The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #100071 Message #2001886
Posted By: treewind
20-Mar-07 - 07:00 AM
Thread Name: 3:2 Hornpipes
Subject: RE: 3:2 Hornpipes
I prefer a more syncopated accompaniment that follows the tune, and give them some shape in two bar phrases 3/2's often work in two bar phrases, so much so that I'm sure the dance steps that go with them did the same.
A common 2 bar rhythm sequence , for instance:
2 2 2 | 1 2 1 2 | or
2 2 2 | 1 2 1 1 1 |
That's numbers of crotchets per beat. It works well for the Old Lancaster Hornpipe, Dusty Miller/Rusty Gulley, Geld Him Lasses, two of Purcell's that I can think of, etc.
Really that sort of tune doesn't work with a simple oom-pah accompaniment.
There's another sort of 3/2/ hornpipe that has less of a syncopated rhythm and lots of quavers in it, that does work better with three omm-pahs per bar. Tunes like the Rowling Hornpipe, The Red Lion and The Tumblers. Though they are also written in 3/2 I'm sure there's a distinct different dance for these.
Greg's the expert - if you're still reading - are there really two types of 3/2 hornpipe, are they regional variations or different dance tunes, or is there a whole spectrum of usage like polkas/rants/hornpipes/reels that are somewhat interchangeable?
Anahata
(I don't think much is known about the dances, sadly)