Thanks Mark as always you are too kind, .

John thats a great compliment indeed, that is what I strive for interpretation and my own style as without those you are like a robot when you play. I hate it when everyone plays traditional tunes, exactly how they are written in sheet music. I can honestly say I have never heard the same tune played the same way by the same fiddler on more than one occasion, efen in Ireland these tunes are played differently from town to town, they all have the same core but the tune changes around it like a whirlwind rushing around tree, the trèe bends and sways and changes but is still essentially the same.

Sienna thank you very much very kind of you.

Emily tanks for listening much appreciated

Andrew, I think you are probably correct in what you say. I have said before I have had a bit of help from a proffessor of music in another forum, one on which some people are a bit snobby, you know which one I mean,, anyway he was monitoring my playing, specifically traditional, he noticed I was reading it and told me in his opinion, classical musicians dont make good traditional players precisely because reading the music makes you robotic, he advised me to learn everything by ear, which generally I do, unless I dont have the time, and then I only use the music as a guide and play what I hear in my head.

I will never be any good at classical and am not concerned anyway, its like ode to joy, if I played that one busking the crowd wouldnt know if I was using martele strokes or brush strokes all they care about is if they like it or not, thats the truth, th only people who would know are musos. in fact most people have cloth ears, I learned that when I played lead guitar in a rock band lol, they wouldnt know a bad note if it was seven feet tall and they fell over it, if you hit a bad note in a certain bit you hit the same bad note again when you play that bit again, wink at the crowd and they think its great, if you know anyone who plays in a band ask them, they will laugh, and nod in agreement.

Think you are right what you say about sheet music.

Thanks again greg, I am into the silver spear at the moment because a while back I heard you using triplets from the elbow so I am practicing them, its a good tune dont know if you play it o not.

I dont take offence at anything anyone says, life is too short for that. As for guitarists being cloth eared, cant argue with that, I actually was a teacher of guitar for many years, until just before the virus actually, and was shocked when I started to learn fiddle only to realise I couldnt tell if a note was sharp or flat lol, still made a living at it though, and turned out some very good guitarists.

I can tell now though;)

No didnt see you moving your elbow, but I listened to a few tutorials on you tube that said it comes from the elbow. I have been practicing it and am getting the hang now, its similar in a way to the fast tenor banjo triplet, sort of dont think what you are doing and let it flow, coildnt get that until I did it that way.

Your advice does help wont be using the elbow;)

Thanks S

SharonC said
@stringy  Nice tune & playing--I know this one; I think I've heard it called Rights of an Irishman?  I'm always surprised when I recognize a fiddle tune

  

Thanks Sharon, dont know if it has that name, but most Irish tunes have hundreds of different names depending on  how drunk the one who is playing it is, and of course who is asking, lol,. I am quite pleased you recognised it though, I must be getting better:) 

damfino, thats a great vid, especially about the pressure at the start, thanks for that

I wasnt doing the pressure at the begining of the stroke and it didnt have the right sound because of it, not got it quite as quick yet, but its improving. On tenor banjo with the plec it took me months, hoping this is going to be a bit faster:)