Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I am presently trying to correct some bad habits in my playing technique, in particular plucking direction. I have been working with Enda Scahill's tutor book (which I find very well thought out and a great help) that emphasizes reels, jigs and hornpipes. However, the book doesn't give any examples of plucking directions for polkas. Should a polka be played down-down-down-down for a measure of all eighth notes or should it be down-up-down-up? The former seems logical since from what I understand a polka is basically a cut time tune. Also, it would make accenting the beats easier. But for very high tempo play, I can see a down side to d-d-d-d.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
Ragaman, thanks for the link to the other thread. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I did not see that thread in my search results and unfortunately I had not been on the site over the last week, so I missed the recent post.
I am also surprised at the the lack of response from the banjo crowd to the previous post. Maybe most of the banjo players on this site don't play polkas, have no opinion or don't use a consistent plucking pattern. Sully's tutor (just got this in the mail today) says to use d-d-d-d for the 8th notes, but I am still interested in knowing if that is what most players actually do.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
For polkas I play d-d-d-d for quaver groupings,d-u-d-u for semi quaver groupings,d-u for dotted quaver/semiquaver, and d-d-u for quaver/semiquaver/semiquaver.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I didn't comment earlier because: (
a) I never know how I play tunes, and whenever I start thinking about it I stop being able to play;
(b) I taught myself away with very little abvice and don't play in a particularly orthodox manner, aso even if I knew what I did, I doubt i'd want to suggest it
Whilst in principal I think developing your own style and not trying to copy the playing of any one player is a good thing (I'm all for unorthodoxy), I wouldn't necessarily suggest doing things the way I do them would be a particaurly good idea.
The very little banjo advice I got early on from someone who I thought at the time was great, was absolute bawlux and caused me problems when I started playing more socially.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I've no reason to think that it's any different for a plectrum instrument, but for a fiddle, with polkas especially, it's way way easier if you can do DUDU just as intuitively as UDUD.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I think Llig's right. If you can play up and downstrokes consistently you should be able to mix and match at will (and often subconsciously) to suit the character of the tune, rather than have to follow strict rules. Same applies to jigs with the dud dud v. dud udu. Depends on the tune.
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I never bow anything with all single bows, that's a horrid thing to do, makes you sound like a feckin' banjo.
But it's good to be able to play the skipperty bits in fast polkas with single bows, not every time through, but certainly more than slurring them. And if you can only play the skipperty bits one way, you end up having to slur certain bits of the rest of it so you can plan to start the skipperty bit in the right direction. And that's a daft thing to have to do.
Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I am presently trying to correct some bad habits in my playing technique, in particular plucking direction. I have been working with Enda Scahill's tutor book (which I find very well thought out and a great help) that emphasizes reels, jigs and hornpipes. However, the book doesn't give any examples of plucking directions for polkas. Should a polka be played down-down-down-down for a measure of all eighth notes or should it be down-up-down-up? The former seems logical since from what I understand a polka is basically a cut time tune. Also, it would make accenting the beats easier. But for very high tempo play, I can see a down side to d-d-d-d.
# Posted on March 27th 2009 by rob zouk
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
A similiar thread came up a few days ago: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/21067
...although I'm the only contributor so far.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by OrganicPeatCreature
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
Ragaman, thanks for the link to the other thread. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I did not see that thread in my search results and unfortunately I had not been on the site over the last week, so I missed the recent post.
I am also surprised at the the lack of response from the banjo crowd to the previous post. Maybe most of the banjo players on this site don't play polkas, have no opinion or don't use a consistent plucking pattern. Sully's tutor (just got this in the mail today) says to use d-d-d-d for the 8th notes, but I am still interested in knowing if that is what most players actually do.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by rob zouk
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
When playing polkas on tenor banjo or GDAE zouk, I tend to use mostly downstrokes.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Michael Eskin
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
and yes, if the tempo is fast, it can be a challenge, but seems to give me a better rhythm.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Michael Eskin
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
For polkas I play d-d-d-d for quaver groupings,d-u-d-u for semi quaver groupings,d-u for dotted quaver/semiquaver, and d-d-u for quaver/semiquaver/semiquaver.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Tony O'Rourke
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I hope you're talking about the tune, and not accompaniment.
No-one should be playing that many strums on a polka accompaniment.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
Thanks for the comments. Yes, I am talking about playing the tune, not strumming.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by rob zouk
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I didn't comment earlier because: (
a) I never know how I play tunes, and whenever I start thinking about it I stop being able to play;
(b) I taught myself away with very little abvice and don't play in a particularly orthodox manner, aso even if I knew what I did, I doubt i'd want to suggest it
Whilst in principal I think developing your own style and not trying to copy the playing of any one player is a good thing (I'm all for unorthodoxy), I wouldn't necessarily suggest doing things the way I do them would be a particaurly good idea.
The very little banjo advice I got early on from someone who I thought at the time was great, was absolute bawlux and caused me problems when I started playing more socially.
- chris
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I've no reason to think that it's any different for a plectrum instrument, but for a fiddle, with polkas especially, it's way way easier if you can do DUDU just as intuitively as UDUD.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I think Llig's right. If you can play up and downstrokes consistently you should be able to mix and match at will (and often subconsciously) to suit the character of the tune, rather than have to follow strict rules. Same applies to jigs with the dud dud v. dud udu. Depends on the tune.
# Posted on March 28th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
I never bow anything with all single bows, that's a horrid thing to do, makes you sound like a feckin' banjo.
But it's good to be able to play the skipperty bits in fast polkas with single bows, not every time through, but certainly more than slurring them. And if you can only play the skipperty bits one way, you end up having to slur certain bits of the rest of it so you can plan to start the skipperty bit in the right direction. And that's a daft thing to have to do.
# Posted on March 29th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Plucking direction for polkas on banjo/zouk/guitar
no probs. I try not to be ambiguous, but it doesn't alway work just because I know what I'm on about.
# Posted on March 30th 2009 by llig leahcim