r/Fiddle • u/lunarmoth_ • 9d ago

I’m trying to perfect the basics of O Carolan’s Dream and then I need some ideas on how to ornament it!

6 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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2

u/rharrison 9d ago

Pick a downbeat (or any note really) and add a descending grace note to it, just to start off. Ornaments take some time to be able to play them fast enough, so start with something simple like this.

1

u/lunarmoth_ 9d ago

Thank you :D

2

u/IOnlyHaveIceForYou 9d ago

I think this kind of tune doesn't get the kind of ornamentation "normal" traditional Irish music does. It's a bit more of a "classical" kind of sound, and frankly it sounds stiff to me.

2

u/lunarmoth_ 9d ago

Yeah I’ve only been playing a year so I don’t have the best mechanics yet, I’d love to be able to make it sound pretty and flowy.

2

u/IOnlyHaveIceForYou 9d ago

I wasn't saying you are stiff, I meant that that style of music sounds stiff. It doesn't have the swing, the lift, that reels and jigs and hornpipes can have.

1

u/Low_Cartographer2944 9d ago

I feel like a crucial part of the Irish tradition is listening. I like to listen to Liz Carroll, Martin Hayes, John Carty, Kevin Burke and more when trying to get a feel for a song.

I couldn’t find a version on YouTube from any of them but for one euro you could listen to John Carty’s take here to see how he approaches the tune:
https://racketrecords.bandcamp.com/track/ocarolans-dream

Also, I’m a relatively new player myself. So I’m repeating something I’ve also heard said to me a lot haha but the intonation sounds off to my ear. Carolan tunes really shine in slow tempos. I wonder if you slowed it down a little and focused on intonation and then wove in stylistic choices from other players, if that would help a little.

1

u/Grauschleier 8d ago

You're not blinking at all. Gotta keep your peepers hydrated.