I always get excited about those tunes that I hear that 'put the hairs standing on the back of my neck'. However, sometimes when I put my mind to learning these tunes I find that by the time I have it off by heart the original magic is gone for me. Something like how over-analysing a poem can ruin its beauty I guess.
Has anyone any suggestions to stop this happening? Is it just a case of getting better at my instrument so I can learn these tunes with less effort?
Well....certainly getting better facility at learning tunes by ear and getting it out through your instrument helps...Kevin Burke feels that there's this sort of uber-pool of music floating around out there, and when he plays, he just sort of taps into that music. That takes a lot of work at basic things and familiarity with the music, I think, so that they're automatic. And some things (like those basics and the familiarity) just simply take time, and there's no shortcuts.
You can read about his philosophy of playing the music at his website, http://www.kevinburke.com ...he really should write a book, Kevin Burke should.
You don't say how long you've been playing or what skill level you are...I don't want to go being insulting by giving you advice that you've gotten way through already, so please keep that in mind here... I'm not an expert player, besides.
But almost every expert player I talk to tends to sort of shrug when you ask about this kind of thing -- to them, it largely seems to be a matter of doing the homework (listening to the stuff 'til it overflows out your mental ears, working at getting better at the physical part of playing your instrument, having enough discernment to know what kind of style you want to play, knowing where and what you still have to work at, all that stuff). Then you can relax and enjoy the music while you're playing it, which is very important.
Also: a lot of the real charm and fascination of the music is in the variations and the unexpected serendipities you fall into (that "hidden note" thing). Memorizing the variations and ornaments that an expert player uses for a tune is an excellent exercise, but that's all it is. Sooner or later, you have to branch out into your own version of a tune, using your own taste, judgement and discernment.
Me, I'm still developing that taste, judgement, and discernment, so I tend to play the variations and ornaments that are used by people whose playing I trust, and I tend to keep it simple. The tunes will carry you (and themselves) until you can make those kinds of decisions, I figure.
I hope that helps you. I'm not sure how it would, being awfully vague sort of advice, but there you are.
I always love the first time I hear a tune, when I'm not familiar with it yet, but it holds a kind of excitement and the tune is full of surprises. Once you learn to play the tune, some of that excitement changes into something else. The tune becomes familiar, like an old friend. Then, perhaps the magic is in sharing the tune with someone else who hasn't heard it before. Then the magic becomes an act of giving it away.
If it doesn't stay with you let it go... Either you're not ready for the tune, or it's not ready for you. I've always felt that the tunes that really matter touch a part of you reaching directly into your soul. It might be but a handfull of tunes, but you'll know them when you hear them.
I've let a lot of tunes go for lack of interest only to hear some master play them so tastefully
that I realized it wasn't the tune that was lacking it was and IS my approach. I believe even the
most tired old chestnut can be rejuvenated with the right approach.
I think what I'm about to say supports most of the above comments to this really interesting question.
Someone I play with suggested that the only way to get the magic right is to play a tune in public and analyse afterwards what works and what doesn't - in other words, when you're reasonably good at a tune, you can't get to the "magic" stage sitting playing it on your own somewhere, you really need to be "with" an audience, and you get that point where inspiration and technical skill combine to create something truly hair-raising.
In my own experience the hair-raising bit has happened only once or twice. I clearly remember the last one of these, at a concert in a church. At one point during a piece I suddenly had a sort of "out of body" experience where I was seeing / listening to myself perform. I remember very clearly thinking "I don't know what's coming next - what ornaments etc - let's just carry on and see what I'm going to play" and almost not being in control of it but totally engaged in listening. I can't quite explain it, but the interesting thing about this particular example was the comments from people afterwards: "It just seemed incredibly natural", "Listening to it, I was transported" etc - all different comments from different people at this concert, and ALL were about the music, not about me. I only wish I knew what had happened so I could repeat it!!!
All I know about this occasion is that it was after doing a LOT of rehearsal and knowing the music backwards - oh, and doing it from memory. I don't believe you can achieve that magic while reading the dots.
No, I don't take any sort of drugs - I don't believe in them. I think the answer to the "magic" in the music is to get totally invovled in the reality of being there!!
I hear some of those tunes that just capture me. I remember hearing the Mouth of The Tobique with the Kevin Burke C part. Man!!!!
A band mate had requsted that I learn it. Well the charm was not there while I was learning it. I got better at the tune quite natually but I still did not capture the charm. I decided to check it out in front of my friends. They loved it. They started requesting it all the time. I started to put it out to my solo audiences. Once again I got the rave reviews. The thing that put the thrill or "rush" or the high on music back into me was to see that audience rocking and dancing as one. Little children, Teens, Young adults, Mature adults and revered Elders had taken up that magic as their own.
That kind of Music High is one that I thrill to. The other kind comes from playing a piece of music perfect, and being disjointed enough enough to actually be totally aware of what you are doing. No technical concerns. Not even a thought that the effort of making the music is a chore. You imagine what you would like to hear at the end of a phrase and you fingers or bow just do it. If I had a Dollar for everytime that happened to me, I could buy my family dinner at Mcdonalds (only four of us.)
For me, the Magic is there. It's not exactly for the taking. I can't plan when it will happen. When it comes, I can only say "thank you." Best of luck in experiencing that Magic when you are playing. It will come and it comes far more often when you are very practiced (talking months on end).
ImnotIrish put it perfectly....if it doesn't stay with you, let it go.
Purely for the feel of keeping magic in tunes, I choose my tunes very carefully. Admittedly, I wade through a lot to find the dozen or sostandouts...and yes, they do include some "not very cool anymore" tunes...like Danny boy (if anyone complains about that,,,I don't care), but I continue to play the tunes I love. They give me goosebumps and, every so often, I got really caught out with the beauty of a tune and the right instrument.....I played Brian Boru's March for about a year on the mandolin before playing it one night on a classical guitar (I keep the guitar for Jazz stuff...very un-trad) and it has worked its way into the key and down the fingerboard as a first position gem....and I've just done the same with Cape clear..again, the tune and the instrument vocalize togerther beautifully.
So, from my limited experience...it's not just the tune, but the way you let it sing, that keeps the magic going.
As Mark says also...the magic is always there...just for the taking.
Maybe a little cross-pollination from Jazz might help here- Dizzy Gillespie one talked about playing jazz . He said about the music- "always love it." That's important. When you practice, and when you are performing, if you give it your love, the magic won't leave. The style of love may change from fascination to familiarity, but if it's still love, then youv'e got it.
Keeping the magic in a tune
Keeping the magic in a tune
I always get excited about those tunes that I hear that 'put the hairs standing on the back of my neck'. However, sometimes when I put my mind to learning these tunes I find that by the time I have it off by heart the original magic is gone for me. Something like how over-analysing a poem can ruin its beauty I guess.
Has anyone any suggestions to stop this happening? Is it just a case of getting better at my instrument so I can learn these tunes with less effort?
Thanks,
Tomás.
# Posted on June 21st 2002 by andagda
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
That, or having access to the right chemicals.
# Posted on June 21st 2002 by glauber
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
Well....certainly getting better facility at learning tunes by ear and getting it out through your instrument helps...Kevin Burke feels that there's this sort of uber-pool of music floating around out there, and when he plays, he just sort of taps into that music. That takes a lot of work at basic things and familiarity with the music, I think, so that they're automatic. And some things (like those basics and the familiarity) just simply take time, and there's no shortcuts.
You can read about his philosophy of playing the music at his website, http://www.kevinburke.com ...he really should write a book, Kevin Burke should.
You don't say how long you've been playing or what skill level you are...I don't want to go being insulting by giving you advice that you've gotten way through already, so please keep that in mind here... I'm not an expert player, besides.
But almost every expert player I talk to tends to sort of shrug when you ask about this kind of thing -- to them, it largely seems to be a matter of doing the homework (listening to the stuff 'til it overflows out your mental ears, working at getting better at the physical part of playing your instrument, having enough discernment to know what kind of style you want to play, knowing where and what you still have to work at, all that stuff). Then you can relax and enjoy the music while you're playing it, which is very important.
Also: a lot of the real charm and fascination of the music is in the variations and the unexpected serendipities you fall into (that "hidden note" thing). Memorizing the variations and ornaments that an expert player uses for a tune is an excellent exercise, but that's all it is. Sooner or later, you have to branch out into your own version of a tune, using your own taste, judgement and discernment.
Me, I'm still developing that taste, judgement, and discernment, so I tend to play the variations and ornaments that are used by people whose playing I trust, and I tend to keep it simple. The tunes will carry you (and themselves) until you can make those kinds of decisions, I figure.
I hope that helps you. I'm not sure how it would, being awfully vague sort of advice, but there you are.
Zina
# Posted on June 21st 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
I always love the first time I hear a tune, when I'm not familiar with it yet, but it holds a kind of excitement and the tune is full of surprises. Once you learn to play the tune, some of that excitement changes into something else. The tune becomes familiar, like an old friend. Then, perhaps the magic is in sharing the tune with someone else who hasn't heard it before. Then the magic becomes an act of giving it away.
# Posted on June 21st 2002 by dirk
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
If it doesn't stay with you let it go... Either you're not ready for the tune, or it's not ready for you. I've always felt that the tunes that really matter touch a part of you reaching directly into your soul. It might be but a handfull of tunes, but you'll know them when you hear them.
# Posted on June 23rd 2002 by Imnotirish
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
I've let a lot of tunes go for lack of interest only to hear some master play them so tastefully
that I realized it wasn't the tune that was lacking it was and IS my approach. I believe even the
most tired old chestnut can be rejuvenated with the right approach.
# Posted on June 23rd 2002 by Crusty
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
I think what I'm about to say supports most of the above comments to this really interesting question.
Someone I play with suggested that the only way to get the magic right is to play a tune in public and analyse afterwards what works and what doesn't - in other words, when you're reasonably good at a tune, you can't get to the "magic" stage sitting playing it on your own somewhere, you really need to be "with" an audience, and you get that point where inspiration and technical skill combine to create something truly hair-raising.
In my own experience the hair-raising bit has happened only once or twice. I clearly remember the last one of these, at a concert in a church. At one point during a piece I suddenly had a sort of "out of body" experience where I was seeing / listening to myself perform. I remember very clearly thinking "I don't know what's coming next - what ornaments etc - let's just carry on and see what I'm going to play" and almost not being in control of it but totally engaged in listening. I can't quite explain it, but the interesting thing about this particular example was the comments from people afterwards: "It just seemed incredibly natural", "Listening to it, I was transported" etc - all different comments from different people at this concert, and ALL were about the music, not about me. I only wish I knew what had happened so I could repeat it!!!
All I know about this occasion is that it was after doing a LOT of rehearsal and knowing the music backwards - oh, and doing it from memory. I don't believe you can achieve that magic while reading the dots.
That's my 2 euro worth, anyway. Good luck!!
# Posted on June 23rd 2002 by Mark Harmer
And before anyone asks!...
No, I don't take any sort of drugs - I don't believe in them. I think the answer to the "magic" in the music is to get totally invovled in the reality of being there!!
# Posted on June 23rd 2002 by Mark Harmer
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
I hear some of those tunes that just capture me. I remember hearing the Mouth of The Tobique with the Kevin Burke C part. Man!!!!
A band mate had requsted that I learn it. Well the charm was not there while I was learning it. I got better at the tune quite natually but I still did not capture the charm. I decided to check it out in front of my friends. They loved it. They started requesting it all the time. I started to put it out to my solo audiences. Once again I got the rave reviews. The thing that put the thrill or "rush" or the high on music back into me was to see that audience rocking and dancing as one. Little children, Teens, Young adults, Mature adults and revered Elders had taken up that magic as their own.
That kind of Music High is one that I thrill to. The other kind comes from playing a piece of music perfect, and being disjointed enough enough to actually be totally aware of what you are doing. No technical concerns. Not even a thought that the effort of making the music is a chore. You imagine what you would like to hear at the end of a phrase and you fingers or bow just do it. If I had a Dollar for everytime that happened to me, I could buy my family dinner at Mcdonalds (only four of us.)
For me, the Magic is there. It's not exactly for the taking. I can't plan when it will happen. When it comes, I can only say "thank you." Best of luck in experiencing that Magic when you are playing. It will come and it comes far more often when you are very practiced (talking months on end).
Mark
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by Mark Cordova
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
ImnotIrish put it perfectly....if it doesn't stay with you, let it go.
Purely for the feel of keeping magic in tunes, I choose my tunes very carefully. Admittedly, I wade through a lot to find the dozen or sostandouts...and yes, they do include some "not very cool anymore" tunes...like Danny boy (if anyone complains about that,,,I don't care), but I continue to play the tunes I love. They give me goosebumps and, every so often, I got really caught out with the beauty of a tune and the right instrument.....I played Brian Boru's March for about a year on the mandolin before playing it one night on a classical guitar (I keep the guitar for Jazz stuff...very un-trad) and it has worked its way into the key and down the fingerboard as a first position gem....and I've just done the same with Cape clear..again, the tune and the instrument vocalize togerther beautifully.
So, from my limited experience...it's not just the tune, but the way you let it sing, that keeps the magic going.
As Mark says also...the magic is always there...just for the taking.
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by Mcbear365
Re: Keeping the magic in a tune
Maybe a little cross-pollination from Jazz might help here- Dizzy Gillespie one talked about playing jazz . He said about the music- "always love it." That's important. When you practice, and when you are performing, if you give it your love, the magic won't leave. The style of love may change from fascination to familiarity, but if it's still love, then youv'e got it.
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by dirk