Boys of Bluehill Hornpipe

(Fiddle) Listened to the "Best Irish Session Tunes" version, and the Matt Cranitch version, then took a crack at it. I dig the hornpipes. :)

Flowers of Edinburgh

(Fiddle) Not sure if this one is a reel or hornpipe--seems like you can play it either way. Another Steve Kaufman tune from his Celtic and Bluegrass workouts.

One of these days, I'd like to go to Scotland and see the castle at Edinburgh myself, and hear Amazing Grace played by a bagpiper from the ramparts. A "must do before you die" kind of thing.

Staten Island Hornpipe

(Fiddle) First crack at a new hornpipe. Hornpipes have a "HUMPty DUMPty HUMPty DUMPty" feel as you play them. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put this one back together again, I'm afraid. Hey, it's a "first crack" - so cut me some slack, Jack, while I get a snack in this Iraqi shack before the mortar attack. >wicki wicki scratch scratch, turban worn sideways, coping a menacing pose<

Get Up John

(Mandolin) A cross tuned piece from Bill Monroe. I was inspired by the Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Live version. (The gap between inspiration and performance is glaringly apparent, but hey--it's a start!)

Cross tuning for Get Up John (and that doesn't mean you try to get your mando in pitch while angry) is, low to high, F#A, DD, AA, DD. One website had the high strings at DE, but that didn't sound right to me. Check out the Acoustic Guitar Q&A column on cross tuning.

The Fiddler's Companion

One of many Fiddler's resources. The tip of the iceberg.

The Fiddler's Companion

Internet Chess Club

I dig chess (it's all part of the "Late Blooming Child Prodigy" motif). The Internet Chess Club and its "Blitzin 2" interface beats anything else I've seen. You can't help but improve your game here.

Internet Chess Club: "Where the Grandmasters Play Online Chess"

Sidebar: Too bad Bobby Fischer went off the deep end. He actually praised the 9/11 attackers and said America should have been "wiped out." Kudos to the Japanese for detaining him in Tokyo. Checkmate, loudmouth!

Haste to the Wedding

(Fiddle) This is on one of the Corr's CDs. Sharon Corr plays it a lot better than I do (duh). A jig in the key of G. I'm working on the accompanying Brittany Speers tribute reel, "Hurry to the Annulment." :)

Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore

(Fiddle) This tune came to mind while looking out over the Irish landscape at Shannon Airport, on our return flight to Iraq.

Sailor's Hornpipe, Tenor Banjo Style

Gold Tone Tenor Banjo CC-Tenor Video Sampler #3

Leave it to Folk of the Wood in New Mexico to have a ton of Quicktime clips featuring several of their high-end instruments (their Weber Mandocellos and octave mandolins can't be beat) and a very high-end picker. This guy's good!

Kesh Jig

(Fiddle) So many jigs, so little time...

Sailor's Hornpipe

(Mandolin) "I fights to da finich 'cause I eats me spinich..

Another mark on the wall. Acoustic travails indeed!

Be sure you have Macromedia Flash 7 installed.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

(Fiddle) Every Irish tune has something to do with barley now, doesn't it? :)

I was just warming up this morning (5am), so don't take this one too seriously!

The Irish Washerwoman

(Mandolin) First in the key of D, then G. This is a rough draft that I intend to improve on. (Aren't they all?)