Palegoldenrod

I have some friends and family who aren’t near enough to pop in and listen to (read: laugh at) my playing easily, so I thought I’d drop some on here for you all.

Warning: it is very, very poor. Laugh as hard as you want, but don’t say you weren’t warned, lol.

I bought my fiddle early this year (maybe February?). I have not had a fiddle lesson and I have never played a string instrument before. When I was about 10 I played the organ for a few years (and that very poorly too). I don’t know anyone else who plays the fiddle, and I can’t read music. What you are about to hear is the result of me reading and listening to fiddle and violin tutorials and songs (even watching a bit on youtube), and quite a bit of experimentation.

• Ninety-nine March and Ninety-eight March
• Tam’s Slow March (from the playing of Tom Hughes)
• The Parting Glass
• Humours of California
• Merrily Kiss the Quaker’s Wife
• Heel and Toe? I’m not sure what this one is called – I played the tune from memory. Sometimes I remember bush dancing too it when I was a child. Can anyone help with a name for this one?

So, there you have it. Its weird… I have more trouble playing when I know I am being recorded, too, so I may be a fraction better than these mp3s sound. Or maybe not � Also I don’t have a pickup on the fiddle, or proper recording equipment – this was recorded via the mic on my headset, sitting on my free shoulder as I played. Hopefully I’ll have a pickup fitted to the ol’ girl soon, which will make life easier.

There is an Irish Session (where people gather to play Celtic music) at a pub in Newcastle this weekend – a nice Sunday afternoon. I’ll be heading down there to check it out – I expect that I have much more to learn just from watching and listening.

Let the flaming begin