i'm sure this question has come up at least once, but I just got hooked on Great Big Sea and would like to learn some of the fiddle parts (the tune to donkey riding and mari mac off the top of my head) and was wondering if there was a good place to find the sheet music or tabs. can anyone help me out?

I can get you the notes to "Donkey Riding" in five minutes just by listening to it, just not at 3:45 in the morning. Or can I? *turns on iTunes, plugs in headphones, unmutes computer, curses completely dead iPod*

G (third finger on D-string - I hope you can hear the general tune) G A B C A

B A A G A B A A G E

G G A B C A

G E F# E D-string E E

E-string D B C D B

B A A G A B A A

E-string D B C D B A

G (on D-string) E F# E D E E E-string

F# (on E-string) E C# D E C#

C# B B A B C# B B

F# (on E-string) E C# D E C# B

A-string F# (on D-string) G# F# E D D

et voila!

(this isn't the weirdest thing I've done when I should have been sleeping even today - I should be searching for a pair of scissors that I dropped somewhere near where I'm sitting. Or if I want to do something particularly internet-strange, respond to the possibly-sent-through-an-online-translator e-mail I got in response to the definitely-helped-by-an-online-translator e-mail I sent regarding the new foundation started by one of my favorite soccer players. I don't think he realizes that he has fans who aren't from his native country.)

I'll try for Mari-Mac when I get a new working mp3 player. I also owe a Blue Rodeo fan Anne Lindsay's summer 1999 (?) fiddle solo from "It Could Happen to You."

and to add to the above: I took out the violin to play it. at 4 am.

Anne in Philly has a webpage with several songs on it - I am sure if she sees this she'll post the link.

---

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
"Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." E. Wiesel
OKP's Resident B****
Imprudens est draconem vivum de consiliis tuis omittere.
Steet team Leader for NYS, OH and Southern Ontario.

more basic:

D3 D3 A0 A1 A2 A0

A1 A0 A0 D3 A0 A1 A0 A0 D3 D1

D3 D3 A0 A1 A2 A0

D3 D1 D2 D1 D0 D1 D1

E0 A3 A1 A2 A3 A1

A1 A0 A0 D3 A0 A1 A0 A0 

E0 A3 A1 A2 A3 A1 A0

D3 D1 D2 D1 D0 D1 D1 E0

E1 E0 A2 A3 E0 A2

A2 A1 A1 A0 A1 A2 A1 A1

E1 E0 A2 A3 E0 A2 A1

A0 D2 D3 D2 D1 D2 D2

 

that was hard.

wow, i've never been able to just pick things up by ear like that (alas, school just never taught me that one) but thanks very much!

pittsy:

wow, i've never been able to just pick things up by ear like that (alas, school just never taught me that one) but thanks very much!

I had to force myself to try learning by ear, and it gets easier the more you do it. Start off just finding the main notes of the melody, then fill in the rest as you can. I think the key is to not try (and expect) too much right away. With most traditional music, once you figure out the root notes and the key, the rest falls into place since they don't wander too much. Best Practice is a good (and free) program for slowing down music files.

yeah, figure out the root notes and the key and that makes it easier.

but I have relative perfect pitch, so I did it in about 15 minutes. It was easier for me to do it by note instead of fingerings.

I lied - I have absolute perfect pitch ;)

but it was easy for me.

You wouldn't happen to have the music to "Lucky Me" would you?