I always think this is a good counterexample to the common assumption that playing styles were regionally defined in early ages. They were acutally from neighbouring parishes and had similar repertoires.
So, why did they adopt different styles? Simply because they used different sorts of flutes? Or just a reflection of their personal preferences?
My own flute style belongs to the staccato school. If asked why, I would respond I'm a big fan of Connemara melodeon music and Clare concertina music. I was also influenced by the finger-flickering piano accordion style in West Yorkshire. But I haven't found a good answer yet.
Any thought? I'd love to know about the staccato styles of playing on other instruments.
I think it's more about personal preferences than anything else. The staccato style gives you more control over the rhythm, in my opinion. I like to play a mix of both.
These are actually two recognised and distinct ways of playing on the Northumbrian bagpipes. The piper and teacher Tom Clough, active in the earlier c20 and very highly regarded, thought that staccato playing of the notes was the only correct way to play; he taught Billy Pigg in this style, but many years later Billy Pigg - who recorded much more music than Clough and thus became better known on the whole - achieved a freewheeling legato style quite unlike Clough's.
The two men came from the same locality. But outside influence does come into Pigg's style - he listened to Highland pipe and Irish music and players, and sought to imitate what they were doing.
Pigg's style became more fashionable than Clough's, which is nonetheless played by Chris Ormston and I believe now Adrian Schofield.
How far back in piping history Clough's favoured staccato style goes, I wouldn't know.
I like the staccato in Northumbrian pipe music, in contrast with Irish - there are many things in common between the two traditions but this aspect seems to point up the differences. Mind you, I like any thing tastefully played, and Billy Pigg's playing will do me nicely!
I think use of staccato is fairly important on the English Concertina,of course I use rolls as well and single grace notes.I would tend to use a little more staccato when playing northumbrian tunesThan irish tunes.
I have atutor out in which I stress the importanceof playing scales both staccato and legato.Dick Miles
You can only do it on a closed chanter, like northumbrian pipes or Irish pipes with the chanter at rest on the knee. The idea is that you close all your fingers in betwen notes, so stopping the reed. Don't care for it much my self
I should have been clearer. On the Northumbrian pipes, playing staccato is a matter of fingering - not tonguing or stopping the air supply: tonguing is impossible as these pipes are bellows-blown like the Irish pipes, and the air supply has to be kept constant - unless you want your bagpipes to make some very odd noises indeed. (I assume tonguing is impossible on any bagpipe, period, though someone may correct me.)
The fingering on the Northumbrian pipes is not like that on the whistle or flute. I believe - and I ought to know this for certain but don't - that these pipes are played with all the fingers down except for one at any given time; the note you get is determined by which finger is up and which hole on the chanter is thus uncovered.
To play them staccato style means playing each note (even fast ones in quick runs of notes) so that it is separated from the one before and after by a break, however minuscule. (The piper Tom Clough said they should come out "like peas from a pod".) In playing terms, this means,
All holes covered by fingers,
One hole uncovered,
All holes covered by fingers,
Another (or the same) hole uncovered,
All holes covered by fingers,
-and so on.
Legato playing allows for a hole to be uncovered when another is still open and sounding: that as far as I know is the difference.
This is the same with the uilleann pipes when played with the chanter on the knee. The lowest note (called bottom D) can only be played by lifting the chanter and so this note can not be played staccato as all the others. In contrary to the Northumbrian pipes it is possible to play with the chanter off the knee always and so a very legato style is possible which is more like a great highland bagpipe style. In daily life everybody uses both possibility and nobody is playing staccato or legato only. The degree of the mixture defines the 'open' and 'closed' style. The very closed style of Andy Conroy is not as popular anymore nowadays.
A reckon a picture is worth a thousand words- to hear on the uilleann pipes the difference between the "close" and "open" styles, give a listen to Tommy Reck (close) and the current young Dublin piper Gay McKeown (open). Gay even goes so far as to not play the usual pipe staccato B-C#-D triplet, but plays the triplet legato as is usual on the whistle. He's the most fluid, open, legato player I've heard recently and a terrific player.
On the flute, the mainstream style in recent decades has been the fluid flowing legato style popularised by Matt Molloy etc. In the old days there were "fife style" flute players who played in a tongued staccato. Quite different, but often mistaken for staccato, is the style where the music is articulated by ever-present diaphragm action, the "breath pushes". Listen to Conal O Grada for an excellent current player who is playing in this older style.
Staccato vs. Legato
Staccato vs. Legato
Now listen to two flute masters from East Galway.
Paddy Carty: http://juneberry78s.com/sounds/Paddy%20Carty%20-%20Paddy%20Fahys.mp3
From Juneberry 78s: http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/ListenToIrishDance.htm
Eddie Moloney: http://www.lafferty.ca/files/flute-geezers/edmaloney5.mp3
From Rich Lafferty's Flute Tape Page: http://www.lafferty.ca/music/irish/flute-geezers
I always think this is a good counterexample to the common assumption that playing styles were regionally defined in early ages. They were acutally from neighbouring parishes and had similar repertoires.
So, why did they adopt different styles? Simply because they used different sorts of flutes? Or just a reflection of their personal preferences?
My own flute style belongs to the staccato school. If asked why, I would respond I'm a big fan of Connemara melodeon music and Clare concertina music. I was also influenced by the finger-flickering piano accordion style in West Yorkshire. But I haven't found a good answer yet.
Any thought? I'd love to know about the staccato styles of playing on other instruments.
# Posted on August 5th 2007 by slainte
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
I think it's more about personal preferences than anything else. The staccato style gives you more control over the rhythm, in my opinion. I like to play a mix of both.
# Posted on August 5th 2007 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
So, where do personal preferences come from? Fellow musicians you regularly play with, commercial recordings, or both?
# Posted on August 5th 2007 by slainte
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
These are actually two recognised and distinct ways of playing on the Northumbrian bagpipes. The piper and teacher Tom Clough, active in the earlier c20 and very highly regarded, thought that staccato playing of the notes was the only correct way to play; he taught Billy Pigg in this style, but many years later Billy Pigg - who recorded much more music than Clough and thus became better known on the whole - achieved a freewheeling legato style quite unlike Clough's.
The two men came from the same locality. But outside influence does come into Pigg's style - he listened to Highland pipe and Irish music and players, and sought to imitate what they were doing.
Pigg's style became more fashionable than Clough's, which is nonetheless played by Chris Ormston and I believe now Adrian Schofield.
How far back in piping history Clough's favoured staccato style goes, I wouldn't know.
# Posted on August 5th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
I like the staccato in Northumbrian pipe music, in contrast with Irish - there are many things in common between the two traditions but this aspect seems to point up the differences. Mind you, I like any thing tastefully played, and Billy Pigg's playing will do me nicely!
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by Steve Shaw
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
I think use of staccato is fairly important on the English Concertina,of course I use rolls as well and single grace notes.I would tend to use a little more staccato when playing northumbrian tunesThan irish tunes.
I have atutor out in which I stress the importanceof playing scales both staccato and legato.Dick Miles
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by dickens metrognome
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
Thanks for the input, especially Nicholas.
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by slainte
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
Thanks, slainte!
Does "closed" versus "open" playing on the Irish pipes mean staccato
playing versus legato playing? I've never known what this meant.
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by nicholas
A technical question
I suppose that the staccato effect is mostly achieved by tonguing - is this correct? So how does one do it on any kind of bagpipe?
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by sixholes
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
You can only do it on a closed chanter, like northumbrian pipes or Irish pipes with the chanter at rest on the knee. The idea is that you close all your fingers in betwen notes, so stopping the reed. Don't care for it much my self
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by llig leahcim
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
I should have been clearer. On the Northumbrian pipes, playing staccato is a matter of fingering - not tonguing or stopping the air supply: tonguing is impossible as these pipes are bellows-blown like the Irish pipes, and the air supply has to be kept constant - unless you want your bagpipes to make some very odd noises indeed. (I assume tonguing is impossible on any bagpipe, period, though someone may correct me.)
The fingering on the Northumbrian pipes is not like that on the whistle or flute. I believe - and I ought to know this for certain but don't - that these pipes are played with all the fingers down except for one at any given time; the note you get is determined by which finger is up and which hole on the chanter is thus uncovered.
To play them staccato style means playing each note (even fast ones in quick runs of notes) so that it is separated from the one before and after by a break, however minuscule. (The piper Tom Clough said they should come out "like peas from a pod".) In playing terms, this means,
All holes covered by fingers,
One hole uncovered,
All holes covered by fingers,
Another (or the same) hole uncovered,
All holes covered by fingers,
-and so on.
Legato playing allows for a hole to be uncovered when another is still open and sounding: that as far as I know is the difference.
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by nicholas
Very interesting! Thanks.
# Posted on August 6th 2007 by sixholes
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
This is the same with the uilleann pipes when played with the chanter on the knee. The lowest note (called bottom D) can only be played by lifting the chanter and so this note can not be played staccato as all the others. In contrary to the Northumbrian pipes it is possible to play with the chanter off the knee always and so a very legato style is possible which is more like a great highland bagpipe style. In daily life everybody uses both possibility and nobody is playing staccato or legato only. The degree of the mixture defines the 'open' and 'closed' style. The very closed style of Andy Conroy is not as popular anymore nowadays.
# Posted on August 14th 2007 by swisspiper
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
A reckon a picture is worth a thousand words- to hear on the uilleann pipes the difference between the "close" and "open" styles, give a listen to Tommy Reck (close) and the current young Dublin piper Gay McKeown (open). Gay even goes so far as to not play the usual pipe staccato B-C#-D triplet, but plays the triplet legato as is usual on the whistle. He's the most fluid, open, legato player I've heard recently and a terrific player.
On the flute, the mainstream style in recent decades has been the fluid flowing legato style popularised by Matt Molloy etc. In the old days there were "fife style" flute players who played in a tongued staccato. Quite different, but often mistaken for staccato, is the style where the music is articulated by ever-present diaphragm action, the "breath pushes". Listen to Conal O Grada for an excellent current player who is playing in this older style.
# Posted on August 15th 2007 by Richard D Cook
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
'the current young Dublin piper Gay McKeown'
Richard you should really get out more and update your outlook a bit. Gay being around the fifty mark at this stage and all I mean.
# Posted on August 15th 2007 by kilfarboy
Re: Staccato vs. Legato
Hey that's young to me...
# Posted on August 16th 2007 by Richard D Cook