Setting up a practice schedule is easy. Sticking to it is the hard part. Back in December I decided to embark on learning a tune a week for a year. I figured it would not only add 52 tunes to my repertoire but it would keep me on task with my practicing. And it has for the most part. Though some weeks (like last week), I’ve slipped a little.
Learning a tune a week has forced me to listen to a ton of music to find tunes I want to learn. I went back through old recordings, perused the web and even dusted off some old CDs, which I had to listen to in my car because I no longer own a CD player. And I found tunes that I loved and wanted to learn, relearn and share with you.
This week I’m sharing two of those tunes to make up for the one I skipped last week, keeping me on task.
The first tune is called The Poppy Leaf Hornpipe. It’s a hoppy hornpipe in the key of G. And what I love about it is not only is it just a happy hornpipe, it forces you to practice your intervals. Have a listen:
The Poppy Leaf Hornpipe: Tune 37 of 52
The next tune I present to you is a tune called Stam Willem (I think). It’s obviously not an Irish tune. I learned this tune a few years ago at Maine Fiddle camp. It’s the last tune I played there. We all learned it so we could play it in appreciation for all the volunteers who cooked meals for all of us during the week-long music camp. It’s a beautiful tune, of which I don’t know the history of unfortunately. I hope you like it anyway:
Stam Willem: Tune 38 of 52
Join me next week for tune #39 from A Tune A Week.
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