Hello Anthony, I don't think we disagree. At Stuart Hardy's musical altitude, I'm sure you're right.
That's a level I can only admire but never approach. On a more basic level, playing the tune with a dotted rhythm will get you through in a far less exposed manner than playing straight, which would seem to be an ability to acquire before refining the playing to a more regionally idiomatic expertise. I was fairly OK with the present example because it was reasonably musical and enjoyable . . . and goodness knows, anyway, how long he'd been playing at that booth and under what circumstances. I was harsher on the second YouTube example which was a staged affair as well as being a musical assault. >> I wondering if other players on the list find the rant speed & rhythm a >> challenge? Well, yes, it is. Good examples are always welcome! All the best, Francis On 30 Jun 2011, at 11:50, Anthony Robb wrote: > > -- On Thu, 30/6/11, Francis Wood <oatenp...@googlemail.com> wrote: > > It's a lot easier to play Roxborough Castle in dotted rhythm, as is > done here. I prefer it played absolutely straight, which is really very > challenging. A commonly played tune which is rarely played well. I > quite like this rendition here . . . seems to have been videoed during > a casual session by a bystander. > Hello Francis > I think that might be an oversimpification. Stewart Hardy with his > years of top notch tuition experience would say that all things > (especially speed) being equal dotted rhythms are harder. What we have > here is a reduction of speed from the typical rant speed of 96 bpm to a > hornpipe at 76 bpm. As you say it is OK but even at that speed he loses > his rhythm when it comes to the top As which should be dotted quavers > but come out as quick flicks. > My first realisation that rants were almost as dotted as hornpipes but > 25% faster came at Archie Bertram's when they all played Roxburgh and > Hesleyside with almost hornpipe lilt but at a speed which left me > floundering. It wasn't the normal straight reel speed of 106 bpm which > isn't easy but for me certainly a bit easier that the rant rhythm at 96 > bpm. > I wondering if other players on the list find the rant speed & rhythm a > challenge? > As for other comments I think you are spot on. > Warmest & best > Anthony > > -- > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
