I've been delving into the realm of single reels: fancies, flings, rants & reels, and was wondering if there is rhyme and reason to the naming of such?
Not to say it's confounded, that might just be me, but is there more to differentiate than 'Fancies' are more pretty, 'Flings' more brash, 'Rants' more forward and 'Reels' are just about everything else?
Reels, of course, are reels. Applebutter, applebutter, and so forth.
Fancy, I believe, is more of a naming convention than a type of tune. "So-and-so's Fancy" is, I think, another way of saying "So-and-so's" as the name of the tune, not limited to 4/4 tunes. I know there's a nice little jig called Jackson's Fancy, it's no fancier than any other.
Same thing with rants, I believe, although I think all the rants I know of are reels - I don't think the designation is indicative of the meter or any other thing.
Flings, I think are a bit like barndances, but I'm open to being corrected on that if anyone's got a strong feeling on the matter.
Single reels are a little more involved, and here I expect there may be some debate, as to whether the term designates simply a reel played once through each part, that is, two 8-bar strains (ie, Drowsy Maggie, Rolling in the Rye Grass, the 10 Pound Float) or a reel with a particular sort of rhythm (Far From Home is someties cited). With any luck, we'll have strong supporters of both sides and there'll be a nice brawl over the matter.
I was once told by a dance teacher that single reels are 16 bars to suit particular dances. Several English and Scots reels I've found in books take this form. Whether they're more common in those traditions, perhaps because of dances peculiar to those areas, I don't know.
I've tried playing them as double reels, but never feel like I'm doing them justice that way. They seem to be too drawn out if you duplicate the parts.
And thanks for mentioning the 10 Pound Float Jon; I've just looked it up and it's an old favourite from years ago that I'd completely forgotten.
From my experience, single reels aren't just reels with the parts only played once.... They seem to generally follow a pattern of having a 4 bar (musical) idea that is repeated. Both the A and B parts will follow this pattern, similar to a reel that has an 8 bar idea that is repeated, although, the single reel generally varies the endings of the 4 bars in a question-answer kind of format. And it often seems as though the B part varies the latter 4 bars more than the A part does - sometimes mirroring the A part rather starkly.
Most of the reels played in sessions are double reels , Not because of how many times we play each part but because of the timing 4/4.Single reels are very like Polka's and are in 2/4 time. The Rakes of Mallow is a single reel even though I notice it is clasified here in the session as a polka.
Ask any dance master and they will show you that for single reels the step is a very basic 123 123. When you progress as a dancer to Double reels the step becomes a more advanced version of the 123. Further progression to a Treble reel (danced to a double reel) is invariably done with hard shoes and very complex steps
The term is also used to tell where we don't play the 1st part more than once at a time. along the lines of reverend's comments. but that is more "playing the reel singly"
I take it that a "single reel" is - maybe among other things - one of those Northern English or Scottish 2/4 tunes that has the layout of a Kerry polka but is played at a more moderate speed. Salmon Tails, Jimmy Allen's and The Carlisle Reel are examples.
A (Northumbrian) rant has a basic rhythm that goes something like:
dee | DUM DUM DUM di-di | DUM DIDDI DUM di-di| ....
- In other words, three stressed beats followed by a less- or un-stressed one, per bar. (The unstressed beat leads on to the next three stressed ones.)
There are tunes that feature this across the 2/4 and 4/4 categories. The Morpeth Rant, The Hesleyside Reel, Whinham's Fancy and some of the Scottish Lowland reels are examples.
I'm not a dancer but I gather the three successive strong beats / stamps are features of rant dances, and were devised as ways of getting best value out of the dance in crowded kitchens or whatever where there wasn't a lot of room to move.
I was always led to believe that a good example of a single reel was something like' The Rakes of Mallow' and a good example of a double reel was something like 'The Sally Gardens'. They are both reels as such but the amount of notes in each tune differs greatly, and consequently the speed at which they can be played..
The Rakes of Mallow I know that's always trotted out for beginner dancers is a polka. I think it's the only tune I've never heard played in a session so probably there is something we all agree on after all!
Flings may share the same number of bars as a single reel, and a common meter, but have a Scottish origin and a swingier, lighter feel, to the best of my knowledge. But the differences between reels and flings and barndances and such is subtle--I have heard the Pigtown Fling, for example, played so that it sounds like any of the three of the above, depending on whose hands it is in.
Two of the rants mentioned by nicholas, played by three musicians who you would expect to get the rhythm right (Will Atkinson, Willy Taylor and Alistair Anderson) are right at the end of the fairly long interview here :http://www.asaplive.com/FARNE/RadioFARNE.cfm?ccs=150&cs=764
Is that typical nicholas (if you are still around) ?
They then go into the reel Spootaskerry with a similar rythym.
Have been trying to get the rhythm cracked (not finding it very flute friendly) and found the sound of the feet (my 'other half' can do it) helpful. She counts it
a | 1 2 3 a| 1 2 3 a|... with a lot of swing on the 1 2
but was also told
po|ta-toe-crisps po|ta-toe crisps po|....
Dow gives it as
'&| 1 & 3 stop &| 1 & 3 stop &|...........
What happens on 4 seems to be subtly important in the tunes though - the start of nicholas' di-di.
Single reels...
Single reels...
I've been delving into the realm of single reels: fancies, flings, rants & reels, and was wondering if there is rhyme and reason to the naming of such?
Not to say it's confounded, that might just be me, but is there more to differentiate than 'Fancies' are more pretty, 'Flings' more brash, 'Rants' more forward and 'Reels' are just about everything else?
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by mrkelahan
Re: Single reels...
Reels, of course, are reels. Applebutter, applebutter, and so forth.
Fancy, I believe, is more of a naming convention than a type of tune. "So-and-so's Fancy" is, I think, another way of saying "So-and-so's" as the name of the tune, not limited to 4/4 tunes. I know there's a nice little jig called Jackson's Fancy, it's no fancier than any other.
Same thing with rants, I believe, although I think all the rants I know of are reels - I don't think the designation is indicative of the meter or any other thing.
Flings, I think are a bit like barndances, but I'm open to being corrected on that if anyone's got a strong feeling on the matter.
Single reels are a little more involved, and here I expect there may be some debate, as to whether the term designates simply a reel played once through each part, that is, two 8-bar strains (ie, Drowsy Maggie, Rolling in the Rye Grass, the 10 Pound Float) or a reel with a particular sort of rhythm (Far From Home is someties cited). With any luck, we'll have strong supporters of both sides and there'll be a nice brawl over the matter.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Single reels...
I was once told by a dance teacher that single reels are 16 bars to suit particular dances. Several English and Scots reels I've found in books take this form. Whether they're more common in those traditions, perhaps because of dances peculiar to those areas, I don't know.
I've tried playing them as double reels, but never feel like I'm doing them justice that way. They seem to be too drawn out if you duplicate the parts.
And thanks for mentioning the 10 Pound Float Jon; I've just looked it up and it's an old favourite from years ago that I'd completely forgotten.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by bc_box_player
Re: Single reels...
From my experience, single reels aren't just reels with the parts only played once.... They seem to generally follow a pattern of having a 4 bar (musical) idea that is repeated. Both the A and B parts will follow this pattern, similar to a reel that has an 8 bar idea that is repeated, although, the single reel generally varies the endings of the 4 bars in a question-answer kind of format. And it often seems as though the B part varies the latter 4 bars more than the A part does - sometimes mirroring the A part rather starkly.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by Reverend
Re: Single reels...
10 Pound Float played as a reel. Now I would like to hear that.
Good explanation there Reverend.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by bigyabby
Re: Single reels...
Lionel, were you thinking of the 40 Pound Float (polka) by any chance?
And Rev, you hit the nail on the head yet again. I was thinking along those lines, but couldn't put it into words.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by bc_box_player
Re: Single reels...
Sorry
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by bigyabby
Re: Single reels...
Most of the reels played in sessions are double reels , Not because of how many times we play each part but because of the timing 4/4.Single reels are very like Polka's and are in 2/4 time. The Rakes of Mallow is a single reel even though I notice it is clasified here in the session as a polka.
Ask any dance master and they will show you that for single reels the step is a very basic 123 123. When you progress as a dancer to Double reels the step becomes a more advanced version of the 123. Further progression to a Treble reel (danced to a double reel) is invariably done with hard shoes and very complex steps
The term is also used to tell where we don't play the 1st part more than once at a time. along the lines of reverend's comments. but that is more "playing the reel singly"
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by murcu
Re: Single reels...
I take it that a "single reel" is - maybe among other things - one of those Northern English or Scottish 2/4 tunes that has the layout of a Kerry polka but is played at a more moderate speed. Salmon Tails, Jimmy Allen's and The Carlisle Reel are examples.
A (Northumbrian) rant has a basic rhythm that goes something like:
dee | DUM DUM DUM di-di | DUM DIDDI DUM di-di| ....
- In other words, three stressed beats followed by a less- or un-stressed one, per bar. (The unstressed beat leads on to the next three stressed ones.)
There are tunes that feature this across the 2/4 and 4/4 categories. The Morpeth Rant, The Hesleyside Reel, Whinham's Fancy and some of the Scottish Lowland reels are examples.
I'm not a dancer but I gather the three successive strong beats / stamps are features of rant dances, and were devised as ways of getting best value out of the dance in crowded kitchens or whatever where there wasn't a lot of room to move.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by nicholas
Re: Single reels...
I was always led to believe that a good example of a single reel was something like' The Rakes of Mallow' and a good example of a double reel was something like 'The Sally Gardens'. They are both reels as such but the amount of notes in each tune differs greatly, and consequently the speed at which they can be played..
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: Single reels...
The Rakes of Mallow I know that's always trotted out for beginner dancers is a polka. I think it's the only tune I've never heard played in a session so probably there is something we all agree on after all!
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: Single reels...
Flings may share the same number of bars as a single reel, and a common meter, but have a Scottish origin and a swingier, lighter feel, to the best of my knowledge. But the differences between reels and flings and barndances and such is subtle--I have heard the Pigtown Fling, for example, played so that it sounds like any of the three of the above, depending on whose hands it is in.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by AlBrown
Re: Single reels...
To make matters worse, I was first taught The Rakes of Mallow as a march.....
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by AlBrown
Re: Single reels...
Two of the rants mentioned by nicholas, played by three musicians who you would expect to get the rhythm right (Will Atkinson, Willy Taylor and Alistair Anderson) are right at the end of the fairly long interview here :http://www.asaplive.com/FARNE/RadioFARNE.cfm?ccs=150&cs=764
Is that typical nicholas (if you are still around) ?
They then go into the reel Spootaskerry with a similar rythym.
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by David50
Re: Single reels - rants
They all went away. Comments in an earlier discussion http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3360 from resident NE expert Dow confirm that those guys will be doing it right.
Have been trying to get the rhythm cracked (not finding it very flute friendly) and found the sound of the feet (my 'other half' can do it) helpful. She counts it
a | 1 2 3 a| 1 2 3 a|... with a lot of swing on the 1 2
but was also told
po|ta-toe-crisps po|ta-toe crisps po|....
Dow gives it as
'&| 1 & 3 stop &| 1 & 3 stop &|...........
What happens on 4 seems to be subtly important in the tunes though - the start of nicholas' di-di.
# Posted on August 7th 2009 by David50