or something similar with us, and if you officially put up something different or an older version ... thank you... we love that too.  Just join us in the fun anyway ya can, is what I say!

It's been a very bad few days for me musically... like NO TIME at all.  But I do plan to get to where I can get some time and pick up that fiddle again and see if I can get something of a final version up soon... we are running out of time and soon I'll be starting a new thread after randomly drawing out of my official virtual fiddle festival hat-like vessel, the next tune of the month!  Ohhh.... makes me nervous to think of what it might be... maybe I won't know it at all... maybe it'll be a toughie... don't know... the excitement is killing me!!!!!   Thanks to all who have joined in so far... keep 'em comin' because we are almost out of time for our first effort! 

jefferylong - Posted - 02/06/2012:  07:07:19

Thanks for all the kind words. I'll try and get a recording in of your Uncle Joe hopefully before the time runs out. We'll have another jam this Thursday night and will put that on our playlist for Thursday night and try and get it recorded. Uncle Joe is one of my favorite tunes.

Thanks again for all your kind words and if you're every down around Jackson, be sure and look us up. We're right off I40 at the Casey Jones Village every Thursday night. We have a weekly Oldtime Jam of about 100 pickers that come out each week.

Be glad to have you join us sometime,
Jeff

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/06/2012:  08:08:10

We go to Halls Crossroads pretty often, just north f Knoxville.., mostly to work, but how far would you be from Knoxville, just in case I ver get the time? If you do get 'em to play Uncle Joe be sure to tell 'em about us here, that we're gonna watch it!

Edited by - groundhogpeggy on 02/06/2012 08:09:52

MikeyBoy - Posted - 02/06/2012:  08:32:01

Outoftunes - nice work!  And I mean that literally, you can really tell that you've put in some good work on it between your 1st and 2nd posts.  Keep it up!

Jeffreylong - I like that tune, it's a new one to my ears.  While I do like the emphasis on one tune a month, I fully endorse the posting of supplemental material.  I'd love to come visit your jam, looks like a good one, but you're a little outside of driving distance for me:)

mad baloney - Posted - 02/06/2012:  11:40:47

Here's my take of Miss MacLeod's Reel - :)

Miss MacLeod's Reel

fiddle and banjo player - Posted - 02/06/2012:  12:25:20

WOW Mad Baloney!!  I LOVE it!  I think it even has more notes then my version. 

Fantastic fiddling, very Irish sound!

outoftunes - Posted - 02/06/2012:  12:34:22

quote:

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Originally posted by mad baloney

Here's my take of Miss MacLeod's Reel - :)

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 Very nice and smooth. Is it lots of long bows that creates that smooth feeling?

mad baloney - Posted - 02/06/2012:  12:50:49

Thanks @outoftunes There's lots of figure 8 or cross-bowing, three notes a bow (roughly) Typical in Irish fiddling

That bit where I go down the scale to the low G is a blatent rip off of Michael Coleman's playing. he was a madman

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/06/2012:  16:44:18

Well it sounds so cool, mad baloney! Really good playing...isnt it amazing that you can hear it played that way and feel like you're in Ireland??? Very Irish, very nice fiddling...good,good, gooood...and thanks so much for playing it! Enjoyed your playing very much!

ajisai - Posted - 02/07/2012:  08:04:22

I'm not well practiced and I'm late to the party, but no matter! I had the recorder on this morning, tried playing the tune, and because I've enjoyed everyone else's uploads, I thought I'd add my own. It's one of those tunes that I've just kind of absorbed from who knows where but it's fun to play (and play with) and I like it a lot.

fiddlehangout.com%2Fmyh...cID%3D9578">Hop High Ladies

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 02/07/2012:  08:55:51

I'm gonna have to make two posts because I am having all sorts of computer issues... here's a horrible backup track I made with my ipad this morning... I gotta say I won't leave these last two youtubes up long because they are embarrassingly terrible... here's the first one, then I'll put up a new post with the second link... our virus program isn't letting me hop around like I usually do, so I gotta go in and ut of everything... and the ipad never did let me post an active link, so here wie go with awful youtube number one, that will disappear from existence in a few days: youtu.be/hXv_nCmAQnA