Lots of learning here: first time using using h4n as an audio interface, not really knowing how to do things with Garageband and now first track on soundcloud.
This is a traditional Finnish tune that I love to play on mandolin. Thought I'd make it super slow and give it a sort of klezmerish twist but that turned out to be too difficult with all the technical stuff so I had to leave that twist for some other time. I also had just couple of hours available.
It's all mandolin, electric bass guitar and cajon. And lots of little mistakes and otherwise clumsy playing with all of them. And it is all mixed quite brutally.
My wife said it's cute. I might have to agree.

Hauranmaan polska

Another polska. Slow start but this time it ends up somewhat close to real polska speed.
The arrangement is not really traditional, I know, but this is the way I like to do things.
Again, recorded with H4n. The process went all wrong: first track was the melody line, second rhythm mandolin and finally double bass. It is very difficult to make things work right in that order.

Koiviston polska

Just a quick improvised piece. Double bass and mandolin both first takes. Sort of generic modern traditional Finnish folk. 

For some reason the tracks sound disturbingly bad separately but together there are some moments that make sense.

Pikanen1

Another quick recording. Traditional Finnish tune and I think the arrangement is not too far from traditional stuff. I did leave out lots of tremolo from the melody, though. And I really haven't bothered to listen how the bass line should be played by traditional standards.

Didn't practice this one enough and played the rhythm track too slow. But after clumsy start, it's not terribly bad. I could play it better now but don't have the time.

Puhkion Eliaksen marssi

Been playing these two tunes for sometime now. The first few notes are the same and my fingers always got them mixed so I wouldn't know if I start the one I meant to play or the other one. This also may have lead me to play the sotiisi/sottiisi a far too hornpipish way. So I thought playing them one after the other might help.

It didn't work that way. First few takes would end with some dreadful mistake halfway through and after that had few tries starting with the wrong tune and ended up mixing three somewhat frustrated takes together. I also noticed that the rec button killed my tremolo quite completely.

After that I once again recorded the rhythm tracks with first takes because I was running out of my very limited time. All that considered it did turn out sort of entertaining. Though I must say I don't know which tradition - Finnish or Irish - got abused worse musically.

The first tune is composed by Arto Järvelä (http://www.artojarvela.net/) who is definitely one of the most important Finnish fiddlers and a fine gentlemen every way for giving me permission to use his tune this way. I haven't heard his original version; I learned it from Heikki Lahti.

I got the horpipe from Seppo Sillanpää's Mandoliiniopas like some of the other trad tunes I have here in soundcloud. I love that book. http://www.kansanmusiikki-instituutti.fi/webshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=85

jannehh

Popular tracks