solo acoustic arrangement of Ashokan Farewell

[David Hilyard]

Originally Posted by missouri.picker

thanks for the input peeps, it really helps to motivate me as this is my first attempt at solo playing.

for those who couldn't download it i am sorry but thanks for trying.

RICK AND RMY, I have been here for months and everyday there are players posting you-tube performances in this room, so I didn't think it so bad. I didn't post it as a performance because i wanted the 'general discussion forum' to give me a boost in confidence as this is my first attempt at solo work. I apologize to you that you are so offended by this post being in the wrong room, I don't know how to move the post so if one of the mediators (or whatever they are called) wants to move or delete it, I am fine with that. you guys have a great day and play on peeps.......

It took several tries before the tune played for me. I'm not familiar with the tune but the playing seemed okay. I think working up a more elaborate arrangement is next. And adding some dynamics. The trebles seemed a bit brittle. Not sure if that's the guitar, the strings or the recording.

Good first attempt.

Might want to lose the chip, though. Probably get better response.

[missouri.picker]

would any moderator be so kind as to remove this post? Better yet if you would be so kind as to direct me to the right place so that I can do it I would be quite appreciative. many thanks.

[crikey]

Why would you want it removed?

[zenpicker]

Nice feel to this recording...I liked it. Out of curiosity, did you use nails, fingerpicks or nails + thumbpick? Also, what was your mike setup? Warm sound!

[zenpicker]

Originally Posted by billv

From the "horse's mouth":

http://www.jayandmolly.com/ashokanfaq.shtml

OK, pardon this strictly nonmusical aside...the academic lurking within me has been aroused.

I find the story of the tune's name interesting, but I wonder if it's right...might well be a corrupted native word, as the article suggests, but it could be something else too. Ashoka was the greatest monarch of ancient India, the first to unify a bunch of tribal groups into a nation in the modern sense. He is a seminal figure in Indian history - the Indian flag features his emblem. He abolished capital punishment and instituted the first broad and consistent set of laws throughout the land (and into modern-day Sri Lanka). He was known to the West through Sanskrit and other chronicles translated into European languages fairly early on, which makes me wonder if his legend might actually have been known to some early New Yorker or other. Intriguing thought. Some of those colonists were widely read, surprisingly so. Could it be?????

Or maybe the article is right and my association is a total red herring! Probably. But awfully fun to speculate...

And now back to our musical program, already in progress!

[David Hilyard]

Edward,

I was also curious about the tune, since I wasn't very familiar with it. Tom Young plays a version but I didn't know the melody well enough to recognize it. I found this on youtube.

From Jay Unger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx6dxrhqPZY

And one of the best Celtic fiddlers, Mairead Nesbitt, doing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6p8W...eature=related

Pretty tune.

[jpfeiff]

Sounds nice, but I agree with whoever said the treble sounds a little brittle or too shimmery or something. Did you add an effect or EQ to intentionally give it that shimmery-ness? I'm used to D's sounding more boomy! Would love to have a D-45 someday!

[missouri.picker]

Zen, thanks for the nice comments, I use my fingernails, mine are soft so I have to beef them up with 'hard as nails', i get alot of flack for having shiney nails but i have no choice. Also the two mike set up where they are 17cm apart and 110 degrees apart, I forgor what ir is called ORTF (sorry I forgot). Also the tin sound was not the git it was the BR1600 Master kit set to the acoustic mixdown.
I really appreciate the input too because after I went back to listen, everyone is right, I need to practice more and do better mixdowns. The D-45sounds so much better than the recorded work.
Also I am sorry if I came across as having a chip or whatever, I apologize. The last thing in the world i have is an attitude. So enough of that.

[macmoondoggie]

It played fine on my Mac. Very nice rendition.

[Giannini12]

Originally Posted by Smack

Just to be clear, Ashokan farewell is a tune written in the 1980s. It was heavily featured in the Ken Burn's documentary series "The Civil War".

My understanding is that this was the ONLY non-Civil War era tune in that documentary. Everything else was contemporary to the war. To this day, when authentic music of the era is performed before diehard Civil War buffs and historians -- the kind of people that would give you a hard time if you used anything that was the slightest bit historically incorrect -- "Ashokan Farewell" is not only allowed, but welcomed. My friends and I are including it in our presentation to a local Civil War roundtable meeting this winter.

And the bad news is, I couldn't download your version, either. I really want to hear it.

[billv]

Originally Posted by missouri.picker

Zen, thanks for the nice comments, I use my fingernails, mine are soft so I have to beef them up with 'hard as nails', i get alot of flack for having shiney nails but i have no choice. Also the two mike set up where they are 17cm apart and 110 degrees apart, I forgor what ir is called ORTF (sorry I forgot). Also the tin sound was not the git it was the BR1600 Master kit set to the acoustic mixdown.
I really appreciate the input too because after I went back to listen, everyone is right, I need to practice more and do better mixdowns. The D-45sounds so much better than the recorded work.
Also I am sorry if I came across as having a chip or whatever, I apologize. The last thing in the world i have is an attitude. So enough of that.

Re: Hard as Nails - Instead try "Hard as Wraps". The coating is waaaay better! I've been using it now for about 4 months, and its been great. I've had no chipping or breakage even with agressive picking my baritone's fat strings.

[TBman]

Nice playing MP from what I could hear of it, it kept stopping and starting. Boomp3 is giving me alot of problems lately. I think they must be close to maxing out their server space or bandwidth, whichever is appropriate for this kind of problem.

[missouri.picker]

i will try it 'hards-as-wraps' that is; sounds like a good rapper tune

[Bill Cory]

It's a beautiful tune and your playing is realy clean and nice. Not to be negative, but I find the changes of tempo take me away from the effect of this exceptional melody.