I have a bluegrass background, and recently have been playing more and more irish music. Often, it is just myself, and two friends, one on guitar, one on mando, and mself on fiddle.
The mando player can pick up to speed on most tunes, and it would be more fun if I could get out of her way and let her play the melody for a verse. Unlike bluegrass where I can shuffle, play thirds, or long tones, I haven't the slightest idea of how to accompany Irish music.
I understand this may not be very traditional, for the fiddle to stop playing the melody for a verse, but it will make it a lot more fun for our jam sessions nonetheless.
I would appreciate any ideas, arrangements, or the like.
One thing we did discover the other day is that you can play Morrison's with mando starting on the B part and fiddle on the A and it sounds pretty darn cool. It almost works perfectly except I believe there's a quick G in the B part that sounds a little akward. Try it out sometime...
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Well...the fiddle can't accompany TRADITIONAL Irish music without makiing in UNtraditional, but in your own kind of music you can make it do whatever you like. I suggest listening to the likes of Lunasa to see what can be done with arrangements of traditional instruments and tunes.
Aaargh. Leave him ALONE, you lot... *smirk*
Good luck, Jonathan, and have fun. Er... this wasn't a windup, was it?
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I'd second what Zina says. In particular the part about listening to Lunasa. If you can get your head wrapped around the bass lines Trevor plays (and notice how much he leaves out, and how he works the different rhythms--jigs, slip jigs, reels, etc.) and transfer that to fiddle, it might work okay for your jams.
Meanwhile, don't shy away from learning the actual tunes and the nuances of Irish fiddling.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
There IS some small tradition of doublestopping your way through bits of the tunes and coming back to the melody, btw -- you hear it in some of the older players, and Oisin McDiarmiada uses the technique when he's playing with Teada a fair amount.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Thanks for the replies so far...
I understand that it's not "traditional" to arrange music in this way, but if I have a fun time doing it, I can live with myself nonetheless After all, music is supposed to be about enjoyment, right?
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Er...yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's still traditional Irish music, or Irish traditional music, enjoyment or not. Look, Will and I are trying to keep you from getting thumped, okay? Help us out here? *smirk*
Bluegrass has a tradition of adding in your little licks and helping out the other players during their breaks, accompanying other people playing melody, and such, and that's great, so long as you know that if you're applying that to Irish music, you're not actually playing Irish traditional music anymore. Dan Grotewohl calls his own personal version of this hybrid "Greengrass".
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
There you go... I'm not trying to make any claims to playing traditional music, but adapting it to what I enjoy. I am already listening to some Lunasa, which is quite interesting.
I understand how the traditions of bluegrass varies quite a lot in this regard.
Also, I appreciate your helpfulness. However, I would hope anyone would be free to post their questions here without speaking the lingo perfectly, or confusing what is traditional with what is not. We are all ignorant in different areas
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"However, I would hope anyone would be free to post their questions here without speaking the lingo perfectly, or confusing what is traditional with what is not. We are all ignorant in different areas"
Have you just not hung out here for very long, Jonathan? Yer on yer own, boyo. Just be thankful this is NOT IRate-Trad...
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Randal Bays once commented that a good Irish traditional fiddler implies a whole band's worth of music just by playing the melody with a few well-timed extras. Things like double stops (which imply harmony, or drones), scratchy trebles (percussion) and other variations (sliding up to a note, rolls, etc.) can fill up a tune nicely, without abandoning the melody.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Shuffles and such are right out, but you're on the right track with the long note, only in traditional Irish music we give that long note a technical term:
Drone.
There are three basic approaches to get you started with playing backup fiddle to Irish music; and that's the first:
Do what the bagpipe does, only you're going to be dividing the pipes up between two instruments. Your mando player will be the "chanter" and you will be the drones and regulators. Pick up a copy of the recent rerelease of Paddy Keenan's early, self titled recording and listen very carefully to everything *but* the melody on the pipe tracks.
That's what you want to be doing with the fiddle.
The second approach is to do what the baroque cello does. Bass line and continuo. This is basically what the pattern picking guitar player does when backing up a folk song. Breaking up the chord. Listen to some baroque chamber music and pay attention to the cello, or even get some sheet music and analyize what the cello player is doing.
I'd note that the above two approaches, while not being what most modern players would accept as traditional have provenence. It isn't anything you would have learned by listening to your da playing fiddle, but his great great great grandda might have done.
They are traditions that have died, although as Zina notes among the older players you may still find lingering traces.
Call it "historical" music rather than traditional if you like.
The third approach is modern. Do what the guitar player does. There are people who will defend to the death the recent inclusion of guitars and 'zouks into traditional Irish music, but will get all bent out of shape at the suggestion that an actual traditional instrument do the same thing.
What can I say? People are funny.
Get some recordings of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Do what Dennis does. Start listening by not paying much attention to what he's doing musically, but *rhythmically.* You won't find any of the Boom-Chicka Boom-Chicka you're likely used to here. No "shuffle." Grok the backup rhythms and you'll do alright.
You can play Irish backup fiddle without straying into "Greengrass" if you want. My personal preference is for "Green Timey" though. You could do worse than listen to how John Hartford and David Bromberg approach Irish tunes, or Norman Blake on the guitar side of things.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Yes, you could try all these things mentioned above. You can do with music whatever you like. That's how music is invented in the first place. And Good luck to you.
However, to do any of the above, you will first need to know the tune you are backing. And seeings as your original question asks how to back a tune you don't know, your on a hiding to nothing.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"Jonathan, I stand corrected if I'm wrong, but I thought you inferred it when you said, "The mando player can pick up to speed on most tunes, and it would be more fun if I could get out of her way and let her play the melody."
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
He isn't talking about backing tunes he doesn't know, he's talking about giving the mando player a break to pick the tune and stand out, like they do in bluegrass.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
As has previously been said on this forum, there are people, from CCE up or down depending on your opinion, who will argue that the only true ITM ( not that they would use such an expression ) is a solo instrument; that musicians only played together in some golden time past to provide extra volume for dancing, ( how did they work together if they'd never otherwise played together ? ), and that the whole "session" culture is a product of the mid-twentieth century emmigration to Britain and the US.
From this point of view "accompaniment" is a dirty word.
Back in the real world, at many sessions, you will find guitars and 'zouks and bodrhans jangling and strumming and thumping away, with little reproach from the majority of sessioners, who know what a good bit of accompaniment can add to a bunch of melody players.
Then you have the professional touring and recording groups and bands, who know that a bit of arrangement can add enormously to the impact of a performance, compared to a session where the pleasure of the players themselves is the first objective.
It seems to me that, to paraphrase Worzel Gummidge, Jonathon needs to take off his bluegrass head, and put on an ITM head, then he will see he doesn't need to accompany, he just needs to play the tunes.
Or, recognise that, by arranging, he's no longer playing ITM.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Jonathan, have you listened to much Cajun music? If you hear two Cajun fiddlers, often one will be playing accompaniment of some kind. When I do this, I use drones, double stops and small bits of harmonic movement, usually within a double stop. I try to be subtle and unobtrusive and to accent the natural rhythm of the tune.
I’ve thought of trying it on Irish tunes, but haven’t had a good opportunity yet. I broached the subject here recently and the consensus seemed to be that it wouldn’t be accepted in most sessions. It may or may not ever be widely accepted, but I think it’s worth trying. The important thing is that you and perhaps some of your listeners enjoy it.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I do in fact know the melody pretty well on all tunes that I am hoping do to this with. Whie I certainly haven't mastered the style and ornamentation yet, who has?
Great replies everyone, especially KFG: thanks for the long, detailed, and very helpful response. I am familiar with baroque chamber music, as before I was playing any bluegrass or irish tunes I was a classical violinist for about 15 years.
I just ordered a live CD of Hayes and Cahill off Amazon, so I will know more about your #3 suggestion in a few days.
The Paddy Keenan was a good suggestion, as I can hear the drone, but all choppy rythmic accompanyment that really accentuates the melody.
I am only familar with Cajun music through hearing the occasional band at a festival, yet I will keep my ears open for what you're speaking about.
Thanks everyone for defying my original respondants and not being pretentious or condescending.
...and John Bull, I don't know if you were just trying to be a contrarian or not, but it pu t a smile on my face
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Now might be a good time to go check the profiles of the people you have criticized, and perhaps their member numbers while you're at it. You have insulted two of the people who have put most work into this board, this community. And by my reading as a relative newcomer, they actually were trying to lighten things up and "protect" you from the replies you could have had from others. Kind of a welcoming committee Perhaps, as is the case with sessions, or bars, or online communities in general, it might be a good idea to figure out the customs of the place first.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I appologize if I offended anyone. I didn't mean YOU were any of the above terms, but rather, you warned me that others might be...which is a fair warning from some of the threads I have read.
Again, I did not mean to imply you have been anything other than helpful.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I read Jonathan2001's comment exactly the way he explains that he meant it - that he appreciated the fact that no one had been pretentious or condescending or had thumped him, tho he had been warned by the original respondents that some folks might be. He seems very gracious to me.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Hey, maybe this is IRATETRAD after all :( Sorry if I misread your comments Jonathan. But Will and Zina are the house robots, founts of all knowledge etc. I'll get back under my stone now :(
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
House robots! Is that some kind of obscure Brit thing I don't know about? (And who is Worzel Gummidge?) But thanks for the props.
All right, Jonathan, I can see your meaning now it's been explained. Even, then?
You might also give a listen to the Stockton's Wing recordings -- Maurice Lennon does some of that doublestop stuff, I think -- and in fact a sort of Irish version of that shuffly rhythm kind of thing, which I mentioned that Oisin does as well.
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I'm sorry, I lost my religion. 'Tradition' tells you what people have done, not what to do. I noted a few good suggestions about analzying cello parts, or obbligato parts. The so-called 'drones', i.e. organ points work well. Double stopping sounds great - if you know the harmonies. Probably the most important 'rule' is remember you are background. The one absolute rule I can pass on to you is, "If it sounds good, it is good!" The question you must ask is if you want to remain bounded by some tradition defined by self-appointed experts, or breath fresh air.
Goodwill,
Luke
How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I have a bluegrass background, and recently have been playing more and more irish music. Often, it is just myself, and two friends, one on guitar, one on mando, and mself on fiddle.
The mando player can pick up to speed on most tunes, and it would be more fun if I could get out of her way and let her play the melody for a verse. Unlike bluegrass where I can shuffle, play thirds, or long tones, I haven't the slightest idea of how to accompany Irish music.
I understand this may not be very traditional, for the fiddle to stop playing the melody for a verse, but it will make it a lot more fun for our jam sessions nonetheless.
I would appreciate any ideas, arrangements, or the like.
One thing we did discover the other day is that you can play Morrison's with mando starting on the B part and fiddle on the A and it sounds pretty darn cool. It almost works perfectly except I believe there's a quick G in the B part that sounds a little akward. Try it out sometime...
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Well...the fiddle can't accompany TRADITIONAL Irish music without makiing in UNtraditional, but in your own kind of music you can make it do whatever you like. I suggest listening to the likes of Lunasa to see what can be done with arrangements of traditional instruments and tunes.
Aaargh. Leave him ALONE, you lot... *smirk*
Good luck, Jonathan, and have fun. Er... this wasn't a windup, was it?
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I'd second what Zina says. In particular the part about listening to Lunasa. If you can get your head wrapped around the bass lines Trevor plays (and notice how much he leaves out, and how he works the different rhythms--jigs, slip jigs, reels, etc.) and transfer that to fiddle, it might work okay for your jams.
Meanwhile, don't shy away from learning the actual tunes and the nuances of Irish fiddling.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
There IS some small tradition of doublestopping your way through bits of the tunes and coming back to the melody, btw -- you hear it in some of the older players, and Oisin McDiarmiada uses the technique when he's playing with Teada a fair amount.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Thanks for the replies so far...
I understand that it's not "traditional" to arrange music in this way, but if I have a fun time doing it, I can live with myself nonetheless
After all, music is supposed to be about enjoyment, right?
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Er...yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's still traditional Irish music, or Irish traditional music, enjoyment or not. Look, Will and I are trying to keep you from getting thumped, okay? Help us out here? *smirk*
Bluegrass has a tradition of adding in your little licks and helping out the other players during their breaks, accompanying other people playing melody, and such, and that's great, so long as you know that if you're applying that to Irish music, you're not actually playing Irish traditional music anymore. Dan Grotewohl calls his own personal version of this hybrid "Greengrass".
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
There you go... I'm not trying to make any claims to playing traditional music, but adapting it to what I enjoy. I am already listening to some Lunasa, which is quite interesting.
I understand how the traditions of bluegrass varies quite a lot in this regard.
Also, I appreciate your helpfulness. However, I would hope anyone would be free to post their questions here without speaking the lingo perfectly, or confusing what is traditional with what is not. We are all ignorant in different areas
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"However, I would hope anyone would be free to post their questions here without speaking the lingo perfectly, or confusing what is traditional with what is not. We are all ignorant in different areas"
Have you just not hung out here for very long, Jonathan? Yer on yer own, boyo.
Just be thankful this is NOT IRate-Trad...
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Randal Bays once commented that a good Irish traditional fiddler implies a whole band's worth of music just by playing the melody with a few well-timed extras. Things like double stops (which imply harmony, or drones), scratchy trebles (percussion) and other variations (sliding up to a note, rolls, etc.) can fill up a tune nicely, without abandoning the melody.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by mickray
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Shuffles and such are right out, but you're on the right track with the long note, only in traditional Irish music we give that long note a technical term:
Drone.
There are three basic approaches to get you started with playing backup fiddle to Irish music; and that's the first:
Do what the bagpipe does, only you're going to be dividing the pipes up between two instruments. Your mando player will be the "chanter" and you will be the drones and regulators. Pick up a copy of the recent rerelease of Paddy Keenan's early, self titled recording and listen very carefully to everything *but* the melody on the pipe tracks.
That's what you want to be doing with the fiddle.
The second approach is to do what the baroque cello does. Bass line and continuo. This is basically what the pattern picking guitar player does when backing up a folk song. Breaking up the chord. Listen to some baroque chamber music and pay attention to the cello, or even get some sheet music and analyize what the cello player is doing.
I'd note that the above two approaches, while not being what most modern players would accept as traditional have provenence. It isn't anything you would have learned by listening to your da playing fiddle, but his great great great grandda might have done.
They are traditions that have died, although as Zina notes among the older players you may still find lingering traces.
Call it "historical" music rather than traditional if you like.
The third approach is modern. Do what the guitar player does. There are people who will defend to the death the recent inclusion of guitars and 'zouks into traditional Irish music, but will get all bent out of shape at the suggestion that an actual traditional instrument do the same thing.
What can I say? People are funny.
Get some recordings of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Do what Dennis does. Start listening by not paying much attention to what he's doing musically, but *rhythmically.* You won't find any of the Boom-Chicka Boom-Chicka you're likely used to here. No "shuffle." Grok the backup rhythms and you'll do alright.
You can play Irish backup fiddle without straying into "Greengrass" if you want. My personal preference is for "Green Timey" though. You could do worse than listen to how John Hartford and David Bromberg approach Irish tunes, or Norman Blake on the guitar side of things.
And have fun.
KFG
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by KFG
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Yes, you could try all these things mentioned above. You can do with music whatever you like. That's how music is invented in the first place. And Good luck to you.
However, to do any of the above, you will first need to know the tune you are backing. And seeings as your original question asks how to back a tune you don't know, your on a hiding to nothing.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
". . .seeings as your original question asks how to back a tune you don't know . . ."
Michael, what hole did you draw this conclusion out of?
If I may quote the original post:
"I understand this may not be very traditional, for the fiddle to stop playing the melody for a verse. . ."
KFG
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by KFG
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"Jonathan, I stand corrected if I'm wrong, but I thought you inferred it when you said, "The mando player can pick up to speed on most tunes, and it would be more fun if I could get out of her way and let her play the melody."
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
He isn't talking about backing tunes he doesn't know, he's talking about giving the mando player a break to pick the tune and stand out, like they do in bluegrass.
KFG
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by KFG
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
We'll see. I'm perfectly happy to applogise
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
As has previously been said on this forum, there are people, from CCE up or down depending on your opinion, who will argue that the only true ITM ( not that they would use such an expression ) is a solo instrument; that musicians only played together in some golden time past to provide extra volume for dancing, ( how did they work together if they'd never otherwise played together ? ), and that the whole "session" culture is a product of the mid-twentieth century emmigration to Britain and the US.
From this point of view "accompaniment" is a dirty word.
Back in the real world, at many sessions, you will find guitars and 'zouks and bodrhans jangling and strumming and thumping away, with little reproach from the majority of sessioners, who know what a good bit of accompaniment can add to a bunch of melody players.
Then you have the professional touring and recording groups and bands, who know that a bit of arrangement can add enormously to the impact of a performance, compared to a session where the pleasure of the players themselves is the first objective.
It seems to me that, to paraphrase Worzel Gummidge, Jonathon needs to take off his bluegrass head, and put on an ITM head, then he will see he doesn't need to accompany, he just needs to play the tunes.
Or, recognise that, by arranging, he's no longer playing ITM.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
So, if he's not playing ITM by playing backup on a fiddle, but the Mando player is still playing the melody, is she playing ITM while he isn't?
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Martin Milner
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
No.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Hanley
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Jonathan, have you listened to much Cajun music? If you hear two Cajun fiddlers, often one will be playing accompaniment of some kind. When I do this, I use drones, double stops and small bits of harmonic movement, usually within a double stop. I try to be subtle and unobtrusive and to accent the natural rhythm of the tune.
I’ve thought of trying it on Irish tunes, but haven’t had a good opportunity yet. I broached the subject here recently and the consensus seemed to be that it wouldn’t be accepted in most sessions. It may or may not ever be widely accepted, but I think it’s worth trying. The important thing is that you and perhaps some of your listeners enjoy it.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
JONATHAN2001
Keep experimenting with the drones, double stops and harmonic bits and before you know you'll have invented Appalachian mountain music.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by joesmith
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I do in fact know the melody pretty well on all tunes that I am hoping do to this with. Whie I certainly haven't mastered the style and ornamentation yet, who has?
Great replies everyone, especially KFG: thanks for the long, detailed, and very helpful response. I am familiar with baroque chamber music, as before I was playing any bluegrass or irish tunes I was a classical violinist for about 15 years.
I just ordered a live CD of Hayes and Cahill off Amazon, so I will know more about your #3 suggestion in a few days.
The Paddy Keenan was a good suggestion, as I can hear the drone, but all choppy rythmic accompanyment that really accentuates the melody.
I am only familar with Cajun music through hearing the occasional band at a festival, yet I will keep my ears open for what you're speaking about.
Thanks everyone for defying my original respondants and not being pretentious or condescending.
...and John Bull, I don't know if you were just trying to be a contrarian or not, but it pu t a smile on my face
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Oh, well, thanks very much, Jonathan. Hey lookit me, everyone, I'm pretentious and condescending!
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Oh, I don’t think they were being pretentious or condescending, just trying to “keep you from getting thumped”, as Zina said.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Now might be a good time to go check the profiles of the people you have criticized, and perhaps their member numbers while you're at it. You have insulted two of the people who have put most work into this board, this community. And by my reading as a relative newcomer, they actually were trying to lighten things up and "protect" you from the replies you could have had from others. Kind of a welcoming committee
Perhaps, as is the case with sessions, or bars, or online communities in general, it might be a good idea to figure out the customs of the place first.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Wuhoo
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Was it something I said?
- B. Wildered
(what's the emoticon for cheshire grin?)
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I appologize if I offended anyone. I didn't mean YOU were any of the above terms, but rather, you warned me that others might be...which is a fair warning from some of the threads I have read.
Again, I did not mean to imply you have been anything other than helpful.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
..that's what I meant by "defying" ... that I had been warned I would be "thumped" but I wasn't....
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"thanks for the long, detailed, and very helpful response."
You're welcome.
"I was a classical violinist for about 15 years."
My condolences, but rest assured, others have been there before you and recovery is possible.
KFG
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by KFG
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I read Jonathan2001's comment exactly the way he explains that he meant it - that he appreciated the fact that no one had been pretentious or condescending or had thumped him, tho he had been warned by the original respondents that some folks might be. He seems very gracious to me.
Cathy
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by cj
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Oh, I get it. I misread. Sorry.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
"He seems very gracious to me."
<AOL> Me too!</AOL>
KFG
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by KFG
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Hey, maybe this is IRATETRAD after all :( Sorry if I misread your comments Jonathan. But Will and Zina are the house robots, founts of all knowledge etc.
I'll get back under my stone now :(
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Wuhoo
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
House robots! Is that some kind of obscure Brit thing I don't know about? (And who is Worzel Gummidge?) But thanks for the props.
All right, Jonathan, I can see your meaning now it's been explained.
Even, then?
You might also give a listen to the Stockton's Wing recordings -- Maurice Lennon does some of that doublestop stuff, I think -- and in fact a sort of Irish version of that shuffly rhythm kind of thing, which I mentioned that Oisin does as well.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
The other thing that works well is "doubling"--playing the melody an octave lower. This goes particularly well on fiddle with a mandolin staying high.
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Whew... glad we got that straightened out
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by JONATHAN2001
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Lots of sorrys. Here's another. Sorry
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Can we quote you on that Michael?
*wink*
# Posted on January 4th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
Yeah, no probs
# Posted on January 5th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How can fiddle accompany traditional irish music?
I'm sorry, I lost my religion. 'Tradition' tells you what people have done, not what to do. I noted a few good suggestions about analzying cello parts, or obbligato parts. The so-called 'drones', i.e. organ points work well. Double stopping sounds great - if you know the harmonies. Probably the most important 'rule' is remember you are background. The one absolute rule I can pass on to you is, "If it sounds good, it is good!" The question you must ask is if you want to remain bounded by some tradition defined by self-appointed experts, or breath fresh air.
Goodwill,
Luke
# Posted on February 12th 2006 by stonecrusher