Semi-OT: What tunes are you working on?

[Monster]

Currently I'm working on "the Battering Ram" out of McCollough's, "St. Anne's reel" out of the Walton's and the "Galway Hornpipe" that I think I downloaded from the BBC virtual session. Besides playing them on whistle, I also bang out the chords on my trusty banjo, now if I could only learn to play both at once! My neighbors might not like it ,,, but they haven't said anything yet

[FJohnSharp]

My teacher has me going back and reworking on the 30 or so tunes I've learned for the purposes of polishing them up, now that I've grown since I started.

The most recent tunes I've worked on are Julia Clifford's Buttermilk, Gallagher's Frolics, Drowsy Maggie

[jim stone]

A lovely jig called 'The Orphan.'

[brianholton]

right now I'm working on The Butterfly (slip jig), the Horse's Brawl, and some Northumbrian dance tunes.

the Northumbrian Pipers' Society tunebooks are a great source for new tunes, by the way, though you're unlikely to hear many of them in Irish sessions.

[mamakash]

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.

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind. So far, the chords sound right in this tune, but my guitar is tuned in DADGAD. I gave up with standard tuning when I couldn't form a D chord without damping the other strings. Very annoying.

[Musical_Midnight]

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.

I felt that way about the tune for "The Journey", my first original piece (completed in March), and a second tune I call "Midnight Meditations", which I finished last month. I am in the process now of writing this second one down, eventually to be converted in ABC format.

Perhaps one of these days when my whistle behaves for the microphone, I might find a way to post these songs... but for now I'm just concentrating now on getting the smooth sound I want and that I hear in my head. I seem to get it when I have no audience, live person or microphone. But the instant I have one or both present, it just won't happen.

[Darwin]

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.

I felt that way about the tune for "The Journey", my first original piece...

Maybe it's time again to bring up a tune that I've had in my head for at least a year or so, but can't pin down. (I was playing it on guitar long before I took up whistle.)

I've posted the ABC, dots, and sound files at http://www.coastalfog.net/whistles/mysterytune.html

Here're the dots (it's a slow air, so play it slowly):



I'd be interested in hearing if anyone recognizes it.

[BillChin]

... but for now I'm just concentrating now on getting the smooth sound I want and that I hear in my head. I seem to get it when I have no audience, live person or microphone. But the instant I have one or both present, it just won't happen.

I can come back to author Ray Bradbury's dictum "do your work." Performing for audiences, and recording can be a bit different from playing alone. Practice, taking chances, along with a myriad of other suggestions will allow an easier transition. For recording some suggest leaving the recording device on for long periods. The musician soon forgets that it is on.

For audiences, that deserves and has gotten it's own topic in the past. Rehearsal, both physical and mental are helpful. Role playing is another excellent way to overcome stage fright. There are few things that can compare to soloing for an audience and knowing that each person is straining to hear each note.

For other songwriters reading along, I participate in the 50 song challenge. There are no prizes, no penalties, it is for personal growth, and mutual support. It is 90 days each year, July 4th to Labor Day (early September).

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/50SongChallenge/

For those that think it an absurd concept to write 50 songs in 90 days, so did I. Before the challenge I had written 12 songs in about eight years. During the 2002 challenge I posted 37 songs, and in 2003, I posted 25 songs. The quality of my pre-challenge songs and my challenge songs is comparable. My post challenge songs show a great deal of improvement. I credit my participation in the 50 song challenge as a keystone.

Enjoy.
+ Bill

[JP]

I'm new to the whistle (low D) so I'm working on 'everything'. Can only get through a few slower pieces now: Sally Gardens, Southwind, Amhran a Leabhair (badly), and some others I can't remember. Have some parts going for an original but having some trouble getting them together cohesively. It may be there is more than one tune there. Working on cuts, taps, some rolls, have Larsens Toolbox book and need to get into a more disciplined practice routine - just having too much fun playing around and exploring this instrument. I'd love to someday be able to play something along the lines of Larsen's rendition of Blackbird. Looking forward to getting up to speed for faster pieces.

Right now I'm kind of infatuated with the tune Port na bPucai. I'm thinking of digging my electric guitar gear out of storage and working on getting a piping effect on it. There's just something about that tune that makes me want to try that .... OK, I'm leaving now .... probably other forums better suited to exploring that. ITM?

[MarkB]

Now that the session season is over with for the summer, I have gone back to the tunes that I learned in the sessions this winter and am working on starting them, which is my weak point.

Some are Drowsy Maggie, Merrily Kiss the Quakers Wife, Cooley's, Humours of Tulla, Mountain Road, Bonnie Lass of Bon Accord (?), Spootiskerry, Julia Delaney. A bunch of polkas and hornpipes.

Until I get the above strong enough to start without hesitation, I don't think that I am going to be starting any new tunes.

Enjoy the summer!

MarkB

[buddhu]

Working on getting a bit more swing into the few jigs I know so far. I have 3 versions of the Swallowtail, all different enough to make me want to learn the variations.

Also trying to finish getting the hang of Chief O'Neill's... the breathing is definitely my weakest aspect.

Going to have a go at Rocky Road to Dublin when time allows. Love the Dubliners version(s) of that song. Makes me laugh out loud

I'm off to Kerry in September, but I doubt I'll be confident enough with any of the tunes I know to get my whistle out within earshot of a local! I'd probably just about dare play bodhran in Irish company (as I'm not too bad at all), but only after considerable lubrication...

[Stan]

Workin' on two nice reels:
Saint Ruth's Bush and The Fairy (reel).

[boomerang]

I love a tune that sounds good played at both a fast and a slower pace,
here are some newies i am having fun with at the moment
The Five Mile Chase
All the rage (jig)
Bell's Favourite (jig)
the five mile chase works will with the Traveller
and all the rage and bells work well together too
Regards
David

[Wanderer]

I'm working on the Jig of Slurs and Atholl Highlanders. Tunes that dance around near the octave change give me fits, and these are no exceptions (like the b part of Slurs....blah!). I tried to pick these tunes up before, but gave up too easily..this time, I'm determined to lick them!

[burnsbyrne]

I'm working on a jig set, including Cliffs of Moher, Priest in his Boots, Munster Buttermilk and two more whose named I can't remember. I have also decided to really learn the hornpipe (whose name I'm blanking on right now...King of the Fairies?). I have a big bunch of tunes I have learned and memorized but I find it difficult to get around to playing them often enough to keep my muscle and brain memory fresh. Too many tunes, not enough time!
Mike