BS: What is the first tune you play?

Subject: What is the first tune you play?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 01:00 PM

I've just been given an early Christmas present, of a beautiful pearwood Dolmetsch descant recorder, an item I have coveted for several years now, since playing a hand turned rosewood garkline (spelling? - the smallest one, second cousin to a dog whistle), that was made by Herr Dolmetsch himself. As I warmed it and gave it its first voice, I played the same tune I always play on a new instument, Greensleeves. Does anyone else have a particular tune they always play first?

And Micca, I've already heard the bassoon and British Grenadiers story.....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 01:29 PM

A lot depends on the instrument with me. On the tenor banjo or mandolin family instruments, one of my first sets I am likely to try is a hornpipe whose name I don't know together with O Neills Favourite. With a guitar, I will often fingerpick Freight Train when I first try one, possibly play Greensleves and then try some flat picking. On a whistle, it would be Harvest Home (one of the few I can play), a melodeon is likely to get treated to Hola Hi....

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Paul S
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 01:40 PM

While it doesn't quite measure up to Greensleeves, the first tune I always play when I pick up an instrument is The Frying Pan by John Prine.

Paul

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: sophocleese
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:05 PM

Gypsy Rover for a while was the one I always played.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Bert
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:15 PM

Spanish Ladies (The major key version)

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Wesley S
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:16 PM

"My Creole Belle" by Mississippi John Hurt. This year I ordered a new Martin direct from the factory and it was the first thing I played on it. Call me crazy but I think a musical instrement picks up a personality from the player and the music played on it. I have a friend with a D-35 Martin that sounds like crap. But I think it's because he rarely restrings it, he doesn't know how to keep it in tune, and he plays Jimi Hendrix and metal riffs on it { poorly }. Thats just my viewpoint - I could be wrong. I try to baby my instruments and treat them like tools at the same time.

And the next tune I usually play is "Lay me a pallet on your floor"

Time to step down off of my soapbox

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: InOBU
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:20 PM

On the Uilleann pipes, An phis fhliuch - a tune that comes down through the palying of Willie Clancies father, recorded by Liam O Flynn, Seamus Ennis and others. A great tune with an unfortunate name. I will refrain from translating it... anyone else be my guess, and if you do, I tell you a funny Seamus Ennis story... BUT it is my favorite pipe tune, and Im addicted to the tune, the tune and not the well.... Larry

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: emily rain
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:44 PM

any time i meet a new harp, the first tune out of my fingers is "the ash grove", mostly because i can play it in whatever key the harp was left in by the last player.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: MK
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 03:08 PM

Lately, it's been Doc Watson's version of ''Bye Bye Bluebell''....Find it warms me up quickly, and then after a few minutes, I start playing around with the melody using a reverse banjo roll style.

Limbers of the fingers real fast....Best of all it sounds way more complicated then it actually is!

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Willie-O
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 03:32 PM

Usually, Chistmas Day i' da Morning. The tune. On most instruments.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Vixen
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 03:58 PM

Fascinating thread. Neat to see how many of the tunes I like to play on new instruments are here...

Greensleeves, Ash Grove, Mairi's Wedding, Amazing Grace on recorder, flute, whistle as appropriate.

A Soalin', Freight Train, Greensleeves, and a Carcassi prelude on guitar.

Now, what about getting a new voice??? ;> (Actually, I like the one I've got--it just needs a lot of work and care)

V

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Easy Rider
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 04:01 PM

"Buck Dancer's Choice".

It was one of the first fingerpicking tunes, after "Freight Train", that I learned, and I love it still. It's a good, easy warmup, and I know what it is SUPPOSED to sound like, so it is a good tune for trying out on new guitars too.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: jeffp
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 04:06 PM

On a whistle, I will play The Unfortunate Rake. On a guitar, usually it will be Friend of the Devil. On a fiddle, I'll play either The Britches with the Stitches or a polka I have heard called either Kerry Polka or Egan's Polka.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Skipjack
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 05:05 PM

On the squeezebox, it used to be Jamie Allen, into Spanish Ladies (Bert) Grande Dam and Rattlin Bog.

NOws I can't get that infernal three key Pinch of Snuff out of me head.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: emily rain
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 05:44 PM

oh, but that's a good question, vixen: what's the first song you sing when you wake up in the morning?

today it was "the game of cards", but usually it's "lass of loch royal". i'm a big maddy prior fan. : )

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Helen
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 06:05 PM

When I used to play the flute semi-regularly I found that I couldn't get the tone and feel of any tune right until I had played John Anderson My Jo, and another one, I think it was Ca' the Yowes, both on the same page of this little old ratty-tatty book I've had since school. I could get the embrouchure (correct placement and muscle position of the mouth) just right and I could get into the feel of the tunes within the first bar or two. Funny, that.

The first tune on the harp tends to be Fanny Power/Poer by O'Carolan. And Si Beg Si Mor comes a close second.

Great thread idea.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Helen
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 06:05 PM

When I used to play the flute semi-regularly I found that I couldn't get the tone and feel of any tune right until I had played John Anderson My Jo, and another one, I think it was Ca' the Yowes, both on the same page of this little old ratty-tatty book I've had since school. I could get the embrouchure (correct placement and muscle position of the mouth) just right and I could get into the feel of the tunes within the first bar or two. Funny, that.

The first tune on the harp tends to be Fanny Power/Poer by O'Carolan. And Si Beg Si Mor comes a close second.

Great thread idea.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Darren
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 06:44 PM

I usually will play Mississipi John Hurt's "Payday" or Amazing Grace or babe it aint no lie, playing these tunes is like puttin on my favorite pair of shoes or taking off my least favorite pair of shoes

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: marcelloblues
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 07:55 PM

This morning, walkin' to my work place under the rain, and even after, unusually I started singing BB King's verse (on the Live in San Quentin): I wish, I was a catfish, ... Gettin' in confidence with a new guitar, I move around E, sometimes playin' jimmy Reed's Baby what you want me to do. Then, proceeding in open D to test it with a bottleneck, Dust my broom or Sittin' on top of th world. Cheers

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Big Mick
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 09:41 PM

Great idea for a thread.

When I pick up a guitar that is in standard tuning, I will invariably strike an Am, and then launch into........are you ready????........House of the Rising Sun with a flat pick.........don't ask me why, but I think I must have learned this first back in the mid 60's cause I thought it was cool, and it just stuck with me. Then I will make a slight variation in the picking pattern and play...............I can't believe I am telling you this..............Hotel California. Then I will take off on something like Arkansas Traveller. Old habits die hard........

Big Mick

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Frankie
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 10:25 PM

Of course it's I Fell into a Vat of Chocolate.

No, actually it's going to be a slow blues like Early this Morning or Ton o' Blues, if I pick up the little guitar in standard tuning and Voyage to Ireland if I pick up the big one in Dsus which stretches out the fingers nicely. And if I pick up my plastic Yamaha recorder, Squeak, I also start off with Greensleeves because it's simple, beautiful and the only one I know.

Frankie

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: _gargoyle
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 12:16 AM

Interesting thread

"interesting" only means in gargoyle speake "I can finally submit an opinion about 1/300 of an area, inwhich, I have an opinion....and this opinion is probably only 1/300 right...therefore, about 10,000th of anything I speak of is "true."

There is a reason why "Rosin the Bow" had it's name and notes....

The notes hit the tuning aspect of the group....as the fiddle player was adjusting the bow of the violin/fiddle....the rest of the players adjusted to him

For myself, I find the tune...."If you want distroy this sweater" ,,,,to be thepar-mu-ta-tion....upon which the past three years have been built.....before that...,,,it was the minor keyed "Blow the Winds Southerly"///////

I am ready for another "epiphany" and it was recently found within a Rick Fielding thread.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: bunkerhill
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 12:22 AM

On mt. dulcimer, "Rhinoceros Chase" for a time; lately a medley of "Broom of the Cowdenknowles" and "Ewe Came Bleating." (I don't want to know what Freud would same about two sheep-themed songs. Sometimes a pretty tune is just a pretty tune. As for that cigar of his...)

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: _gargoyle
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 12:27 AM

VERY FEW THINGS
cause me to laugh OUT LOUD.

Your previous succeded beautifuly!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: AnTirKitten
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 10:55 AM

*s* I don't play any instruments but before singing before people, my warm up songs are Star of the County Down (or a wicked funny filk of it called Bane of the County Down) and Mary Mack. Or this old French round I know called "La Cloche du vieux manoir"

Cat

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 11:14 AM

For unknown reasons...."Love Will Endure" by Patrick Sky.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: marcelloblues
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 01:13 PM

yeah, old habits die hard. Don't know why, but today i started with Stewball. What is the first tune you sing? Cheers

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: alison
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 08:54 PM

On whistle..... Spancil Hill then Boys from the blue Hill,... on everything else Star of the County down..

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 09:14 PM

Well, I play an obscure tune by B. W. Stevenson (He wrote "My Maria" made famous by 3 Dog Night). It's called On My Own. It has a ascending couplet similar to George Harrison's Black Bird so I get a feel for the neck and the fret board quite a ways up. Let's me know if the frets are true, if the the treble is solid, and if the bass and treble blend well.

On a 12-String it is usually Huddie Ledbetter's Good Mornin' Blues.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 11 Dec 99 - 09:32 PM

The first tune I play in the morning is "Catspaw's Rag"--actually, Fielding plays it, but my clock radio is set to bring it on...oh, you mean when I pick up an instrument...guitar, usually "Abilene" by Bob Gibson or Commander Cody's "Down to Seeds and Stems Again." A banjo tuned to G--as most in stores are--elicits either "My Grandfather's Clock" or "Redhaird Boy" or "Blackberry Blossom," usually clawhammer first, then as I get warm, three finger style.

To warm up the old harmonicas: diatonic straight harp: "Soldier's Joy"; diatonic cross harp, "The Wreck of the Old 97," diatonic third position (minor), "Wasn't That a Mighty Day." Lee Oskar Melody Maker, "Columbus Stockade Blues" or "Simple Gifts."

--seed

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 12 Dec 99 - 10:47 AM

On mandolin: "Blackberry Blossom"

On 12-string: "Bar-B-Q Blues"

On 6-string: "Green Iguana Rag"

On bass: just some "walkin'" stuff

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: ddw
Date: 12 Dec 99 - 11:10 PM

Almost always a new guitar will just start doing Sportin' Life Blues or Josh White's Where Were You Baby. When I regain control it's likely to be something by Mississippi John Hurt — Candy Man or Casey Jones.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Callie
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 01:54 AM

On guitar - the instrumental bit of Chris de Burgh's "Broken Wings". On anything else, "My Lagan Love"

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 03:51 AM

"Great idea for a thread."

So am I forgiven for spawning 'Cat Farts' then?

For singing, my warm up piece used to be the Queen of the Night aria, from 'Magic flute', you know, the one that goes up into four lines above the stave..... Terribly out of practice now, and with child around, the warm up is more likely to be 'twinkle twinkle' to which there are actuallly 5 or 6 verses!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 07:02 AM

I usually introduce myself to a new instrument - in my case, that's always a guitar - with a mid-tempo blues shuffle, moving up and down the neck to get a feel for the frets, followed by some long-ingrained fingerpicking patterns. (Come to think of it, that's also how I reintroduce myself to my existing instruments when I've been away too long.)

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Mbo
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 09:42 AM

Usually on guitar, it's "Music For A Found Harmonium," the riff from "Fly Like An Eagle" by Steve Miller Band, the bass line for Jim Croce's "Operator," "Prelude in A" by Weiss, or that section in "Carmina Burana" that's called, I think, "Dulcissimus."

On violin, it's always "Cripple Creek."

On whistle, it's usually "The Women of Ireland," "Song of the Pooka," or "Lullaby" from "Gayane" by Khachaturian.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: The Gargoyle Hunter
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 11:50 AM

Please translate "Your previous succeded beautifuly!!!!" to "Your previous message succeeded beautifully!!!!"

Please mind your spelling mr. _gargoyle!

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: annamill
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 12:45 PM

I don't know yet ;-(

Love, annap

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 01:27 PM

Hey, Garg Hunter: Is it open season? Can we all take our shots?

--seed

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: The Gargoyle Hunter
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 01:31 PM

Please do.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 03:33 PM

for me, it depends on the audience, and maybe the event, but I really do have a short list of 'first songs' - If I need to address an "hey, I've heard that tune before ... " need in my audience I might play Kris Kristofferson' s Bobby Magee. If it's a quiet night and a folky crowd, I might play an early Jackson Browne tune These Days. If it's a Celtic crowd I often start with one of my own Fighting Tigers of Ireland - a rousing tune that tells the story of the Confederacy's 6th Louisianna Regiment (70% Irish born). If it's a quiet Celtic crowd,I have started with Wild Mountain Thyme.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Midchuck
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 03:52 PM

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Midchuck
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 03:58 PM

G** D*** bloody F***! I did it again! Typed the name and automatically hit Return, instead of tab.

What I meant to say:

liam devlin sayeth:

"If it's a Celtic crowd I often start with one of my own Fighting Tigers of Ireland - a rousing tune that tells the story of the Confederacy's 6th Louisianna Regiment (70% Irish born). "

I'd like to hear that. Have you got it recorded?

Have you heard Kelly's Irish Brigade, on the Barton/Para/Dyer Rebel in the Woods? Or, for a Yankee Celtic audience, Steve Earle's Dixieland?

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Mbo
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 04:52 PM

Ooooh, Liam, I've read a lot about the Louisiana Tigers (such cool uniforms!) can you post those lyrics?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 05:42 PM

Midchuck - I will send a tape next week to the Mudcat radio with the song ... hopefully they'll have it in time for the Wed 12/22 show.

I haven;t heard Barton/Para's music, yet. Someone just told me about them very recently, so I have not hyet had a chance to buy one of their CDs. I have a couple of Irish in the Civil War songs, and yes, I have rad quite a bit of that history. My own family arrived from Ireland shortly after the US Civil War, but my wife's old Yankee families (both sides) have personal histories from relative Yankee soldiers. I read James P. Gannon's Irish Rebels Confederate Tigers: The 6th Louisiana Volunteers. It was a wonderful book, and an inspiring story.

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 05:45 PM

Mbo - I'll post the lyrics as soon as I can get 'em HTML format.

Subject: ADD: Fighting Tigers of Ireland^^
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 05:55 PM

The Fighting Tigers of Ireland
(Jed Marum)

Let me tell you a tale of those brave Irish boys
Of the Sixth Louisian'
From New Orleans to Richmond and back again
They fought and died for all Dixieland

Led by young Henry Strong who at Sharpsburg fell
He was proud and Irish born
And then bold Colonel Billy Monaghan
Gave his life at Shepardstown

Chorus:
They Irish born
They were heroes all
Behind the flag of Louisian'
From New Orleans to Richmond and back again
The fighting Tigers of Ireland

Now when old Billy Monaghan sounded the call
Back in eighteen sixty one
Every Irish lad joined him one and all
To keep those Yankees back in Washington

Chorus:
They Irish born
They were heroes all
Behind the flag of Louisian'
From New Orleans to Richmond and back again
The fighting Tigers of Ireland

Port Republic and Bristoe and Fredricksburg
Many valiant and good men gone
They showed honor and courage at Gettysburg
And the gates of Washington

Key change:
They followed Jackson and Early and Master Lee
And the fiercest in all the land
On this old Marshall Robert and Grant agreed
Were the men of the sixth Louisian'

Chorus:
They Irish born
They were heroes all
And they fought for Louisian'
From New Orleans to Richmond and back again
The fighting Tigers of Ireland
^^

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: InOBU
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 08:44 PM

Well, after all this, no one translated An phis fluch. See my post above, It is an old jig, as I said, from WIllie Clancys father. It translates to The Wet (ephamismatic reference to a certain female genital oraphace often often used to refer to a cat, though not in Gaelic). Well, one day Seamus Ennis played the tune and was asked the name. He got half way through the title, when some wag gave one of the English names for it, O Niel or Someones welcome to Limmerick, at which Seamus said, it must have been one hell of a welcome! Spaw! I need a verce from the song you mention by Pat Sky, Love will endure, I have all the verses, except the one which begins, As for me.... Id be grateful if you woudl post it.
All the best
Larry

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 04:46 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BS: What is the first tune you play?
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 10:17 PM

To hark back to the question of three years ago: I've noticed that in the bluegrass group, 'Lonesome Road Blues' usually starts it.

I'm goin' down the road feelin' bad I'm goin' down the road feelin' bad I'm goin' down the road feelin' bad, oh, lord, And I ain't gonna be treated this a way...