It takes two...

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up-fiddler

up-fiddler

Taming the World--for now
..to Tango. Here is a link to a tango that I wrote and schlepped out on the mandolin. My late night sessions are starting to add up and days are running into nights are running into days. (You all know the feeling.) Anyhoooo.... Please comment and suggest. Thanks, Dave. (aka up-fiddler)

It is also posted in the MP3 Clinic but things have a tendency to get buried quite quickly there. Besides, I have a great history of working with the fine collection of visitors/songwriters to this forum. (Don't let the previous flattery get in the way of an honest opinion on this though.:D)
 
The little runs up and the stop/starts work really well here. They make for a memorable song...

Another intricate and melodic piece...:cool::D:cool::D
 
As a mandolin piece it is melodically appealing, and I, like ido, enjoyed the run ups and the stops. There is enough in there to keep me engaged for most of its three-minute length, though I did find my attention wandering after about 2:30, which is about the time I realised that I had heard the full musical development of the piece as it is at the moment.

I could easily hear it with a fuller orchestration; with other instruments taking the lead and a more varied landscape behind it, and I beieve this would add to its appeal.

When it started, I was expecting to hear more of a newgrass feel, and it would be interesting to experiment with different chords underneath in the newgrass (or even some other) vein. That would shift a little more sideways from the fairly conventional chording underlying it at the moment.

Just a couple more quick points: I liked your choice of reverb . . . it lends a big spaciness to the mandolin which I enjoyed. I think you recorded it well. However, I can also hear you getting a bit excited in your playing, because I can hear the mandolin pushing ahead of the beat on a number of occasions.

But it's a great tune.
 
Thanks all...

...for your thoughts and comments.

Gecko- You are right on the money as usual. I wish you lived next door so we could do some live collaboration. As far as getting excited on the runups, I have a tendency to get so involved with what I am doing that I start to play a little too freely and border on sloppy. This is especially true when I play mandolin. It is an instrument that I simply love. If I could only own one axe (Heaven's No!!!) then that would be it.

I have been thinking seriously of doing an album of original romantic dance tunes using the mandolin as the lead with sparse instrumentation for the rhythm section. (Think perc, guit, bass) These last two songs (See Julie's Waltz also) have been tests for me to see how the whole thing might work sonically. The jury is still out for me so I appreciate the thoughts and insights from the fine folks that hang out here.
 
I checked out Julie's Waltz . . . it is awesome . . . I love the quirky chord changes . . . they make my head spin.

The combo of mandolin, guitar and bass works really well.

Again, I hear that danged mandolin pushing ahead of the beat at times, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the piece.

Here's a suggestion. I get the feeling that the guitar is what you put down first, and which forms the framework. How about now recording another guitar track, this time playing very sparsely (which is something you wanted to do anyway). Then, when you've done this, throw away the original guitar track. With luck this will leave you with a really cool, spacious arrangement, and will help to lose some of the rigidity that they very regular original guitar imposes.
 
up-fiddler said:
I have been thinking seriously of doing an album of original romantic dance tunes using the mandolin as the lead with sparse instrumentation for the rhythm section. (Think perc, guit, bass) These last two songs (See Julie's Waltz also) have been tests for me to see how the whole thing might work sonically. The jury is still out for me so I appreciate the thoughts and insights from the fine folks that hang out here.
Click to expand...

I think it's a great idea.

I really enjoy the music of David Arkenstone, Enya, Marcome, George Winston, and Medwyn Goodall. The two mandolin pieces I've heard from you fit the new age genre.
 
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