I posted some early sound clips from the Euro spruce/ Black limba guitar I made for the September 2007 Acoustic Guitar Show in Cheltenham and thought it was time to do another one to see how the guitar is “opening up”:
So here is “The Devil Rides Out” – two Breton Rides tought to me by the Flook guitarist Ed Boyd, They are in DADGAD Capo II, and the strings are the ones that were on at the show and have since had a month of heavy play from my daughter Suzanna who has “adopted” the guitar
. This gives a fair test of the guitar’s sound rather than the strings. This was recorded with my usual set-up of an AKG C1000S microphone. It has flat EQ and a little added reverb. I really like the Black Limba and it definitely has that mahogany quality of good string separation and makes a good recording guitar. To my ear the guitar’s sound is becoming rounder and fuller. I’ll keep doing recordings at regular intervals to see how the sound changes.
For those of you who like to exercise as well as listen, here are the instructions for the dance steps. Thanks for listening – and those brave enough, dancing
:
Le Laride
This dance is very popular in the regions of Nantes and Vannes. 2/4 rhythm.
Formation: Mixed lines of M & W, leader at L end, little fingers locked ("pinky hold"), hands down but elbows not locked; bodies close but not bumping - take care that people do NOT separate so that hands are pulled out from sides of body. All face centre.
Style: Light and bouncy - taking care not to rush the feet and arm actions.
Note: It is easier to learn the dance by counting it straight through, than using the counts within the measures. Thus the counts become: 1,2,3,4,5-&-6,7-&-8.
FOOTWORK: There are four measures of footwork, repeated throughout the dance.
Measure Step
No Intro Leader may start at the beginning of any musical phrase.
1-2 Step L to L (ct 1); close R to L (ct 2); step L to L (ct 1); close R to L (ct 2)
3 Start to rise on balls of both feet by bending knees slightly fwd (ct 1); complete the rise on the balls of both feet (ct &); lower heels lightly to floor (ct 2).
4 Swing L ft fwd w/out pointing toes, knee straight - this is a "soft" not vigorous action (ct 1); rise on ball of R ft(ct &). This is one smooth continuous action, not two separate sequential ones. Lower R heel to floor, bringing L ft alongside R without touching floor (ct 2)
HAND AND ARMWORK: Simultaneous with FOOTWORK above.
1 With relatively straight arms, swing arms and hands comfortably fwd - but not up to straight fwd (ct 1); swing hands and arms backward to reflex position, just behind sides of body.
2 Repeat action of measure 1 exactly.
3 Push hands and arms fwd and up in a large arc - with its highest about chin height (ct 1); complete the arc by bringing the hands backward and down to end in a tuck between the chest and shoulder height, the elbows move backward to produce this motion (ct 2).
4 This measure reverses the action of measure 3. Push hands and arms up and fwd in an arc and start down - the emphasis is on the "push" (ct 1); continue the arc swinging hands down and back (ct 2), finishing with arms at full length (slightly bent elbows) and hands at reflex point behind body on count &.
The dance pattern is only four measures long and is continuously repeated. The dance moves RLOD during the first two measures, and then in place for the last two measures. The dancers face centre throughout the dance.
I have got to get myself a set of Black Limba.
. I'm looking forward to seeing how it sounds with new strings on.