Toni’s Tunes
Your next lesson will be on 9th October at 9.30 am
New Tune : Maple Sugar (mp3)
Back Row Band Busk Book – you have the book & next workshop is at 11 am at Lucy Sanderson Hall. Galashiels on 25.10.26
Music for grade 4 sets:
1.Guiser’s March/Kirrie Kebbuck/Miss Susan Cooper – recordings below
2. Coilsfield House/Acrobat Hornpipe/Balcomie House – recordings below.Don’t forget your F major arpeggio for Balcomie House.
3. Ivor & Eleanor’s Wedding/Da Nord Rodd – recordings below
4. Hill of Lochiel/ Sound of Sleat – you have videos and recordings
Back Row Sessions – Link to playlist here
1st Chosen set: Here is it all together in one set (Guiser’s March/Kirrie Kebbuck/Miss Susan Cooper)
Guisers’ March Gideon Stove (Number 344 of Fiddle Music of Scotland – Hunter 1988) with a similar you tube recording here. Kirrie Kebbuck J.S.Skinner (105 – Hunter 1988) with a you tube recording here.Miss Susan Cooper R.Cooper (No. 218 – Hunter 1988 with a recording here and a slower recording here
2nd chosen set :
a) Coilsfield House (recording)(number 5 of Fiddle Music of Scotland – Hunter 1988) b} (Number 305 of Fiddle Music of Scotland – Hunter 1988) c) Acrobat Hornpipe (recording)Balcomie House – (recording)
3rd chosen set :Recording of Da Nord Rodd (very basic!) with Ivor & Eleanor’s Wedding. Notes are here for the set
4th chosen set : Hill of Lochiel/ Sound of Sleat – you have videos and recordings
5th chosen set : Hector the Hero (mp3) The Rights of Man and The Earl of Dunsmore (mp3)
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Leaving Lerwick Harbour – double stopping. Go for it and vibrato but not so your arm hurts.
New tune: The Big Yin with recording and a slower recording here for learning. There is an easier accompaniment here and,wait for it, an arrangement with a basic music software recording of it here to give you a rough idea. You can hear Bruce MacGregor playing it here and work out where it goes into another key (just shift up a string – same fingering).
Ashokan’s Farewell – hang onto the long notes.Try vibrato!
Rowan Tree in 3rd position (mp3) Have a wee listen and try it if you like the tune.Goes to 3rd position now and again and sounds great.
Try Ye Banks and Braes in 3rd position – notes and fingering are here
Stick to Roslin Castle in D minor (the version you have).
The Iron Man (mp3) – could try this tune!
Rannie MacLellan (mp3) – Cape Breton tune
Malcolm Finlay (mp3) Listen and only try if you like it
The Whole set (mp3) on one page, without chords, for ease of reading, or, for accompanists, with chords (mp3)
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Tartan Tunes – we both have music .
Ashokan’s Farewell – hang onto the long notes.Try vibrato!
New tune to work on – Kerry Dancers (mp3) with a slower recording here. A jig – strawberry, raspberry rhythm with emphasis on 1st note of each three
Skye Boat Song is here
Play along with Father Abraham here and Don’t Worry Be Happy here. Use open D and 1st on D (e). In ‘Don’t Worry be Happy’ use an offbeat rhythm (ooom chip) and only do a wee short up bow on the ‘chip’
Brinkie’s Brae (mp3) and Holm Band Tune (mp3)
Shapinsay Polka (mp3) Lily’s March (mp3)
Exercise : Your bow needs to be nearer the bridge (nearer you!). Bowing exercise – open D,open A, 1st on D (E),open A,2nd on D (F#),open A,3rd on D (G) open A and back down. Start on a down bow. The A note is always an up bow .Gradually get it faster.
African Lullaby (Bk 2: 58). learn this by heart.It is in the key of D. Try starting on D3 (G) or open A (stretchy 3rd on D when you get to it)
Ashokan’s Farewell (mp3) – get expression and hang on to longer notes.
Tunes you are doing include Roslin Castle, The Iron Man (try and play it at this speed – one bar is different to your music I think). Try NOT using music for this one.There is also John Stephen of Chance Inn.
New waltz and strathspey – Mr and Mrs Robert Brunton (mp3) and Melgund Glen (mp3) – notes for both here – Mr and Mrs Robert Brunton and Melgund Waltz
Da Sooth End and Mrs McGlashan’s jigs are going well. Here is a jig in A minor (no sharps or flats) and this is the jig on the recording with Da Sooth End on this website.
Da Auld Peat Rod with the recording of it and Da Sooth End here
Taladh Chriosda (mp3) Bk 1: 46
Chi mi muile (mp3) Bk 1:46
Calum’s Road (mp3) Bk 1: 19 with Mothers of St Ann’s (Bk 1: 10)
We may look at Tiny Nanna’s Waltz (mp3)
Schneewalzer which is here (dots) -with recordings of Schneewalzer in D and Schneewalzer in C as played by ourselves on 12.09.23 with a view to Donald (photo above) teaching an arrangement (see the score here and a movie of it here) for the tune in the key of C. There’s a slowed down version of the movie here.
Use their music and recordings. Remember using long bows and vibrato for Roslin Castle.
Practice scale of D and different rhythms (short/long and long/short) to get that Strathspey sound.
This set is used by Riddell Fiddles and we may play it in the RNLI Concert in Kelso on 3rd December 2023
Da Boannie Polka Set notes are here – Individual recordings below
1. Da Boannie Polka 2. Seven Step Polka 3. Sister Jean
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Calliope House and The Warlocks.Use the recordings you have and the music – these are challenging but you are doing well. HOLD on to the longer notes.
Other tunes if you get fed up with these ones
El Choclo (Argentinian Tango) with fast recording. Here is a slower recording.(Bk 1:32 – 1st part only). However here is the harmony for the whole thing. Here is what you should be playing (made one mistake!)
Margaret’s Waltz – a lovely tune. Here is a recording.
Bert Mackenzie’s 70th (mp3). – in book. Maggie West (mp3) Look up Mairead Green on YouTube playing it with Anna Massie.Listen a 1000 times. Hang on to notes
Songs to play along with. Just busk it.
Don’t Worry , Be Happy Play along to this – Ye Jacobites . Start on an E – 1st finger on D
Tongadale Reel – Shorten bow and use right wrist more. practice 2nd part really slowly.
Vibrato – flexi wrist on long notes
Another great tune.The Sleeping Tune (mp3) Long bows and watch tuning.
1.Rose of Saint Magnus – (mp3) Try using fourth fingers at some bits. Listen to Duncan Chisholm playing it on YouTube or Eryn Rae in part 2 of the Trad Music Awards 2023 (second set that she does).
Practice some simpler faster tunes such as Soldier’s Joy. Here is a recording. Use middle of bow. try it without music.
4. Tune in G minor (B and E flats so pulled back 1sts on D,A and E)
Essich (1st part) (2nd part) with recording. There is a recording of the group playing it here. Try the high harmony and the riff too.Practice tune only and REMEMBER the long notes.
5. Exercise : Your bow needs to be nearer the bridge (nearer you!). Bowing exercise – open D,open A, 1st on D (E),open A,2nd on D (F#),open A,3rd on D (G) open A and back down. Start on a down bow. The A note is always an up bow .Gradually get it faster.
6.Scale of B flat major in 2 octaves with recording here to prepare you for Leaving Lerwick (YouTube recording here). This is going really well.
8.Brochan Lom (mp3) Remember to do short,long notes in the D scale and then long,short in the D scale. and then long,short,short,long (give me coff-eee). Bottom of bow better for this.
What about trying this tune from the Blazing Fiddles concert? Annie’s Waltz. Look up you tube to find Bruce MacGregor playing it. Do scale of A first in 2 octaves (stretchy thirds on G and D strings) and then the arpeggio. (PDF here and mp3 here)
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Bow hair – towards your face!
Bovaglie’s Plaid (tuning). Do scale of A major before playing (all stretchy including 3rds on G and D)
Neil Gow’s Lament for his 2nd Wife
Scale of B flat major in 2 octaves with recording here to prepare you for Leaving Lerwick (YouTube recording here).
Ye Banks and Braes in G (mp3) / Aran Boat Song in Em (mp3) /Leaving Lismore in D (mp3 – music software) – the set
Current basic playlist is on website under ‘Playlist’ link. Use music when you need but listen and play along without if you can.
Working on third position-Grand Old Duke of York and Hot Cross Buns from sheet.Move 1st finger up to where 3rd on A is. Start Hot cross Buns in this position 3,2,1 etc.
ALSO Egan’s Polka – listen and play along (Bk 1:13) with John Ryan’s on same page (mp3)
Bonnie Lass of Fyvie Set – Bonnie Lass of Fyvie/Loch Lomond (D) and Marie’s Wedding (A) with a rough recording here.
Bolloles Schottis (Bk 1:2)
Tune to work on – Màiri Bhàn Og (rough recording)
Sitting in the Stern of a Boat – great YouTube clips from Iain Fraser /Hanneke Cassel /Phil & Aly – so have a listen
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1.Catfish nailed to a Tree/The Hoy Tune (mp3) (Bk 1: 12)
2. Bolloles Schottis (Bk 1:2)
3.Egan’s Polka – listen and play along (Bk 1:13) with John Ryan’s on same page (mp3)
4.Slockit Light (mp3) – a beautiful slow tune. Work on that bar in the second half with the close G and the stretchy G (2nd fingers on E). Riddell Fiddles plays it with this tune Da Road to Houll (listen here)
Here is Callum’s Road recording and we play it with Hut on Staffin island (1:19).
6. McKechnie’s Farewell (Bk1:49)
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Coilsfield House recording – music as in your grade 4 book
Some trickier grade 4 tunes = Da Day Dawn (as on you tube) and Leaving Stoer (music in book)
New Shetland Set
Willafjord (mp3) Spootiskerry (you have music in book)/ Hurlock’s Reel (mp3)
Try doing arpeggios – start on the open string and follow the finger pattern – open,2nd,open,3rd and then back down to open, 2nd and open
For A it would be A, C#,E,top A and then open E,C#,A
Your tone is great as is your tuning. Now we need to work on what your bow is doing.
Bow exercise : Open D (down bow), Open A up bow. 1st on D (down bow). Open A up bow. 2nd on D (down bow). Open A up bow. 3rd on D (down bow). Open A up bow. 3rd on D (down bow). Open A up bow. 2nd on D (down bow). Open A (up bow).1st on D (down bow). Open A up bow. Open D (down bow)
Stronsay Wedding (mp3) (slowly) – start the groups of four on a down bow.
Down bow = hand away from fiddle
Up bow = hand towards fiddle
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Taladh Chriosda (mp3)/Chi mi Muile (mp3) – the set and, when you get bored, have a wee run through of The Brig (3rd tune in set)(Bk 1:46)
Bolloles Schottis (page 2 of Riddell Fiddles’ Book 1
Slockit Light (mp3) – a beautiful slow tune
Auld Lang Syne – work on this for Starter Session
Love of the Isles – a recording. Try some 4th fingers now
Go back and try Stool of Repentance, Murdo’s Wedding, Soldier’s Joy
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Flower of the Quern – stretchy thirds on D and long, moving notes! Use your bow fully!
This set is going well so work on it. Slockit Light (mp3) – a beautiful slow tune. Slockit Light (mp3) . Work on that bar in the second half with the close G and the stretchy G (2nd fingers on E). Riddell Fiddles plays it with this tune Da Road to Houll (listen here) and you are well on the way to learning it.
Tunes to be working on – here is a recording of The Pearl with a metronome (may put you off!) as well as Love of the Isles (you have a recording).
Here is Callum’s Road recording and we play it with Hut on Staffin island (it is in book 1). Here are dots for the set.
Don’t forget the grade 2 stuff .Soldier’s Joy and Stool of Repentance which starts slow in this recording but speeds up the 2nd time.
Select a few tunes and work on them. You do not need to know them all. Listen to the tunes and you are halfway there.
L’Air Mignonne– have a listen!