For this week, I will memorise the Georgia Whaling Song. Nice and slow, bar by bar. Got the first line down already. To help me keep it very very slow to start with, I imagine that I am teaching this to someone note by note. All clear and wide open.
Sigh, I still haven’t started tuning those pipes….
After struggling with two new reeds ( supposedly low pressure…!) I finally am managing to play complete tunes on them, although there are still some patches where I lose the battle with the reed to a greater or lesser extend.
Below are two of my first attempts at playing a complete tune with the new reed ( and my strengthened diaphragm).
Warning: I only have two tenor drones open at this stage and the setup is totally untuned. I’ll be returning to the tuning part of my education shortly… as soon as I have ordered another set of chanter reeds.
The Dark Island
The Skye Boat Song
and the old standard, Amazing Grace,
Another truly beautiful tune is Loch Rannoch. For a good tutorial and sheet music, check out Bill Robertson’s website
Still ahead of the beat in many places, but it sounded nicer than before, to me at least! Probably because I feel more relaxed today.
Here is my first best recording of it so far. I recorded it on my mobile phone so it sounds a bit tinny. At least I managed to slow it down to recognizable speed 🙂
Below is my second recording. Does it sound like hard work? OK, it sounds workmanlike, but there are improvements.
Here are helpful renditions of two of the tunes I’m currently working on, The Dark Island and the Georgia Whaling Song.
Both on accordion….
… and the Dark Island sung by Mary Duff. My favourite version.
