No tunes, testing out Strum Machine and playing along with what I created with it. My first impression was help! this is only for those who have an active knowledge of music theory, but then I found out how to create an intro and a verse and having a lot of fun just playing along with it. Noting special that I do, but it feels seriously relaxing.
I believe I like it (a lot)!

Hup!! Thanks for that Pete, made my night.

Strum machine makes me feel like I have some others to play with. Strum Machine restored my faith in my musical hearing and feeling for rhythm. Suddenly I don't want any tunes to play just play together with the machine, creating little exercises for myself. I simply adore this machine <3 I believe I am completely sold to it.

This was exactly what I needed! I do not even care what kind of stuff I am playing, it brings me to places I have never been before. Now that is what counts :-)))

quote:

---

Originally posted by Erockin

Learning my first "Scottish" tune..."Flatwater Fran"

What a beautiful tune. I am following Kevin Lees version.

---

Great Scott I've got it! So, at my lesson 2 weeks ago, my teacher suggested this tune that I had never heard. I've been working on it for the past 2 weeks, off and on and last night was my lesson with this tune. There were 2 small sections that I just could not land. That was the most rewarding lesson that I've had in some time. That was a few more logs on the ole Fiddle Fire!  At the end of the lesson, we recorded us playing it. I was so nervous...lol. But it's there. It's in the vault. Crazy how it carries over to the next day. Just thought I'd share. 

Lol it took me quite a while before I figured this out, but here we go: the first lines of Blue eyed Boston Boy with my own version I created with Strum Machine.

Too bad I sound a bit overmodulated. I recently bought new speakers for my laptop they are powerful , I had no idea it would give this effect. Guess who wants to listen it needs to turn the volume down.

Spootiskerry is next on the chopping block!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Erockin

Spootiskerry is next on the chopping block!

---

That tune can Rock

(Means "The Spout Of Skerry" i reckon?)

quote:

---

Originally posted by pete_fiddle

quote:

---

Originally posted by Erockin

Spootiskerry is next on the chopping block!

---

That tune can Rock

(Means "The Spout Of Skerry" i reckon?)

---

I think so! My teacher shared his version and I think it's completely obtainable. Then once I started researching it, there are all sorts of versions out there from super slow to what I think is pretty fast. I have no problem playing fast, it just may not be correct...lol

it is correct if you like it, and others do also

i play it Edit: (key of G maj), with an off beat, and use two strings where i can, which makes the syncopation stand out. Good luck and happy fiddlin

Yay Spootiskerry! It's a favorite at our local session.

Haha, my version of Strum Machine is improvising with drones...today messing with Jon Antonsson's nice G drone.
I'm leaving a link to his D drone here, because I think people might find D easier to play with!
 https://youtu.be/-OQXffTDy68?si=HxQXtpIuYf-9u4-M

Disclaimer: I am actually a fairly smiley happy person despite what my music sounds like 

I like that drone.

Have you tried to play a tune in D, say "The Salamanca" with it?

It throws a totally different light on a tune with the drone going all the way through it. And explains (to me) the difference between D ionian "Mode", and the D Major "Scale"

Hmm, Salamanca went OK but seemed a bit high in pitch with his D drone?
Patsy Geary's jig seemed to go fairly nice with the D drone...sounds interesting and different vs guitar! Well, our friend who is taking pipe lessons with Joey Aberta maybe can provide live drones soon...just tell him: no breathing! 
( He played low whistle quite poetically, lovely really, so I hope he won't be blasting us away with the pipes - LOL)

The cool thing about Strum Machine is the guitarist cannot complain that I do NOT play the exact pattern he is playing ( but I AM trying to match my pattern with the guitar pattern I created just saying)... I don't know why I am like this. Maybe I am just like any teacher's nightmare. Was I a pain in the ass in school? I was most of the times sleeping in class because I had a fiction books obsession and was always reading during night when I was supposed to sleep. It did not help that the majority of my teachers would just let me sleep during classes.

So here comes my most basic problem . I still lack discipline in life and this goes for my fiddle hobby as well. But I I will try harder to focus on the rules and basics now. I will have to. Goal is to speed up. Cannot reach that if I only explore and experiment (what I like most) while playing. I must accept repetition in practice in order to reach goals.

quote:

---

Originally posted by NCnotes

Disclaimer: I am actually a fairly smiley happy person despite what my music sounds like 

---

LOL, I can relate to that one 

Yeah i don't play "Patsy Geary's" in fact i don't play many jigs at all.

But... i just waffled around "Rakish paddy" a few times with the D drone, and it sounded Ok . But it sounded better to me using the G drone (From the same Youtube channel). And Playing in G Ionian/Mix/Dorian/Aolian......Aint the internet great, for some things.

Salamanca seems high pitch? Hmmm...Try linking the Melody with the Drone, by putting some harmony notes (Drones,/Double stops etc ) underneath the melody.....Less of a gap between the Drone and the melody Maybe?

Your student piping friend will have it all on just getting the Tune out of the chanter, let alone the drones and regulators. The last thing He will be thinking about is dynamics. That would be down to the reed(s) and other contributing factors..Pipes, reeds, bags and bellows are a Magical formula known to pipe makers (Wizards) ONLY...He will need to find a good maker, or learn the art himself. I am lucky enough? To know Three or 4 of em. Their art includes things like 1st WW Bayonets as reamers, and The "Chimney Effect" and is Spanish cane the best for a D Drone, or should you use Elder? ...etc...Good luck to Him.....i would just find out what Joey knows and use that i reckon....But it will probably cost a few grand.

LOL Pete!
yes, I don’t know how pipers do it…!

I can barely do Rakish Paddy in its “usual” key right now…just learned…shall check it out with a D drone!

Anja...Can you get Strum Machine to play the backup for Boil Them Cabbage Down? That would be a fun one.

Thing is NC, that Rakish Paddy isn't actually in a "Key" to my ear. It is played against a D Drone (usually) so you can use "Modal Interchange" .. IE: Changing modes against the Drone.

To my ear "Rakish Paddy" starts in D mixolidian, Then the second (answering) Phrase is in D ionian then it returns to D mixolidian for the next two Phrases...etc.

It's a subtly  different way of thinking than in Major or minor "Keys" IMO. to my ear It is just what a certain "Mode" sounds like up against a given Drone. i think...Maybe?

IE: if you want to make a D Mix Tune sound "Darker" (or more minor in Maj/min thinking)...Introduce an F natural into the phrase. Making the resulting phrase D Dorian. Or darker still introduce a Bb making the Phrase Aolian....Or if you want to make a phrase in a D Mix tune sound brighter , introduce a C# making the resulting Phrase D ionian...etc. The D Drone will harmonize with all of em ( Ionian, Mixolidian,  Aolian or Dorian). i have yet to experiment with the more unusual Phrygian, Locrian and Lydian modes....Well thats my thinkin anyhoo.

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Anja...Can you get Strum Machine to play the backup for Boil Them Cabbage Down? That would be a fun one.

---

yep that tune is indeed in there, Peggy!

Pete that melts my brain!
So far...I know it usually starts on a C natural. (Learning it from Shannon Heaton's video.)
Clearly, I have a lot more to learn! 

I'm not familiar with "Rakish Paddy," but looked it up and found something odd. In O'Neill's "Dance Music of Ireland," it written with only one sharp, as though its in Mixolydian mode, with no accidentals for the C naturals. But in "Music of Ireland" its written with two sharps, as though in D major. I wonder if there's a misprint somewhere, or whether that represents two interpretations. The melody is otherwise exactly the same. ???

Och, that is the modal nature of Irish tunes, so they (and Pete) tell me….. I’m learning it from this video, and they do talk about the Cs in the beginning!  Shannon’s setting has both C nat and C sharp sprinkled around…

This is my very last Rakish Paddy post and will shut up after this, promise! 
Pete, came across Rakish Paddy played by piper Willy Clancy with a drone throughout, and yea it's pretty awesome...:-)
https://youtu.be/wjeVGjqjTis?si=ADR6s7kG-_wC-BTW

Apologies for the thread drift. And the theomorizing, (its just my thing).

I'm still enjoying messing around with "Farewell Trion" , And "Si Beag Si Mor", (The Cukoo), both in C....Back on track. :)

quote:

---

Originally posted by NCnotes

Yay Spootiskerry! It's a favorite at our local session.

Haha, my version of Strum Machine is improvising with drones...today messing with Jon Antonsson's nice G drone.
I'm leaving a link to his D drone here, because I think people might find D easier to play with!
 https://youtu.be/-OQXffTDy68?si=HxQXtpIuYf-9u4-M

Disclaimer: I am actually a fairly smiley happy person despite what my music sounds like 

---

This is beautiful! 

I did some weird stuff with Angelina the Baker this morning.

FINALLY my fiddling starts to sound danceable. But not sure whether I should apologize for taking the tune totally out of its context, be scared I might never ever be able to catch that OT feel or just be amused because it DOES sound quite catchy. 

I know the way I play it must be far from old time , but can someone explain to me as what this way of playing would classify?I have no clue. Where am I going to? What will this lead to? 

Angelina the Baker