Last few nights have been mainly the boy in the gap, porthole of kelp and crested hens..which is the hardest of the 3 for me.  The notes arent difficult but the feeling needed i think.  They all require that but the slower tunes even more.  which led into this one i revisted.   I messed around with it a couple years or last year not sure.   not an easy one and not there yet as is apparent.  ..i spared sharing that one then cept for maybe 1 or 2 people.  

no cats harmed here 🫣  

https://youtu.be/8unYSzRr-eA

@elcbk thanks for listening and pointers!  

yes the D# for sure makes the B part and important to use other fingers for correct placement of 3rd finger on that A string note.   otherwise its a gamble..😀 .

EDIT LATER..

@elcbk had to cut last reply short.. and wasnt able to finish

you said..

"One thing I notice about Martin's - not quite so even.  Think it's tricky to build up & let fall away, then build up again - especially at a slow speed. "

yes..very tricky.. First thing I had to do was play an open G string and play individual notes like the E on D and B on A..G on D and D on a..  like open G. then A note...open G then a note.  youd think after a while intonation would just always be there...never is for me. 🤪

then its trying to find that speed on the bow somewhere between glass and too loud.  then theres feeling and dynamics and just playing the right melody which i think i skipped notes in places.  so there was alot to practice besides just playing as youre well aware.  alot of that will get neglected in times I am basically relaxing playing something instead of a focused type of practice.  i felt more engaged in the process on this one regardless of how it came out.  sounds contradictory doesnt it 🙄  

spent a long weekend in Chattanooga, TN taking part in "Owl flight training"  .  Fun time at a local rescue where they have sessions to expose folks to wildlife and other nature type events.  Taylor was our guide and gave a neat show and tell with winni the barn owl.   We were able to let her fly back and forth between us and feed mice when she landed.  She was a bit disturbed with a hawk that was circling the area so after a bit she said enough and needed a break.  spent the rest of the afternoon walking trails and the next couple of days downtown at the riverfront and some old historic type sites.

on the way back today I searched for fiddle tunes with Chattanooga in the title and found this one that  is credited to a Tn fiddler named Blaine Smith who actually played a viola.  I read he had it tuned nearly up to violin pitch which raised the strings way up off the fingerboard.  Theres a recording of him playing this tune that seems to be one of those original source field recordings.  Paul Kirks <a href="