Tiny notes

[John Bertotti]

I posted this question in the classical section based on a song I am trying to learn, here, http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....t=17716 (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=6;t=17716)
I realize many wont have this so my question here is when reading the notes sometimes some very small notes are incorporated into the the measure. What are they and how do I play them. There aren't a lot of these notes but the size difference has to mean something. The piece I'm learning is meant to be a duo with a guitar. The guitar music is on the adjoining page so I'm guessing they aren't meant for the guitar player. I'm new to reading, for the most part, so any help is appreciated. Thanks John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[John Flynn]

I am no expert, but I have seen them referred to as "grace notes," which are an embellishment to the tune. So if you just wanted to play the "bare bones" melody, you would not play them at all. If you wanted to include the embellishment, you would play them as written, although they would take up thier share of the duration of the previous "large" note.

They are called grace notes, that will help you search for better explanations in textbooks. #Here are two things I found online after a brief search:

Grace notes:
One explanation (http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory23.htm#grace)

Another, simple but less informative one:
grace-note. an auxiliary note normally written smaller than the main note that follows it. It is played just before the main note.

Hope that helps...

[Unseen122]

They are played like thisw you pick the note with the grace not finger down and quickly pull it off this is also refered to as a pull off also a slur (two or more notes connected by a curved line) is played the same way but the notes are longer these are actual notes note grace notes on a slur you can put fingers on or take them off. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[John Bertotti]

Thanks all this helps. It is still beyond anything I've learned but hey can't hurt to try. Thanks John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Yellowmandolin]

technicly speaking, however, grace notes have no duration value in the measure. So they are to be played as quickly as possible. When I am starting to learn a song with some in them, I just leave them out until I become more proficient at the song.

[Martin Jonas]

When I am starting to learn a song with some in them, I just leave them out until I become more proficient at the song.
I usually do that as well (and more often than not don't bother putting them back in later, as I like stark undecorated melody lines). However, sometimes they are quite central to a tune. For example, Chris Thile's version of the Swallowtail Reel simply wouldn't work without the grace notes in the B part, which give you the onomatopoetic bird chirp. In this instance, the grace note is an F# (2nd fret E-string), which you pick and follow up immediately with a hammer on to G (3rd fret E-string). You then let the G ring out for the remainder of the note value (a quarter note in this instance).

Most grace notes in notated mandolin tunes are intended to be played as hammer-on or pull-off (or a quick trill with both), but that's not necessarily always the case.

As has been said, grace notes theoretically don't take up any time in the measure and therefore need to be squeezed in between the main notes. In actual fact, you do of course need to give the grace notes some sort of length and shorten the surrounding notes accordingly so that you stay in time.

Martin

[John Bertotti]

I have been playing without them but thought maybe they were required and I'm just not that good yet. A pull off I could swing, maybe, but any hammer on on the upper frets especially on my E is out of the question the frets are just to worn. Thanks all John