Muckle Reel again

I've had a good week this week. Had my violin lesson yesterday and was told that it was all coming together - played the best ever.  I also have been revisiting the two Shetland tunes I plan to play. I met up with a friend (great fiddler doing her Masters just now) to hear how she has approached it. She is studying Shetland and Greek folk music just now.  She has given me a lot to think about.   Her approach is rather different. She goes into recital and truly improvises.  

I have blogged earlier about this tune being very close to Norwegian tunes.  She showed me an extract from Da Mirrie Dancers where the tune is transcribed (although both of us don't recognise the bar divisions).  There are some background notes which seem to confirm that the tune is based on a Norwegian Halling (one of the types of tunes played on the hardanger)

I am hoping to get my hardanger strung up this week and if its OK I will start experimenting with a raised G string. Not much time really until January.

Still working on my G minor set.  The tuning, string crossing and jumping up to third position is a challenge. Hard to get it clean.  I have the first half but the second had needs more work. 

The Fiddle festival has been on this weekend.  I went to four of the workshops.  These are always a good source of inspiration. Its a great opportunity to hear and see international fiddlers.  The highlights for me were:

• On Friday I saw Celtic Fiddle Festival - a band including Kevin Burke, Andre Brunet (Quebecan fiddler) Christian Lemaitre (Breton fiddler) and guitarist and singer   Nicholas Quemener
•  I went to some great workshops. I particularly enjoyed Andre Brunet's. Its a key part of the Quebecan style of fiddling to use their feet to tap a strong rhythm - almost proper tap/steps, whilst sitting playing. I am definitely going to learn! I also went to  Lauren MacColl's workshop on playing  laments   - great player and teacher.
• Liz Carroll was playing on her own on Saturday - she was absolutely amazing. there aren't too many people who could solos as a lone fiddle with such style and energy.  Amazingly she uses only the top half of her bow, uses tiny bows a lot of the time, yet the power she gets out of her instrument is incredible. I wish I had been able to attend her workshop but it was full. 

Here's Celtic Fiddle Festival playing in 2010