Current Repertoire - Random Notes

[Chris Drinkwater]

One of the tunes I am currently learning to add to my repertoire, is the lovely James Hill jig, Random Notes. It's ideally suited to the concertina. I play an English treble and it's a challenging tune to learn to play, especially when played quite fast, at around 175 beats. The tune has scope to add bits of ornamentation and notes that can be held down as a drone. If I ever feel my playing of it gets good enough to put it on the recorded tunes page, I will. In contrast, another nice tune I have been learning, is Tom Anderson's Da Slockit Light, orginally a fiddle tune, like Random notes, this tune is played quite slowly in 4/4 time. I have come across a 2nd harmony part to it, by Ellen Thomas. I have scored the two parts together on Noteworthy Composer, to hear what they sound like played together and it's a nice arrangement! Any other recommended tunes that people are working on at the moment, perhaps to challenge and improve their playing?

 

Chris

[Larry Stout]

I've been working on Random Notes too. Another that is starting to get better is Concertina Reel-- usually palyed a breakneck speed in my local session in a version which really doesn't work well on a concertina-- I get most of the notes. I also like Belgian Breakfast (posted in the tunes forum here sometime in the past-- it isn't the real name of the tune, but we don't know what the name is). I've also been trying to find good places for me to put harmony in on Planxty Browne.

 

Then there's the challenge of learning to play the Crane duet that I picked up a few weeks ago-- it's coming, but the EC still comes easier.

[David Barnert]

In contrast, another nice tune I have been learning, is Tom Anderson's Da Slockit Light... Any other recommended tunes that people are working on at the moment, perhaps to challenge and improve their playing?

Another great slow Tom Anderson tune is "Da Auld Restin' Chair." There's a nice recording of it on the CD "Over the Water" on Anglo (Tom Kruskal), fiddle and viola.

[spindizzy]

There's an excellent version of random notes on the Black Boxes CD by Sarah Graves (played on EC).

I think the concertina reel was written for something OTHER than an EC, it's tricky to get your fingers round at any speed.

Presumably the concertina in question was an anglo - is it a doddle on that?