Loch Lomond - '52 Magnatone, C6th tuning

[Andy Volk]

Here's my arrangement of the traditional Scottish tune Loch Lomand from 2023. Not a great recording or a stellar performance but it shows what I was going for ... to combine harmonics, lush chords, and bagpipe-like sounds. The Magnatone gets a little squirrelly when I don't change strings for months. Guitarist Duke Levine posted a cool version that influenced me to tackle the tune my way.

https://soundcloud.com/aev/loch-lomond- ... steel-solo

[Michael Kiese]

Sounds great Andy! I love that song.

I can definitely hear what you are going for. Very pleasing ending chord.

I love those old Folk melodies. Songs like that just play themselves.

Great melodies take on a life of their own. Nobody knows the original composer, but the melodies spread from person to person, and each individual added different lyrics. The same melody can take on different lives across cultures.

"Loch Lomond" and "Red is the Rose" is a great example. "Loch Lomond" is the Scottish Version, and "Red is the Rose" is the Irish version. Different lyrics, but same melody. In the end, it shows how 2 different groups of people can love the same thing and make it their own.

Then here you come, and play it on a Hawaiian instrument. lol.

Music can be a very lovely and sweet way to make connections.

[Andy Volk]

Thanks, Michael. I too really like playing traditional tunes and they're not played on steel that often.

Here's my arrangement of Shenandoah on my long gone Asher steel:
https://soundcloud.com/aev/shenandoah-c6th-lap-steel-1

I'm still working getting this one smooth and up to speed. Here's the midi version:
https://soundcloud.com/aev/cattle-in-the-cane

I totally nicked the ending chord sequence from Tony Rice's awesome version.