A whole lot of early music from all over the globe (really up until the development of consorts of instruments and then orchestration) was simply the proper notes and if you were lucky some proper sounding drones - the human voice was then by far the most preferred instrument and the most central.
Actually playing a song that has a distinct melody and using the voice to overlay another vocal 'song', thus creating in fact a duet of soloists (a solo instrument and a solo vocal performance) is a relatively new concept. Most period 'instrumental music' was simply a way to set a mood and timing. The words carried the melody and the theme, you were just 'supporting' your story with some sound effects, as it were. Pieces were developed to sound dark, somber, bright, dancy, insane, angry, holy, or any other intended listener mode, but it was simple. So using your instrument to set up a kind of tonal color to your piece, than letting your voice do the rest, is the appropriate answer for most early style pieces. Don't get into things like rapid arpegiations or Eddie van Halen hot licks, as an early performer, your focus would be on your voice, not your instrumental playing. It is not a universal example, but search on youtube for some of Benjamin Bagby's performance of Beowulf in the old Anglo-Saxon, accompanied only with 6 string lyre. While the approach is different, and the poem is recited and sung and yelled and such, the theory behind the performance is solid - it was telling a story in words, either spoken or lyrical, and the rest (instrument) was just to add some interest, not to steal the show. Now, newer music follows more recognizable methods, and the whole gamut is opened up. But if you are 'going a minstreling', follow the minstrels methods. Chris *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 10/7/2008 at 8:13 PM Jim Petersen 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 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy?hl=en?hl=en Although the method of distribution has changed, the rules of courtesy and appropriateness of postings remain the same as on the old list on Majordomo. These rules may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. Just ignore anything about Majordomo. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
