On my way home today I was listening to Desi Wilkinson’s CD. His rendition of the tune Eileen Curran was quite a contrast to Mary Bergin’s rendition - whose CD I learnt this tune from. Wilkinson’s rendition is relatively simple melody-wise, compared to Mary Bergin’s version.
That got me wondering, what are the advantages and disadvantages of playing tunes in a melodically simple or a melodically intricate manner?
A lot of great trad musicians like Mary Bergin, Noel Hill and Sean Ryan (the whistler) play renditions of tunes with intricate melodies whilst other great trad musicians like Jack Coen and Micho Russell play very simple renditions of the same tunes. I’ve even read Peter Laban write about some accomplished musician (whose name escapes me) modify melodies by playing more consecutively identical notes - rendering them simpler. Mary Bergin seems to belong to the other end of the spectrum, she seems to go out of the way to add octave jumps, and other twists and turns to the tune. It seems like she is playing “more notes”. I’m not refering to the amount of ornamentation in the playing here, but the amount of movement - pitchwise - in the melody.
Why would one great player choose simplicity, and the other choose complexity in melody? This might be just a matter of taste but I was wondering if playing melodies in a simple or intricate manner actually gives the musician leverage in different aspects that they may wish to focus on. What would these aspects be?
Some musicians may just be puirists that want to keep a tune traditional just for tradition’s sake. Also, they may not be that imaginative. Others seem to just be bursting with flavor and imagination. I prefer those who “wander” from the letter of the music. It makes “fun” a lot more fun.
BTW, I really like the way the way Mary Bergin and Noel Hill treat the melodies!
I think it’s primarily a matter of taste, or, in the case of someone like Micho Russell, a matter of circumstance. If you grew up in an environment where your neighbors and family were playing in a simpler style, you’d probably end up playing that way too.
Some players feel that ornamentation or lots of melodic variation equates to clutter and they prefer their music “clean.” Jack Coen is like that: I remember once playing him the bones of a tune I’d just learned, and he said “good, now just keep it that way, don’t add anything more.”
It’s true that Mary Bergin’s style has lots of melodic variation and ornamentation, but always tastefully so; I never think of her music as being cluttered.
The amount of “extra” notes and ornamentation that feel appropriate can also be a function of the tune you’re playing: some melodies are quite simple in structure and I find that playing them straight with little ornamentation sounds better (to my ear) than loading them up with rolls or extra notes in the melody.
I’ve been thinking about similar points. But I am not quite sure about the labels “simple” and “intricate”. It seems to me that as I am listening to different versions of a tune and learning it, that I uncover plateaus in the tune, maybe this is what better players than I refer to the “bones” of the tune: The melody lands (for example) on a G, and then come bridge notes that connect that melodically essential G to the next melodically essential note or phrase. What happens in between these plateaus seems to be ornamentation or variation, and in that respect I think I would lump what Eld called “intricacies” with ornamentation, for instance the tendency of players like Mary Bergin to approach that essential G (or notes like it) with movement, that is either from above or from below. I think also that players like Jack Coen try to be as economical as possible in getting from one essential note to the next, and you could call that simple. The thing about Micho Russell’s playing is to my mind that he is not “simple” in this respect. He puts in a lot of octave jumps, most unexpected (to me) and he plays with the bones of the tune by crunching or expanding phrases, or by putting in long gaps. That always makes me feel that Micho’s playing is really complicated once I try to learn a tune from his playing, even though there are fewer notes in it. I don’t know why I assume that anyone would want to read these half-digested ramblings. :roll:
I have to agree with all the above. As to advantages or disadvantages, I’v never quite thought of it in that way other than: how does it fit in with what the tune communicates to me? There are players who can embroider a tune and the tune can still be heard, and yet others’ efforts effectively bury the tune under the embroidery. I don’t care for the latter, but it’s not my call. If you like really ornate variations and can do them well, just don’t do 'em out of vanity. The soul, the speaking, gets lost from it.
If it’s sure to put money in the bank, that’s an advantage. 
I must agree with your ‘half digested ramblings’ Bloom-some good points made about the playing of Micho Russell-he may not have spat out notes at the speed of light,but his music is far from unsophisticated.
I also rate Jack Coen very highly-I love Brad’s story! 
Repeat after me-"Less is more,Less is more… (More or Less) 
.
Whatever you do, work on it and get good at it. Whether it’s a simple or highly ornamented style, it can be done well and in good taste, or not. I’d say the deciding factor as far as what sounds good to the listener is whether the tune is phrased well and has good rhythm. I’ve mentioned before that ornamentation (imho) should support phrasing and rhythm. That being said, if you can get across those qualities with less or no ornamentation, then, by golly, go for it. It should work. But, you have to work on it (and listen a lot to figure out what’s going on).
Tony
Technical dexterity in Irish Tradtional Music is never favoured over interpretation, style and musicality. The basic tune played well is appreciated. Adding ornamentation and/or melodic variation (which is another form of ornamentation) while maintaining the integrity of the tune is also appreciated. Individual style is highly appreciated, which is why players like Micho Russell, Mary Bergin, Larry Nugent and others with completely different approaches to the music have all won All-Ireland Championships.