Could someone please explain it with some examples and/or variations? Also, any thoughts on bowing patterns leading into [and out of] the "pedal bowing" would be much appreciated too. Many thanks.
I take it the rationale behind pedal bowing is to avoid squareness in reels and the two notes per bow thing that many beginners fall prey to? Also I'm guessing pedal bowing patterns help you play across the backbeats? [2 and 4]
I think you're talking about what my teacher called "figure-8" bowing, which is a way to smooth out those pedal-note sequences. Your hand should, presumably, make some kind of figure-8 pattern in the air from the up-bows and down-bows.
Rolling in the Ryegrass is my favorite example: the second and fourth bars.
|ABAF DEFA|G2BG dGBG|ABAF DEFA|BFAF EDD2|
The G2BG dGBG sequence would be bowed, actually, 2 notes per bow. I'll space it out with brackets and emphasize the beat with asterisks:
[G2*B*] [G*d*] [G*B*] [G]
You can also try a different pattern, with a three-note group:
[G2B] [GdG] [BG]
Up-downs or down-bows work. However the crucial thing (for me at least) is to get that figure-8, so your hand goes from top left to bottom right, up, then top right to bottom left, and back. Make sense? What that pattern should do is essentially turn the whole thing into double-stops: the G should be sounding the WHOLE duration of the sequence. That lends it the contiguous feeling that ties it together.
Floss/Danjo
thanks for the input....something else I was wondering about in this regard and I'm not sure if I was reading Cathal Hayden quite right on his general instructions for Irish bowing...but is it the norm -- if you use the general pattern of single notes combined with 3 slurred and 2 slurred -- to *mostly* make the 3 slurs on an UP bow, whereas the 2 slurred might be better on the down....generally that is....or doesn't it matter a damn really?
Pedal bowing
Pedal bowing
Could someone please explain it with some examples and/or variations? Also, any thoughts on bowing patterns leading into [and out of] the "pedal bowing" would be much appreciated too. Many thanks.
I take it the rationale behind pedal bowing is to avoid squareness in reels and the two notes per bow thing that many beginners fall prey to? Also I'm guessing pedal bowing patterns help you play across the backbeats? [2 and 4]
# Posted on August 6th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: Pedal bowing
I don't know what it is, but it sounds dangerous.
# Posted on August 6th 2009 by Bob himself
Re: Pedal bowing
Explained here = http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/18133/comments.
# Posted on August 6th 2009 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Pedal bowing
Oh, I see. Pedal notes.
# Posted on August 6th 2009 by Bob himself
Re: Pedal bowing
I think you're talking about what my teacher called "figure-8" bowing, which is a way to smooth out those pedal-note sequences. Your hand should, presumably, make some kind of figure-8 pattern in the air from the up-bows and down-bows.
Rolling in the Ryegrass is my favorite example: the second and fourth bars.
|ABAF DEFA|G2BG dGBG|ABAF DEFA|BFAF EDD2|
The G2BG dGBG sequence would be bowed, actually, 2 notes per bow. I'll space it out with brackets and emphasize the beat with asterisks:
[G2*B*] [G*d*] [G*B*] [G]
You can also try a different pattern, with a three-note group:
[G2B] [GdG] [BG]
Up-downs or down-bows work. However the crucial thing (for me at least) is to get that figure-8, so your hand goes from top left to bottom right, up, then top right to bottom left, and back. Make sense? What that pattern should do is essentially turn the whole thing into double-stops: the G should be sounding the WHOLE duration of the sequence. That lends it the contiguous feeling that ties it together.
--Danjo
# Posted on August 6th 2009 by Danjo
Re: Pedal bowing
Floss/Danjo
thanks for the input....something else I was wondering about in this regard and I'm not sure if I was reading Cathal Hayden quite right on his general instructions for Irish bowing...but is it the norm -- if you use the general pattern of single notes combined with 3 slurred and 2 slurred -- to *mostly* make the 3 slurs on an UP bow, whereas the 2 slurred might be better on the down....generally that is....or doesn't it matter a damn really?
# Posted on August 7th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: Pedal bowing
I'm speaking mostly of reel patterns here. thanks.
# Posted on August 7th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: Pedal bowing
here is the link to Will's description;
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/18133/comments#comment377500
Re: A dull and lifeless question about fingering...
June 17th 2008 by will harmon
# Posted on August 7th 2009 by Ben Steen
Re: Pedal bowing
Rather than try to explain upbow/downbow... I just wrote it out in music notation.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgikeith/3800074614/
# Posted on August 8th 2009 by Georgi
Re: Pedal bowing
Just play
# Posted on August 8th 2009 by Lord Gordon
Re: Pedal bowing
thanks George.
# Posted on August 10th 2009 by skin&bow