Calum's Road - A Scottish Strathspey - Mandolin Lesson (Advanced)

[@JohnsMandolinUk]

Excellent instructional video, Mike. As a player of Scottish tunes on mandolin and octave, including Strathspeys, I found your explanations very straightforward. I play regularly with pipers, especially the small pipes and in the piping world the musicians refer to the Scotch Snap as cut-and-dot (semiquaver followed by dotted quaver) and the other way round is, sensibly, called dot-and-cut. I like the piping terminology as it suggests the note values, something the Scotch Snap doesn't do. James Davidson mentions Paul Anderson in his comments, and Paul is a leading exponent of the many Strathspeys composed by the late James Scott Skinner - The Strathspey King. Paul posts on KZbin under the name Fingal Cromar!

[@alanowen3816]

Thanks Mike for the explanation of what the difference between reels, hornpipe and Strathspey means, I can see it's a feel of where I play the notes in quick or slow succession at different times in the tune. In my inexperienced opinion its like a finger bounce from each note but you've got to decide where the ( slight) pause is between notes.

[@lizzy-folksongsscottis4518]

Very Interesting!

[@bob-rogers]

Thanks! This is a great tune. I really appreciate the exercises to help prepare for the tune.

[@slackeratslack]

Great wee explanation of the Scotch Snap. As a mandolin player living in Aberdeenshire, I've learned a few Strathspeys. My neighbour Paul Anderson is a master of Strathspeys. Check him out. My trouble with playing them, and this may apply to others, I can't fully read music and you have to look out for the dotted notes. I have to either to do it section by section, learning the tab but keeping an eye on the music, or learn the tune by ear and ensure I've the dotted notes correct. Another great Strathspey to improve your playing of them is a tune called 'The Smith's a Gallant Fireman'. Get the chance to play with other musicians and you'll soon hear if you've got the tune correct! BTW - there's a fantastic book about Calum and how he built a road by himself on the island of Raasay.

[@MandoMikeLessons]

Thanks I'll go check Paul out.

[@brianm556]

Thanks for the lesson, Mike! Great instruction by a superb musician! 👍

[@MandoMikeLessons]

Glad you liked it!

[@haenne]

Cool, that's really helpful and the exercises are fun, too :)

[@n.proctor5917]

Thanks for the explanation of this rhythm and the excellent lesson.

[@MandoMikeLessons]

Glad you liked it!

[@ninarizzo]

can't see pdf link

[@MandoMikeLessons]

It's in the video description, thanks, Mike

[@arturobinewski9769]

And a Crackpipe is a Hornpipe played really, really fast...

[@MandoMikeLessons]

Best. Comment. Ever

[@geraldrichardson5281]

ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏsᴍ 💞