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isaacallen71 - Posted - 12/31/2019: 11:53:05
Hello!
I come to you for advice on bowing with St. Anne's Reel. It is a tune I have just learned (thank goodness I got a new fiddle, those high notes sure sound much better), but I bow each note. Any way to make it sound more old-timey with the bowing? I could provide sheet music for the version I have learned, if that will help.
carlb - Posted - 12/31/2019: 13:08:04
Bowing could depend on whether your playing St Anne's reel in an old time jam or an Irish session. There is a difference in the way it's played.
TuneWeaver - Posted - 12/31/2019: 13:33:15
If by 'bowing each note' you mean the saw-stroke.. then I'd suggest this..Relax when bowing and put a little more emphasis on the third note of groups of four... that will give somewhat an Old Time effect.. No matter what style you play, INTONATION should still vary from phrase to phrase and even from note to note.. So..Don't just play the notes.. Play the MUSIC..!! good luck..
DougD - Posted - 12/31/2019: 13:45:58
There ard a lot of ways to play this tune. Here's a famous one from Don Messer: youtu.be/XzAzShZVw_g
Looks like he's using a lot of fairly short bowstrokes. There are a lot of YouTube videos about this tune, some by people who know it, others maybe not.
DougD - Posted - 12/31/2019: 19:00:28
Here's another YouTube video by somone who knows their way around this tune. It might be easier to see her bowing: youtu.be/L5bEktwfAL8
When you think about style, keep in mind that this is not really an American "old time" tune - its originally French Canadian, although you can certainly play it any way you like.
DougD - Posted - 12/31/2019: 19:08:57
Notice the bow rocking in the A part of that tune. Some people also use that in the B part, and some people play it in a more linear, "scalar" fashion, sometimes with syncopation. Its a little like "Soldier's Joy" in that respect.
isaacallen71 - Posted - 12/31/2019: 20:42:18
Ah yes, I do forget that it's a Canadian tune. I got introduced to it by Missouri fiddlers that I listen to. Thank you for the videos, I really enjoy them. I'll be sure to watch them (might even take a some phrases into my own version!).
As for playing in an old-time or Irish jam, unfortunately I am unable to. There are no jams close by and currently don't have an easy way to go to one. I'm the only cat-screeching violinist for miles around. I think I can say I am quite isolated from other fiddlers!
DougD - Posted - 12/31/2019: 21:25:06
Quite a connection between some Missouri fiddlers and the Canadians - I guess via nighttime radio. And vice versa.
I still like to listen to AM radio at night, but there's not much fiddling on there these days!
larry dominique - Posted - 01/01/2020: 05:00:18
quote:
Originally posted by isaacallen71
Ah yes, I do forget that it's a Canadian tune. I got introduced to it by Missouri fiddlers that I listen to. Thank you for the videos, I really enjoy them. I'll be sure to watch them (might even take a some phrases into my own version!).
As for playing in an old-time or Irish jam, unfortunately I am unable to. There are no jams close by and currently don't have an easy way to go to one. I'm the only cat-screeching violinist for miles around. I think I can say I am quite isolated from other fiddlers!
Check out Charlie Walden's page, charliewalden.com/ ; I think he may even be a member of the hangout.
groundhogpeggy - Posted - 01/01/2020: 06:04:41
St. Anne's Reel is such a great tune because it has that beautiful Canadian feel to it, yet it has been Americanized...wait, Canada IS America too...lol...United Statesinized...and made it's way to all types of fiddling. So...I guess everybody has to bow it in whichever way they'd like to play it. No advice here, just that there's plenty of good advice already on this thread and I hope you find the way to bow it and play it that suits you best...enjoy it...one of the greatest fiddle tunes ever.
TuneWeaver - Posted - 01/01/2020: 06:20:32
I have used St. Anne's Reel for bowing practice.. I'd play it with ALL sawstroke a few times through, then play it with ALL Nashville, and then play it with ALL play-3-slur3(forget what that's called)...The tune sounds good now matter how it is bowed if it is played gracefully... Great tune..Fun tune.
Dick Hauser - Posted - 01/01/2020: 09:05:41
Go to the "Fiddlehed" website on Youtube . He has an instructional video on getting the "old time" sound. He has lots of other videos a relatively new fiddler can benefit from. The price is right - free. But you can pay a small subscription fee and get more "stuff". BTW, I am not connected with FiddleHed.
I am guessing that whatever option you take, you will have to "come up" with some things on your own. The shuffle FiddleHed teaches would be a big help.
I may have talked myself into subscribing. Good luck.
Humbled by this instrument - Posted - 02/14/2020: 10:11:37
This chune is one I learned early on, my teacher having me Nashville Shuffle almost all of it, but only a few bits here and there are Nashville'd anymore as I've given the piece much more of a lilt. It's a fun one to try various bowings and phrasings on, eh?
pete_fiddle - Posted - 02/14/2020: 10:51:51
i put this tune somewhere between Canadian and Irish stuff. if i play it "Canadian" style i emphasize up bows every now and again. If i play it "Irish" style i put more triplets/rolls/cuts in. Or i mess about between the two.
frank rehagen - Posted - 02/14/2020: 12:25:44
I tend to play it with a slurred bow style. But that’s me. I think that gives it an old time sound
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