For enthusiasts of early banjo
Where's the beat?
One thing we really do not know about playing this old music....is where does the beat lay? Was there a greater emphasis on the downbeat, or the backbeat? It works either way. Some performers use one...some the other. I don't know that there are any historical indicators. Any opinions?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Weems on
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Well, Injun Rubber is not exactly the norm rhythmically is it? Some of the really funky pieces do work well with an offbeat.
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The notation itself.
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Listen to the beat on this one. It produces a real excitement. Banjo is in there too.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on
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That is very cool.
Mark Weems said:Listen to the beat on this one. It produces a real excitement. Banjo is in there too.
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Injun Rubber...it is in the interpretation. All those push beats are added by the participants. I agree, it naturally may do that, but the notation itself does not play that. I bet that if you played this in the way you approach many songs, slower with a straight 4 beat....and played the notation as written, you would have yet another creation...that would be pretty cool.
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Tim, you should make a video playing Old Dan Tucker with emphasis on the offbeat and let's see what it would sound like.
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Here is one on file. My foot and the tuba have a strong downbeat, but the fiddle and my rhythm man ( on a washboard ) tend to comp on the off beat....Feedback on this please.
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Mark...back to the notation, what is it in your opinion that makes it funky?
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The notated rhythm of that piece is unusual for the early repertoire. Beat is always up to how you feel it. Play everything on the offbeat if you want - no one will tell you your wrong. Just do it the way you feel it. I'm sure that's what they did back in the day. All great music comes from a players soul anyway, not from a piece of paper. No right or wrong here.
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