Are all aires played in 3/4 time? Or, is an aire defined by the way it's played - slowly, softly, and flowingly. I have a tunebook of Irish Aires, and tunes like Chanters, Grace O'Malley, and Planxty MaGuire are among the collection of tunes, and all are in 4/4 time.
Another reason I'm wondering about this is that I wrote / created a tune years ago that I have always considered an aire, because it's played softly and flowingly. However, when I recently decided to try and write out the notes, I was surprised to realize that it's played in 4/4 time!
So, can I call it an aire? If not, then under which classification might it be called? (Can't wait to hear Llig's scathing comment on this one.) Also, why isn't "aire" among the choices in the drop-down menu for tune search within Sessions.org? Is that because aires are lumped together with waltzes?
When you submit a tune, the tune type determines the time signature: jigs are in 6/8, polkas are in 2/4, etc.
Because slow airs come in a variety of time signatures (3/4,6/8, etc.), there can be no category for "slow airs" just as there can be no category for "speedy tunes" or "really great ones".
Besides, transcribing slow airs is notoriously difficult and frankly beyond the scope of this website. For that reason, The Session is "limited" to dance tunes.
I think it's because Jeremy had dance tunes in mind when he created this website, rather than airs.
And no, they're not all played in 3/4 time. They're generally not played in any strict time signature, but are stretched out according to the mood and style of the musician. Some airs fall more obviously into a loose time signature than others, but this looseness is one of the things that defines them as slow airs, rather than the time signature it may, or may not, fit into when written down.
I don't think Llig will condescend to contribute on this one, but I may be wrong...
An air (note that there is no such thing as an aire) is the melody of a song. Ex: playing the melody of "Eireann's Lovely Lea" You could lump other pieces in similar styles into this category, as well, but offhand I can't think of a piece that would only be an air, and not also a waltz or a planxty or a jig song or the like.
A slow air is the melody to a sean nos song, or an instrumental piece that follows that same style. Ex: playing the melody of "The Yellow Bittern" or pieces such as "The Coolin" or "The Blackbird".
Simplistic probably, but I think this is the most accurate short answer.
Why do so many people think the defining characteristic of an air is that it's "played softly and flowingly"? Does no-one actually listen to sean-nos singing anymore?
Thanks to everyone for your comments. Especially Hammurabi, because although I've heard sean nós singing before, I hadn't heard the term for it. So, thanks for the enlightenment! It has truly opened yet another a door of understanding about ITM for me! I found what seems to be a good YouTube video about it, although I cannot be the judge as to whether it's good and accurate information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7qieYC4VWM
Sean nós singing is the basic reference for playing airs on melody instruments; this music was originally song. If you want to learn airs, learn them from the singers, not from other instrumentalists. This is very important because the rhythm of the air is not bound to a time signature, it is shaped by the rhythm of the words, which are always in Irish, by the way. You don't need to be able to speak Irish, however, just use your ear to pick up the subtleties of the thing. But pick it up from singers, and do not, repeat do not, try and learn it out of the dots. Big mistake.
Certain more modern tunes, like the Lonesome Boatman, sound like airs but actually are completely divorced from this tradition. Sean nós isn't really connected to other types of Irish folk-song or ballads, and it's different too from the diddley music.
That said, I'm no expert on this, I've had singing classes but it's more the jigs and reels for me. The clip you posted looks good, also check out Iarla Ó Lionnaird. I know enough to know that sean nós, although many find it an acquired taste, can be powerful stuff. I'd encourage anyone to give it a try.
Also, if you have a tunebook of Irish "Aires" that includes Planxty McGuire, someone's bound to point out sooner or later that a planxty isn't an air, it's a planxty.
(I take no joy in being pedantic, by the way, but I can't stop myself either).
Aire is just wrong. Sorry.
An air is simply a melody that might well be a song, so it will be slower than most Irish dance tunes. It can be in any time signature that a nice tune can be in. Like the tune of "God Save the Queen", for instance.
In Irish music a "slow air" is a special genre, often indeed without a time-signature that can easily be pinned down. Much of what was said above is about slow airs.
I'm grateful to know that I've apparently been spelling "air" wrong for a long time. I've seen spelled both ways, but now that the majority here are in agreement that it's air and not aire, I'll never make that mistake again. It's like the on-going debate about old-tyme vs old-time vs old-timey music. Some old habits and misconceptions are just hard to break, I guess.
I actually shouldn't admit this, but after looking more closely at the title of the aforementioned tunebook, it does, in fact, say "Irish Airs" - not aires. I humbly accept the thump on the head that I deserve for that blunder, and I appreciate all the very good answers I've receieved!
"Also, if you have a tunebook of Irish "Aires" that includes Planxty McGuire, someone's bound to point out sooner or later that a planxty isn't an air, it's a planxty".
Planxties are not slow airs but they are still airs since they were written as songs in praise of O'Carolan's patrons. Or have I missed something?
I have seen the spelling 'aire' in a number of places, but someone a few years ago pointed out that it was an archaic spelling, and sure enough, when I started looking for that spelling, it was all in things reproduced from old sources. So you are not wrong to spell it that way, only a century or so out of date!
wrt to archaic spelling: playing it at a renaissance festival.
Otherwise it's just "air".
sheesh.
And don't get me started on Shakespearean insults! Bill could slag with the best of them, and so can I, you clay brained whoreson greasy talllow catches!
There is the general term "air" which as Lingpupa points out is the tune to any song, then there are sean nos airs which are a distinct genre.
Now about using the word "planxty" to refer to a genre of tunes, if you are using it to refer to the compositions of Carolan that is somewhat inappropriate.
Donal O Sullivan, in Carolan: The Life Times and Music of an Irish Harper, writes:
"The term Planxty is often prefixed to the livelier type of melody in this first class (tunes composed in honour of living persons); but it is doubtful whether Carolan himself used it in the names of his compostions with anything like the frequency with which it was subsequently employed. In Neale's collection, published in his (Carolan's) lifetime, it is used only once ("Plansty Bourk")...Hence in dropping the prefix "Planxty" in the titles I am restoring the earlier forms, in accordance to what I believe to be Carolan's own practice...."
Petrie says:
"The Planxty is a harp-tune of a sportive and animated character, not intended for, or often adaptable to, words; and-with the exception of three of four tunes to which possibly the term has been incorrectly applied- it moves in triplets, with a six-eight measure. In this last characteristic, as to time, it is similar to that most common in the Irish Jig, or Rinnce; but the Planxty differs from that more ancient class of tunes in its having less rapidity of motion- thus giving a great facility for the use of fanciful or playful ornamentation- and also in its not being bound, as the Jig necessarily is, to an equality in the number of bars or beats in its parts. For the Planxty, though in some instances it presents such an equality, is more usually remarkable for a want of it; the second part being extended to various degrees of length beyond that of the first, so that it would be thus equally unfitted for a dancing movement.."
So if we are to use the term Planxty, we should do so properly, and not use it as a blanket term for Carolan compositions.
Based on Petrie's explanation a Planxty is what we would call a "set dance".
The word Planxty is in itself of unknown origin (not being a word in either Irish or English) and O Sullivan guesses that it "may come from the Latin "plangere" (supine, "planxtum"), on the model of the existing irish word "planncaim" which means to strike (the harp)."
What makes and aire and aire?
What makes and aire and aire?
Are all aires played in 3/4 time? Or, is an aire defined by the way it's played - slowly, softly, and flowingly. I have a tunebook of Irish Aires, and tunes like Chanters, Grace O'Malley, and Planxty MaGuire are among the collection of tunes, and all are in 4/4 time.
Another reason I'm wondering about this is that I wrote / created a tune years ago that I have always considered an aire, because it's played softly and flowingly. However, when I recently decided to try and write out the notes, I was surprised to realize that it's played in 4/4 time!
So, can I call it an aire? If not, then under which classification might it be called? (Can't wait to hear Llig's scathing comment on this one.) Also, why isn't "aire" among the choices in the drop-down menu for tune search within Sessions.org? Is that because aires are lumped together with waltzes?
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: What makes an aire and aire?
..duh...what makes AN aire and aire. I'm lousy at proof-reading!
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
From the FAQ of this site:
Why is there no tune category for slow airs?
When you submit a tune, the tune type determines the time signature: jigs are in 6/8, polkas are in 2/4, etc.
Because slow airs come in a variety of time signatures (3/4,6/8, etc.), there can be no category for "slow airs" just as there can be no category for "speedy tunes" or "really great ones".
Besides, transcribing slow airs is notoriously difficult and frankly beyond the scope of this website. For that reason, The Session is "limited" to dance tunes.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Why Aire instead of Air?
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
I think it's because Jeremy had dance tunes in mind when he created this website, rather than airs.
And no, they're not all played in 3/4 time. They're generally not played in any strict time signature, but are stretched out according to the mood and style of the musician. Some airs fall more obviously into a loose time signature than others, but this looseness is one of the things that defines them as slow airs, rather than the time signature it may, or may not, fit into when written down.
I don't think Llig will condescend to contribute on this one, but I may be wrong...
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Dragut Reis
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
An air (note that there is no such thing as an aire) is the melody of a song. Ex: playing the melody of "Eireann's Lovely Lea" You could lump other pieces in similar styles into this category, as well, but offhand I can't think of a piece that would only be an air, and not also a waltz or a planxty or a jig song or the like.
A slow air is the melody to a sean nos song, or an instrumental piece that follows that same style. Ex: playing the melody of "The Yellow Bittern" or pieces such as "The Coolin" or "The Blackbird".
Simplistic probably, but I think this is the most accurate short answer.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Nico
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Here are some examples of favourite Airs (Air as in 'Music in the Air' or the 'Air of a song') and their time sigs:
The Wild Geese 3/4
Morgan Mangan 2/4
Fáth Mo Bhuartha 4/4
Siubhán Ni Dhuibhir 6/8
Hope it helps.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Why do so many people think the defining characteristic of an air is that it's "played softly and flowingly"? Does no-one actually listen to sean-nos singing anymore?
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Hammurabi Breathnach
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Thanks to everyone for your comments. Especially Hammurabi, because although I've heard sean nós singing before, I hadn't heard the term for it. So, thanks for the enlightenment! It has truly opened yet another a door of understanding about ITM for me! I found what seems to be a good YouTube video about it, although I cannot be the judge as to whether it's good and accurate information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7qieYC4VWM
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Sean nós singing is the basic reference for playing airs on melody instruments; this music was originally song. If you want to learn airs, learn them from the singers, not from other instrumentalists. This is very important because the rhythm of the air is not bound to a time signature, it is shaped by the rhythm of the words, which are always in Irish, by the way. You don't need to be able to speak Irish, however, just use your ear to pick up the subtleties of the thing. But pick it up from singers, and do not, repeat do not, try and learn it out of the dots. Big mistake.
Certain more modern tunes, like the Lonesome Boatman, sound like airs but actually are completely divorced from this tradition. Sean nós isn't really connected to other types of Irish folk-song or ballads, and it's different too from the diddley music.
That said, I'm no expert on this, I've had singing classes but it's more the jigs and reels for me. The clip you posted looks good, also check out Iarla Ó Lionnaird. I know enough to know that sean nós, although many find it an acquired taste, can be powerful stuff. I'd encourage anyone to give it a try.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Hammurabi Breathnach
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Also, if you have a tunebook of Irish "Aires" that includes Planxty McGuire, someone's bound to point out sooner or later that a planxty isn't an air, it's a planxty.
(I take no joy in being pedantic, by the way, but I can't stop myself either).
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Hammurabi Breathnach
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Aire is just wrong. Sorry.
An air is simply a melody that might well be a song, so it will be slower than most Irish dance tunes. It can be in any time signature that a nice tune can be in. Like the tune of "God Save the Queen", for instance.
In Irish music a "slow air" is a special genre, often indeed without a time-signature that can easily be pinned down. Much of what was said above is about slow airs.
# Posted on March 29th 2009 by Alex Wilding
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
depends on how olde it is,,,hehheh
# Posted on March 29th 2009 by pipewatcher
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
I'm grateful to know that I've apparently been spelling "air" wrong for a long time. I've seen spelled both ways, but now that the majority here are in agreement that it's air and not aire, I'll never make that mistake again. It's like the on-going debate about old-tyme vs old-time vs old-timey music. Some old habits and misconceptions are just hard to break, I guess.
I actually shouldn't admit this, but after looking more closely at the title of the aforementioned tunebook, it does, in fact, say "Irish Airs" - not aires. I humbly accept the thump on the head that I deserve for that blunder, and I appreciate all the very good answers I've receieved!
# Posted on March 29th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
Er, hang on Lingpupa, your example" *is* a dance tune, not irish though of course. Often used as an example for the rhythm of a gavotte.
# Posted on March 29th 2009 by David50
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
"Also, if you have a tunebook of Irish "Aires" that includes Planxty McGuire, someone's bound to point out sooner or later that a planxty isn't an air, it's a planxty".
Planxties are not slow airs but they are still airs since they were written as songs in praise of O'Carolan's patrons. Or have I missed something?
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by greg sheils
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
I have seen the spelling 'aire' in a number of places, but someone a few years ago pointed out that it was an archaic spelling, and sure enough, when I started looking for that spelling, it was all in things reproduced from old sources. So you are not wrong to spell it that way, only a century or so out of date!
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by AlBrown
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
The weirdest transcription of an air I ever saw had the time signature 0/0. I'm still working that one out.
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by Innocent Bystander
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
wrt to archaic spelling: playing it at a renaissance festival.
Otherwise it's just "air".
sheesh.
And don't get me started on Shakespearean insults! Bill could slag with the best of them, and so can I, you clay brained whoreson greasy talllow catches!
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by Seosamh Ui Sinan
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
: )
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by Seosamh Ui Sinan
Re: What makes and aire and aire?
There is the general term "air" which as Lingpupa points out is the tune to any song, then there are sean nos airs which are a distinct genre.
Now about using the word "planxty" to refer to a genre of tunes, if you are using it to refer to the compositions of Carolan that is somewhat inappropriate.
Donal O Sullivan, in Carolan: The Life Times and Music of an Irish Harper, writes:
"The term Planxty is often prefixed to the livelier type of melody in this first class (tunes composed in honour of living persons); but it is doubtful whether Carolan himself used it in the names of his compostions with anything like the frequency with which it was subsequently employed. In Neale's collection, published in his (Carolan's) lifetime, it is used only once ("Plansty Bourk")...Hence in dropping the prefix "Planxty" in the titles I am restoring the earlier forms, in accordance to what I believe to be Carolan's own practice...."
Petrie says:
"The Planxty is a harp-tune of a sportive and animated character, not intended for, or often adaptable to, words; and-with the exception of three of four tunes to which possibly the term has been incorrectly applied- it moves in triplets, with a six-eight measure. In this last characteristic, as to time, it is similar to that most common in the Irish Jig, or Rinnce; but the Planxty differs from that more ancient class of tunes in its having less rapidity of motion- thus giving a great facility for the use of fanciful or playful ornamentation- and also in its not being bound, as the Jig necessarily is, to an equality in the number of bars or beats in its parts. For the Planxty, though in some instances it presents such an equality, is more usually remarkable for a want of it; the second part being extended to various degrees of length beyond that of the first, so that it would be thus equally unfitted for a dancing movement.."
So if we are to use the term Planxty, we should do so properly, and not use it as a blanket term for Carolan compositions.
Based on Petrie's explanation a Planxty is what we would call a "set dance".
The word Planxty is in itself of unknown origin (not being a word in either Irish or English) and O Sullivan guesses that it "may come from the Latin "plangere" (supine, "planxtum"), on the model of the existing irish word "planncaim" which means to strike (the harp)."
# Posted on April 1st 2009 by Richard D Cook