As I understand it, a pivot note is played when you are playing a phrase in a tune, and you can, by virtue of the construction of the tune, leave your finger planted on a note which occurs more than once in the phrase, rather than lifting it off and replacing it each time the note needs to be played......thereby leading to an economy of finger movement, and possibly an increase in speed.
When I think of pivot notes in the context of chordal accompaniment, it has to do with using chord voicings that share a common note, where you can leave your finger down and swing your other fingers to the new chord. Not only does this help make the chord transition faster, it gives you a note to play in between chords if you want, which can smooth out the transition.
Now how that would apply to banjo, well... it wouldn't, I guess.
So Backer's suggestion of what it means might be correct. Or it be referring to "anchor" notes in a tune (like the root of the key), or the "important" notes in a particular phrase, from which you can build variation around, as long as you get the anchor notes in...
Apparently, Gerry O'Connor's instructional videos talk about the "pivot notes", but I haven't watched those videos. It would seem that SOMEBODY on this site has got to have seen those videos and could tell us what he's referring to!
Thank you for asking this question. I have Gerry O'Connor's book and he has a little blurb on pivot notes but it doesn't actually explain them really. I thought they were an ornamentation of some sort too, that was very vaguely implied. Anyone else know?
pivot notes
pivot notes
what are "pivot notes" as used on the tenor banjo?
I realise they assist variation, but how, he asks?
# Posted on August 14th 2007 by Woodyboy
Re: pivot notes
As I understand it, a pivot note is played when you are playing a phrase in a tune, and you can, by virtue of the construction of the tune, leave your finger planted on a note which occurs more than once in the phrase, rather than lifting it off and replacing it each time the note needs to be played......thereby leading to an economy of finger movement, and possibly an increase in speed.
# Posted on August 14th 2007 by Backer
Re: pivot notes
Ah, I see. Thought the pivot notes might have been to do with improvised variation, from the context I heard it in. Thank you Backer, good stuff mate.
# Posted on August 15th 2007 by Woodyboy
Re: pivot notes
When I think of pivot notes in the context of chordal accompaniment, it has to do with using chord voicings that share a common note, where you can leave your finger down and swing your other fingers to the new chord. Not only does this help make the chord transition faster, it gives you a note to play in between chords if you want, which can smooth out the transition.
Now how that would apply to banjo, well... it wouldn't, I guess.
So Backer's suggestion of what it means might be correct. Or it be referring to "anchor" notes in a tune (like the root of the key), or the "important" notes in a particular phrase, from which you can build variation around, as long as you get the anchor notes in...
Apparently, Gerry O'Connor's instructional videos talk about the "pivot notes", but I haven't watched those videos. It would seem that SOMEBODY on this site has got to have seen those videos and could tell us what he's referring to!
Pete
# Posted on August 15th 2007 by Reverend
Re: pivot notes
Thank you for asking this question. I have Gerry O'Connor's book and he has a little blurb on pivot notes but it doesn't actually explain them really. I thought they were an ornamentation of some sort too, that was very vaguely implied. Anyone else know?
# Posted on August 16th 2007 by crazy in VT