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Conquering Bm


Azalin

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Well, it's now my 6 months anniversary of relearning/readapting completely my technique on the anglo to use the left side G row as my primary row for B, D, E and sometimes A. Before that I would almost never use the left side G row beside the lower push D and F#...

 

So 6 months ago I started going through all my tunes and relearning them with the 'correct; fingering. It's been working very, very well, doing some miracles on some tunes, adding some exciting phrasing (Phrasing *I* find exciting) but mostly making it *much* easier to play all tunes, sharing the work between the two sides and not having one fingers trying to do too much. The tunes are flowing much more, my rhythm is starting to be much more solid in the process.

 

Anyhow, I used to be afraid of mainly Bm tunes. Since these tunes are using lot of B, C# and D, I used to try to do some magic on the right side, trying to play these three notes sometimes with one finger or two. I would practice the tune forever and still struggle everytime I'd start it on a new day... But today I tried with the new technique, going through two Bm tunes, and it's so, so much easier. After only a few minutes I had the tunes flowing like never before.

 

I'm not sure if anyone went through the same process, but would not you agree that Bm is they key that gains the most when using the left side G row predominantly instead of almost not using it at all.... I think other keys are somewhat manageable, with Dm and C being actually easier on the C row.

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Well, I did put 'correct' in single quotes, I assume people will know what I mean.

 

To me, you're fingering will be 'correct' when you're able to play tunes that are not choppy and flow nicely.

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Well, thanks to some friends, seems I found the name of the Bm tune that gave me the hardest time with the old fingering. It's Sweeney's Buttermilk.

 

Try to play this tune nicely without using the A, B or D (higher ones) on the left side G row and I'll call you a God or Goddess :-)

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Well, thanks to some friends, seems I found the name of the Bm tune that gave me the hardest time with the old fingering. It's Sweeney's Buttermilk.

 

Try to play this tune nicely without using the A, B or D (higher ones) on the left side G row and I'll call you a God or Goddess :-)

azalin,I have found this thread useful,thanks

 

I've been playing a set from the first Patrick Street recording called The Shores Of Lough Gowna/Contentment Is Wealth/Have A Drink With Me. These all seem to work really well with the LH G row notes. I think the B part of The Shores of Lough Gowna ends up being all on the G row, which is cool.

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Well, thanks to some friends, seems I found the name of the Bm tune that gave me the hardest time with the old fingering. It's Sweeney's Buttermilk.

 

Try to play this tune nicely without using the A, B or D (higher ones) on the left side G row and I'll call you a God or Goddess :-)

 

does it match this? http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/556

 

if not, could you post your abc? if you are offering to call someone a god, i think you should put forth your version so we can contend for the position. i'm sure i *could do it. do we have to offer recordings?

 

 

*disclaimer: that does not mean necessarily that it is how i would do it if i was not vying for god status.

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I think my version is pretty close to Kevin Burke's one, or at least based on it. Since I'm not really good with theory and ABC I couldnt say if thesession.org's version is similar. I will send you a clip I received this week, it's Kevin Burke playing the tune. But it's going to be a tough one if you are vying for "god" position as it's a very subjective matter. When you call "smooth" and "good phrasing" might not be smooth to my ears :-) I'd be curious though to find out what your version might sound like without using the three first buttons (starting from your index finger) on the left side G row.

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