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Playing for SCD
RODERICK JOHNSTON
June 11, 2006, 4:28 p.m. (Message 45508)
As a new member, you may recall, I asked for information on the Summer School Musicians Course and you were all very helpful especially in explaining that the course was teatotal !!!!. One of you questioned whether or not one should play from memory or by ear and asked my views. Personally, having returned to playing after a very long break, I now find it quite difficult remembering tunes and sets, especially for RSCDs, as there are so many of them. I wouldn't risk playing from memory for a SCD dance in fear of making a mistake and ruining the dance. For a ceilidh you could get away with it as it's a lot less serious. I find that many tunes are similar and I could quite easily start one tune and half way through change to another. I suspect that a lot has to do with the fact I was trained classically, through the BCA, and at that time playing by ear was wasn't allowed nor was the playing of Scottish traditional music. How times have changed. I say this because I am currently learning the small pipes and find that I am able to play by ear and have no trouble remembering the tunes. I received the music for the course last week and there are some interesting sets but must get used to the alternative playing order as I am more used to playing AA,BB,CC,DD or A,BB,CC,DD,A. Rod Johnston
I do enjoy the occasional malt, purely for medicinal purposes, you understand. I'm sure I'll contribute as many bum hotes as the rest, unless of course you are all professionals?. I hope to enjoy this course and have as much fun as possible. Are we allowed to take part in the evening dance sessions? Pia <xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: Xuse me Mr Rod - I am one of the tea-totals!!! - does this mean that one have to look out for you during the summer, or can one contribute bum-notes to someone else? Pia- who will look/sound out everone Pia
On Jun 11, 2006, at 9:28 AM, RODERICK JOHNSTON wrote: > I received the music for the course last week and there are some > interesting sets but must get used to the alternative playing order as > I am more used to playing AA,BB,CC,DD or A,BB,CC,DD,A. What is the order of the sets for the course? And, how does your group like dancing to smallpipes? Best, John
Course sets are maily ABCDBCDA. I've only had the small pipes about a month and wouldnt dare playing them inpublic yet. Rod John McCain <xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: On Jun 11, 2006, at 9:28 AM, RODERICK JOHNSTON wrote: > I received the music for the course last week and there are some > interesting sets but must get used to the alternative playing order as > I am more used to playing AA,BB,CC,DD or A,BB,CC,DD,A. What is the order of the sets for the course? And, how does your group like dancing to smallpipes? Best, John
RODERICK JOHNSTON wrote: > Personally, having returned to playing after a very long break, I now find > it quite difficult remembering tunes and sets, especially for RSCDs, as there > are so many of them. I wouldn't risk playing from memory for a SCD dance > in fear of making a mistake and ruining the dance. For a ceilidh you could > get away with it as it's a lot less serious. I find that many tunes are > similar and I could quite easily start one tune and half way through change to > another. I suspect that a lot has to do with the fact I was trained > classically, through the BCA, and at that time playing by ear was wasn't > allowed nor was the playing of Scottish traditional music. How times have > changed. > > I say this because I am currently learning the small pipes and find that I > am able to play by ear and have no trouble remembering the tunes. > > I received the music for the course last week and there are some interesting > sets but must get used to the alternative playing order as I am more used to > playing AA,BB,CC,DD or A,BB,CC,DD,A. Here in the San Francisco Branch the only musician I've encountered that plays without music for Scottish country dances is Alasdair Fraser, and even he is prone to forgetting the order of tunes in a set or jumping unexpectedly into a different but similar tune; it takes a good pianist to keep up with him! Even if one had memorized all the tunes in an evening's dance the convention of changing tunes after each repetition (ABCDBCDA is the most common order here for 4 tunes played 8x) makes it difficult to keep track of the repetitions without music to refer to. -Steve -- Steve Wyrick -- Concord, California
Steve Wyrick: > Here in the San Francisco Branch the only musician I've encountered that > plays without music for Scottish country dances is Alasdair Fraser, and > even he is prone to forgetting the order of tunes in a set or jumping > unexpectedly into a different but similar tune; it takes a good pianist to > keep up with him! I've been told some time ago (by Bill Zobel, who ought to know) that when Alasdair Fraser plays for a dance together with Muriel Johnstone, they have just a big sheet of music that gives the first bars of the various tunes to be played. Sigh. Unfortunately as far as I know Muriel no longer subscribes to the list, so this is all hearsay. Anselm -- Anselm Lingnau, Frankfurt, Germany ..................... xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. -- Allan K. Chalmers
There's a big difference also when you have a number of musicians playing the lead. It's much easier to go with one's own interpretation when there is a solo lead instrument, but when you have more than one, there has to be a way to keep everyone playing on the same page. I've gotten used to having three lead instruments and I don't see how you could get everyone to stay on the lead without music (unless yu play the same music all the time). Etienne Ozorak Meadville PA USA
I have great admiration for those who play by ear and those who can remember vast quantities of tunes. I attended a weekend course on Sabhl Ostaig on Skye given by Sandy Brechin some years ago. It was amazing to see young musicians who had been taught purely by ear listen to a tune played through once then play it back perfectly. A very humbling experience. Rod Etienne Ozorak <xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: There's a big difference also when you have a number of musicians playing the lead. It's much easier to go with one's own interpretation when there is a solo lead instrument, but when you have more than one, there has to be a way to keep everyone playing on the same page. I've gotten used to having three lead instruments and I don't see how you could get everyone to stay on the lead without music (unless yu play the same music all the time). Etienne Ozorak Meadville PA USA