ABOUT GETTING FIDDLE TUNES FROM DOTS... (dot, dot, dot)

I used to assume all palyers know the following, until I learned that thinking that was likely to be construed as being rude and dismissive.

So-- just for those new to the genre, most of which originated as live (L-I-V-E)dance (D-A-N-C-E) music,:


1. Oldtime = folk subgenre= not composed on paper usually = dots will be transcriptions of heard, well-known versions

2. Transcriptions will tend to indicate a repeat of each section, but actual practice = the tunes are played until the dancers drop. :~)

3. True tempo = dance tempo = how fast can feet move and still be having fun = slow down! = remember the dancers even if there aren't any actually present = it ain't bluegrass

4. A piece may have a local way the repeats are organized = a given tune may usually be played AABBAABBA or AABBAABBAABB, or whatever is local practice. Three-part tunes may also have a particular repeat pattern in local custom = AABBCCAABBCC or AABBCAABBCA or whatever = none of this will probably be indicated in the transcription so you will have to listen to other players

5. Historical/field recordings may very well include only a single run-through of each section to get as many tunes on tape as possible = may actually have been played in a very different repeat pattern in the locale or by the player from where/whom it was collected = if you are going to learn from a recording you must customize what you have heard = if you are going to be playing with other players you must plan on punting to follow their lead on matters of tempo, repeat paterns, etc.

6. Ornamentations are not the tune! = Learn to hear the diff between the basic underlying pattern of intervals upon which the ornamentations have been layered, and learn to hear the ornamentation variants = the dots will usually treat ornamentation as melody and will not tell you straight-out which notes you can omit while learning the tune (or adapt at will to make your own ornamentations).


May be more, but gotta go,

~Susan