Playing jigs with a dotted rhythm

Tonight we focused on playing jigs with a dotted rhythm. We started off by playing through the Kilfenora sexy jig.

We also worked on B part of the Atholl Highlanders, which can be tricky to play cleanly, and with a strong sense of rhythm. We played the opening phrase, where the tune crosses backwards and forwards from the A string to the E string. Using a single bow for each note can help with playing phrases like this. It’s important while learning to do this to emphasise the first down bow which is on the beat, and the up bow which falls on the second beat.

We learnt a new jig called Rocking the Baby. The tune is fairly simple, but there’s a lot of sting crossing in both parts – perfect for practicing technique!

To get the dotted rhythm on the jig, we’re playing the quavers with slightly different lengths. Jigs are in 6/8 time, with 2 beats in the bar. There are 3 quavers (or equivalent) to each beat. For each set of 3 quavers, we play a pattern of a long quaver, a short quaver, then an ordinary length quaver. The first quaver is effectively ‘stealing’ some of the time from the second quaver.

We tried out using a wrist action to move the bow from one string to another. We also tried using the first finger to dig the bow in at the start of each beat, to really emphasise the notes on the beat.

We tried playing the jig rhythm while playing round the first 3 notes of the tune (C# EE) to get the feel of playing in this way.

The we looked at ways to help with playing the tune faster

use short length of the bow (1cm or less) for the quavers in the tune – eco-bowing is the way to go!
keep fingers close to the strings when they’re not in use
keep fingers on strings where possible – in the B part of Rocking the Baby, the 2nd finger can be kept on the C# throughout the string-crossing part of the tune.
take focus off the fingers, and get ‘in the zone’ – being relaxed will help the tune flow

Playing jigs with a dotted rhythm — Photo ©Ros Gasson

We talked about using jigs for dancing. They are commonly played for a Strip the Willow, and some other set dances. It’s possible to change mid-set from a jig to a reel, which adds a ‘lift’ to the music. In pub sessions or performances, jigs are often played together in sets, but it can also be effective to play a slower tune, than change into a jig.

Playing for dancers is a great way to help develop a really strong sense of timing. We talked about Mairi Campbell’s fiddle & step dance workshop on Lismore (4th-6th October 2013). There will be step dancing workshops happening as well as fiddle, so there will be opportunities to try out stepping and also playing for the step dancers.

Playing in jig rhythm

Tonight we worked on playing in jig rhythm. Jigs are in 6/8 time.There are 6 quavers in each bar, and the quavers are split into 2 groups of three. When we’re learning to play in jig time, initially it’s helpful to get into the habit of emphasising the first quaver in each group of three, which will emphasise the 2 beats in the bar. If we play the quavers on individual bows, this gives us a pattern of emphasising a down bow at the start of the first 3 quavers, then emphasising an up bow at the beginning of the second set of 3 quavers. This is a useful pattern to practice with the bow. Once it has become a habit, and a way of playing subconsciously, it will free us up to start thinking about throwing in different patterns to emphasise different beats to add interest throughout the tune.

We learnt a Jig called the Kilfenora Sexy Jig. We worked on bowing the tune with a dotted rhythm. To do this, the first quaver in each set of three is played slightly longer than written, and the second quaver is played slightly shorter.

We looked at ways we could emphasise the C# at the start of the tune, including adding a chord with the open E string, sliding into the note, and adding a hammer-on. Any combination of effects could be used together. We also looked at possibilities for a few chords elsewhere in the tune.

After the break, we worked on playing from the subconscious. We stood in a circle, and played the tune without looking at our fiddles. Looking at others in the group helps us to get feedback , and is particularly important when you’re in situations where you can’t hear everyone who you’re playing with. We also tried out playing the tune fast and scrunchy, then slow and melodic.

We ended the class by playing through the Eagle’s Whistle, then Tongadale Reel and Brenda Stubberts.

Bowing chords on the fiddle

How to bow rhythmic chords on the fiddle

This week we spent some time looking at different ways to bow chords on the fiddle, to get a rhythm in behind the tune.

We started off by playing through the slow reel from a couple of weeks ago. Then we learnt a new reel called Iggy and Squiggy. This one works well at a fairly fast pace. It uses the fourth finger a lot in the B part, combined with triplets and some rapid string crossing – it’s a good tune for a left-hand workout!

To keep our basic bowing pattern of starting the bar with a down bow, we slurred 2 quavers on an up bow after each triplet in the tune. We’re aiming to develop a ‘default’ pattern to our bowing which is played subconsciously. Once the down bow at the start of the bar has become a habit, it then becomes easier to vary it when we want to add different rhythms into a tune.

Keeping a relaxed bow hold

We looked at another way to help develop a relaxed bow-hold. first of all we shook out our bowing hand, to relax all the muscles. Then we placed our bows onto our fiddles in the usual playing position, holding the bow between the thumb and middle finger only. After this. we laid the other fingers gently onto the stick of the bow, without bringing any tension into the hand or fingers.

The stick of the bow should sit in the first joint of the first finger (the joint nearest to the palm of the hand). This allows he first finger to be used to help control the direction the bow is traveling, so we can keep it perpendicular to the strings. The fingers should be spread out a little, and the whole hand should be slightly rotated anticlockwise, so that the back of the hand is pointing a little towards the tip of the bow. This gives us a basic relaxed playing position which will allow the wrist to be flexible when playing. The first finger and the pinkie can be used to help control the bow, using the thumb as a pivot.

How to bow rhythmic chords

There are several different ways to bow chords on the fiddle, which gives us some different options as to how those chords will sound.

In the last phrase of the B part of Iggy and Squiggy we tried playing an open D string to create a chord on each of the notes were playing on a down bow. If the notes of the tune (which are all on the A string at this point) are played with the bow positioned very close to, but not touching, the D string, then we can create the chord on any notes we choose just by using a bit of pressure on the index finger to bring the bow hair in contact with the D string. Playing the chords in this way adds a stacatto, almost percussive, rhythm beneath the tune.

A different way to create the chords using the open D string is to use a circular wrist action. We’ve tried this action out before when we’ve been playing tunes that switch backwards and forwards from one string to another. The wrist moves in a small clockwise circle which results (in this tune) in an up bow on the A string and a down bow on the chord. The wrist action can be modified slightly, so that instead of changing from one string to the other, we’re switching between playing the note on the A string, and playing the note plus the open D string. Creating the chord in this way allows the open D to ring out after we’ve played the note, so it sounds different to the previous method.

We ended the evening by playing through Leaving Brittany. We then played Aird Ranters, Barrowburn Reel and Spootiskerry in a final set. Next week we’ll look at some options for bowing Spootiskerry.

Bowing patterns and rhythm

Tonight we spent some time thinking about different bowing patterns and how they affect the rhythms in tunes we’re playing. We started off by playing through the Jig we learnt in the first week of term – The Road to Banff. When we first learnt this, we played it with a dotted rhythm, emphasising the 2 main beats in the bar. Tonight we looked at changing the emphasis to the upbeats in the first phrase. It adds a real lift to the tune, and gets peoples’ feet tapping!

We learnt the strathspey The Aird Ranters (by Fred Morrison). It’s a short and straightforward tune to play on the fiddle. Once we’d learnt the notes, we tried playing it down an octave. We spent some time thinking about our bow holds, getting a relaxed hold on the bow, and keeping our thumb slightly bent to avoid building any tension in the forearm. We talked about using the thumb as a pivot. Adding a bit of pressure with the pinkie can be used to take the weight of the bow when we lift it off the fiddle strings. If we want to really ‘dig in’ with a note, we can do this by adding a bit of pressure with the first finger as we play the start of the note.

We tried out playing some long slow open strings, thinking about tone. Keeping the bow perpendicular to the strings, and the bow hold relaxed helps to create a full tone. Then we tried playing as quietly as we could manage, by using a little pressure with the pinkie to take some of the weight of the bow off the strings.

We tried out a couple of different ways to bow the opening phrase to the strathspey. Using a down bow at the start of the tune, and playing single bows, results in a big emphasis on the 3rd note. we also tried out playing a down bow followed by 3 up bows, which gives a much lighter feel to the start of the tune.

Bowing patterns and rhythms — Photo ©Ros Gasson

At the end of the night we played Captain Campbell’s, and tried out playing the Aird Ranters while adding in some dynamics, by dropping the volume in the B part of the tune.

Bowing jigs on the fiddle

Tonight’s class focused on bowing jigs on the fiddle. We started the new term by checking what everyone in the class wanted to work on over the coming weeks. The main themes seemed to be bowing, playing rhythmically, and learning to play faster.
At the beginning of the evening we looked at our bow holds. It’s important to be able keep the bow hand relaxed throughout the full length of the bow stroke.

A fiddler playing, viewed from behind — Photo ©Ros Gasson

The thumb should remain slightly bent to prevent tension creeping up the forearm. The fingers are curved over the stick of the bow, to give a relaxed hold. The fiddle takes most of the weight of the bow when we’re playing, so the hand can be thought of as just guiding the bow rather than gripping or holding it. When we’re playing, the thumb acts as a pivot – we can add a bit of pressure with the pinkie to take some of the weight of the bow off the strings and create a lighter sounding tone, or we can add pressure with the first finger to really ‘dig in’ to the start of a note to add emphasis. When we’re playing, the whole hand should be slightly rotated anticlockwise (if you’re using your right hand). Doing this puts the wrist into a comfortable position to bend and flex at the top and bottom of the bow stroke.

We spent some time playing long bow strokes while thinking about our tone. We worked on keeping the bow perpendicular to the strings and keeping the bow fairly close to the bridge while we played. We tried playing a jig rhythm on an open A. There are 6 quavers in the bar in a jig. We are aiming to learn a basic bowing pattern for playing jigs, which we can play subconsciously. Once we have a pattern learnt in this way, it opens up possibilities for us to play around with the bowing patterns and rhythms, as we’re not having to think about the basic mechanics of how we are bowing the tune.

Once we’d picked up a dotted jig rhythm on the open string, we split into two groups.Half of each group played the jig rhythm on an open D while the others were playing on the open A. We tried to keep a steady rhythm, and listen to others in the group, while using our first fingers to ‘dig in’ with the bow at the start of the first beat in each bar, to add emphasis.

After the break we learnt the jig The Road to Banff. The written music is on the tunes page. We’ll be spending some more time on this tune next week.

We spent some time taking about playing for dancing. Jigs are commonly played for the Strip the Willow. Four 32 bar jigs in a set would be enough for each couple to go through the dance twice.

At the end of the evening we played Jig Runrig, the Road to Banff and Rory Macleod. Then we played Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle, which we learnt in the class last term.

Tone and rhythm on the fiddle

Improving tone and rhythm

Tonight we worked on techniques to help us with our tone and rhythm while playing.
We started the evening by going over the second part of Gordon Duncan’s reel Ramnee Ceilidh. It has a syncopated rhythm. We talked about different ways to tap our feet to help us keep in time when we’re playing syncopated rhythms. We also spent some time working on playing triplets. We were playing the three notes in the triplets starting on a down bow. The action comes from the wrist. The second and third notes are created by bringing the down bow to a very sudden stop. If the wrist is relaxed enough then the bow ‘judders’ up then down again.

Grace notes

We also tried out playing a grace note on the F# (the crotchet) near the start of the B part of the tune. We’re aiming to flick the finger quickly on and off the string to play the grace note. When you’re playing a reel at speed, you won’t hear a note as such where a grace note is played, so it doesn’t matter whether you use the 2nd or 3rd finger. The action of flicking the string briefly ‘deadens’ the F# that we’ve been playing, as it stops the string resonating. You can play the grace note at the start of the F#, in the middle of it, or at the end of it. Each will have a slightly different effect on the sound.

How to improve tone on the fiddle

Working on tone and rhythm in fiddle lessons — Photo ©Ros Gasson

There are several things we can do to help create a good tone when playing the fiddle:
* Keep a relaxed bow hold. It’s particularly important to make sure that the thumb doesn’t ‘lock’ in a tense position.
* Keep the bow close to the bridge throughout the bow stroke.
* Keep the bow at right angles to the fiddle’s strings throughout the bow stroke. We looked at the importance of having a flexible wrist. If we play with a rigid wrist, the bow will tend to skew on the strings at the start and finish of the bow stroke.
* When playing on the E string, we worked on keeping a slightly lighter touch with the bow.

We had a go at playing rhythm on percussion instruments. We all started off by playing on the beat. Once we had a steady rhythm going, some people moved to playing the offbeat, and then upbeats.

At the end of the evening we played through Roxburgh Castle again, and reminded ourselves of the chord accompaniment that we learnt a couple of weeks ago.

Playing with rythm and accompaniment

Using different rhythms in our playing

Rhythm is an important part of making music. There are various playing techniques we can learn to help us play with a string sense of rhythm. We started off the class talking about developing a basic ‘default’ bowing pattern when we play reels. We’re aiming to be able to play with a down bow at the start of the bar, and to do this without thinking about it. Once it has become a subconscious habit, it allows us to start playing around with rhythms by varying the bowing patterns we’re using.

We started off by going over some possibilities for bowing Roxburgh Castle. We used a ‘one down three up’ bowing pattern to add emphasis to the on beats. We also tried emphasising the offbeats on the B part, where the tune us crossing strings.

Accompanying a tune with rhythm played on the fiddle

We learnt a rhythm accompaniment to the tune, using 3 chords played on the G and D strings. We were using A/E, B/E and C#/E. We tried playing the chords along to the tune on the beat, then we had a go at playing the chords on the offbeat. Once we’d got that, we played on the beat in the A part of the tune, and on the offbeats in the B part. We also tried to play the tune emphasising the offbeats in the B part at the same time.

Using the wrist when crossing strings

We looked at our bowing arm action when we’re playing tunes with a lot of string crossing. Using a wrist action to move the bow from one string to the other helps us to control the bow’s movement more easily. It will also make playing at speed easier.

Playing in tune

At the end of the evening we went back to playing notes from the A arpeggio, and we wandered around the room while we were playing. We were listening to each other, and working on playing in tune with the people nearby who we could hear.

Playing with rhythms in reels

March and reel rhythms

Tonight we worked on rhythms in marches and reel. We started the class by going over the 2/4 march Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle, and reminded ourselves where some of the grace notes were. We also got our feet tapping on the beat, and emphasised all the notes on the beat, keeping a steady tempo.

Tone and tuning

We tried playing long bows on an open A string, paying attention to getting our bows perpendicular to the fiddle strings to help with tone. Then we played different notes and chords from the A arpeggio (A, C#, E and A), listening to our tuning while we were playing, and working on our tone at the same time. After that, we tried walking around the room while we were playing long notes from the arpeggio. While we did this, we were listening to other people around us, and working on playing in tune with one another.

Onbeats and offbeats

Then we moved on to playing the notes E A C# E A E C# A in reel rhythm, tapping our feet while we emphasised the notes on the beat. Some of the class then played a chord beneath this, playing a low A and E, in an offbeat rhythm. We tried varying the run of notes over the top, and changed to emphasising the offbeats along with the chords.

Learn to play with rhythms on the fiddle in the String Circle class — Photo ©Ros Gasson

We learnt the reel Roxburgh Castle (the music is on the tunes page), and played around with different rhythms, emphasising beats or offbeats in the second part.

We also tried playing Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle with the reel after it. We finished off the evening by playing a set of tunes together: Captain Campbell, a strathspey, followed by 2 reels – Brenda Stubbert, and Jenny Dang the Weaver.

Playing with rhythm

Playing with rhythm in reels

We went back to the tune Da Merrie Boys of Greenland tonight, and had a go at playing with rhythm in different ways.

We played around with several things, with individuals listening to a phrase and then trying to play it back exactly as they heard it. We looked at:

How to make notes louder or quieter, experimenting with bow speed, pressure on the bow and double stopping. We put pressure on the bow by ‘digging in’ at the start of the bow stroke with our index finger on the back of the stick of the bow.
Playing on the beat really loudly, and all the other notes in a bar as quietly as we could, to really make the notes on the beat stand out. We were using very small bow strokes for the quiet notes.
Getting bounce and definition into individual notes by using the weight of our arm through the index finger on the bow to ‘dig in’ to a note and give it a clean start. The spring in the wood helps the bow to ‘bounce’ out of the bow stroke when we do this.

Learn fiddle technique - playing with rhythm — Photo ©Ros Gasson

Adding emphasis to help with phrasing

We tried playing the first part of Da Merrie Boys of Greenland with the emphasis in different places.

And we learnt the first part of a new tune – the waltz My Cape Breton Home, by Jerry Holland. We’ll learn the B part next week.

This term runs until the end of March (the last night is on Tuesday 27th). The summer term will run for 10 weeks starting on 17th April.

Working on jig rhythms

Jig Rhythms

Last week Mairi Campbell came and taught the string Circle fiddle class while I was sunning myself on Mull 😉

Playing jig rhythms

Learn jig rhythms in the string Circe fiddle class in Edinburgh — Photo ©Ros Gasson

This week we continued to look at playing jig rhythms. We did some more playing with a very dotted rhythm. We tried out practicing the rhythm on its own first, playing a single note to get our bows swinging. Then we moved on to playing the tune.

Bow hold

We tried playing with a very relaxed hold on our bows. It’s important to keep the thumb slightly bent when holding the bow. If the thumb joint stiffens and locks, the muscles up the forearm become tense, which stiffens the wrist. It also hinders a smooth action with the bowing arm.

Using different parts of the bow to change the sound

We experimented with playing using different parts of the bow to see what happened to the sound. Using the tip of the bow gives a lighter more subtle sound. Using the heel of the bow creates a much more powerful scrunching sound.

We went over the first 2 parts of Kenny Gillies of Portnalong again. We’ll carry on working on this tune next week. The written music for the tune is on the website music page.