Thursday 20 June 2013

Off the boil

Today, for no apparent reason, things aren't so easy: more effort needed. The weather is cooler (although the temperature in the flat only varies by a degree or two either way), but I can't think what else has changed.

No idea how long I played for because I forgot to check when I started. The main frustration has been with recording. I thought to do a medley of tunes, but as  things weren't going so well I decided to go for the Somme followed by the Dragon. I bombed out n the Dragon, but I wasn't worried, because on the big recorder I can, of course, edit tracks and I was just going to cut the end off.

Despite following the fan's instructions to the letter and despite the machine telling me I had chosen a start and end point it gave me the unedited track as the master. So not only do I have a ragged attempt at the Dragon, which ends in tears, I also have puffing away trying to get the bag full, and an unseemly squeak from the chanter.

To add insult to injury my laptop doesn't like the big recorder any more than the small one and steadfastly ignored it no matter how I connected the two. I've come to the PC to transfer the file and convert to MP3 and email it to myself to pick up on the laptop because I can't remember my Chirbit password. Email sent...and clearly decided to come by the email equivalent of second class mail. Managed to remember my Chirbit password so have stuck to the PC.

So here we are - the Battle of the Somme. No drones. Monkey in D. Some foot tapping which just happened and I couldn't stop. (I see that despite the fan's insistence that I learn this it isn't favoured by everyone.) Not sure that it helps: if anything it distracts while I try and work out if I'm playing to the tapping or tapping to the playing or tapping randomly...

Must be about playing from memory because when I muck up I'm pausing while I scan the dots to work out where I am. That note combination I complained about yesterday working OK today. Good tune, I like it.


Check this out on Chirbit

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