Shanty Tempo?

Subject: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 12:01 PM

I'm working on spirituals that are rowing songs, with Mudcatters doing a bunch of MIDIs (a boatload!). Would that be like a capstan shanty tempo, and what tempo is that? I am looking for the tempo that would be used in actually doing the work, not just performance-tempo. I have one MIDI I'm starting with that I can share via email.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: Jeri
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 12:43 PM

I just fiddled around with a rowing song I know, and 140 sounds reasonable. Capstain shanties might tend to be a bit slower.

The thing is, the tempo of the song is based on the speed of the work, not the other way around, and I think it would vary quite a bit.

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 01:13 PM

So if I have one in 2/4 at 72/quarter, I'm in the right neighborhood?

These also were used in "shouts," which is a shuffle-walk-dance thing, not too lively. I'm aiming for a tempo slow enough to catch the feel and learn the tune, and fast enough not to drag; then the listener can adapt the tempo up or down from there if they decide to perform it.

~S~

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 01:24 PM

whether the subject matter is 'spiritual' or not, I like to hear chanties done at the tempo the task called for. There are so durn many groups doing the equivalent of "bluegrassing" chanties into tempos that would have been impossible to work to.

If you have specific examples, it wouldn't be hard to make suggestions about a reasonable tempo for them.

(I think I will go look at Mudcat midis and see if there are examples there)

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 01:30 PM

I have two done; PM me an email addy and I can shoot them over.

~S~

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 01:39 PM

way back long ago (when the world was new) I used to row whaleboats in the Boy Scouts.

the tempo for the midi WYSIWYG sent me (quarter note = 72) seemed to match the tempo I remember rowing (when we we rowing steady - not racing)

but it's been a LONG time.

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 01:52 PM

Can you access it HERE? YOu should see a post in a message board, with a link to an attached document in the gray bar below the yellow text box. It's a NWC file. I guess if I am going to hang any more up I'll make them .mid.

~S~

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 02:08 PM

.... apparetnly you have to be an MSN passport-holder (spam recipient) to access the file at the link above. But you can download it from the Mudcat Auction if you look around! :~)

~S~

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: Jeri
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 04:07 PM

WYS, I got it from the auction, and it sounds good at that tempo, for a gentle, steady row. Note that you have to have Noteworthy. or a program that will convert Noteworthy files, to be able to listen to it.

Pretty tune!

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 04:13 PM

It is pretty, isn't it? We're doiong MIDIs for the whole Allen Slave Songs collection. The rowing songs are among the prettiest. Perky, sprightly, more cheerful than what I always thought of as the sound of the spirituals.

~S~

Subject: RE: Shanty Tempo?
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 01:10 AM

I remember reading somewhere about rowing at different tempos depending on a number of different criteria. If you had a long way to go you would row at a tempo that would conserve your strength. If you had a need for speed you rowed at a faster pace. If the weather was rough then there was another pace that differed from a calm water pace. The coxswain was the expert and the pace of his song told the rowers how fast to row.

I think this was from a tract on the shore based whaling industry off one of the Atlantic islands.