People not called Bloomfield are allowed to post, by the way.
The idea of starting a new forum for ITM topics arose out of a long and slightly contentious thread on the Clips & Snips board, in which Loren challenged me to “define lift, drive and swing” (or words to that effect) in a way that might help people eager to learn the subtleties of Irish style.
I replied that I wasn’t sure I could do exactly that, but volunteered to post a transcription and analysis of a tune played by a good traditional player.
Once this got under way, Peter Laban agreed to do the same thing for a couple of tunes (especially interesting since he has clips of private recordings of now departed players from decades past).
So, to get the ball rolling, here’s a link to the first of these tunes:
It’s a recording that has fascinated me for years, and seems especially appropriate since there was some discussion recently of the record from which it was taken (Music from the Coleman Country) and of the musician concerned, the late Jim Donaghue.
Check it out, and let me know if you find it interesting and/or useful!
It’s amazing because when I listen to the recording I recognize Miss MacLeod’s. It’s really clear actually. But when I look at the music and remember the sheet music versions of it that I have seen, it looks a lot different.
I guess this “swing, lift” thing has to do with knowing which notes make the tunes and which don’t, and then playing around with the latter.
Donaghue sounds really relaxed and calm but when I try to play a long, he is going pretty fast!
On 2002-07-31 14:41, Bobj wrote:
Why do you use a C whistle for this tune and not a D whistle?
Not obvious to me…
I’m not sure who you mean by “you”. Jim Donaghue presumably used a Clarke whistle because he liked them (see the note on his doctoring method in the article).
In 1972, when the recording was made, Clarke’s didn’t make D whistles.
That’s one answer to your question. The other would be, why on earth not?
Stevie,
I’ve been listening to the clip again (over and over ) and have a question about the first bar of the second part.
Bar B1 begins with a shortened eighth note high G,
shortened for two purposes: to allow a breath, and also
to put some lift into this crucial bar at the start of the
“turn”. It is followed by a short roll on the same note.
That short roll sounds like a little “chrip” to me and I don’t hear two eigth notes, separated by a tap. How does that work? It sounds like chirp-g to me rather than {b}g{f}g…
Steve, this is facinating! Thank you again. I especially like the slowed version since I’m not expert at hearing what is happening with the articulation and ornamentation.
On 2002-07-31 17:29, Bloomfield wrote:
Stevie,
I’ve been listening to the clip again (over and over > > ) and have a question about the first bar of the second part.
Bar B1 begins with a shortened eighth note high G,
shortened for two purposes: to allow a breath, and also
to put some lift into this crucial bar at the start of the
“turn”. It is followed by a short roll on the same note.
That short roll sounds like a little “chrip” to me and I don’t hear two eigth notes, separated by a tap. How does that work? It sounds like chirp-g to me rather than {b}g{f}g…
Bloomfield:
I just listened to the bar you’re talking about - both at full and 1/2 speed through my headphones. It sounded to me as though that “chirp” was from the air push after taking a breath at the rest. Not an over-blow, but the alternative to tounging by giving the note a diaphram push. My ear picked up the roll immediately after the push.
Why do you use a C whistle for this tune and not a D whistle?
Not obvious to me…
I think once again it should be made clear here a traditional musicina may play instruemnts in any key and refer to the bottom note as ‘D’ this is common practice please note that.
I can see people here thinking he was playing the tune in D on a C whistle, he wasn’t he used the fingerings as if he was playign a D whistle.
Why do you use a C whistle for this tune and not a D whistle?
Not obvious to me…
I think once again it should be made clear here a traditional musicina may play instruemnts in any key and refer to the bottom note as ‘D’ this is common practice please note that.
I can see people here thinking he was playing the tune in D on a C whistle, he wasn’t he used the fingerings as if he was playign a D whistle.
I’m glad you said that, Peter. That wasn’t clear to me at all until now.
I have a question about the screen that comes up when I click on that link to Miss McLeod’s. I get a screen that’s in frames, but the only frame I can actually see is the sheet music…the other two frames to the right are visible for only about a quarter of an inch, and I can see and access the link for the Mp3, but I can’t read Stevie’s comments at all. Is anyone else having this problem? I have a seventeen inch monitor, so that’s not the problem. Can it be set up so it’s frameless?
To see the framed version at its best, you need 1024 x 768 resolution. Since you have a 17-in. monitor I strongly recommend you try setting your screen to that resolution.
Thanks for this amazing stuff, and also for helping to bring this new forum online. Now the challenge is not to let the “I bought a new Burke” people invade it…
I was thinking maybe the fingering was easier , or the C whistle sounded deeper or evoked some sort of regional feeling, or something like that. Didn’t consider that they didn’t make D whistles back then. Thanks Steve.
The only comment I have is that the style sounds very similar to that of Micho Russell. A great version of the tune. I have heard other versions of this tune, (101 session tunes by LE McCullough) where it sounds like some sort of 50’s pop music.
In bar B3, I’m hearing: gbfb instead of gafa. Now, I don’t know if this is my mind’s ear hearing this because that’s how I think it should be played, or if JD is playing that way.
On 2002-08-02 14:06, Teri-K wrote:
In bar B3, I’m hearing: gbfb instead of gafa. Now, I don’t know if this is my mind’s ear hearing this because that’s how I think it should be played, or if JD is playing that way.
You’re right Teri, he is playing it that way - thanks for pointing it out. The only excuse I can offer is that perhaps trying to decide whether it was high or low sidetracked me. As it is, if not playing a Donaghue-style modified whistle, I think that
gBfB efge
would be a more natural way to play it than
gbfb efge
Thanks again.
Bloomfield, regarding the ornament on the high g - I agree that it sounds like a chirp, but I also think it sounds like a short roll, and on the slow clip I can hear the high and low grace clearly. Short rolls are short - you can’t hang around with them!
Steve
[Edited to add this PS: I have made corrected the tune and the notes in the light of Teri’s observations.]
[ This Message was edited by: StevieJ on 2002-08-02 21:27 ]
(Elbowing in here) Thanks, StevieJ, well transcribed and summarised, the layout with frames works fine.
I’m intrigued by your choice of a Scottish tune for the first transcription on the Irish Traditional Music Forum!
‘Miss McLeod of Raasay’ is the full title of the original tune. Raasay is an Island sandwiched between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish Mainland, beside the Sound of Sleat. Its a very old standard Scottish dance tune I believe - but hey, we don’t mind sharing.
Under normal circumstances, I may have listened to JD’s version and thought “nice player, shame he doesn’t know the tune”. But your transcription and analysis neatly put it in context, Thanks again, Steve.
I’ve come across quite a few more ‘borrowed’ Scottish tunes recently, eg ‘The Campbells are Coming’ is in Geraldine Cotter’s book as ‘The Burnt Old Man’ and ‘I Lo’e Nae a Laddie But Ane’ transmogrifies into ‘Rosin the Bow’. Or is it the other way round?
) and have a question about the first bar of the second part.