Topcliffe Jam-boree

This looks like a real lads den (dart board etc), which it might well turn out to be. It happens to be the Old Toll Booth in Topcliffe (full story on the GNS), North Yorkshire and it was the latest venue for a string band get together. It was also the first time that Virtual networks turned into Actual ones, as we were joined by Steve who has been on NBB before. He's quite an accomplished player on the quiet, and although we only had a couple of hours, it appears a good time was had by all. Thanks lads.
Also the pub is within spitting distance, so we just had to afterwards!

Spanish Lady... as it should sound

The Trials and Tribulations of the Spanish Lady...

Or, Thanks, Ken Perlman!!!

Ken Perlman & Craig Duncan

Couldn't find any film of Ken Playing Spanish Lady so here he is playing Leather Britches.

Cedric Down Under... I'm trying fella!

This week I have mostly been playing... Spanish Lady

Celtic Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo by Ken Perlman
This week I've been slaving over 'Spanish Lady' from Ken Perlman's book on fiddle tunes for the banjo.
It's a slightly different approach to frailing as there are far fewer strums in the playing pattern, and it requires a lot of accuracy to get the picking patterns right. Which is why I've not posted any audio - cos I'm still terrible at it.

It's a great book, probably not for beginners - in fact definitely not for beginners - but it's got loads of tunes which have thier roots in European folk traditions. The CD that comes with it has bare bones clear, and relatively slow versions of each song so you can at least pick up the melody, before you drive yourself insane with the dreaded 'triplets'... ahhhh.

It was playing sandy River Belle that got me started on this clawhammer vibe, so blame her.

Back in the Shack

Bye Bye.

Hey you crazy kids.

Thanks for putting up with me for the last however many days! If you`ve liked what you`ve had visit me at http://thegreatnorthstrum.blogspot.com/

If you haven`t, keep on with Andy, He`s a genuinely brilliant fella.

Thanks to Andy,

Mark!

Oh I`ve not gone yet. I`ll be supporting these girls on the 7th May at the Crown in Boro, if you can get there!





Mark.