New Song.....Gijigaanshii Niimi

[up-fiddler]

Which is Ojibwa for Dance of the Chickadee or Waltz of the Chickadee. I wrote it last night and arranged it and recorded it today. There are some serious mixdown issues with this version and I will need to revisit the tune to add percs and bass. Then I will take care of the gawd-awful guitar sound even if I need to record it again. This one is a 3/4 dancer so find someone to sway with when you listen. Besides, you will look foolish if caught dancing alone.

[gecko zzed]

This is a jaunty little tune, most aptly named.

It has a kind of ragtime feel to it, which is cool, and I like the passing chords. In fact there are some weird and wonderful modulations in this which add a lot of intrigue, almost like new-grass progressions.

I don't hear a lot wrong with the mix. The mandolin sounds great. The guitar lacks a bit of definition on the bottom end.

I notice that while the mandolin was sitting nice and tightly at the start and end, there was a section in the middle where it tended to push ahead of the beat.

I wonder if you have considered speeding up the whole piece? Maybe when you play guitar, your guitar head says, "yeah, that feels good", but when you get to add the mandolin, your mandolin head wants to say, "hey guitar, what are you doing back there? Give us a bit of life, hey!"

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by gecko zzed

This is a jaunty little tune, most aptly named.

It has a kind of ragtime feel to it, which is cool, and I like the passing chords. In fact there are some weird and wonderful modulations in this which add a lot of intrigue, almost like new-grass progressions.

I don't hear a lot wrong with the mix. The mandolin sounds great. The guitar lacks a bit of definition on the bottom end.

I notice that while the mandolin was sitting nice and tightly at the start and end, there was a section in the middle where it tended to push ahead of the beat.

I wonder if you have considered speeding up the whole piece? Maybe when you play guitar, your guitar head says, "yeah, that feels good", but when you get to add the mandolin, your mandolin head wants to say, "hey guitar, what are you doing back there? Give us a bit of life, hey!"

There was NEVER a song fast enough for the mandolin player! Seriously though, I botched it shortly after I went with the key change and need to record it again. Today was just getting the song out of my head so I wouldn't forget it. You are very right about the guitar needing definition. It lost most of it when I EQ'd the high jangle out and then compressed it too hard. Any ideas as to what to do are ALWAYS appreciated. You have a good ear and are usually most willing to share it with us. For that we are in your debt.

[Frankie Rage]

I enjoyed the mandolin Dave and the guitar changes in the background are a great backdrop. Look forward to Ver 2.

I managed to reply twice to this thread without posting somehow... so, third time lucky...

[gecko zzed]

Originally Posted by Frankie Rage

I managed to reply twice to this thread without posting somehow... so, third time lucky...

In the last few days, the forum seems to grind to a halt. A couple of times I've posted, and it just seems to die. Then I discover I've posted nothing. Or, at times, I've posted twice!

[icystorm]

Originally Posted by up-fiddler

Which is Ojibwa for Dance of the Chickadee or Waltz of the Chickadee. I wrote it last night and arranged it and recorded it today. There are some serious mixdown issues with this version and I will need to revisit the tune to add percs and bass. Then I will take care of the gawd-awful guitar sound even if I need to record it again. This one is a 3/4 dancer so find someone to sway with when you listen. Besides, you will look foolish if caught dancing alone.

Very interesting piece, Dave. Your mandolin playing is very good even when you're not at what you describe as your best.

Cheers,
Joseph

[Whatmysay]

This is a lovely swaying tune. I’d love to hear some bass in there to really nail it. The first listen it seemed like it needed another level of development (melody change, D section or another instrument), but the second listen I seemed to settle into it more and simply enjoy the piece as it stood – so no real direction there for you sorry!

Love the mandolin playing, It has inspired me to put new strings on mine and get strumming – I long for a lovely Gibson – but of course I have Chinese made Epiphone.

The piece is very evocative and would sit well on the sound track an indie film, as some one was travelling either literally or emotionally.

[ido1957]

Nice piece and great playing Dave.....

[SEDstar]

Very nice piece. Now that I've heard a couple of your pieces, I can see you have a certain "folksy" style. Your challnge song has a very folksy/novelty/fun sound to it, this was different from that...

I picture a "european" folk music, you know a traveling gypsy troup is staying in a eastern european small village... some botles of home made red after a good feast, and a local on acoustic guitar accompanies the traveling mandolin player...

those tiny timing issues aside, the overall track is nicely laid out, and production wise, it sounds very real and live. Your high strings are not "too tingy" and your bass guitar strings are not booming, its well recorded and mixed I thought.

So, I'd call it "european folk music", prolly just cause I dont get to hear a mandolin very often aside from the occasional soundtrack bit from watching a movie.

like everything else you seem to do, its "different". I suppose youve studied different forms of folk music from around the globe?