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I'm not so sure everyone feels rhythm the same way when there's more than one happening in the same tune - one might be favored over another. THREE seems to be a magic number for me. The hardest thing (to me) is learning to feel not only the sum of, but ALL of the individual rhythms within a polyrhythm & why drummers are absolutely amazing to me!
I was listening to the Cat Stevens album & looked closer at "Tuesday's Dead", because the rhythm struck me as a little Latin/Caribbean feeling - which may partly be from the choice of instruments.
Tuesday's Dead
So, to me, the Songo Rhythm was close to what I was feeling - but I can't get close enough in tempo without entering in DAW.
Songo Drums 95 BPM
Songo Rhythm
Then I took a closer look at a Songo Groove. VERY interesting how little I was focusing on! 🤨 Songo is a Cuban Rhythm & music genre.
Songo Groove
This cyclical format helps me see exactly what the Snare, Hi-hat and Bass drum are doing, what points they sync up & what hits are stressed.
I think I tend to focus more on lower tones of percussion, which may explain why I kept feeling certain beats stressed more than they show in the video. I feel 1,2 (starting with 1st hit of snare, but the 1st hit of the bass feels stressed) - 1,2,3 (3rd hit of the snare) - 1,2,3 (3rd hit of the bass) - 1,2,3 (last hit of the snare).
I took a look at a few more grooves from the 19 Drumset Fundamentals Drum Groove Playlist. SAME thing - I only focus on certain hits & not necessarily all the stressed hits shown. I'm probably screwed since I now think the MAMBO GROOVE sounds more like the Songo Drums video (more than the Songo Groove). 😞
Mambo Groove
Mambo Groove
So, I SEE what is 'supposed' to be stressed, but can feel other sync'd hits 'as' stressed... and then there's the ones I focus on. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to translate this to my playing. To me it should be good to make sure I convey what 'I' feel, but it probably means I still just need to listen more to what the individual percusive instruments play.
I think there's something really important, especially about the pitch, but also the contrasting timbre in the way percusive instruments are used - which might be translated into more tonal percusive effects played on the fiddle (5 or 6-string in particular). ...just haven't made all the connections yet.

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I shall deposit this here
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!

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@Gordon Shumway -
Thank you.
Besides Kopanitsa/Gankino counted 2+2+3+2+2, I've also seen another 11 beat Bulgarian dance (Acano mlada nevesto) counted as 3+2+2+2+2. Learned there's actually a special name for an ELEVEN count meter - Undecuple!
The Balkan Peninsula is definitely full of odd meter music (Fiddle Music From Central and SE Europe Thread) & the rhythms are easier for me to understand from watching the dances.
Gankinata
Ludo Kopano Notation - 2+2+3+2+2 Ludo Kopano dance info

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I'm still in the mood for Afro-Cuban Rhythms!
Found a cool book with Latin Grooves - riffs to practice on Violin.
Produced by Andrew Gordon - his YT Channel some has samples of the play-alongs.
Mambo Latin riffs
Ooooooo... Halloween prospect!
Monster Mambo
Or, maybe this would be a better Halloween contender!
Luigi's Mansion Theme

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Something about listening to & playing music in this thread completely revitalizes me when I feel worn out!
I've finally got additional tunes in more sets underway, for the majority I only have 2 tunes down. Just started the 2nd one of the Sticky Buns Slides Set, "Why You No Like-a My Sticky Buns Ah?". Been having a hard time hearing all the notes played played in this 2nd tune, so I'm grateful that the set returns to repeat the 1st tune, "It's Gonna Tip"!
Been thinking a lot lately - about ways tunes can be played, expression, how I like 'the flow' upset once in a while... and whether (or not) music 'terms' are actually helpful. I'm starting to see how, besides other factors, music terms change over time. Even with easier internet access, pretty sure it will take more than what's left of my lifetime for any real consensus.
Think I'm in love with Tempo Rubato!
While rubato is often loosely taken to mean playing with expressive and rhythmic freedom, it was traditionally used specifically in the context of expression as speeding up and then slowing down the tempo.
CRAZY, all the serious controversy that surrounded 'Rubato' in the past, and I didn't realize there are several kinds - that can be combined!
Accelerando and rallentando - tempo fluctuation. I already feel like I speed up playing subdivisions of larger notes, would be nice to think I actually have the freedom to speed up/slow down & end up perfectly for the next measure.
Tenuto and agogic accents - change in note value. We already do this in Irish jigs, e.g., give the 1st of 3 eighth notes longer value, the 2nd much shorter & the 3rd normal!
Melodic rubato - not quite sure if this means the melody is completely free of a steady accompaniment, but maybe touches base with it on beat 1 of every measure - similar to jazz?
I'm going to have to learn more about this.
Couple of the books mentioned in Wikipedia are available free from the Internet Archive. The one by Hugo Riemann is in German - never asked Google to translate anything that big, but might give it a try.

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Jeez... don't mean to freak everyone out mentioning 'tempo mapping' - it's just 'some' of the greatest popular & romantic period music I've ever heard has variation in tempo... music I grew up with.
NOT ALL MUSIC HAS TO BE A CONSTANT TEMPO (listening music)! Orchestras have a Conductor that can change/vary the tempo (don't get me started on Orchestras using click tracks). Manipulating tempo is a form of expression. Phrases typically stretch over several bars & I don't believe the tempo HAS to be the same for each of those bars (rubato is not a new concept).
Metronomes and Click Tracks are very important... but I'm certainly NOT going to reset a metronome while I'm playing pieces that need some variation! This is where a looper, or backing track comes in handy, but if you want someone to follow along with an expressive track that has tempo variation... this is where sharing a tempo/beat mapped click track shines.
When you realize there's quite a few music pieces/songs (most folks are familiar with) that have tempo changes (or rubato) - it doesn't seem so scary... just natural.
After talking about some pop & rock music with pretty obvious tempo changes - David Bennet starts getting more interesting at 13:22, then into talking about click tracks in this video.
Songs That Use Tempo Changes
I found a great blog at Music Machine.com ("In Search of the Click Track", "Revisiting the Click Track", and "More on Click Tracks") that shows a comparison of tempo maps for some well known music that might surprise you, like a few of my favorites:
Peer Gynt - In The Hall of The Mountain King
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
...many more!
I don't agree that people who don't want to play to a click track is because they can't... and what about ALL the 'Pro' musicians before the 1980's, before everyone started using DAW's & click tracks? They were GREAT!
I can play to a click track, or I can also CHOOSE not to play with one when it doesn't suit my idea of how a piece should sound (depends on the music). It's just that 'tempo mapping' allows sharing a click track that bridges both Worlds (free tempo and rigid tempo) - it doesn't have to be "one way or the highway".

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The magic I feel in music (& playing my fiddle) comes from everywhere I find something uneven. I've looked at quite a few individual ways of identifying & creating uneveness in music, not only in this thread, but also quite a few others.
One thing I haven't addressed - the best way to see how some of these can work together.
THIS is where I'm going to have to concede DAW will shine.
Think it just has to be easier to see options & results of changes in DAW, when working with more than one kind of uneveness - or more complicated musical ideas.
These [Uneven] Patterns Are EVERYWHERE in Music...
Some pretty interesting plugins available from Minimal Audio (especially the Flex Bundle deal at Splice), but I'll need to take a closer look & see if I can make something similar happen with software & effects I already have.
Related threads:

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🤔... hadn't thought about how different our brains process verbal rhythm-keeping vs tapping (like our foot, or hands).
Can You Improve Your Internal Clock Without a Metronome? (Adam Neely Q/A)
Improve Your Internal Clock
I know lyrics help me feel & remember rhythm - even though I don't sing them, just think them. ...been trying to be more aware of language cadence in other Countries (maybe dialects, too?), because I think they open another window into understanding why grooves can be so different.

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I've been busy playing some Canadian tunes today, but wanted to take a few moments for this, too.
ELCBK said [back in post #26]
I finally felt like I got some very productive practicing in - 2 days in a row! I always get some practice time in, just can't say it always feels 'productive'....moved on to 'brain stuff'.
Notation Must Die: The Battle For How We Read Music
Lately, it's like I'm at the right place, at the right time. Tantacrul's video today - what can I say... it spoke to me. 😏 I doubt if anyone else will watch this from beginning to end (like I did), but some of the chapters might 'speak' to others.
There was a lot more in that particular post, and I've been thru much more of my musical journey since then, but this video recently started an interesting discussion on The Session: Musical Notation Must Die!
...and, like here, doesn't look like folks were likely to watch the whole video - understandable, it's long. There ARE chapter links listed in the video description!
Actually, I rewatched it today to refresh my memory (been well over a year ago)... great summary of notation systems/innovations, it brings up inadequacies, link to culture/religion/speech, and reforms/alternatives proposed. Some humor, "the prick of perfection" - do fiddlers in the UK really know about this? Some rants on truly stupid ideas is fun (for me), hey - it's important to know why things 'don't work', as well!
Don't think ANY notation related to the piano is optimal for bowed string instruments - especially 'piano rolls'... no place for microtones. I have previously seen Jullian Carrillo's system, that works for different tuning sustems & microtones, used (can't remember if video, or article).
Playing a 6-string Violin, of course I find it ridiculous to have to use 3 completely different clefs, when Rev Thomas Salmon proposed an excellent, yet simple, reform back in 1692 (starting approx 43:00).
Some notation forms can help folks get started learning to play, but they ALL have drawbacks, like piano rolls. What really makes sense, is looking at tablature (like using tapes & fingering numbers for a fretless string instrument) - you only learn approximately where to place your fingers, NOT the note name of the pitch you're supposed to hear. Scrolling Tablature (piano roll) at least tells you 'when' to play a note. I do regret not learning to link note names to what I was hearing everywhere my fingers touched the fingerboard - it makes me have to think about what key/mode I'm playing in.
Tantacrul does make this important point:
People don't give up on playing an instrument because of notation!
...also talks about accessibility issues - meaning for people who have some visual impairments (types of dyslexia, types of color blindness, total blindness).
He also pointed out how digital apps are slowly becoming more flexible (and easier to use), but there's NO mention in the video of ABC's (thread) - which serves many purposes for simple tunes!
I still recommend this video for everyone playing Violin, Viola, or Cello... along with the Adam Neely video in post #24 (about changing our notation mindset for today's ways of creating & playing music). The disconnect between reading notation and playing music is interesting. Even if you only want to learn to play a few tunes, you may benefit more from a different notation system (for your current level of learning) - and we ALL want to share what we are feeling thru music, the best we can! This also feeds into discussions about Learning Fiddling Genres (thread) - my feelings of notation falling short for them, my wanting to be able to give someone (unfamiliar with a genre) a true frame of reference.

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I've been slowly getting immersed in odd time folk tunes. Recently, found some practice tutorials of Balkan music (Fiddle Music From Central and SE Europe Thread - post #19) - full of them!
AND... something totally unexpected - a SCOTTISH TUNE IN 10/8!!!
Emerald Rae has a new tutorial for 'Leira’s Trip to Cosac'!
Leira’s Trip to Cosac
Check out Emerald Rae's other tutorials, and the Magic Violin YT Channel!

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@ABitRusty -
Well, what the Scots play today becomes tradition tomorrow! 🤣
Didn't sound 'Scottish' to me at first, but after listening more I started feeling something familiar. Just a Scottish musician's interpretation is even fine with me. I can listen to Brian Finnegan & not think it feels 'Irish', so wcis? Think someone said in the comments it was a Phil Cunningham tune - can't find anything on it.
Thinking of reels as 3, 3, 2 rhythm - the 3, 3, 2, 2, for 10/8 isn't bad.
I can't remember if I shared this video (know you don't care for these), but it is interesting...
Balkan Rhythms in Celtic Music (The Fiddle Channel).
Balkan Rhythms in Celtic Music
The info about Planxty was a surprise. Seeing the notation & comments for Planxty's Horo's on The Session - entertainment in itself.

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Was remembering the 'Syncopated Emphasis for Reels' bowing tutorial (grouping notes as '3, 3, 2' in a measure) - just read THIS IS A 'CROSS-RHYTHM' in this musicianship tutorial from Richard Bruner Music (Rhythm - VI. Cross Rhythm and Polyrhythm).
😶 So, 'we' can change the accented notes to form a 'cross-rhythm'. Instead of feeling 2 pulses in a 4/4 measure - we can make it 3 pulses with accents in that syncopated bowing!
Now @ABitRusty - you got me thinking about 'groove' again (Groovy Stuff Thread). I finally realized... even with syncopated bowing (or cross-rhythm) I STILL MAY NOT feel the 'GROOVE' I want! I think the best groove comes from where I decide to lengthen/shorten/borrow time from certain notes, or push/pull notes behind or ahead of a beat - maybe add swing, but a consistent rhythm. I also think a great 'groove' has 'drive', which I feel is added emphasis ahead of a beat - starting to realize can even be pitch-related (or change in interval size). ...still thinking about if/how ornaments can possibly help, too.
What Is Groove? The Difference Between Time, Feel and Groove - Josh DiStefano.
What Is Groove?
🤔... weird to think 10/8 is not an 'odd time' - but 5/4 is.
It only makes sense to break down a tune into beats and off-beats, especially for syncopation. So, if ALL 'odd' time signatures can be seen this way, does this mean there really is NO SUCH THING AS ODD TIME?
We can have a bar grouping of 3, 3, 2, 2 ('Leira’s Trip to Cosac' video), but don't think I've ever seen a bar of 3, 2, 3, 2. I have seen alternating meter, though (can't remember where, at the moment) - 3/4, 4/4.
Found an interesting video by Malcolm MacFarlane - about seeing time signatures as their beats PLUS their off-beats when Improvising in 'Odd' Time Signatures. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland funded this video!
Improvising in 'Odd' Time Signatures

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i think one of the first things that a teacher stressed when i started learning was that rhythm is king. i feel like i progress and get worse with it. ive found i like different versions of same tune with the groove emphasised a different way which i think sometimes creeps in to my playing. a definition of groove may be hard to pin down but youll know it it when you hear it.
edit...
good video. hadnt watched before. i laughed at his beret when he said "groove" i know what he means. i feel so boujee using the term but at this point its a thing i guess 🤣 what he was saying about the groove blanket is what i mean by playing with a reference. i think the groove or feel...however you define it has to be learned or practicwd just like intonation. playing with great or even better than you muscians is a way to help learn it. thats why listening to music in the style that learning is important. there just isnt a really good way to learn it from paper. or at least an efficient way for amature muscians. pros..experts that have some years of playing may be able to pull it off. its just easier to hear how its supposed to sound. learn really good versions.. whats even better is hearing a great players version, getting their bowing and learning that...THEN experimenting with youre own groove..

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I also liked the video. Thanks Emily for finding it.
I play music by feel. I learn by ear. I have a necessary (though minimal) grasp of the technical aspects of music, but if I focus on too much on the mechanics I lose the music. The music no longer speaks to me and Im no longer part of the music.
It could be said that I swing tunes too much, or that I take too many liberties with the music as it is formally notated. But feeling the music and building the groove is what makes music work for me. If I couldn’t create the groove I’d quit playing.
Of course there is room for others to approach music in other ways, but that’s what works for me.

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We are so lucky to have access to not only audio of great fiddlers, but VIDEO! I'm so grateful to learn from the closeup views of bowing that the generation before us didn't have.
...Josh DiStefano has some funny videos relating to his time in the Army Band.
I'm still kinda obsessed with the 3, 3, 2 thing - at the moment... so I'm hearing/seeing it EVERYWHERE. 😵💫
TRESILLO?
18 Rhythms You Should Know (David Bennett) - Tresillo & examples starts at 2:42! NEW PERSPECTIVE for me!
18 Rhythms You Should Know
I found where a lot of the crazy rhythms are used in Scottish pipe music... Gordon Duncan and definitely his student, Ross Ainslie. ...and at insane tempos!!!
...impossible to have any swing in high speed playing!

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@Strabo said
"...It could be said that I swing tunes too much, or that I take too many liberties with the music as it is formally notated. But feeling the music and building the groove is what makes music work for me. If I couldn’t create the groove I’d quit playing."
@elcbk said..."...impossible to have any swing in high speed playing!"
When playing slower its important to put swing into it. At least thats what every person teaching these tunes that ive sat in a class or workshop with has done and expresed intentionally or just by doing it. When playing faster the swing will smooth out but if you dont practice that way it becomes kinda choppy.
strabo..I play with alot of swing too because thats how i was taught and for the specific reason above. If its wrong im with you.
I dont think every tune is the same either. Some just naturally fall swung a little more others less... and throughout playing them it changes some. like said around 8:50ish in the video. reels especially for this.. some feel better starting up bow others down ... i think the up bow version seems to swing better for some reason. really interesting to get a click or beat going and wander around with that when alone. like 1 or two clicks/beats per measure.

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Swing is important to me,too. If playing with any changes in tempo, I want the % of swing to change with it.
This thread started a couple years ago - I like to look back & see if I currently relate to theory concepts differently now. 'How to Swing a Groove' video (post #44) was very helpful, but especially 'The Cutting Edge of Jazz Swing Theory' video (post #60) - with rhythm & swing possibilities.
If in 4/4 & we don't have a kick/snare drum, can't we still emphasize BEAT ONE & BEAT THREE in the same way? Maybe play late, or early... instead of 'on' BEAT THREE, to enhance the rhythm?
Michael Stuart's sliding scale of 'micro-rhythm terms' (Kick=BEAT ONE, Snare=BEAT THREE):
- 'Grooving' - snare just behind the beat
- 'In The Pocket' - snare is a little more behind the beat
- 'Pulling Back' - snare is even more behind the beat
- 'Dragging' - more extreme, but the snare is still NOT even half way to the next beat
- 'Snap' - snare is just ahead of the beat
- 'Driving/With Edge' - snare is a little more ahead of the beat
- 'Nervous' - snare is way more ahead of the beat, but more than half way from the previous beat
- "...further than that, go look for a day job!" 🤣
No way am I going to think in terms of milliseconds, but 'late' and 'early', instead of 'on the beat', gives me room for expression.
The reason I want to understand where the beats AND offbeats are - if I'm messing around with the placement of a beat, I want to know how close I should feel the offbeat to it - do I want to move notes on/around it, too? ... just starting to think about this.
THIS DOES NOT SOUND RIGHT TO ME!
6/8 with hard swing and lilt measures
...back to practicing! 🤗

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Wow, I had to get away from that 'bounce metronome Jig rhythm' video for a bit to be able to figure out why I don't like it - why I don't feel jig swing & lilt the same way.
I've decided I like the 2nd, 3rd & 5th, 6th beats delayed/later than in the previous video... more like a horse's canter.
Slow Motion Canter - think of the leading front leg hitting on the ONE (there's three beats, one pulse = half a jig measure).
Slow Motion Canter
I'm certainly NOT saying I'm right, but the canter rhythm is definitely closer to my preference for most jigs.
I think the pitch/interval structure of some jigs I've run across can be the exception - cause me to use a different groove... but I don't have an example off the top of my head.
When does it cease being a jig & just become a tune in 6/8 time?
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