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@ABitRusty -
Very interesting!
Strange, I stumbled upon Miguel Berkemeier earlier this evening & it was weird how a couple of his 'Iberian' tunes really caught my attention - mainly because of how he was making a lot of timing changes, throughout.
I like your idea of working through a tune this way!
Thanks for sharing this!
- Emily
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ABitRusty
The timing of that tunes is a bit odd to my ear, but interesting
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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thank you elcbk.. you know.. maybe that style had something to do with it.
Thank ypu Mark. yeah the timing thing was intentionally not following any beat.. not sure where i was going with it or why i went down that road but was different. It in no way is played like that.😉. I was trying to recall sections and in measure 5 or so of B part I was having a really hard way with how the notes fall. it sounds unfinshed or something.
Anyway.. a thing last night.. 😏😄
heres a version. too fast for my taste, which is convenient since I cant play like that. lol
think this is my favorite version paired with another. Virginia is 2nd tune.
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@ABitRusty -
I have the utmost respect for you jumping in and trying to make sense of this tune! Seriously, this would be another hard tune for me to deal with - and you always end up making them sound great!
George White's Favourite & The Virginia Reel DO sound good together!
Something's buggin' me about the way The Virginia Reel is written, maybe the cadence and there's something in the B part pattern of notes that feels similar to the A part. I'd like to figure out why it's like an endless wave in pitch to me (when it's not), then seems to just stop. It's definitely a tune I'd enjoy playing through a couple times with others, but I'd quickly lose my bearings... playing after everyone else finished! (LOL)
I think this tune has a meditative quality to it, and seems really good for the fingers - what I find exciting is that you started exploring possibilities with it!
Can't wait to hear what you finally end up with,
because I'm sure it will be unique!
- Emily
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Well, 💡 - took me long enough to realize why I get VERY confused with some old time fiddle music! Something in the back of my mind kept insisting I KNOW The Virginia Reel, but this tune didn't sound like it. I didn't mention it, because I didn't know why... until now!
When I was growing up, we learned a little folk dancing in school, as part of our Gym curriculum - not sure many schools do that anymore, but this is what I learned to be "The Virginia Reel"! (lol)
Needless to say, the 1st time I heard Turkey in The Straw, I had the same feeling & confusion. Everywhere I saw/heard The Virginia Reel - Turkey in The Straw was playing!
To me, "The Virginia Reel" IS, and always has been, "Turkey in the Straw"! 
...have pity on me.
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ELCBK said
Well, 💡 - took me long enough to realize why I get VERY confused with some old time fiddle music! Something in the back of my mind kept insisting I KNOW The Virginia Reel, but this tune didn't sound like it. I didn't mention it, because I didn't know why... until now!When I was growing up, we learned a little folk dancing in school, as part of our Gym curriculum - not sure many schools do that anymore, but this is what I learned to be "The Virginia Reel"! (lol)
Needless to say, the 1st time I heard Turkey in The Straw, I had the same feeling & confusion. Everywhere I saw/heard The Virginia Reel - Turkey in The Straw was playing!
To me, "The Virginia Reel" IS, and always has been, "Turkey in the Straw"!
...have pity on me.
@elcbk I could be very wrong.. I dont know...but I pretty sure in the context you are showing The Virginia Reel is the name of a dance...it can be danced to any reel or 4/4 i suppose...
example.. fly around my pretty little miss.. i think is the first title
here they play arkansas traveller
think there is a topic on here you or i have already started on this subject.
***another edit
whew ...taking alot of edits to discuss this haha.. 🙂
when i mentioned another topic...we can chat about it here..but i figured if you found it you may wanna do your link magic. or something.
btw...the tune i played is called "The Virginia".. its a reel.. idk if that helps distinguish it when you see another post here or elsewhere.. I think there is also an American old time tune called "The Virginia" thats different ..youll have to double check that.
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@ABitRusty -
🤔... maybe where we talked about Celtic music influence on Old Time (?)
Sorry, I didn't want to change the subject, was complaining that I had to learn the dance, but wondered why no one ever played The Virginia Reel for it, which seems silly not to... but maybe I can understand why - if you wanted people to hop around like that, which one of the tunes do YOU think fits best?
Granted, I haven't been one to hang out at Country or Square Dances, but seems hard to beat Turkey in The Straw for that purpose.
Maybe they should rename the dance - Turkey in The Straw Reel!
...and that's the last I'm talkin' turkey. 😁
- Emily
🤭 Not gonna say the lyrics we used to sing to the Turkey in The Straw.
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@ABitRusty
Now that I'm full of Turkey... I've listened to the different versions of The Virginia Reel enough I might've convinced myself to play it! I've listened sped up & slowed down, maybe upside down (that's your experimenting 😉) - but I'm supposed to be getting some sleep! 😒
I love you drew out the end of the phrases long & slow (when you were playing with timing), instead of a roll or trill, but it didn't completely help me get rid of a feeling (even in the video, that you said was your favorite), an urge to make some of the beats much heavier - to force a rhythm. ...I feel this way about most reels - and probably get dramatic about over-emphasizing because I'm always afraid the accents will be lost as a tune is sped up.
Now, I like the idea removing the 4/4 time, allowing The Virginia Reel to breathe, maybe a chance for something crooked to happen and like the idea of changing the phrasing/accents.
...even thought a C Part could be a possibility. 😊
THANK YOU for inspiring me!
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@ABitRusty -
I found a version of Virginia Reel from Duncan Cameron I like! Duncan plays it a little different than the others, but think this would suit me - will check it out later tonight, because I think it will be fun.
Thought it was interesting that The Session shows several different tunes known as The Virginia - totally unrelated.
Have you already learned to play George White's Favourite?
...I really need to just go bury myself at FIDDLEVIDEO, since I'm still paying for it.
- Emily
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@elcbk said "Have you already learned to play George White's Favourite?"
Yeah im playing them in a set now.. slow from memory. Id share where im at but wont get a chance tonight.
Thanks for the share.. although she is playing flute im hoping for something more like this.
and no..Ive not even opened up flute case. 
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Spot on in my part of the world. with the exception of the kid on the mountain.
This is a great list of to learn tunes if youre looking to visit a session. Lilting Banshee and Kerfunten comes up alot here.. along with the banshee reel and swinging on a gate. harvest home not so much but every once in a while someone will call it. Ive not taken time to learn it.
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@ABitRusty -
Flute version is very smooth/flowing - you can do it.
Pretty amazing YT Channel!
Are you thinking of participating in one of their virtual sessions they have on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of every month?
We talked a while back, about wanting to play 'smooth' - and I know you haven't had time for much, probably not Viola lately, but it doesn't matter - I'm thinking bowing in general. If you get a chance, watch the last video I posted in this thread (starting at 1:18:10, they play for 11 minutes) - Viola Workshop/Masterclass Videos. Martin Hayes has his stylistic bow usage I like, but regardless of Viola/Violin/Fiddle, Tabea Zimmerman blows me away with what she does within each bow stroke!
My point - it's been noticeable to me, for quite a while now, that you've been working on giving character to the individual notes you play! Is this a conscious effort on your part, or more intuition?
I've always got tempo in the back of my mind (which I hate being strict). I wonder at what speed do I sacrifice potential character/dimension/life of each note for the sake of making rhythm the dominant feature, or if I can have them both. I don't know if which way I tip the scale is always different for each tune, but I suspect I have been leaning toward sacrificing all for rhythm. 😔
...always more to work on (I'm tired).
- Emily
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elcbk said.."My point - it's been noticeable to me, for quite a while now, that you've been working on giving character to the individual notes you play! Is this a conscious effort on your part, or more intuition? "
In lessons she introduced bowing and taught things that now seem to come with less instruction. so both i guess. Anything I can do I owe some patient instruction and practice. Id be lying if I said I fivured oit stuff on my own. But on the flipside i listen to alot of the music im trying to play so that helps too. Plus..watching online stuff.. fiddlehell was very informative. Fiddlevideo is great to. Ive always been a self learner.. I just like being with people in person on this stuff. and I say .The majority of anything im able to do has been with helpful teaching. in person and online. It hasnt come naturally.
heres some screaming cat reels..lol
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No screaming cats... Bugsy told me so!
LOVED the combination & sounded GREAT!
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ABitRusty
Great beat, also sounded good.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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I used this for the 3 camera angles on Christmas party vid. Just in case its of interest. Its very easy to do and I used an old camera, cell phone, and my photo type mirrorless camera for the 3 cameras. Basically setup the angles you want ..start recording and when ready i clapped really loud 4 times. when i brought the videos into the video editor i just looked at the audio tracks for the 4 spikes and lined them up. from there i would just cut out the pieces i wanted to keep.
basic green screen ( can be a bright green bed sheet ) technique in davinci resolve
I used that for the snowfall tree scene. hardest thing is hanging the sheet.
not that anybody is just dying to know...but figured if any wondered what i used this is basically it.
and one of the tune tutorials i watched.. hard as i tried couldnt get that really cool bounce he has
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Thought i had a decent night playing. Practicing Porthole of the kelp. Its a little bit choppy but i think i may have been rounding off phrases before tonigh so maybe im on my way to getting it smooth.
Used a synth for a backing instead of metronome to keep time and thought it sounded interesting so kept it and made this.
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ABitRusty
Great tune, enjoyed watching and listening to it at first break with a good cup of coffee and a brownie.
Had a good beat.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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@ABitRusty Really great tune & playing! I like the synth background—it fits with the tall building, & cars moving--the cityscape 🏙️
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@ABitRusty -
Fabulous!
Really glad you played it long enough to really enjoy the groove!
Very cool that you discovered the synth beat - added a unique touch, & your time-lapse of Nashville paired perfectly!
I'd forgotten I had bookmarked Justin Bonar-Bridges play Porthole of the Kelp with "Mother's Delight"! Mother's Delight is a tune I fell in love with maybe a year or 2 ago - has a very similar feel to me. I started to learn it, but must've gotten side-tracked - don't know what happened, but it's been on my list for a long time.
Thank you - loved hearing you play!
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