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COMMENT(S): Scoring it right in 2/4 marches
Published: January 01, 2008
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| Presicely, Jim MacGillivray!
Now, how about doing the same thing with strathspeys and making sure every drummer (except John Kerr) gets copies? |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| You've hit it, Jim; we have notation for the initiated only. And then there are the old 2/4 marches written out without a single dot in the whole thing.
The comparison which leaped to mind is the way road signs here in Nova Scotia are installed. They are often non existent or placed in such a way as to be misleading. Of course everyone from here knows where or what the road is anyway, and who cares about the other fellas. |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| Okay Jim, two sides to this one. I would often play the Earl of Mansfield as written in the traditional way to make the E long enough to to be clear before the throw. But, if you're going to double dot it as is often heard in the playing, shouldn't bar 2 have the double dots and 32nd notes on the groups of 4 as well? Jst stirring the pot here. Finally, while this will probably make the east coast Maclellan type players happy, what about those west coasters with their round fluid style. Sometimes, I still think that no dots and cuts would be best, we'd certainly her more variety in the music again. Cheers my friend. BG |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| Bruce:
No, the groups of 4 are already correctly pointed with the short notes as 32nds. The issue I think is that the 'short' notes in these tunes are all the same length -- they are all 32nd notes. This, of course is *in theory.* In practice, anyone can interpret the music as they wish. G.S. wrote all of his marches out quite round; John MacColl wrote his out pointed, yet MacColl was known as a 'round-style' march player while G.S. played pointed.
Where this all becomes very clear is when you run the tune through the Sibelius or Finale playback. The dotted-8th-16th couplets stick out like a swollen birl finger.
And yes, Colin, play a strathspey through an orchestral software playback and they don't come out quite as pointed as you would play them. But they are close enough that it's not worth using a much more combersome format.
The issue in the marches is consistency in writing short notes that are essentially played the same length.
Jim |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| Yes Jim, I do agree as well but felt the need to stir the pot just a bit. Perhaps when I get to publishing my fifth book of music, you might considering being put onto the proofreading bench for me. Good point just the same on the playback features.
Bruce |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| These are great points. I have seen the double dot/double cut formula used in the dithis movements of piobs in the summer school packs from the Piping Centre. Makes sense it would apply to 2/4 marches. Maybe this type of scoring in the RSPBA MAP tunes would assist Grade 4 bands in getting the most from their tunes? |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| All the time I've spend trying to explain this to my cross-over orchestra/bagpipe adult students has been maddening. After all the lessons (and arguments) I've finally got them believing in some kind of mystical "Scottish' expression. I'm just trying to get them to learn "Duncan MacInnes". If they read Jim's article it will all start over again..... As PM Gord tuck used to say "those dots are'nt fly shite". I guess its not that simple anymore. |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| I know that some of my pupils who are musicians and play other instruments, would feel far happier with this, rather than having to guess what is required. To see it in black and white dissolves unnecessary mystery. I like the ties across the pulse beats as well. It is accurate information. It would make it so much easier when trying to teach these things to actually have them wriiten down like this.
Well done Jim. I think that this is excellent stuff and well presented too. |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| There is little doubt that the notation of 2/4 marches could be vastly improved employing the method Jim has suggested. But in practical terms, there doesn't seem to be much doubt among pipers about what's "intended" by the traditional, though innacurate style of scoring.
Where there is real scope for progress is in the notation of piobaireached. My friend, Alberto Massi in Italy, is a talented, and devoted student of piobaireachd. While visiting with him recently, he demonstrated scores for Clan Campbell's Gathering and The Groat using a music writer program. They were unconventional, but very easily readable. More impressive however, was the acid test of hearing them in the playback mode of the program. An almost perfect treatment of each tune.
Perhaps he can be persuaded to submit the score and audio files so we can all assess this breakthrough. |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| I don't understand the need for all of this. Isn't the written score just an approximation of the music? Seems to me the big problem is too many pipers playing exactly the same, with little variety and individualism heard. Doesn't this approach make even more boring playing even more likely? |
Published: January 01, 2008
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| There is always a need for the greatest accuracy possible in the rendering of written music. I find this especially so when I teach inexperienced players who have little access to instruction. They often don't know what was intended.
Bill's comments around piobaireachd in particular bear this out. Wouldn't it be wonderful to know how the great piobaireachd composers intended their music to be played? In truth, we don't have any idea how the MacCrimmons played their compositions because they had no system for writing the tunes out accurately. If we did the world of piobaireachd might be quite different.
G.S. McLennan wrote many of the tunes in his book dead round. Yet G.S. was remembered as a 'pointed' player. Knowing what the composer intended doesn't restrict our ability to interpret a tune, it just gives us another window into understanding it.
Jim | |
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