Dammit I am going to cook pancakes with some apple and pear syrup.

I think the pancakes sound good and will help...you probably need a break. I do believe you will get it...give yourself a little time.

Quincy - I wouldn't pay too much attention to the details of that video. I'll post some advice in your other thread.

I know the feeling, it’s the forwards/backwards nature of learning I think…

My phases:
I can’t learn by ear, ack!!
Began to learn by ear
I can’t do rolls!
Began to insert rolls everywhere
Began to insert rolls more tastefully
I can’t do triplets!
Had to change to DUD for triplets, now they go ok

So everything that was an “I can’t….”was gradually absorbed into my playing. Wanting to do it, trying to do it, is just the beginning spark!

So I know you will get there Anja, it just takes longer than we like…

And Pancakes sounds delicious!

Trying to work up a melodic break for "I Shot the Sheriff (Clapton)," "Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)," and "Ghost Riders in the Sky"

Woo, those tunes bring back some memories...stuff that was on radio when I was a kid...good stuff!

Over here, working on:
Last Night's Fun / Rakish Paddy
Jerry's Beaver Hat

 

I love Rakish Paddy, particularly how the pipers approach it. Paddy Keenan does it right!

Chickenman - that "jam" is not really a "normal" session, and is not what I meant by a "modern" one either. Its a scheduled event, part of a large festival that takes over much of downtown Bristol VA/TN for a weekend and draws usually 20 to 30,000 people to 6 large outdor stages. Although its open to anyone, the core of that jam is a group of people who've known each other for maybe 45 years, and we play the old standards like "Soldier's Joy," " Mississippi Sawyers" and "Forky Deer." Its called the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, and although these days there's a lot more "rhythm" than "roots," for us its still a reunion, as another friend emphasized during his show Sunday. Here's a video of some of the same people playing at the festival in 2007, when it was a lot smaller: youtu.be/sYijBgaNxRY?feature=shared
This year the guy sitting next to me asked if Highwoods had returned for tunes in different keys, and I told him we never did except for "Black Mountain Rag," which we played occasionally. He'd been to Mt. Airy this year and everywhere people were playing just cross tuned in A. That's what I meant by a "modern" jam. Its a completely different concept of what "old time" music is that's developed fairly recently. I'd be out of place because I don't know most of those tunes, and would find it very boring. I've been in some good pickup sessions over the years, but usually with lots of singing and in different keys.

The one key thing is totally about the banjo, or at least that's how things go for me in every setting that has a banjo player involved. This includes bluegrass jams/bands, though they don't stay in one key as long as old time players. I've had the pleasure of having your old bandmate Walt playing banjo in a few jams, always tastefully done.

The number of OT tunes seems to have tripled since I started playing, mostly because field recordings are easily accessible. I still play the chestnuts for the most part. New tunes in my repertoire came from Clifftop jams and Tune of the week/month here on FHO and BHO, and they are few and far between.

I can't explain, how to explain lol. You guys brought back my fiddle fire!!! I am making some progress again here , I feel I am getting closer now, oh yes I am close - not as close as I would like to be, it wil take some practice - but I am back on the right track.

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

I can't explain, how to explain lol. You guys brought back my fiddle fire!!! I am making some progress again here , I feel I am getting closer now, oh yes I am close - not as close as I would like to be, it wil take some practice - but I am back on the right track.

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I turn to the FHO to ignite my fiddle fire. It goes up and down. In and out. 

quote:

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Originally posted by Erockin

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

I can't explain, how to explain lol. You guys brought back my fiddle fire!!! I am making some progress again here , I feel I am getting closer now, oh yes I am close - not as close as I would like to be, it wil take some practice - but I am back on the right track.

---

I turn to the FHO to ignite my fiddle fire. It goes up and down. In and out. 

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Hell yes, it's ALIVE :-D

It's great to have a place to come to to get the ol' fiddle smokin' again.

I got one called Snowflake Blues. I make these loops and play along. No two are alike. I'll put it in Sound Off as soon as it gets loaded.

The tune for today on the Facebook Fiddle Video Tune Challenge was Carroll County Blues. What as challenge this was!!

This tune has ALWAYs been an enigma for me! Back in the 70s, I had a recording of the 1929 Namours and Smith recording and learn that - sort of. It had all sorts of goofy phrasing. It was crooked as &$%!! Nobody around me in Austin was playing that version. The Highwoods String Band recording of the tune was the preferred version. But I ran into another version in northern Arkansas that seems to have some connection with Bob Holt. It was totally different. Then there's the Johnny Gimble version.

Each of these had varying measures and syncopations. Good grief!! I tending to avoid playing it unless the person calling the tune was strong and confident and that there were competent guitar and bass players.

I survived today's challenge. Mark me "SAFE."

Y'know if I call Carrol County Blues, I tell the pickers, "it comes in threes fellars." Now, that's the way I learnt it. The only thing in 3's is the phrasing. It helped me, and I pass it along that way.

Just trying out two things : making circles and creating a rhythm and trying to hold it. I feel like I am getting closer and closer although this is far from what it should be like, but the latest video I have in my hidden playlist with favorite instructional videos inspired me a lot.
But it is exactly this what keeps me going:

https://youtu.be/N7Ud6kEVEM4?feature=shared

quote:

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Originally posted by NCnotes

Woo, those tunes bring back some memories...stuff that was on radio when I was a kid...good stuff!

Over here, working on:
Last Night's Fun / Rakish Paddy
Jerry's Beaver Hat

 

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Rakish Paddy really growls on the bottom 3 strings. (starting notes D,E,F natural, with the open G string drone). I'm playing it with my baroque tuned fiddle, so it growls even more a semitone flat

i like to frown meaningfully while i play it...LOL

Ooo I wanna hear, Pete! Can you post it sometime? :-)

I don't know whether the internet is ready for such a dark and meaningful rendition.... But i may just get my Sony Walkman out and give it a try...

We are currently having thunder storms here...They might add to the ominous atmosphere...Lol.... Wait, where's me rosin?

Thunderstorm to add to dark growly vibe…haha!

I listened to Paddy Keenan (grear stuff!), and I think what we play at session is just standard reel style... have no idea what a 'dark' version would sound like, cool that you are making it your own!  

Go fer it, Pete...can't beat sound effects provided free by Mother Nature!

Just an aside - The LP/CD collection "Ways of the World" of early 20th century Irish music included James Morrison's recording of "Rakish Paddy" and I just listened to it again on YouTube. Doesn't seem particularly dark or ominous, but it sure is fast! Also,despite the title, this tune is believed to be actually of Scottish origin.

Yeah, Drop your tuning a semitone to baroque tuning, slow it down and put it in G Mix/Dorian rather than D, use more drones and double stops (to imitate pipe drones and regulators), . And it ends up a bit darker and a lot lower in pitch than how it is usually played.... (like a runaway train).

i have a problem playing with pipe players who can't seem to control the tempo. everything seems to come in early. Then they drop their drone, and drown out anything that is out of tempo with them. Lets face it 90% of em have enough on with all the regs, bag pressure , tuning the drones and regs, cutting, rolling, back stitching, and banging their foot etc, to think about anything else. Let alone some fiddler who doesn't seem to be able to keep up with their immaculate timing.

I suppose that is part of the joy of trying to play with unrehearsed pipes ?

BTW my comments don't include top players like Joey Abarta who seems to be in total control. And who's tempo i seem to be able to relate to.

Pete, A player we know is taking Zoom lessons with Joey Abarto! (above)
He just got his practice set of pipes a few weeks ago…He was on low whistle before, and got a yen to play the pipes…