Dave Light's Page

Thanks, Dave. Yeah, sometimes it's harder to lose a pet than a family member.

Our Christian rock church band plays in several various keys. A thru G as well as Bb, C#, sometimes minor keys. Many songs we do modulate half way through. So I've become quite familiar with them on guitar. One question though. Do fiddle players use different tunings to achieve what they want in certain keys? Or is standard GDAE the norm?

Oh, of course. I'm a "time slave" when it comes to rhythm & tempo.

Thanx, Dave. I checked it out. I'm not sure what key the recording is in, but the sheet music is in Eb. That will be new for me. I'm getting comfortable in G, D & A and a little in C & F, but I want to work in other less "fiddle friendly" keys. My left hand pinky doesn't get much use either so maybe this will help. No capo available or allowed on fiddles - haha. I used to use a capo a lot on the guitar, but I've found it to be more of a crutch to playing like tablature is to learning to read notation. I prefer to transpose now instead. But I digress. Thanx again, Dave.

Thanks Dave. Yes, I have the FFB. As for resources, I'm finding many sites with lots of free downloads as I'm clicking on links. The Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School has posted all the tunes taught between 2003 & 2009. The Highland Music Trust has over 350 pages of sheet music for free download as well as many other collections. Of course, I also pick up any sheet music I find at yard sales, flea markets, used book stores, ebay. Hymnals are also a good source for tunes.
Concentrating on one tune at a time is helping me get better at sight reading also, a skill that I'm finally finding a need for after almost 30 years.

Yeah, I have one of those too! (An ex-wife) I guess both pre and post Revolutionary War fiddle tunes are what I'd like to learn. Actually, I'm collecting whatever I can find as far as fiddle tune books go and I'm looking for them wherever I can find them, yard sales, used book stores, flea markets, ebay, museum gift shops.

18th century historical sites have always been very interesting to me. After seeing so many musicians playing (and making a living at it) in Williamsburg I thought that would be an awesome job that I would love. Even in smaller sites. I'm going to look into that locally here. Even if it's volunteer work at first it would be fun and get me familiar with that kind of playing.

As for sources, I'm just kinda winging it right now trying to pick up whatever I can here and there. Maybe there are music courses I could take at colleges in the area specific to a historical period. Learning the history of the tunes and composers is also important to that goal.

Dave, thanks so much. I am excited now to release several more books now in the Method, the viola, cello and string orchestra versions of book I. It will be great to see this released after so much work on it! My hope is that the orchestra materials can begin to have an impact in school programs. For more info on any of these materials, please check the www.markoconnor.com site and go to the Method pages. Thanks again, MOC

I was looking for you, so did a search! Milligans mentioned you taught in the Toronto area. There have also been lots of twists and turns for us. I do not play any musical instrument, but was searching for you. I have terminal melanoma cancer of the brain and the prognosis is not good. I was looking for your music "Well done good and faithful servant" I have been ordained 25 years now, mainly serving God's people in the Diocese of Venice Florida. We now live in Barrie.

You were in the ministries program in Espanola, right! You sang at my ordination! Well done good and faithful servant! Are you one and the same!