Is there any rule about when one should play a dotted rhythm as distinct from straight quavers as usually written? (Mainly talking about jigs, but also some reels) Is it just a personal preference? The dotted rhythm usually makes the piece more lively and gives a lift but I'm not sure wether I should be doing it or not,
Ann, you'll do yourself a huge favor if you learn the tunes from listening to people whose playing you admire, rather than from sheet music. Sheet music is always an approximation (at best), and even a dotted rhythm misses the lift, pulse, swing, etc., that a good player gives the tunes.
Remember that this is dance music, first and foremost, passed on aurally.
Many players insist that Irish traditional music is dance based. Therefore ~ you can learn how to swing jigs & reels if you dance.
Will's comment about listening is right on. Focus on musicians you most enjoy. Music is for pleasure. Listening to the best ITM players on a jig, for instance, there are many different styles. It depends on the jig but I like a good swing ~ 'lilted' rhythm. Not everyone plays with a lilt.
The comment about dance music should be very helpful fun. Something I was wondering though, is it seems you can learn much about traditional rhythms by listening to & playing slow aires.
To address the question. There aren't any rules except that you should do a lot of listening to ITM to get it under your skin, then you'll decide for your good self whether to swing it or not or just sometimes. It all works in the right hands. Though Michael once told me to unswing all my reels, the rotter.
come on steve, I suggested that you swung your reels too much ... that you played them like hornpipes. My suggestion to try to play them straight was to experience the other extreem in order that you may appreciate the difference.
This whole thing about dotted rhythms is very subtle. It's really not something you can measure, for two reasons.
The first being that it varies. Not just from person to person, or even between one person's tunes, or even between that one person's different renditions of the same tune, but even within once through one tune. It's all about accent.
The second is that there are two elements to accent, volume and timing. If you play a note a little harder, it can sound like you've come to it a little quicker. And if you've delayed it a little, it can sound like you've played it a little quieter.
Accent, rhythm, lift, drive, etc are all combinations of different accents. It cannot be recreated by trying to deconstruct and measure it. Your only option is to just listen.
Hey, Michael, I play lots of unswung reels, it's just that none of them are on my site. Pick up the phone and I'll play you Maids of MountCisco followed by Bird in the Bush at 200mph utterly unswung. And I'll swear it was j*g who got my reels confused with hornpipes, not you, for the simple reason that he doesn't know the bloody difference.
Having cleared that one up, I should like to endorse that last post of Michael's to the full. Sense is being talked.
dotted rhythms
dotted rhythms
Is there any rule about when one should play a dotted rhythm as distinct from straight quavers as usually written? (Mainly talking about jigs, but also some reels) Is it just a personal preference? The dotted rhythm usually makes the piece more lively and gives a lift but I'm not sure wether I should be doing it or not,
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by annroscon
Re: dotted rhythms
Ann, you'll do yourself a huge favor if you learn the tunes from listening to people whose playing you admire, rather than from sheet music. Sheet music is always an approximation (at best), and even a dotted rhythm misses the lift, pulse, swing, etc., that a good player gives the tunes.
Remember that this is dance music, first and foremost, passed on aurally.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: dotted rhythms
and at speed.....
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Johannes J
Dot rhythm
Many players insist that Irish traditional music is dance based. Therefore ~ you can learn how to swing jigs & reels if you dance.
Will's comment about listening is right on. Focus on musicians you most enjoy. Music is for pleasure. Listening to the best ITM players on a jig, for instance, there are many different styles. It depends on the jig but I like a good swing ~ 'lilted' rhythm. Not everyone plays with a lilt.
The comment about dance music should be very helpful fun. Something I was wondering though, is it seems you can learn much about traditional rhythms by listening to & playing slow aires.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Random_notes
~
Listen to many musicians.
Learn from the one's who make you want to dance.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Random_notes
Re: dotted rhythms
Shouldn't dance music be passed on pedally?
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by GaryAMartin
Re: dotted rhythms
...just as long as it's not passed on gaseously...
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: dotted rhythms
To address the question. There aren't any rules except that you should do a lot of listening to ITM to get it under your skin, then you'll decide for your good self whether to swing it or not or just sometimes. It all works in the right hands. Though Michael once told me to unswing all my reels, the rotter.
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: dotted rhythms
come on steve, I suggested that you swung your reels too much ... that you played them like hornpipes. My suggestion to try to play them straight was to experience the other extreem in order that you may appreciate the difference.
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: dotted rhythms
This whole thing about dotted rhythms is very subtle. It's really not something you can measure, for two reasons.
The first being that it varies. Not just from person to person, or even between one person's tunes, or even between that one person's different renditions of the same tune, but even within once through one tune. It's all about accent.
The second is that there are two elements to accent, volume and timing. If you play a note a little harder, it can sound like you've come to it a little quicker. And if you've delayed it a little, it can sound like you've played it a little quieter.
Accent, rhythm, lift, drive, etc are all combinations of different accents. It cannot be recreated by trying to deconstruct and measure it. Your only option is to just listen.
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: dotted rhythms
Hey, Michael, I play lots of unswung reels, it's just that none of them are on my site. Pick up the phone and I'll play you Maids of MountCisco followed by Bird in the Bush at 200mph utterly unswung. And I'll swear it was j*g who got my reels confused with hornpipes, not you, for the simple reason that he doesn't know the bloody difference.
Having cleared that one up, I should like to endorse that last post of Michael's to the full. Sense is being talked.
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by Steve Shaw