Concentrate

I feel as though too many tunes have been hanging around my music stand for too long. There seem to be too many that I'm just having a go at now and then, and despite the previously mentioned issued about my perceived need to get tunes far more polished before I consider them to be officially tunes I know and can take to a session, I just don't seem to be getting anywhere with some of them. So I've had a bit of a cull, as follows.

Seaforth Highlanders. One book, way too many tunes. There are those I keep vaguely trying to learn, but fail to play with any regularity (Blue Bonnets, Captain Grant, Fingal's Weeping, Portree Men). There are those I worked on at one stage, which have never quite clicked but which somehow I can never quite drop (Murray's Welcome, Dragon). I can get rid of all of these by putting the book back on the shelf.

The Gathering of the Clans I'm not really playing anything from, but it's on the music stand and causing a distraction. It also gets returned to the shelf.

Donald MacLennan's Tuning Phrase. I like this. The fan does not, which has put me off, so I got so far and then...

The Curlew. No idea why this is on the stand. The fan says it isn't his. Tried once or twice, not impressed.

Dick Gossip's. I think this may be one the fan tried to press on  me....

Drops of Brandy. Actually, I do know this, but it's not fast enough. It's also not as nice as Mr MacInnes' version on Tryst...

South Georgia Whaling Song. I used to play this at sessions until it got fatally confused with one of the nova scotia tunes and I needed dots to bring it back. Sorted now, although snaps need consistency and it needs to lilt and roll and be more measured. But I don't need dots.

Horsburgh Castle. Despite being the tune I hum most it lacks something in the playing. I do really know it, other than a minor hesitation over the removed bar.

Troy's Wedding. Surely the longest standing incumbent of the  music stand. Sometimes I play it inte sively, then I give it a break before going back to it. Cannot consistently get the 3rd and 4th parts everytime. I'm  not giving up on this one.

The Braemar Gathering. I know this really, it just needs one last push so I am going to be working on this one.

John Macmillan. Still needs work on parts 3 and 4, but getting there.

Alick C Macgregor. Probably in the "bitten off more than I can chew" category. I refuse to give in. It's better than it was and I learn more if I stretch myself, but I will put it to one side for now.

So that really means just working on John and Braemar. Hopefully if I focus on just those two I will be able to move them on and make space for something else on my music stand.