Irish Music Flashcards
1
Q
What are the dances studied and their time signatures
A
- Reel 4/4
- Hornpipe 4/4 (dotted 8ths)
- Jig 6/8
- Slipjig 9/8
2
Q
What are some features in irish music
A
- Vamp (piano plays bass and chord accompaniment)
- Walking bass line
- Binary form
- Gapped scale (scale thar uses 5 notes)
- Flattened 7th scale
- Ornamentation ( embellished melody)
3
Q
What are the traditional features of Irish music
A
- Ornamentation
- Unaccompanied
- Free rhythm
- Repeated last note
- Traditional instruments
- No dynamics
4
Q
What is Sean nos style?
A
Sean nos means “old style” and is a type of singing
5
Q
What are some features of Sean nos singing
A
- Ornamentation through melisma
- Singing is unaccompanied
- Monophonic
- Words lead the music
- Songs are means of storytelling
- Free rhythm
- Nasal tone
6
Q
What are essay points for The Harp
A
- The word harp means to pluck,
- 13th century, was being used specifically for triangular harp
- Existed for 1000 years, evidence from 12th century in Ardmore cathedral co Wexford
- Oldest harp, Brian boru on display in trinity
- Middle ages, harpers were important, no gaelic monarch would go out without one
- Monachs had bards, (wrote songs), vocalist (sang songs) and the harper who accompanied vocals
- Highly valued members of society, harps had gems
- 16th century Queen Elizabeth called for the hanging of harpists and destruction of harps
- Festival held in Belfast, 10 harpers showed up ranging from 15 to 97 years old
- Edward bunting collected harping music and playing techniques
- Players used long fingernails , now they use pads of their fingers
- Traditionally held against left shoulder, left hand playing upper strings, right on lower. Now is reversed
- Best known harpist, Turlough O’Carolan,
- Modern harpists Derek Bell of the chieftains
- 1970s irish music revival , bunting scholars
