I did practice a little last week, not what I always hope for, but more than I might have, so I think this is working. The main thing is to keep playing the three tunes for the 14th April do. I've settled on the three listed below in the Monday space. But I also hope to keep working on some other things: the two double jigs - Boys of the Town &Woodford, as well as starting to get the melody of the hornpipe Kitty's Wedding, which is great on the harp under my fingers.
Sunday 24 March - I think I played the three tunes listed below at least one time through....
Monday 25 March - Worked quite hard on Amongst Friends, Miss Johnson's (reel) and George White's (reel). Will probably work on them a bit more as I am playing the first two solo at a 'do' on April 14.... I'll be joined by a flute and fiddle for GW's. Nailbiter for me as I am a shy performer. Lots of slumming with the concertina today.
Tuesday 26 March - At the risk of repeating myself..... I did play for maybe a half hour, and pretty much the same tunes as mentioned above. Also slumming on the c'tina as it was a kitchen session night. So lots of music. I took a workshop with Mary McNamara last spring and still haven't really learned those tunes, and they are marvelous ones, so I worked a bit on them.
Wednesday 27 March - now I am repeating myself. Played the tunes of the week, nothing else.
Thursday 28 March - Didn't play at all. Ran through the Mary McN '99' jig and that was IT.
Friday 29 March - Did get through the 3 tunes for the micro-gig and also a few runs through the double jigs. I am being quite faithful to this little set of tunes, I must say.
Saturday 30 March - Starting today with the concertina - the family is out which means I can be in the living room! While the cats are away the mice do play!
Today's photo is to show my efforts to stay organized..... one of my notebooks.
Great idea with the Cds! I am still using the same notebook I started out with at the beginning of my journey with Kathy. It's bursting at the seams now and anything not Irish (or Scottish) has been taken out and relegated to it's own notebook. My notebook is so important to me and represents so many years of study and playing that I carry it on the plane with me, it never goes in the hold. I'd be lost and heartbroken if it was ever lost.
ReplyDeleteMine are getting more and more like that - I have to have several now - concertina ones, harp ones, ..... I'm glad to have the computer as back up for the recordings too.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the fiddle has it's own book even though some tunes overlap of course.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say 'slumming' on the concertina, what do you mean? My guess is just playing around on tunes you already know well. That is what I do all the time! Time for me to dig in on the fiddle a bit more.
ReplyDeleteAny time I play the concertina and not the harp, I'm slumming, no?
ReplyDeleteJes being silly, rilly.
Ha ha, I think if this was a blog for concertinas and fiddles, any time you played your harp it would be slumming!
ReplyDelete