Playing the tunes on Guitar, i wish to know which ones notes should be stressed in order to give the right sound, in Jigs reels and other rhythms. I use to listen to Donal Clancy or William coulter, and the tunes played by them have some notes stressed, is that free or do u have to follow a common law?
yes hehe but i thought there was a sort of common law on knowing which notes should be stressed, because when i want to learn a tune from sheet music and not by hear i would like to know the notes that should be stressed for example on jigs maybe the first octave of each bar and so on...I know guitar backs the melody most of the time, but when i listen to wooden flute players or fiddle and hear the stresses i wish to understand if they put the stressses following their taste or ability or because that note has to be stressed following the style...
Don't follow another guitarist - follow a fiddler or flute player, they'll get it right.
Truly ghastly examples of hideously unidiomatic accentuation: John Renbourn and Pierre Bensusan. Guitarists think they're God, which says a lot about the average guitarist.
If you're playing for dancer, then you need to consider their needs. This usually means a stress on the first beat of each bar, and a smaller stress part-way through the bar if this is sensible. So in 4/4 to put the main stress on beat 1 with a lighter one on beat 3. In 6/8 it's beats 1 & 4. All this helps the dancers to know where they are in the music.
If you're not playing for dancing I would think that it's a matter of individual taste.
Part of the joy of this music is how the emphasis moves around. If you are always stressing the 1 beat in a reel, it will feel like a regimented march. If you always stress the 3 beat in a reel, it will sound like you're playing on a pogo stick. Likewise with jigs. If you're stressing just the 1 beat, the tune will plod along with no bounce. Let the melody help you determine which beats to stress. And allow the emphasis to move around as part of your expression of the tune. Otherwise, you'll sound like a midi player or machine, and not like someone who understands the music. The best way to get comfortable with this is by listening to so much Irish music that it just becomes second nature.
You know who else is really good with pulse/emphesis/ flow call it what you will.
Jackie Daly is great. Also I might sound biased, but John Williams is among the best in getting the stress- his rhythms are very distictly articulated.
Stresses playing the tunes
Stresses playing the tunes
Hello there,
Playing the tunes on Guitar, i wish to know which ones notes should be stressed in order to give the right sound, in Jigs reels and other rhythms. I use to listen to Donal Clancy or William coulter, and the tunes played by them have some notes stressed, is that free or do u have to follow a common law?
Thanks
Angelo
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by CORK
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
Why don't you just listen to them again and hear for yourself which notes are being stressed?
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Dr. Dow
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
yes hehe but i thought there was a sort of common law on knowing which notes should be stressed, because when i want to learn a tune from sheet music and not by hear i would like to know the notes that should be stressed for example on jigs maybe the first octave of each bar and so on...I know guitar backs the melody most of the time, but when i listen to wooden flute players or fiddle and hear the stresses i wish to understand if they put the stressses following their taste or ability or because that note has to be stressed following the style...
Thanks
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by CORK
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
This is dance music; there are rules. Don't learn from sheet music, if you don't know where to put in the stresses. Better follow Donal Clancy.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Janek
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
Don't follow another guitarist - follow a fiddler or flute player, they'll get it right.
Truly ghastly examples of hideously unidiomatic accentuation: John Renbourn and Pierre Bensusan. Guitarists think they're God, which says a lot about the average guitarist.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Jack Campin
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
If you're playing for dancer, then you need to consider their needs. This usually means a stress on the first beat of each bar, and a smaller stress part-way through the bar if this is sensible. So in 4/4 to put the main stress on beat 1 with a lighter one on beat 3. In 6/8 it's beats 1 & 4. All this helps the dancers to know where they are in the music.
If you're not playing for dancing I would think that it's a matter of individual taste.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by rbs
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
"when i want to learn a tune from sheet music and not by hear i would like to know the notes that should be stressed"
When you want to learn a tune from sheet music, slap yourself in the face really hard and repeat several times very slowly and deliberately:
"I am being lazy
I must learn how to accent these tunes by listening
It is impossible for me to learn how to do that from sheetmusic
I should not expect others to listen for me and save me the effort
I should listen and make that effort myself to be a good musician with whom other people will want to play".
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Dr. Dow
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
Part of the joy of this music is how the emphasis moves around. If you are always stressing the 1 beat in a reel, it will feel like a regimented march. If you always stress the 3 beat in a reel, it will sound like you're playing on a pogo stick. Likewise with jigs. If you're stressing just the 1 beat, the tune will plod along with no bounce. Let the melody help you determine which beats to stress. And allow the emphasis to move around as part of your expression of the tune. Otherwise, you'll sound like a midi player or machine, and not like someone who understands the music. The best way to get comfortable with this is by listening to so much Irish music that it just becomes second nature.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Reverend
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
There shouldn't be any stress involved. It's not the kind of music to get stressed out over.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Weejie
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
Watch this little clip, taking note of what the lady says at the end.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by gam
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuWLjX2xah8
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by gam
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
You know who else is really good with pulse/emphesis/ flow call it what you will.
Jackie Daly is great. Also I might sound biased, but John Williams is among the best in getting the stress- his rhythms are very distictly articulated.
You have to do your homework onthis one
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by zippydw
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
If you learn to sing the tunes first, it will help you.
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Nicholas Jelinek
Re: Stresses playing the tunes
God save me from guitarists who think I need their help when dancing to know where I am in the music!
# Posted on June 20th 2011 by Tirno