current tunes

It was a year ago I "gave" this octave mandolin to Anne as a "present."  With a wink and a nod that she was hoping to get a backup musician out of it rather than pick up another instrument.

After that long, I've got a couple of tunes I can almost play up to speed, and on a good day which almost sound like music.  It's addictive, though, and I love the way it stretches out my left hand, even if I have to skip some days when my hand is sore.

How many tunes do I know now?

1. The Rambler (Irish jig)
2. Coleraine (English jig)
3. Boys of Ballinafad (Irish jig)
4. The Girl Who Broke My Heart (slow Gm reel)
   
5. The Cliffs of Mostar (Cliffs of Moher done in 7/8)
6. Kesh Jig
   
7. Easy Club Reel (well, right...)
8. When Jesus Christ Was 12 Years Old (medieval Cornish)
   
9. Haste to the Wedding (Irish Jig)
10. Boys of Blue Hill (hornpipe)
11. Siroc (Romanian)
    

Hey, that's not too bad.  1,989 tunes later I'll be able to sit in on an Irish session. 

Plus I just started fooling with the chords, playing to the Dead's "Loser", which has a nice chord progression (how many different places on the neck can you play a G chord?). Thus I shall fulfill my destiny as a backup musician.

Next I really want to learn a Bulgarian paidushko (5/8).  I may have to do that one totally by ear since I don't have any sheet music for one lying around.