how do you lengthen a tune

[billymac]

I must be missing somthing but when I'm playing atune, say a Kesh, they all seem to be over too quickly,is there any standard way to lengthen them with a bit of variety? I try and medley a few bars inbetween off the top of my head but as I am only playing myself thats okay. I would imagine this might cause some confusion when accompanied!!

Billy

[paulsdad]

In the one session I attended, the musicians just played the piece several times. You could play it straight one time, then add some ornamentation the next. Depending on the type of tune, you could also play it much slower and with more emotion one time.

Happy whistlin'

[TelegramSam]

You could always just take 2 or 3 or 4 similar tunes of the same type, and sorta paste them all together, so to speak...

[Tyghress]

First, the standard way that most tunes are played are AABB, even if there is already an apparent repeat notated in there. We tend to play this AABB three times through, then go directly into the next tune of the set, often doing three different tunes. Until the last set of the evening which may very well be 5 tunes long!

[Tyghress]

First, the standard way that most tunes are played are AABB, even if there is already an apparent repeat notated in there. We tend to play this AABB three times through, then go directly into the next tune of the set, often doing three different tunes. Until the last set of the evening which may very well be 5 tunes long!

[TonyHiggins]

Look at some cd track lists and you'll notice that these short dance tunes are done in sets of usually 3. There is an art to choosing tunes that compliment each other. Usually each tune is played 3 times.
Tony

[JohnPalmer]

The only hard part is trying to remember where one is in the tune. "Gee, have we repeated this section, yet? Have we repeated the song, yet? When do we go onto the next song? Where am I? What key are we in? I'll give anyone $5 if they can tell me where beat one is!" ...

[Firefly]

On 2002-02-20 02:32, JohnPalmer wrote:
I'll give anyone $5 if they can tell me where beat one is!" ...

<P>At the beginning of the measure. Please contact me by email and I'll tell ya where to send the cash, check or money order (sorry, I don't accept major credit cards!)

<P>Grinning...

~Firefly

[Martin Milner]

Ditto what Tyghress and Tony said. Three times through, then onto the next tune, usually in sets of three. That's about as long as anyone can sit next to the Bodhran player for before having the screaming heebee geebees.

Remember, these tunes were originally dance tunes. We dont' want a repeat of "They Shoot Horses Don't They".

The three repeats will often give those with an ear enough time to pick up the tune & play along even if they don't know it well, and as said before, gives opportunity to throw in some melodic/rythmic variations.

We've had a couple of discussions on this forum as to how to assemble sets of tunes - I got a nice group off the net entitled "Paddy O'Brien's Sets", edited by Dave Gabol and John Walsh. My belated thanks to all three for the work. It can be found at :

http://www.ceolas.org/ceolas.html

Ditto Session Tunes collected and written by John Walsh, 4th Feb 1994, a very nice collection of tunes, though not actually put into sets.

[brewerpaul]

I found a humorous way to lengthen one particular tune. One night while playing Cooley's ( a reel) I noted that I could add the theme from Gilligan's Island in between the 2 sections of the tune, with appropriate rhythmic alterations. Lots of fun, and it always gets a smile when I play it for anyone else.

[Bloomfield]

Check out the last track of Kevin Burke's album If the Cap Fits. (It's a classic, anyway.)