Sheila Coyles Reel
Same tune , added online drum machine, works like magic for the rhythm. Always knew I needed percussion in the first place. I did not drop one stitch today with this program:-)))
I recently found a percussionist/ drummer not far from where I live interested in a project, but I'll just use this program first for practising my favorite tunes, so that there is really a solid list to work with before I meet any others. I got this !
A good BASS player is as good as a drum, plus that little added thing! It's like a drum tuned to your chosen tune!
Edited by - farmerjones on 09/28/2025 08:28:36
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjonesA good BASS player is as good as a drum, plus that little added thing! It's like a drum tuned to your chosen tune!
I think I'm naturally an offbeat player ( if I remember well what I do here is called offbeat) might have to do with the wild nineties years where we used to dance to early techno music...) It's stronger than myself, play against the beat , don't know how else to describe it. Need good sound quality for this mp3 to hear the percussion loud enough at least I do.
edit:well actually I don't know it confuses me if I try to analyse this, only know this is cool to do :-D
Edited by - Quincy on 09/28/2025 11:58:01
It seems like you are just playing at your tempo, which isn't the same tempo of the drums, like you are ignoring the drums. I could be wrong, the fiddle is much louder than the drums..
quote:
Originally posted by ChickenManIt seems like you are just playing at your tempo, which isn't the same tempo of the drums, like you are ignoring the drums. I could be wrong, the fiddle is much louder than the drums..
If the fiddle is much louder than the drums I guess you're listening from a smartphone or internal computer speakers. if I listen from my smartphone I have the same impression as you: like I am totally ignoring the drums. If you hear both equally loud however (that's how it sounded to me while recording) then you can hear I just try to give the drums an equal chance to be important. I do realize the drum lines are not ideal for this tune, I could have opted for something else than these preset standard drums in a 4/4 rhythm, so I am now trying to adapt the online drum machine to my liking (which is a bit like feeling in the darkness, because I am of course no drummer / percussionist)
The only thing I can grab back to when it comes to rhythm is my comprehension of rhythm as a very young kid studying music theory: there was nothing wrong with my rhythmic hearing during exams and testing , but I always missed 0.5 points (ratings on 15) in comparison with my melodic hearing (which was always 15/15) I think the lack of 0.5 points means in my case: "needs someone else to start off the rhythm" :-p Yes I pretty much trust in the music education I had as a kid, we had to seriously study and the standard was high if I think back about it. You actually needed to be a smart ass kid.
It was also a bit rude , I knew this girl with a beautiful naturally always soar voice , who would score very low on singing because of it and also failed and had to do the year over because of this in the drama/ rhetoric classes (which she was also in - as I was) . To my ears she had the most beautiful voice ever... she had this crack in her voice others could only dream of. I could never understand she had to do the year over because of this and will never forget her tears when they announced this.
Working on a new tune, as yet unnamed, thats is a bit odd. Its in Am, typical Am, G, E but the 'B' part in one section goes to A maj, D, G-E and resolves thru a Am7 to Am. I plan for it to be a pretty up tempo tune, 120BPM if I can, but the bowing need work.
Bull at the Wagon since hearing the way John Hartford played it slow
The Jack Tar, or Jackie Tar. And of course some Blues.
A Jack Tar was a term for a sailor. I guess they used to put pinetar in there hair. Hard to find pinetar here. I'm sure you can get it online. Not going there.
Edited by - farmerjones on 10/01/2025 06:29:13
John Lover's Gone, Cowboy's Dream, Sullivan's Hollow, all in D, with an emphasis on the A chord.
PS - I've always played "Sullivan's Hollow" in D, but I just listened to the original recording, and its definitely in C. Think I'll retool.
Steve, that's always interesting...like glimpsing bits of the old lifestyle...
I'm sailing over here too...Full Rigged Ship / New Rigged Ship
The transition from jig to reel is kinda fun.
D to C is hard, Doug! It's always hardest for me if I learn something but then have to play it just a step down or a step up...somehow a bigger gap (like a third, or a fifth) is way easier.
NCnotes - "Sullivan's Hollow" is a hard one to figure out because its "greasy" with lots of slides into notes. Here's the original recording by Freeney's Barn Dance Band from Mississippi: slippery-hill.com/content/sullivans-hollow
Its clearly in concert C, but that might not be how its fingered. In D the first note is F#, which you can slide into, but in C you have to get the E on the A string. I would do that with my 3rd finger, resulting in a little shift on the A string for those notes.
Here's Rayna Gellert fingering it in D, with her fiddle tuned down a whole step:
youtu.be/IIs28gReJeY?si=YEOFvZuXdsKBcGXY
She also recorded it with Uncle Earl in D. What do you think?
It’s a great tune - and Rayna sounds awesome! I love playing tuned down…it makes the fiddle sound so deep…and the advantage of just tuning down instead of actually “refingering” is that you can still get the usual drones and doublestops…like what’s the advantage of playing it in C? Are there some different slides you can do then? My fiddle is upstairs and I’m too lazy to get up, but maybe I’ll check it out both ways tomorrow :-)
Also this is just a small random question - but does anybody know/play a tune called “Sally Thomas?” A friend said she named her daughter after it, so I kinda want to hear this tune…I’m gonna go poke around online now…
quote:
Originally posted by NCnotesIt’s a great tune - and Rayna sounds awesome! I love playing tuned down…it makes the fiddle sound so deep…and the advantage of just tuning down instead of actually “refingering” is that you can still get the usual drones and doublestops…like what’s the advantage of playing it in C? Are there some different slides you can do then? My fiddle is upstairs and I’m too lazy to get up, but maybe I’ll check it out both ways tomorrow :-)
Also this is just a small random question - but does anybody know/play a tune called “Sally Thomas?” A friend said she named her daughter after it, so I kinda want to hear this tune…I’m gonna go poke around online now…
"Sally Johnson" is it the only full name Sally tune I know it have heard of
Yes - that may have been what she said! I will go look it up. Thanks!
Sugar Tree Stomp / Stuart Brothers
At the local Runcible Spoon Tuesday jam someone played Willow Creek in D.. I'm hooked.. Have been busking with that tune for a week now and OWN it..!!!
quote:
Originally posted by TuneWeaverAt the local Runcible Spoon Tuesday jam someone played Willow Creek in D.. I'm hooked.. Have been busking with that tune for a week now and OWN it..!!!
Willow Creek is a great tune. It was written by the late Alabama fiddler Ralph Whited.
quote:
Originally posted by Brendan Doylequote:
Originally posted by TuneWeaverAt the local Runcible Spoon Tuesday jam someone played Willow Creek in D.. I'm hooked.. Have been busking with that tune for a week now and OWN it..!!!
Willow Creek is a great tune. It was written by the late Alabama fiddler Ralph Whited.
Thanks for that.. I'll try to do him justice.. when I play it..
Here's Ralph Whited playing the tune:
Turned back to a simple version (AABB) of Bonaparte's retreat. Trying to add some consistent variations. Also same time (finally) appreciating and starting to understand the magic of very short bow strokes when needed. That's enough to focus on this morning.
Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine in the afternoon, made a recording which I decided is YouTube worthy, so I put it on public. And Oh Susannah. It feels good to go back to the first tunes I learned and being creative with them now.
Been playing a lot today for me and Ziva. For some reason they decided not to continue with me after nearly 16 hours at my new job :-/ I was listening, learning, asking questions to understand everything - as I was told I was supposed to do - but it was not enough. They decided I have not enough grow potential :-/ Weird because I have been succesfully working in very similar jobs for many years.
On these days I need my fiddle maybe even more than my dog...
quote:
Originally posted by QuincyTurned back to a simple version (AABB) of Bonaparte's retreat. Trying to add some consistent variations. Also same time (finally) appreciating and starting to understand the magic of very short bow strokes when needed. That's enough to focus on this morning.
What we do locally is that the person leading the tune decides how many A's and B's and hopefully is consistent!!
quote:
Originally posted by Quincy... They decided I have not enough grow potential :-/ Weird because I have been succesfully working in very similar jobs for many years.
That's a terrible way to say you are over qualified 
Also this is just a small random question - but does anybody know/play a tune called “Sally Thomas?” A friend said she named her daughter after it, so I kinda want to hear this tune…I’m gonna go poke around online now…"Sally Johnson" is it the only full name Sally tune I know it have heard of
She confirmed! "Sally Johnson" is the tune she named her daughter after!
Nice session today with the usual suspects...A bad moment when the pub owner came over to tell our Uilleann pipes player to shut up, essentially. I thought he was approaching to say that he always loved the pipes or wanted to learn, or ask the name of the tunes, etc...but he was coming over to complain :-( Our pipes player is a great musician (plays whistle and flute already) and plays his pipes musically too (taking lessons with a good player). We were all enjoying his playing, and we reassured him after the pub owner incident...
edit:
Anja, that's a bummer about the job! Hope you'll find another one soon...(and in the meantime, you can fiddle more!)
Edited by - NCnotes on 10/04/2025 22:00:18
