Simplicity works for me.  In my arrangement of Heart's
Ease, I just play the melody without singing, then
drone and play a very simple rhythm to accompany my
singing:
http://www.melissatheloud.com/sound/08-heart.mp3
with instrumental interludes as a break from the
singing. The words are interesting, so I don't want to
distract from them.

For my version of Tomorrow the Fox, I play the melody
and rhythm at the same time as I sing:
http://www.melissatheloud.com/sound/07-fox.mp3
The rhythm I'm playing is a little busier than the one
I'm singing. This is in the "walking and chewing gum"
category already, even though I'm playing the same
melody. I figured that for this song, the words are
less interesting, so a busier accompaniment is
justified.

I have no idea if this is how the Elizabethans
arranged these songs.

Jim, you ask what to do about "the chords" as if all
songs were naturally accompanied by chords. This is a
modern and western musical concept. Quite a lot of
traditional music from all over the world, not to
mention early Western music, does not use chords.
While it might be possible to impose chords on a lot
of traditional and early music, that doesn't mean that
chordal accompaniment is the best choice. WIth hg in
particular, the chords a guitarist or someone would
choose might very well be incompatible with your
drones, which would sound bad. Even if some sheet
music has "the chords" written out, you are free to
ignore them. Drones are a fine accompaniment all by
themselves if the tune, rhythm, and words are
interesting.

Melissa the Loud
http://www.melissatheloud.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kacalanos

--- Jim Petersen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> dear hudy gurdy google group peoplz....
>  
> i am curious considering vocals with the HG...
> when i played with my former partner when he sang a
> song
> i would accompany with counter melody of some sort.
>  
> now that i am doing solo work that isnt so
> easy... what do you people that sing with your 
> gurdy find to be the most effective way to accompany
> your self?
> sing and play the same melody line?
> sing the melody line and play a counter melody?
> these top two are the ones that i think i would find
> tough doing.
> you know walking the and chewing gum syndrome... 
>  
> would you arpegiate the chords? which depending on
> the song could be just as rough as far as timing
> goes...or would you just play the root of the chord 
> and let the drones add the harmony with maybe a few
> grace notes?
> seeing as you dont have the ability of say a fiddle
> doing double stops (1st and 5th)
>  
> or is there something completely different that i
> havent thought about?
>  
> i am pretty much talking about no other
> accompanyment guitar or anything...
>  
> my posts might make more sense if i didnt wait till
> bedtime to write them.
>  
> peace
>  
> 
> Grey Aengus (aka Jim)
> http://www.greyaengus.com
>  
> often in error, never in doubt



      

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