So this tune of the week thing may end up being posted every two weeks or so.  With my guitar students, work, and other obligations its tough to crank out something every week.  Part of it is I live in an apartment, so alot of times I cant record due to outside noise, folks upstairs, etc.  Plus I can be probably to much of a perfectionist at times.  It took me a while to get this recording satisfactory.

So that being said here is the next tune, two reels that I play on flute with some rhythm guitar overdubbed. 

Reels: Swinging on the Gate/John Henry’s Favorite by AntonEmery

These are pretty standard tunes that you would hear at a session here in Portland.  I learned them from the wonderful playing of John Creaven.  My guitar is tuned CGDGCD, like normal, and I have a capo at the second fret. 

I recorded this using my Presonus Firestudio Mobile, Logic on the Mac, and a single mic from Naiant.  Its a past model he no longer makes. I have two of them, but I cannot find the mic clip for one

Hope you enjoy it.

Anton

As a way to motivate myself, as well as show folks what i am working on, I am going to strive and post a tune a week here to the blog.  It might be solo guitar, some flute, maybe some overdubbed things once i get my Presonus Mobile interface.  It won’t always be perfect, I am messing around with ideas for an eventual new cd, so alot of this stuff will still be unpolished. 

This first tune is a pair of Breton tunes I play on open back five string banjo, in the clawhammer style.  Yes, I know not a typical use for the clawhammer banjo, but they just fit.  I learned them from my friend Bryan Owens, who plays in the Portland Breton band, Mistral.  He recorded them on an older cd of his entitled Bryan’s Bizarre.  I changed the key of the second tune to fit the banjo. 

  Bretonbanjo by AntonEmery

My banjo is an old Lyon and Healy with a spun over rim. If i can manage to take some decent pictures perhaps I will post them.  Its tuned gDGCD, though these tunes are normally in A minor.  I didn’t want to tune my drone string up to A and risk breaking it.  I string it with Aquila nylon strings.

I enjoy playing banjo alot, the clawhammer style is just plain fun.  One day I would like to have someone build me a banjo, perhaps local maker Brooks Masten.