Jig ornament question

[MandoNoob]

Through extensive use of Audacity to slow down this particular session recording (http://207.192.237.173/html/mob/swedish.mp3), I have noticed that most of the 'triplets' in the Swedish Jig that sound so good, and which I am dying to emulate, are in fact more 'doublets'.

That is, instead of the basic "da-da-da,da-da-da" jig rhythm, the mandolinist is occasionally playing "dada-da-da,da-da-da". This is presumably as simple as an ornament can be, but it's so effective!

Can anyone back my analysis up? Or are there more complex rhythms in there and my ear is deceiving me?

If I'm right, how is it best played? DUDU-DUD? Or DDUD-DUD?

Thanks as ever!


-- MandoNoob

[MandoJon]

You're right (if I've understood your da's correctly). Celtic types use a lot of ornaments like that (slipping an extra note into triplets at various points). How and where you do it is a matter of taste and, best of all, because this is folk music, your way is never wrong (it might sound bad but it's not 'wrong'!).

Have a look at a wee book by Padraig Carol called "The Irish Mandolin" for a more authoritative discussion on simple ornamentation.

[whistler]

There is a wide variety of triplet-based ornaments that can be used in jigs, and a variety of effects can be produced, according to whether they are moving or static triplets. In a group of three 1/8-notes (da-da-da), there are two basic ways in which a triplet can be used: 1. {da-da-da}-da and 2. da-{da-da-da} (where notes enclosed in curly brackets make up a triplet)

Having had a quick listen to the aforementioned session recording, I think what Dan Beimborn is doing is the first variant, but instead of playing the triplet on a single note, he is changing the 3rd note in the triplet - e.g {F#F#E}D. Thus, the effect is one of doubling the first 1/8 note in the group of 3. In fact, the actual execution of a 'triplet'in all instances may not necessarily be a true triplet (i.e. 3 equal notes), but closer to two 1/16 notes and an 1/8 note, so a 'doubling'might be a better term for it.

As for a fuller analysis of Dan's playing technique, I should leave that to the man himself.

[whistler]

I've just noticed a morein-depth versionof what I was trying to say aboveint the 'Triplettes' thread.