Semi-OT: What tunes are you working on?

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Mon May 24, 2004 2:57 pm

Azalin wrote:DCRom, you don't mean the Stony Steps right? That's another tune I learned recently, and the titles are kinda similar.

I don't *think* they're the same tune. "The Stepping Stones" was a title Packie gave the tune - according to the notes, he adapted it from a tune a mountain shepherd was using to communicate with his dogs.

A very simple tune, BTW. Like a lot of Packie Manus Byrne's tunes, it has a range of just over an octave, making it easier to lilt.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Mon May 24, 2004 2:57 pm

Nanohedron wrote:Hey, Colomon, post some ABCs for those, wouldja?

Okay.

X:2
T:Corney Is Going
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:For Stephanie Cornelius
R:Reelish
K:B minor
~B3A ~F3A|BBAB d2e2|ffdf eedB|dBAF A4|
~B3A ~F3A|BBAB d2e2|fdgf efdB|dBAF B4:|
|:ffdf eedB|defa b2a2|ffdf eedB|dBAF A4|
ffdf eedB|defa b2a2|bafe fedB|dBAF B4:|

X:3
T:Can't Stop Corney
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:Solomon Foster
R:Reel
K:D

d2fd Adfd|~e3a gfed|c~A3 c~e3|~d3f edcA|
d2fd Adfd|~e3a gfed|c~A3 c~e3|dfec d4:|
|:~e3g fedB|A~G3 F~G3|Bege aege|fdeB AGBd|~e3g fedB|
A~G3 F~G3|Bege aege|1 fedf edef:|2 fedf edBc:|fedf e4||

Both from summer 2002. I've never been completely happy with the first -- it doesn't feel very Irish-y to me. (Looking at it again, it seems to me a few little tweaks might make a lot of difference. Maybe there will be a "Corney is Going 2.0" sometime soon.) The other I wrote as my project for Brian Pickell's Tune Writing class at the Goderich Celtic College that summer, about four days before Steph left for Germany, and I've always been fond of it. (The lonely bar after the second ending is a possible final ending -- I couldn't figure out a way to make standard ABC say "last time".)

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon May 24, 2004 3:32 pm

I'm working on a couple of Altan reels, some slip jigs (Kid on the mountain is one). Also on a couple of flute tunes, one a slip jig called The good wife, the other nameless, that both have lots of crans. The cran is a very effective ornament that's really not hard to do once someone has shown it to you.

I'm always working on O'Carolan tunes, too. Current is one whose name escapes me that has a d# in it that lets me play it on my newly restored 4-key.

There's also a delightful hornpipe called the Poor Old Woman or something like that, that Karen Ashbrook does on one of her albums. It goes up into the third octave, which is something good to learn, too.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:02 pm

chas wrote: I'm always working on O'Carolan tunes, too. Current is one whose name escapes me that has a d# in it that lets me play it on my newly restored 4-key.

I would probably put my bets with either "Donal O'Brien" or "Cremonea". I like both of them, but they're difficult on a D whistle, so I usually pull out the G whistle and the rec****r for them. The d# is an easy half-hole on these instruments.

I'm currently working on some hymns and O'Carolan tunes on the whistle and the mountain dulcimer, and I may throw in a few Dowland tunes for good measure!

DazedinLA · Post by **DazedinLA** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:08 pm

Out on the Road (a Liz Carrol tune...I like both Kevin Crawford and Altan's versions, both of which are fairly similar, and both of which are quite different than the ABC versions of the tune that are floating around on the web.

The Windmill (Altan recorded this, I think)

The Maids of Castlebar (Natalie MacMaster does a nice version of this)

Siobhan O'Donnell's (Lunasa)

Mullin's Fancy (a variant of the Boys of Ballinahinch, from the wonderful Kitty Lie Over CD by Mick O'Brien an dCaoimhin O Rahgallaigh, though I'm transposing it out of the key of Bflat into the more session-friendly key of G)

Something really fun called the Ba Rag (??) that Martin Milner turned me on to about a yar ago (thanks Martin!)

And a waltz I can never spell correctly....Metzakukkia/Mezzakukkia ???

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:15 pm

DCrom wrote:I'm surprised that you're just now working on Sally Gardens - it's about the only one of the list for the get-together I *do* know. Considering you're overall skill level is a *lot* higher than mine, i kinda figured you'd know all the easy ones

I kinda skipped it over Dana but I'm learnin it for the gathering. It's not a real exciting tune and when I first encountered it, I thought "hmm,,,not like the song (which I do like). So I never did learn it. I don't have it on any records to get excited about it. That usually makes the difference for me.

I do like simple reels though, like Geehan's for example. Everybody can play along and have fun! I work on the fancier ones like Dionne Reel but nobody around usually plays it, unless you're friends with Altan or somethin and without a band....well.....

I think everybody learns certain reels for their own reasons, which is interesting in itself. I have a whole set that I play and enjoy, but when we have gatherings, it surprises me how different other folks sets are. Seems like the jigs, hornpipes and slips cross more common paths. Polkas and slides too.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:26 pm

The Weekenders wrote:I work on the fancier ones like Dionne Reel but nobody around usually plays it, unless you're friends with Altan or somethin and without a band....well....

Oddly enough, in Canada, seemingly everyone plays the Dionne Reel. I've seen it get trotted out a couple of times as an "everyone in the workshop will know this" tune, much like St Anne's or Miss McCloud's. And it is a blast to play...

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:33 pm

Thanks for the ABCs, Colomon; I'm at work, now, *looks furtively for the manager* and it's a bit hectic, so I won't have the pleasure of getting to know them right away.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon May 24, 2004 5:33 pm

That's great Col! Makes things interesting!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon May 24, 2004 5:47 pm

Right now I'm focusing on "Abram's Circle," as the Morris team wants to do it around the sixth graders at their graduation, so I have to have it solidly in memory. It's not hard...just long (7 parts! Each repeated, of course!). I'm also working on getting a more solid rhythm on some jigs, working with a metronome (Kitty McGee, Swallowtail, The Frost is All Over). Oh yes...and I got my copy of Grey Larsen's "Tin Whistle Toolbox" and I'm working on cuts with that (and, again, with my friend the metronome).

Redwolf

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Mon May 24, 2004 6:27 pm

I'm working on Leon's Waltz which I heard on the first Wooden Flute Obsession. Trying to make th High C natural, flow, ah... well, naturally.

I am also trying to learn Month of January for a Dolores Kane and John Faulkner recording. If anyone has ABC's for this I'd really appreciate a post or e-mail. I looked everywhere I could and couldn't find them. I do fine with the 'by ear' once I have the bones down, but have a terrible time working strictly by ear.

Littling Banshee, Monaghan's jig, and Hobart's tranformation are on my work list.

My overall progress has been slow for the last few months mostly due to lack of practice, but things are starting to pick up again.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Mon May 24, 2004 6:42 pm

I feel inspired, which for a songwriter is an amazing thing. I'm not totally happy with some of my recent songs, but in the last few weeks, several songs of pure inspiration have come to me. The titles may mean nothing to most, but might hint at what the greater consciousness is sending to me:

Save Me a Dance
The Road to My Heart
Say it Every Day
Reach for the Sky
When the World was Young

There may be other songs with the same or similar titles, but these are all my own original work, lyrics and melody. Song titles can not be copyrighted. Sometimes a melody feels so strong, it seems a certainty that I am copying an existing melody. Unfortunately, there is no reliable, easy way to find that out. Most suggest playing the tune for others that know a lot of songs and see if anyone recognizes it.

Pure inspiration is rare for most songwriters, writer's block common. So I am enjoying this period of richness in my music. At some point I may upload to my Soundclick site or to Clips and Snips, but right now, the "blarney" is flowing and it is not yet time to stop and pause, to polish and record.
+ Bill

mamakash · Post by **mamakash** » Mon May 24, 2004 7:00 pm

The Weekenders wrote:A friend lent me the Walton's 110 session tunes and I have been listening and learning those reels.

I picked a tune out of the reel section of that book . . . I've had this book/CD set for quite some time, but have not sat down with it. I bought it for the guitar chords . . . but the guitar sits in it's case, and I sit in front of the TV or the internet. What a waste(not the chiff board). So, as insanely simple as it seems, I started off with a tune that had nothing but three chords that I know and now I'm trying to master those chord changes and build little callouses on my finger tips. Ouch.
So, I'm enjoying my evenings with "the High reel", slow tune software, and a covered bird cage. Wish me luck . . . the conure doesn't seem to mind to much.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon May 24, 2004 7:36 pm

mama, I gotta warn you: I don't think the guitarist on the CD plays the chords notated in the High reel. I remember scratching the opening D out for the other Weekender. Or they are using DADGAD and have offered approximate standard tuning chords.

For the most parts, the chords in the book are okay but there occasional exceptions...or sometimes, you might just want to change em.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon May 24, 2004 7:48 pm

I found a set of tunes online in pdf format if anyone is interested. They print out pretty good. I hadn't heard of any of the tunes except maybe a couple. Some pretty good ones though, at least in the first half or so of the book.