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Discussions => Tunes => Topic started by: Dick Rees on November 19, 2018, 05:04:45 PM

Title: The Old Light
Post by: Dick Rees on November 19, 2018, 05:04:45 PM
A friend mentioned this piece as he was showing me his progress with some of Andy Cuttings tunes.  I found several YouTube videos of him playing it and wondered if anyone here has more info on it.  Seems to me to be an air, but what do I know...

Any help?
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Lester on November 19, 2018, 05:09:04 PM
X: 1
T: The Abbess
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G
DGA |B4 B3 c | d4 G4 | e3 e edcB | cBAG d2 GF |
E2 c2 A3 F | D3 d BAGF | E2 cB AB/A/ GF | G4- GDGA |
B4 B3 c | d4 GABd | e3 e edcB | cBAG d2 GF |
E2 c2 A3 F | D3 d BAGF | E2 cB AB/A/ GF | G4- GABc ||
d2 dG g3 d | cBAG d3 c | BAGF EccB | BAAB D2 GF |
E2 c2 A3 F | D3 d BAGF | E2 cB AB/A/ GF | G4- GABc |
d2 dG g3 d | cBAe ddef | g2 fg e2 dB | [M: 3/2] ABef d3 c BAGF |
[M: 4/4]
E2 c2 A3 F | D3 d BAGF | E2 cB AB/A/ GF | G2 G2- G |]
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Dick Rees on November 19, 2018, 06:03:03 PM
Thanks, Lester.  That one was much easier in comparison, having a marked meter.  The Old Light, OTOH, has a freer, less marked time and is more of a challenge to put into dots for sharing out.  That's where I could benefit from the collective memory.

And it would be interesting to see how you'd deal with rubato airs using ABC...
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Steve_freereeder on November 20, 2018, 02:15:24 AM
And it would be interesting to see how you'd deal with rubato airs using ABC...
I don't think ABC or any standard notation software would be suitable to indicate the sort of rubato or free rhythm style which I think you are meaning.
ABC was developed primarily to allow music to be transmitted by ordinary text, so it could be shared by e-mail, etc., without the need for sophisticated and expensive music notation software.

In ABC you could indicate a rubato or free rhythm section by adding a text string in double quotes at the appropriate place, e.g. "Rubato" or "not in strict rhythm" or similar. This is the same syntax as used for chord symbols but any text string can go between the double quotes.  ABC software would not recognise that sort of instruction during playback, but you are then moving beyond what ABC was ever intended for.

In any case, in any notation system (even writing by hand on manuscript paper) such rubato is dependent on the artistic musical interpretation of each individual player/performer and cannot easily be prescribed.
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Pete Dunk on November 20, 2018, 08:10:12 AM
Inserting a caret symbol within the quotes forces the software to interpret the contents as text. "Gently" would probably be read as a G chord whereas "^Gently" would not.
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Julian S on November 20, 2018, 09:20:52 AM
I love hearing Andy play this, but whilst I would enjoy trying to learn it by ear (I'd need it on repeat for hours I think!) I can't see me ever really capturing it.  It's not the notes (melody seems relatively simple) so much the real essence and feel of it - phrasing and emphasis particularly, never mind bass and chords. Like trying to describe or photograph a sunset.
I'm not an expert, but can any kind of musical notation help ?

All I can say is, attempting to match the beauty and expression of the playing is an exercise in itself. It isn't the notes, it's how you play them.

J
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Anahata on November 20, 2018, 10:10:26 AM
It's not the notes (melody seems relatively simple) so much the real essence and feel of it
...
I'm not an expert, but can any kind of musical notation help ?

Not really. It's the same in classical music, or anything else. The map is not the territory.
Just as you can get a text-to-speech program to read the lines of a Shakespeare play, but it isn't acting...
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Fred on November 20, 2018, 11:43:35 AM
Just as you can get a text-to-speech program to read the lines of a Shakespeare play, but it isn't acting...

I'll make a note in my book: Anahata has officially made one of the most appropriate comments on machine creativity, musical notation and personal interpretation.

(Now don't mind me while I borrough this line for later use. ;-) )
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Dick Rees on November 20, 2018, 01:45:57 PM
Thanks all.  Still would like info on the tune itself.  Is it from tradition or a new composition?  Whence if trad, whom if recent?
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Julian S on November 20, 2018, 03:33:45 PM
Andy Cutting composed it. As he says on the sleeve notes of his solo cd -'There is nothing as good as old light'

J
Title: Re: The Old Light
Post by: Dick Rees on November 20, 2018, 04:51:53 PM
Thank you!
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