Margaret's Waltz

[Gregor Markič]

 

[Paul_Hardy]

Nice. Note that Margaret's Waltz, although often treated as "Trad." is I believe by Pat Shaw, 1959, and was written in honour of Margaret Grant, president of Devon EFDSS. Even where tunes have entered the shared folk repertoire, it's good to keep the composer attribution if known or searchable.

[jim troy]

Thanks, Mr. Hardy, for the heads up on the composer.

Played this back in the day, with The Louise Waltz, on fiddle.

Giving it a run now, on Anglo.

I thought it was Scottish, having heard it, and The Louise, played by the Scottish lads.

Trying to find the appropriate drop/pedal note, second half, the D being a maybe.

 

Would there be a link to Pat's tunes ?

Just a moment ago, saw Margaret's and Farewell to Devon, are usually played together.

 

[David Barnert]

3 hours ago, Paul_Hardy said:

Note that Margaret's Waltz, although often treated as "Trad." is I believe by Pat Shaw

 

Yes, it is certainly by Pat Shaw. Although I have heard one story that someone (I don’t remember who) learned it from Jay Ungar and later played it for Pat Shaw thinking he might like the tune.

[wunks]

There's an interesting "story" in the Traditional Tunes Archive along those lines.

[Cliff Ermatinger]

Nicely played, thank you.

[RAc]

Well Gregor, please be aware that a Waltz is a dance tune, and dancers forgive a lot - except an unstable rhythm. I suggest that you try playing with a metronome or (more advanced) try to play along with a recording (possibly slowed down if the original is too fast for the time being). It is rather frustrating at first but very satisfying once you managed to lock into the rhythm.

 

I myself do not claim any degree of musical perfection for myself, in fact can not hold a candle to anyone who may call Him/herself a musician - yet the chance to play for "real" (in the context of dances in my case) has issued a number of eye opening reality checks and brought me miles farther down the musical road.

 

Keep on squeezing!

 

[David Barnert]

16 minutes ago, RAc said:

dancers forgive a lot - except an unstable rhythm.

 

Agreed. Not only true, but important. I have often advised people who ask how to learn to play like me that they should go to dances. That’s how I learned.

[Don Taylor]

Is Gregor playing on his computer keyboards as he has demonstrated in earlier videos?

Edited March 13 by Don Taylor

[David Barnert]

And, incidentally, here (courtesy of @Michael Eskin’s ABC Transcription Tools) is the tune as Shaw wrote it, with chords as they appear in the first Barnes book of English Country Dance Tunes.

 

Edited to add: It’s generally played with the 8th notes swung.

Edited March 12 by David Barnert

[Michael Eskin]

Same tune a bit slower, with a bit of swing, and a concertina sound for the melody:

https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html?lzw=BoLgjAUAKiCyCGAnA5kgpgFwOQGcAEA6vADYYBeEAwiAArwZ4DKAFvAO4A0eYAnAKw8IsEAGYA9ABYIAGXBiAHBACKciQF4wAJgAMEANIgAghACk8AEYBjAFY4A+jgD2AVwB2AEwBmj1w0-1zRwBPUxNYAEkAEXC8AAdER2REeABbbhERUIjovHN4HBx4xLxdEzComMtmR0R3IuQS0xw2AEtXBu0AOk0IS008AB88ACJDYYBREQAxPEMAIUG8Swk+xeHI4bnDPCnNQ36hic2Vg4AdCFGJ6dmFw4AKKYBiFIBKYcsRdzQDkfH3iTmP0uhgkeBAA167gGw0oz2GaBEnjwyDQayeKWG8Ak8CBG08qPcmk8QL+aFBllu51Gd3GKQA7G9DCIFpZ3GsxmTVoc5hitjs9iTjks2UMLrCMQikSi0XD4CJkcS1htvoSub9jlyqWNJjN5ms7pE3h8voLloD2aMJAMALpAA&format=noten&ssp=10&name=Margaret's_Waltz&play=1

Edited March 12 by Michael Eskin

[Paul_Hardy]

My slow then fast recording from Covid lockdown times of the version in my session tunebook  is at https://pghardy.net/greenshoots/virtual/audio/Margarets Waltz.mp3. 

[Gregor Markič]

On 3/12/2025 at 9:40 AM, RAc said:

Well Gregor, please be aware that a Waltz is a dance tune, and dancers forgive a lot - except an unstable rhythm. I suggest that you try playing with a metronome or (more advanced) try to play along with a recording (possibly slowed down if the original is too fast for the time being). It is rather frustrating at first but very satisfying once you managed to lock into the rhythm.

 

I myself do not claim any degree of musical perfection for myself, in fact can not hold a candle to anyone who may call Him/herself a musician - yet the chance to play for "real" (in the context of dances in my case) has issued a number of eye opening reality checks and brought me miles farther down the musical road.

 

Keep on squeezing!

 

Thanks, I will obey to your advice. 

[Gregor Markič]

22 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

Is Gregor playing on his computer keyboards as he has demonstrated in earlier videos?

Not this time 😀

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Very nice 🌝

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Looking at the key it looks like A major.

Can be more testing with all the sharps [ like the G sharps] at least on anglo system.

Do not be worried about transposing to another [easier] key if you have to - try G major? Then only the F sharp to contend with.  Of course if you are using english system?.. it  may be different.🙂

[Michael Eskin]

Here it is in G (an earlier version had issues):

https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html?lzw=BoLgjAUAKiCyCGAnA5kgpgFwOQGcAEA6vADYYBeEAwiAArwZ4DKAFvAO4A0eYAnAKw8IsEAGYA9ABYIAGXBiAHBACKciQF4wAJgAMEANIgA4hACk8AEYBjAFY4A+jgD2AVwB2AEwBmj1w0-1zRwBPUxNYAEkAEXC8AAdER2REeABbbhERUIjovHN4HBx4xLxdEzComMtmR0R3IuQS0xw2AEtXBu0AOk0IACFNPAAfPAAiQxHIkQBRPEMAQSG8Xol+xZHKEbnDPCnNQwHhic2Vg4AdCDGJ6dmFw4AKKZSAShHekUt3A9HI14k5r8uhgkeBAgz6lkGrxSI3cIjQeE87jWjxGyAkyABGzQSMsmjQAJ+7mBvVu5zGd0iKQA7C9DCIFr1LGtxkTVoc5tCtjs9gTjksmcMLr1obD4YjkdDkCIEfi1htPri2d9jmyyeNJjN5ms7pQXm8Przlv9mWMJIMALpAA&format=noten&ssp=10&name=Margaret's_Waltz&play=1

Edited March 13 by Michael Eskin

[Michael Eskin]

Latest demo video on playing "Alternate" chords in my ABC Transcription Tools: