Steve Wyrick wrote:
>
> On our local San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers mail list a question came up
> that is driving me crazy; I should be able to figure this out but can't.
> Someone asked whether a grace note is played on the beat, or ahead of the
> beat. I maintained that for dance or march music a strong beat is wanted
> and a grace note should be played ahead of the beat, so the beat comes on
> the main note of the melody. I thought this was obvious, but then someone
> else who is classically trained expressed just the opposite opinion, that
> the ornament takes away from the following note, not the previous one! I've
> been playing tunes this evening trying to figure out what I really do and
> can't figure it out! Help!
You know, I've asked this question many times before. Especially when I
first started playing. I think the answer is, at least for me, that
grace notes don't really exist in the same way that they do in classical
music.
When I play grace notes, lopos, cuts, etc.. The grace note & the actual
note are really part of the same space in time. You can still keep the
beat strong by emphasizing things using the weight of your bowstroke,
the velocity of the bowstroke and the direction of the bow on a given
note.
Really though the real rhythm and lilt of the notes (including their
ornaments) are not conveniently packaged into the note lengths written
on the paper. Especially with the strathspeys. That's kind of where it
gets interesting. You have to use your ears. That's why I've found all
these home recordings of my musical heroes to be so invaluable. They're
a key into the way the music is really to be played.
You know, this is the first time I've posted anything to Scots-L that
is worth being read, in quite a while :-) As life has been throwing me
some very hard challenges in the past year and a half.
I feel like I am now officially "back" to the music. Some employment
changes (I'm now working for a University and no longer for pathetic
start-up companies) and life changes (I had to rearrange some of my
priorities to get my music back near the top of the list).
As the founder of the list (which celebrates it's 7th birthday in a
week). I'm glad to see the list is still going strong. Thanks to all of
you.
I remember having an email conversation with Ted Hastings, back when I
was still at University in Texas. It went something like "Ted, is there
a Scottish traditional music list?" He said, "No, not that I know of."
So I said, "Okay, I will create one if you will help me get people to
subscribe." That's how it started.
I felt a little uncertain at first, running the Scottish traditional
list, being an American. However I had a Scottish priest at the time
that said, "You should do this laddie, it will be a great benefit to
everyone. Really we're all the same you know. You just sound a wee bit
strange when you talk."
So sorry for straying away from the topic, but I felt that I needed to
share this. I feel better now :-)
Toby
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