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