Dave has good advice here. I think the short answer is: Don't assume that the problem is the tune itself. Another band--or the same band in a different mood--can make the same tune a delight or a disaster. So don't "condemn" a particular tune until you've heard several bands confuse dancers with that tune.
I try to remember to let the band know that when I count out four beats with my fingers it is a signal that the first figure of the dance starts right after those beats. I warn them that if something goes "wrong" or if I get confused I will give them that signal to make it clear where the "top" of the dance is. This signal is useful if the band drops a "B" part or if the dance gets off synch for any reason. It can also signal that the particular tune, or arrangement, might be confusing to dancers. - Greg McKenzie On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Dave Casserly <david.j.casse...@gmail.com>wrote: > Beeswax and Sheepskin is one of my favorite tunes to play, and dance to. I > don't actually really agree with the musician quoted; it's not particularly > rhythmically complex, and I don't think the upbeat emphasis detracts much > from understanding the phrasing of Quebecois tunes. The problem, in my > view, is more along the lines of what Suzanne identified. There is very > little difference between the phrases in the A and B sections, which is > compounded by the fact that some people playing the tune go back to the A > phrase over the second part of the last time through the B section. So the > tune ends up sounding to some like a four-bar phrase repeated five times > followed by a four-bar phrase repeated three times, instead of 4 of the > first, three of the second, then back to one of the first. It's a strictly > modal tune, based on a six note scale, so can be incredibly monotonous (or > trance-like, if that's how you prefer to see it) if played by bands that > don't change the feeling up at all. > > I've noticed this issue with a lot of strictly modal tunes that have little > harmonic complexity and repeated phrases. My advice would be to ask the > band to do something to differentiate sections, or even to mark the return > to the beginning of the tune. There are lots of things bands can do for > this; for Beeswax and Sheepskin, for instance, bands could play over a D > major chord instead of an A minor in the B section, or even just over the > last four bars of the second B section. Or any number of other harmonic > changes. Bands can also put stops at the end of phrases, hits at the > beginning of the B section, or other rhythmic variations, too. I think > most creative bands, when told what the problem is, can change to adapt to > it. But that's not particularly helpful when you don't know the tune ahead > of time and have it sprung on by surprise. Another alternative, as Don V. > alluded to, is to ask bands to use more strongly phrased tunes with > well-differentiated A and B parts to start off every set. > > As a musician, for me personally, the most limiting part of playing for > contra dances is keeping improvisation down. I sympathize with the caller > in Suzanne's side-story below; it can be very difficult to help dancers > find the phrasing when nobody in the band is playing the tune. I don't > really have any good ideas for callers faced with a band in this situation, > other than to try to communicate as best as possible that everybody is > there for the dancers, and hearing the tune (or something phrased like the > tune) at least every other time through the dance can be very helpful. > > -Dave > > > On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 12:19 PM, Suzanne Girardot <suzan...@wolfenet.com > >wrote: > > > Delia, > > > > > > Your band member is very observant, and your bands should respect your > > request to not use tunes that don't work well for the dances. My > > experience is, if I'm getting messed up by the music as a caller, the > > dancers are as well, which affects the enjoyment of the dance. When > > this happens on the fly, I often see if the band can change tunes in > > midstream, which many good bands can do. > > > > > > There are many French-Canadian and old-time tunes that are either > > crooked (have extra or missing beats or measures), have extra or short > > parts, or are highly syncopated. While many of these tunes are really > > fun to dance to if you don't need a square tune (32 bars), for example > > for a square dance, they obviously won't work for a contra dance. In > > addition, I have had some old-time players insist that a tune is 32 > > bars, but it sure doesn't feel that way. I have counted these tunes, > > and they either have a melody that crosses a phrase, making it > > syncopated, starts on an upbeat, or just doesn't work, for whatever > > reason. At least the bands that I ask to not play a particular tune > are > > willing to refrain from doing so. It helps if you can go to their > > practice and hear what they are planning to play. > > > > > > When I listen to "Sheepskin and Beeswax" (an excellent tune that's fun > > to play) what I hear is that the 2 A phrases are almost identical, in > > that they have 4-bar phrases repeated twice for each A part, and the > > same is true for the B part. Because there is so much repetition in > the > > phrases, I can imagine that it might be difficult to differentiate > > where you are in the part. Because I am a musician as well as a caller > > and dancer, I have a fairly innate sense of 4- and 8-bar phrases, but > > if you are not used to listening to such phrases, it can be a > > challenge. I don't know your background, but if there is a tune that > > gives you trouble, perhaps listening to a recording of it until you > are > > familiar with it could help. > > > > > > Just a side story: I was dancing to a well-known Scottish-style > > fiddler who had a rock-n-roll style guitarist and a jazz bassist (who > > had never played for a dance before). Even I was having trouble > > figuring out where we were in the music and so was having trouble with > > the dance. I asked the inimitable Warren Argo, who was doing sound, if > > he had noticed this problem. He said that the band actually mentioned > > that even they hadn't known where they were in the music. (This was > due > > mostly to a lot of improvisation on the band's part.) Hopefully that > > never happens to any of us! > > > > > > Suzanne Girardot > > > > Seattle, WA > > > > -----Original Message----- > > >From: Delia Clark > > >Sent: Jan 7, 2014 8:58 AM > > >To: call...@sharedweight.net > > >Subject: [Callers] Calling to the tune Sheepskin and Beeswax > > > > > >Hi all, > > >I call regularly with the same band and I have noticed that there are > > a couple of sets that they play in which I consistently mess up. In > the > > middle of an evening of everything going well, I suddenly find that I > > am lost and have a hard time finding my way back, even with extreme > > focus. This, needless to say, is not good! > > > > > >I've been trying to identify these tunes so that I can be prepared to > > pay really close attention before they start. I have also begun to > > wonder, though, whether some jigs/reels are just not as good for > > dancing as others. I have been discussing this with the band, raising > > the idea that maybe they could save these tunes that challenge me for > > some of their non-dance gigs (fairs, bandstand, background music, > etc). > > Some of them are receptive, others not. > > > > > >I wonder whether any of you have noticed tunes that are particularly > > difficult to call to, and how you have handled it. > > > > > >The one I have noticed most recently is Sheepskin and Beeswax. Here's > > what one of the band members wrote to me about it: "Rhythmically, it's > > a challenging tune for the band. There's a lot of syncopation going on > > between instruments and because it's French Canadian to play it > > properly means lots of upbeat emphasis. It's a challenging tune to > play > > well. Even if we played it very well and fast enough (and that's been > a > > problem for dancers and caller) I think it would still be challenging > > to call to and dance to because of how the rhythm and notes don't go > > well together." > > > > > >Thanks, > > >Delia Clark > > > > > ><>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<> > > > > > >Delia Clark > > >PO Box 45 > > >Taftsville, VT 05073 > > >802-457-2075 > > >deliacla...@gmail.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Callers mailing list > > >call...@sharedweight.net > > >http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > _______________________________________________ > > Callers mailing list > > call...@sharedweight.net > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > > > > -- > David Casserly > (cell) 781 258-2761 > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > call...@sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >
