![]() ![]() This tune sounds good in the lower half of the bow, trying to get a percussive attack on most notes. With wavy blonde hair swinging as she moves, Natalie MacMaster continues to stun crowds with her feverish fiddling and mesmerizing step dancing. In measure 12 you’ll want to place the 2nd finger playing on both, then rock off the A string while keeping it on the D (use your elbow swinging motion to help with that). In the B section, you’ll want to be clear on which fingers should be on two strings ahead of time to avoid hopping from one string to the next. ![]() I’m not sure how it came to the attention of Natalie MacMaster, or if it was already popular before she recorded it. This piece was written by Amy Cann, who started off in the Classical world but then became immersed in fiddle, learning the ropes from Jay Ungar. Like other Celtic fiddle styles, the tunes are often grouped in sets and the change between them can be very exciting and dramatic. In terms of technique, I’ve noticed a lot of great use of the lower half of the bow, for some really percussive attacks and sometimes bouncing bow down there, too. It is also a great sounding style, regardless of its history. People playing Celtic music often want to study how they play in Cape Breton for this reason. There is a feeling that because it was a pretty isolated area for a long time, that they have preserved something of the Scottish music style from an earlier time. Now, a few things about Cape Breton fiddle music. ![]() Somewhere, somehow she learned to put on a great show. Her step dancing and aggressive Scottish bowing were completely electrifying, and I remember the whole theater going crazy for it! In my memory, it was some of the loudest applause and cheering that I’ve ever heard! I asked her afterward how she had so much energy and she said she hadn’t always approached it that way, and that she used to sit while playing. I remember going to see Natalie MacMaster play as a teenager. ![]()
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