The Fairy Dance

In 1809 Nathaniel Gow printed a four-page foolscap sheet called "Largo's Fairy Dance", a suite of two tunes: The Fairies Advancing - a slow march - and The Fairy Dance, composed for the Fife Hunt Ball of 1802. The former tune is forgotten now, but the latter has become a standard tune in Scotland, as well as many other countries.

The chords in this tune are not hard, but keeping the flow of the melody going is tricky! Note, by the way, the sunlight shining through the bars of my prison cell at 0:16"... ;-)

You can find some tab for this on my website at:

http://www.mjra.net/WillFly/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Will
• Fly
• Nathaniel
• Gow
• acoustic
• fingerstyle
• fingerpicking
• guitar
• traditional
• Scottish
• dance
• folk

[Testacabeza]

Almost there, I would say 3 more days and I'll have it :)

[HenfieldWill]

Good on you - keep practising...:-)

[arsenalca]

That's the XC1T Ellipse, right? Any complaints/comments about it? I'm thinking about getting a similar one (OMCX1KE, has the wider fingerboard), just wondering if there's anything I should know that Martin doesn't want to tell me.

[HenfieldWill]

It's got a fabulous acoustic sound and listeners comment on its power, brightness and projection wherever I play - plus its looks. When I bought it, it had a Fishman Ellipse stalk mic/piezo in it - not a particularly reliable model, in my view (crackled here and there) - so I replaced it with a Baggs iBeam. It's the iBeam you hear on this record

[Testacabeza]

I've been trying yesterday for a long time, I can't pass the Dm change :) It's hard to keep with the spirit of the song but it sounds so nice.

[HenfieldWill]

It's only practice... Start slowly and work up speed a bit at a time. :-)

[jackierichards123]

Great Will! thanks. I can play with the music but have to try and memorise it. Getting a bit better everyday. Thanks Jackie134

[jameswp1946]

Lovely Will,

I know the tune from somewhere in the past

[southcoastsounds]

Tricky! You make a good job of it.

[HenfieldWill]

I've played a reel called "Miss Macleod's" - is this the same? :-)