I usually do 3 note up bow slurs on going into the down beat eighth note in reels. So in a bar with 8 eighth notes, the 4th, 5th, and 6th note of the measure are slurred, or the 8th, and the 1st and 2nd of the following measure. But this all depends on the tune. I also use two note slurs on certain passages if it compliments the tune better. Also, I'll accent some of the down beat eighth notes in a phrase if, again, it compliments the particular phrase.
I do it a fair amount. I think it makes a nice rhythmic pulse for dancing, where you're essentially playing your own backbeat on the accented down bow notes. It works well, for example, on the A part of Growling Old Man and Grumbling Old Woman.
Sunnybear, what you are saying is not how I do the pattern. I for sure do not down-bow on beats 1 and 3. If you subdivide 4 beats into 8 eights notes, here are my bow directions for one measure of solid eighth notes:
U U D U U U D U
This is called the "Georgia Bow" pattern by some. It works well for a lot of phrases in Irish music too.
the best thing to do, is to listen to a lot of different fiddlers,and not to be too rigid in your bowing patterns,.
if you cant find a good teacher,learn to read music,then youcan copy bowing styles from Matt Crannitch,PaulMcneven,Geoff Bowen, DavidLyth,etc and hopefully by using more than one book,youcan develop, take what you like from each one,and obtain your own style.
Shylock, this might be a place to start, and may in fact help break up other patterns you have established. One main ingredient to Irish playing is to vary the tune, so that it does not sound repetetive. This, then, would take different bowing approaches to the same tune.
To answer your question, I do not use a set bowing pattern of which I am aware. That last part is important. I can say, however, that when I try to teach someone bowing, it is very difficult for me, because after I show someone the way I bow a certain phrase, the next time we play through it, I bow it differently.
James Kelly is teaching a workshop in town this weekend, and he mentioned that he will give out bowings to the tunes that he teaches. I play on quizzing him about this.
1 down and 3 up bowing question
1 down and 3 up bowing question
Hi there,
I am practicing 1 down 3 up bowing at the moment as well as flattening out repetitious notes by emphasising the rest.
My question is the following; who else does this in fiddling?
Thanks for your time
Shylock
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by Shylock
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
I usually do 3 note up bow slurs on going into the down beat eighth note in reels. So in a bar with 8 eighth notes, the 4th, 5th, and 6th note of the measure are slurred, or the 8th, and the 1st and 2nd of the following measure. But this all depends on the tune. I also use two note slurs on certain passages if it compliments the tune better. Also, I'll accent some of the down beat eighth notes in a phrase if, again, it compliments the particular phrase.
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by cnfinley
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
I do 1 down 3 up. The downs fall on beats 2 and 4 of a 4 beat measure.
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by crazy_fingerz
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
I thought the downbeat was the first beat of the measure..like the downstroke of the conductors baton...
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by Sunnybear
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
oops..I sorta misread your post, but still, if you are doing 1 down and 3 up the the downstroke is on beat 1 of the measure
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by Sunnybear
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
I do it a fair amount. I think it makes a nice rhythmic pulse for dancing, where you're essentially playing your own backbeat on the accented down bow notes. It works well, for example, on the A part of Growling Old Man and Grumbling Old Woman.
http://thesession.org/tunes/display/1006
It's so common as to be cliché in some of the early bluegrass stuff, e.g. Paul Martin, Chubby Wise, Fiddlin' Arthur Smith.
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by McBriss
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
Sunnybear, what you are saying is not how I do the pattern. I for sure do not down-bow on beats 1 and 3. If you subdivide 4 beats into 8 eights notes, here are my bow directions for one measure of solid eighth notes:
U U D U U U D U
This is called the "Georgia Bow" pattern by some. It works well for a lot of phrases in Irish music too.
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by crazy_fingerz
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
ok...that clarifies my muddledness
# Posted on June 15th 2007 by Sunnybear
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
the best thing to do, is to listen to a lot of different fiddlers,and not to be too rigid in your bowing patterns,.
if you cant find a good teacher,learn to read music,then youcan copy bowing styles from Matt Crannitch,PaulMcneven,Geoff Bowen, DavidLyth,etc and hopefully by using more than one book,youcan develop, take what you like from each one,and obtain your own style.
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by Rufus Jameson
Re: 1 down and 3 up bowing question
Shylock, this might be a place to start, and may in fact help break up other patterns you have established. One main ingredient to Irish playing is to vary the tune, so that it does not sound repetetive. This, then, would take different bowing approaches to the same tune.
To answer your question, I do not use a set bowing pattern of which I am aware. That last part is important. I can say, however, that when I try to teach someone bowing, it is very difficult for me, because after I show someone the way I bow a certain phrase, the next time we play through it, I bow it differently.
James Kelly is teaching a workshop in town this weekend, and he mentioned that he will give out bowings to the tunes that he teaches. I play on quizzing him about this.
# Posted on June 20th 2007 by Jode