--- On Thu, 30/6/11, Francis Wood <oatenp...@googlemail.com> wrote:
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. Hello Francis I'm still not sure I can agree completely. I've taught lots now myself (more or less regularly since 1976 and mostly beginners/youngsters) - probably in the region of 3500 pupil-hours and found that (hornpipes aside - which are slowish anyway) people get get away with jigs and reels played steady and straight but as soon as we try and dot/lilt them they fall away after a bar or two.This is especially true of (even) slowish jigs. I used to take the approach you outline; get them playing evenly and steadily and then put the regional (some would say the all important) accent in afterwards but getting people to feel a good lilt and use it consistently after having spent months mastering the straight version has proved very difficult indeed. In recent years I've tried to get the lilt in from the off so that even if fingers aren't responding the brain would be taking something in and it seems to work better. Of course the old guys would never hear the straight version in the first place and they have the steadiest pace and control I've ever heard. Scottish and Irish bands were popular in Northumberland but when the old guys swiped their tunes they used their own accent to play them. Sadly that distinctive accent is all too rare these days and it would be great to see more pipers from this area taking it on. The problem is how best to achieve it - which ever way we tackle it results are a long time coming. As aye Anthony -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
