Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 [6]   Go Down

Author Topic: Foot tapping  (Read 15500 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Eshed

  • Respected Sage
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 447
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #100 on: February 03, 2019, 12:59:10 PM »

I wanted give an update here, as I very recently (the past month or so) began tapping my foot while playing.
I suspect that it was two things:
1) Getting more comfortable with the box freed up brainpower.
2) I played with recordings and with a metronome a few times, then I played with a metronome while foot tapping and then I removed the metronome.

The moment I could do it with a single tune, I suddenly could do it with other tunes as well. I still find it a bit difficult with jigs, but I'll get there.
Since I've done so, two different people told me (of their own accord!) that my playing significantly improved, namely my rhythm. I still mess up every now and then, of course, but the overall is much more steady.  :||:
Logged
Do you have a Hohner from 1934-1945 with a serial number on?
Send me a private message or comment on the German Accordion Problem spreadsheet to improve the statistics of the project and get an estimate of the production date of the box if it is not known.

playandteach

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3521
  • Currently a music teacher in a high school.
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #101 on: February 03, 2019, 02:18:06 PM »

If it works that's great. The thing to be aware of in playing with others (it sounds like you're doing well in this regard) is to make sure that your personal tempo is the same as the group. I have found that in some contexts the foot tapper is locked into their own world. Not you though and a noticeable improvement is always worth a pat on the back.
Logged
Serafini R2D2 GC, Serafini GC accs 18 bass

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #102 on: February 03, 2019, 02:26:31 PM »

If it works that's great. The thing to be aware of in playing with others (it sounds like you're doing well in this regard) is to make sure that your personal tempo is the same as the group. I have found that in some contexts the foot tapper is locked into their own world. Not you though and a noticeable improvement is always worth a pat on the back.

its very simple. In a session, a band or whatever 'group' of players everybody's foot should be 'up downing' at precisely the same time and if there are any dancers the band members foot tapping should coincide precisely with the movement of the dancers feet.  The 'message' through the brain to the foot as to when to tap should be inherent in the rhythm with which a tune is being played i.e. the rhythm inherent in the way the melody rather than the bass is being played.  If the treble /melody rhythm isn't right  the noise/thumps or whatever made with the bass OR THE FOOT will be wide of the mark
george
« Last Edit: February 06, 2019, 09:19:50 AM by george garside »
Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".

Andrew Kennedy

  • Regular debater
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 152
    • About Sword Dancing
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #103 on: February 06, 2019, 10:18:04 AM »

As some have suggested, it should depend on the musical context, not the musician. Playing for step or clog I would follow the dancer, and foot-tapping would suggest it was all about me rather than them.  It's an entirely different matter playing for rapper in a crowded pub where the audience start clapping along and invariably speed up (especially if egged on by some Tommies I could name).
Logged

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #104 on: February 06, 2019, 01:27:02 PM »

When I played regularly for rapper I did exactly the same as for any type of dancing - I played to the dancers feet and speeded up or down with them which could eg be required if they needed a wee bit more time to get the lock up etc.  I always ,on purpose, played for rapper as a single musician  and geerally used a Lilly playing treble only  as a sort of imitiation fiddle!  This worked well  and avoided the possibility of it going mushy which with several musicians can happen , unless of course they are very jexperienced at playing together for a particular rapper  side

george
Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".

Andrew Kennedy

  • Regular debater
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 152
    • About Sword Dancing
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #105 on: February 09, 2019, 07:11:54 AM »

I too prefer a Lilly for rapper, and see a big difference between playing for rapper and playing some gorgeous music while some people dance rapper (there's a lot of that about).
Logged

Stotty

  • Stotty
  • Regular debater
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 167
Re: Foot tapping
« Reply #106 on: February 11, 2019, 10:08:21 PM »

I too prefer a Lilly for rapper, and see a big difference between playing for rapper and playing some gorgeous music while some people dance rapper (there's a lot of that about).

I agree entirely.  The "test" I have when I watch rapper is to imagine I'm dancing and get out of step, and then to see if there is enough definition in the music to allow me to pick up the beat and get back into step again.  All to often I think it is too difficult.  It isn't just when you lose your step that you need a well defined tune and beat, it is also when a figure finishes early or late and you have to get back onto the right foot and into step at the "wrong" time in the tune.  Some of the "jigs" you hear played for rapper don't even seem to have a clearly defined start and end to each 8 bars.  I often wonder if the judges in rapper competitions ever put themselves in the place of the dancers.

Years ago when I was learning to dance and play for rapper I listened to a Letchworth Morris men cassette with rapper tunes and interviews and I think that there are some really strong jigs in that collection, especially from Jo Bennett (Earsdon) and Jim Catterall (Newcastle Morris men I believe).  I see the same recordings are now on a CD at the Morris Shop.

I always tap my foot when I'm playing, but when you get a really good/noisey wooden floor and strong rapper stepping it is very difficult to avoid getting into a race with the foot tapping  >:E
Logged
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 [6]   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal