El Noi de la Mare (arr. Steven Watson, after Miguel Llobet)

[@drewburgess3039]

One of my favorites Steven, thank you😊

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Glad you liked it Drew!

[@ClassicalGuitarMusings]

Multi instrumentalist!🎉🎉

[@kithg]

That’s beautiful, Steven. First thing I heard on Christmas day, and a delightful start. A wonderful arrangement for an instrument I don’t very often hear. Very twinkly, sort of.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks! Twinkly indeed, glad that comes across. Merry Christmas!

[@9964jjc]

Wonderful..Happy Christmas!

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks, you too!

[@StefanNiggl]

Thanks Steven. That was really sweet. Merry Christmas.🎄🎄⭐⭐

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Glad you liked it Stefan, Merry Christmas to you too.

[@peterlayton9463]

Thanks Stephen. That was really great. Merry Christmas.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

I'm pleased you liked it. Merry Christmas to you too.

[@karinemarchitto6368]

Bravo Steven! Tres bel arrangement et tres belle onterpretation.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Merci Karine

[@Nylon_and_Gut-MatteoLaurenzi]

Delightful!!

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Grazie Matteo

[@Josh.Vanjani]

I can definitely hear the "magical quality" in the mandolin. Something in the crispness of the sustain. Usually, I'm used to hearing big booming interpretations of this piece in dropped D, but you've shown that it can be an equally powerful piece without all of that bass.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks Josh, yes I was surprised how well it could work without those low bass notes

[@MrSerpes]

Molto bello. Ho suonato per anni il mandolino, il mio primo strumento. Quello è forse un mandolino portoghese con il fondo piatto. Buon Natale!

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

It is indeed a Portuguese maker, I believe. It's a fun instrument, but the tension is really quite hard work for the left hand. Thanks Sergio.

[@vihuelamig]

Can't say I've been a great fan of the mandolin but played with finger pads it sounds wonderful.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

I like the sound both with and without plectrum, but yes I was pleasantly surprised by the sound without -- gentle and tinkly

[@tateharmann3057]

That's very good! You are slowly becoming a multi-instrumentalist :) I really like the sound of the fingers on the mandolin - but the plectrum sounds great also.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks Tate! I'm also learning the theorbo at the moment, slowly... it's a difficult one...

[@tateharmann3057]

@@StevenWatsonMusic OH cool!!! I bet it's difficult. Probably difficult just to get it out of the case and through a door LOL

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

@@tateharmann3057 yeah, and also difficult to get home on the train! The tuning, string spacing, and sheer number of strings makes it very confusing. I'm just borrowing it, so not yet sure if I'll get good enough for a video, but I am quite taken with the instrument

[@tateharmann3057]

@@StevenWatsonMusic Oh man I can't even imagine trying to get it on a train hahahahaha. I've never beheld a theorbo in the flesh (or...in the wood?) but I absolutely love listening to them being played. One of my favorite players is Rolf Lislevand. Even if you never get to make a video I'm sure it will be fun to play with!

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

He's a great player, and yes it is very fun -- those deep basses!

[@clacclackerson3678]

That might be the first time I’ve heard vibrato used on a mandolin.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Ha

[@bertalink]

Sounds lovely, but a bit soft when played with fingers. Merry Xmas.

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks Bert. That was partly deliberate: I was trying to go for quite a contrasting sound

[@bertalink]

@@StevenWatsonMusic You succeeded, but I turned up the volume in the first part, only to turn it down when you switched to plectrum.

[@djkonae]

well done. What kind of mandolin is that?

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Thanks! I don't know much about it -- I'm just borrowing it unexpectedly. It's an Antonio Pinto apparently, made in Portugal.