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Thread: The Slow Air

  1. #1
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    Default The Slow Air



    Listening to Tony Mac Mahon playing some slow airs on accordion has got me wondering, again, how to approach playing a slow air on mandolin?

    In many ways i can see the mandolin as being both difficult, and yet perhaps because of it's intimacy, a very suitable instrument to play slow airs on.

    If anyone is willing to share their views or experiences on playing slow airs on mandolin i'd be interested to read them.

    Likewise if anyone has favorite slow airs, on any instrument, on youtube or elsewhere that they would like to share, maybe we could post them here, for a little reference collection?

  2. #2
    Registered User Jesse Harmon's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    You might pick up "Slow Airs and Set Dances" Eugene O'Donnell. These are really lovely fiddle airs so I suppose it might be of some help for mandolin. The "Celtic Lament" must have had some kind of influence on the Ashokan Farewell. This some great listening whether they help the approach to mandolin or not. Too many sweet ones to list but "Planxty O'Donnell'"
    is a standout.

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Does a lament count? You need some cheating with that.
    What helps most is an instrument with a long sustain and a flute

    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse Harmon View Post
    You might pick up "Slow Airs and Set Dances" Eugene O'Donnell. These are really lovely fiddle airs so I suppose it might be of some help for mandolin. The "Celtic Lament" must have had some kind of influence on the Ashokan Farewell. This some great listening whether they help the approach to mandolin or not. Too many sweet ones to list but "Planxty O'Donnell'"
    is a standout.
    Just done googling that - plays with Mick Maloney, no less.
    I think i might be tracking that one down.

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    Does a lament count? You need some cheating with that.
    What helps most is an instrument with a long sustain and a flute

    Very nice - i suppose a lament does count at that, as long as it's an instrumental.

    The problem i am trying to figure is how best to approach slow airs, without the 'cheating'

  7. #6

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    For Slow Airs like Marbhna Luimni, My Lagan Love, Mna na h-Eireann, I use a lot of tremolo on single courses and double-stops. Just playing single notes is too sparse to hold the tune...





  8. #7
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    As Bertram says, you get a better slow air with an instrument with longer sustain. Most of the slow airs I play are written for fiddle or in fact for the bagpipes and I tend to use my octave or bouzouki to play them, but here is an example I recorded some time back which was written by Nigel Gatherer as a tribute to the late Alison Stephens, the classical mandolinist who died so tragically young about two years ago. I used my mandolin on this one, with added synthed sounds from keyboard, but you can decide whether the mandolin can handle a slow air - I used it as this was Alison's chosen instrument.


  9. #8

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Dagger Gordon plays some slow airs beautifully on the mandolin on his recent cd Like Father Like Son. Lots of tremelo and double stops to fill out the sound. I'm thinking of two tunes in particular - Sitting in the Stern of A Boat and MacKenzie's Farewell. The first of these is in his Scottish Mandolin tutor book and the second is on this Youtube clip:

  10. #9

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    And these Scottish waltzes by Kevin MacLeod show very nicely that these types of tune can sound great on the mandolin!

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    There are some lovely airs here - and some fine playing too - certainly have to add them to my learning list.

    I am beginning to think that the key to the airs is trying to keep the impulse of movement without speeding up - in a way i find these types of tune very close to the Baroque sound.

  12. #11
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by M.Marmot View Post
    ...very close to the Baroque sound.
    Indeed - I remember some flute player saying that the modern dance tunes are just a disco beat version of baroque dances, so the analogy works the other way round, too. From slow airs, there is a way back to Bach; when you pass that gateway, give my regards to Mr. T. O'Carolan whom you'll meet there.
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Eric Allan has a number of free downloads of Scottish tunes he has arranged for three instruments. Many are slow airs. My friends and I have played many of them on mandolins and guitar and they are lovely. I know this link has been given somewhere else in this forum but I couldn't locate it, so here it is again. http://www.ericallanscottishmusic.co...?pageid=375185
    Harper (My other mandolin is a harp)

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    Indeed - I remember some flute player saying that the modern dance tunes are just a disco beat version of baroque dances, so the analogy works the other way round, too. From slow airs, there is a way back to Bach; when you pass that gateway, give my regards to Mr. T. O'Carolan whom you'll meet there.
    Ahh... yes, that gate was passed a while back -

    I was living in Lyon and i spotted a poster for a Baroque music festival to be held in the city - and right up there with the likes of JS Bach and Scarlatti was the local lad 'O Carolan' - sure now, the fella done good.



    The concert, which i did not get to see, was for a baroque ensemble and for a group who played Irish traditional music... at the least an interesting experiment.

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by harper View Post
    Eric Allan has a number of free downloads of Scottish tunes he has arranged for three instruments. Many are slow airs. My friends and I have played many of them on mandolins and guitar and they are lovely. I know this link has been given somewhere else in this forum but I couldn't locate it, so here it is again. http://www.ericallanscottishmusic.co...?pageid=375185
    Thank you for the link - i had not seen that one before - i was a bit giddy going through the list.

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by harper View Post
    I know this link has been given somewhere else in this forum but I couldn't locate it, so here it is again. http://www.ericallanscottishmusic.co...?pageid=375185
    Nice to see Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch on top of the list - a favourite of mine (my version is full of cheating, again, but David Hansen's is pure and honest like a dram).
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    I love Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch. I learned it off of a Johnny Cunningham record.

    I agree about the sustain - a mandolin with a good amount of sustain really helps.

    But more important to me is dynamic range. For a slow air I need a mandolin to sound wonderful without a change in tone at every volume level. If I have that, I can really do some expressive playing.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  20. #17
    Registered User harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Here are arrangements I just made of two settings of the Irish slow air Katty Nowlan. These are different tunes than the one in D Major attributed to O'Carolan. I hope you like them.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	EIB Katty Nowlan setting 1 treble II.pdf 
Views:	240 
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ID:	106025Click image for larger version. 

Name:	EIB Katty Nowlan setting 2 treble II.pdf 
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Size:	84.9 KB 
ID:	106026
    Harper (My other mandolin is a harp)

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  22. #18
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by donaidh View Post
    Dagger Gordon plays some slow airs beautifully on the mandolin on his recent cd Like Father Like Son. Lots of tremelo and double stops to fill out the sound. I'm thinking of two tunes in particular - Sitting in the Stern of A Boat and MacKenzie's Farewell. The first of these is in his Scottish Mandolin tutor book and the second is on this Youtube clip:
    Thanks Donaidh,

    I'll play some airs for you at the weekend! I'm told you'll be in Achiltibuie.

    Incidentally, I recorded Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch on my CD (actually cassette at the time) 'Highland Mandolin' (1988). It had Katie Harrigan on harp and Malcolm Robertson on low whistle.

    I know Eric Allen. He lives in Inverness and has done a huge amount for Scottish music over many years. Very nice man. A retired solicitor, I believe.
    David A. Gordon

  23. #19

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Quote Originally Posted by Dagger Gordon View Post

    I'll play some airs for you at the weekend! I'm told you'll be in Achiltibuie.
    Yes, I'll be there and it'll be great to meet you. I'll put my request in now for you to give us your excellent rendition of Sitting In the Stern of A Boat!

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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Cheers,

    How are you getting there BTW? Are you needing a lift on Friday to Achiltibuie from Ullapool?

    I think I'm right in saying you are in Lewis so I imagine you are taking a ferry to Ullapool on Friday?
    David A. Gordon

  25. #21
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    I'm going to be arriving in Ullapool at some time in the afternoon of Friday, Donaidh - just noting what Mr Gordon has said above, and will drive through to Achiltibuie to get to Kevin's for the evening session if this is of use to you or to anyone else who might be travelling there. Will return to Ullapool after the session (hope the hotel gives a late key!) and then will be around all day on the Saturday to sample whatever is on offer. I am staying there Saturday night as well before heading back to Dunoon on the Sunday.
    if you need transport PM me and I'll give you my mobile number.

  26. #22

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Cheers Dagger & John! I will be coming over on the ferry but I'll have my own car so transport will be fine.

  27. #23

    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Roisin Dubh... On a Baritone Resonator Mandola



    and Crested Hens...


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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Wrong account.

  29. #25
    Registered User MonicaJacobson's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Slow Air

    Oops, accidentally posted on Marty's...

    As I was saying...

    I'm glad someone started this thread. While I am growing to enjoy all mandolin music more and more, when I want to play, I play slow celtic airs. I say celtic because I don't really know whether they are Irish or Scottish, I just like them. Unfortunately, it does indeed seem to be really hard to get a slow air to sound good on a mandolin and to make matters worse, my tremolo is terrible.

    Here's what I've come up with meanwhile:



    I've actually started playing around with a Waldzither and I have great hopes for the extra string and the longer sustain once I get better at playing it.

    With this one, I was trying to do a more Andy Irvine continuous flow of play. Not like Andy Irvine, don't mistake me, just with his style in mind. Heh.



    I'm really excited for my husband to get his GBOM prototype going. It sounds like it could be the best of both worlds.

    I love the Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch -- I'll definitely be learning that one next.

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