What music are you playing this week?

[Strumelia]

I'd love to know what everyone is working on right now, music-wise...

What tunes, what instruments, are you practicing this week?  Pictures welcome too!  :D

[Wes Merchant]

Well, since you asked, I've been in Garageband mode, here's a work in progress, might be a little over done, I've just figured out that I can do a piano track from a midi file created through abc notation, it saves a lot of space in my little house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JtTS0OqscU&feature=youtu.be

[Mark Weems]

Well, Zip Coon/Turkey in the Straw on the fiddle, just in time for tomorrow!

Also just finished up another tour with Fiona Ritchie of Thistle & Shamrock for her book Wayfaring Strangers. Got to play some gourd banjo for it. Get a copy - makes good Christmas presents! Here is the link - http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/books/12005.html

[Strumelia]

Wes that's a pretty tune- love the handwritten image.  Almost feels like long ago someone took a major tune and flipped it to minor to make it melancholy.

Mark- I'm in awe!   Did Fiona play the dulcimer?   And who played that drum (bodhran?) on the stage there?

[Tom Taggart]

I am working on Circus Jig on my minstrel banjo.  Some day I may even get up enough nerve to post a video.

[Leonidas (Lee) Jones]

Well, aside from almost the entire Briggs book and selected tunes from Rice and Buckley, I'm just trying to improver my banjo playing. I've been looking at Marks Sweeney (Sweeny?) book, and just started exploring a reprint od the Septimus Winner book, courtesy of a point in the right direction ny Tim. I already posted a Boatman's Dance video, and we have made quite a few more audio recordings.

[Mark Weems]

It was a fun time and Fiona was most gracious in letting me talk a little about Joe Sweeny and play the gourd banjo. Doug Orr's wife, Darcy, plays the dulcimer, and my wife, Julee plays the bodhran.

Strumelia said:

Wes that's a pretty tune- love the handwritten image.  Almost feels like long ago someone took a major tune and flipped it to minor to make it melancholy.

Mark- I'm in awe!   Did Fiona play the dulcimer?   And who played that drum (bodhran?) on the stage there?

[Strumelia]

Would have loved to see the show.    :)

[Tim Twiss]

I am starting the recordings of the banjo pieces in the Analytical. Beautiful stuff.

[Paul Draper]

That's great, Tim! Man, I'm looking forward to that!

[Tim Twiss]

Thanks Paul. I have been wanting to do this project for a while. This is primo stuff. Much of it is right in the old style, but some at the end are quite progressive. I am not going to do the guitar style tunes, although many crossover. I'll stick with those labeled "banjo style".

[Strumelia]

For the past several weeks, I've been working on playing some simple medieval tunes on an old Cretan Lyra I had repaired and brought back to life.   Really enjoying the challenges of a bowed instrument again after so many years away from it.

[John Cohen]

I've been preparing with Mariah Mullins for a concert we are giving in a few weeks.  So many tunes and so little time!  My minstrel banjo is back in order, and my classic banjo is currently having a new head installed (thanks to Jim Hartel for working on both banjos).  Lately, I've really taken to the classic banjo and have been playing guitar-style more than stroke-style I'm afraid.