There is a new Beginners Mandolin Class starting on April 23rd 2019 in Edinburgh. 6pm, Morningside United Church.

Hi all readers, if you are still out there,

I have a large collections of tunes and would like to make up a few sets -  but where do I start????

Do you use same key, same style mixed keys or mixed styles.   Any advise would be appreciated.

To date I have  Boy's lament for his dragon, Hurlock's reel and Robertson's reel, all in G,  in a set I've called "Robertson's Lament for Hurlock's Dragon".

cheers

Drew

  Weaver and his Wife.pdf (Size: 145.55 KB / Downloads: 4)
  Maidens.pdf (Size: 138.87 KB / Downloads: 2)

Nigel introduced me to Andrew Rankine with the tune "Angus MacLeod" at the GFW mandolin class.
I was searching for some music with a local connection and found the jig strangely called the "Alexandria Reel" which was in the book "Andrew Rankine Collection" published by the Newcastle branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

I have attached another two jigs that I found quite interesting and reasonable easy to play, "Maidens" and "The weaver and his wife".

hope you like them

Drew

John,

Have just been listening to your "The new Dawning" over on the Mandolin Cafe's "Song  a Week" group. and thought it would make a good candidate for this little forum to if you would like to share it with us.

hope all is well with you, 

cheers

Drew

Tune of the Week #96: The Padlock



A simple tune from Robert Ross's 1780 collection.

• Standard Notation with chords
  
• Standard notation with mandolin tablature
  
• MP3 of me playing The Padlock on mandolin
  

If like me you get a lot from Nigel's website, you will know that he has produced many great collections of music which can be downloaded for a very reasonable price. But there are others, like the first 4 volumes of "Tune of the Week" from his Tunes section, which are free to download.  

As we are all aware Nigel is very busy throughout the year, so hope he will not mind that I have compiled his last set of tunes 81 -95 into another volume - TOW 5.  This was help me to store this last collection beside the others, in my online music folder.

It is too large to post it here, so if anyone would like a copy of this volume, please send me a private message and I can arrange to get it to you.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Alcluith

Having purchased Brian MacNeill and  Ian MacIntosh's Live and Kicking Album.  I really liked their set of Boy's lament for his Dragon/The flower of Denmark's Winter/Kenmure's On an' Awa'. I already had thee first and last tune but could not find the  middle tune, "The flower of Denmark's Winter" anywhere. So I contacted them  on its source and was informed that the tune was written by Brian, furthermore it has never been written down and if I was willing to wait he would produce the dots and send them to me.  
Well I have had a couple of artists saying they would do this for me, in the past, but nothing has ever materialised. 
So you can imagine my surprise last week when I  received and email from Brain with the dots attached, so now I am spending time trying to learn the tune, and looking forward to playing the set in the future. 
 Just a public thanks to Brian for taking time out to give me his tune.

cheers

Drew

Maggie's Lamentation



A slow air from Oswald's Caledonian Companion (1747). I don't know anything about it, but it doesn't come across like a typical traditional tune. 

• Standard notation with chords and harmony
  
• Standard notation with mandolin tablature
  
• Cello part
  

Hiya all.

Here's the other tune I promised.

It's a old timey waltz and I've posted it here rather than in the Scottish Music section.

The tune was composed by Patti Kusturok (aka Lamoureux) assisted by her son Alex in memory of her late mother.

We also repeated the tune in the key of A for the concert which makes for a nice and effective change in my opinion.
However, I’ve only transcribed the G version here.

Attached Files

  Memories of Eva.pdf (Size: 19.47 KB / Downloads: 11)

Here’s a nice wee waltz for you all which I've also posted elsewhre.. Composed by Marie Fielding.

I learned this one for a concert and it is one of the few which I’ve considered worthy enough to adopt.

It can be heard on Marie's  " An Seisiun"  album.

By the way, I've added the ties and slurs as we played it. These suit the fiddle well and I've worked out different ideas on how  to do things on the mandolin. However, please feel to experiment with ornamentation, add tremoloes etc as you see fit.

Attached Files

  Rhona's W.pdf (Size: 17.32 KB / Downloads: 10)