improvisation and traditional music

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 03 Dec 09 - 07:25 PM

I do it all the time

"adapt, improvise and overcome"

CC

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Dec 09 - 08:07 PM

Anytime I get the tune wrong I call it "improvisation". Any time I get the words wrong I call it "a variant". And I'm not far out in saying that, either.

Mistakes that work are the thing that keeps the music alive.

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Dec 09 - 07:36 PM

Someone who went to one of Alasdair Fraser's workshops told me about an improvisation exercise he does - play a tune over and over, then go round the circle with each participant improvising a variation on the fly. That sounds like fun.

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Tootler
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 04:00 PM

I had a similar experience some years ago at an early music summer school. We were working from a book called "The Division Flute" which dates from about 1720. The idea is that you improvise over a "ground" which is essentially a bass line in long notes - typically about 8 bars, usually one or, at most two notes to a bar. The group as a whole played the ground and each member in turn had to improvise a line over the top. It was very stimulating and got me interested in the possibilities of improvisation. I often used to sit at home and start a melody off, then let it take me where it would. I haven't done it much lately, I perhaps have spent too much time learning tunes, so maybe I should start again.

The book itself contains sets of variations played by well known professionals of the day and was written for amateurs who lacked the confidence to produce their own variations.

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 05:23 PM

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Jack Campin - PM
Date: 04 Dec 09 - 07:36 PM

Someone who went to one of Alasdair Fraser's workshops told me about an improvisation exercise he does - play a tune over and over, then go round the circle with each participant improvising a variation on the fly. That sounds like fun.
but would they approve of this on www.session .org,would there be mutterances of outrageous?

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Stringsinger
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 10:37 AM

folk thrives on improvisation of a sort. A variant is often created by learning a
song "the wrong way" with "mistakes".

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 01:08 PM

im my experience most of the improvisation is of a melodic nature,rather than chordal.

Subject: RE: improvisation and traditional music
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 02:07 PM

What Tootler describes - the use of ground and divisions - underlies some of the Northumbrian pipe variation sets, which are a continuing tradition amongst a minority of players.
They're mostly melodic divisions with occasional forays into rhythmic. The chordal basis is largely defined by the drones in this case.

Some top players improvise them in sessions, in fact there is one who can improvise harmonies to the existing sets on the fly. Some write them down, and learn - composing them for future use.

Paws