Morrison's jig is a great tune; I'm looking for help on how I might play it. I'm looking at the Comhaltas tune book and the first barre is a long E followed by a long B both notes marked with snakey squiggly line above them: this is repeated twice more in the first part of the tune. How might you play this on concertina? I live in the heart of Arkansas and I have no one else to ask! Help appreciated.

Alan.

That squiggley is interpreted as a roll, triplet or other articulation, Alan, and which articulation that's used can change each time through the tune sometimes. From reading your past posts I think you've got the stuff to roll those notes or make a triplets of them. It does help to hear a tune played by experienced players in the several ways it might be played. If you haven't heard the Comhaltas session version, here it is.

IMO the concertina player is not playing a roll at all. More in general she is fiddling around in this tune

To be more serious, I am trying to learn this tune myself at the moment. Later in the day (when people are not still asleep over here) I will try to describe what I am doing.

BTW: I assume that you play a C/G Anglo

A nice video of the tune being played can be found here -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p9CVPw_AUqc&fmt=6

More than one question here, I'm afraid:

1. How do people play rolls (the "squigglies")?
2. How do people play "rolls" on the anglo?
3. How do people play Morrison's?
4. How do people play Morrison's on the anglo?

... 1) & 2) You would do well to look up various threads here on C.net discussing "rolls" on the anglo, including comparisons to "rolls" on other instruments. It seems that what anglo players call rolls can be rather different in the number and spacing of notes from the ornaments of the same name on whistle/flute or fiddle. And among anglo players, I observe more variation in the details of the "roll" on any particular note than with other instruments.

... 3) Even on a single instrument, there is great variation in the way that first bar (and similar bits) of Morrison's is played. You're most likely to hear the full E-roll and B-roll played on whistle, flute, or pipes (though I often do them on my English concertina). Instead of the E-roll, fiddlers will often play the E and B without the roll, and a few may double-stop the E with the B below, and the higher B with the E. Also common on the fiddle (IME) is to play, instead of the drawn-out or rolled E and B, six eighth-notes alternating E and B (i.e., EBE BEB, continued with EBE AF#D in the next measure). Some will play a drawn-out E on the first beat and then BEB on the second beat. There are many other variations (E.g., EEE BEB or EEE BBB or EEE BGB ), and with several instruments playing at once, it's rare indeed for them all to be playing exactly the same thing, as both the recordings mentioned so far demonstrate.

... 4) There are many anglo players I haven't heard do Morrision's, but of those I have heard, I don't recall any of them doing rolls on those first two beats. On the anglo, I think most players use the drawn-out E for the first beat, often with a B and/or low E underneath, followed by either a drawn-out B or one of the 3-eighth-note patterns.

So I suggest that you listen to several recordings (there seem to be plenty on YouTube), pick one or more variants that you like, and try them out.

another one by the same player...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RArY891Mc4g

(though I often do them on my English concertina).

Hi Jim,

how do you play it on your English concertina?

Dirk

For me the interesting point is that given recent discussions on not adding harmony to Irish trad the thing that brings the you tube recording to life, (as in stops it being completely dull!) is the rare occasion were the concertina player allows himself the luxury of adding the odd chord note...

I play them e f#e d e,bc#bab,I also do a FOUR FINGER EF#EEE bc#bb,the first two can be semi quavers,or the middle two can be semi quavers.
I also do E b[LOW RIGHT]ee.
I realise you didnt ask me,but hope its helpful Dick Miles

That's it! Playing chord notes from time to time gives music an extra lift and an element of surpise. Playing chords all the time can be very dull at the end, no?

It is. Morrison's is played fairly often in my session. I usually play fiddle on it, but this gives some ideas on how to play it on EC if that's what's in my hands when the tune comes up.

the rolls ,take quite alot of practice to get up to playing at speed[but are worth the effort] especially as Morrisons is often played on the fast side,the four note twiddles are much easier to execute at speed.

Also worth dropping it a note and playing it on the C row - DCD AGA or whatever etc. Get a nice play on the Fnatural in the second part. Not much use for session playing but grand music!!

IN BAR 9,first bar of the turn,I sometimes replace the first quaver,B with 2 BS,which I cross finger,playing the first B, as if it was a grace note.
I use this technique quite a lot,particuarly if the next note is on the other side of the box,as it is in bar 9 of morrisons.Dick Miles

There is yet another alternative,play four e s,then four b s,you can play the first two as semiquavers and the next two as quavers,or the middle two as semiquavers.
I prefer to cross finger,but some people might use the same finger,both produce different effects.Dick Miles

Hi Dick, I usually try and avoid the 4 note twiddles when playing Irish tunes on the EC. It's easy to emulate the sound of Anglo ornamentation. On the first E just grab the next two highest notes in the scale that are on the opposite side (F# and A). Give them a little flick after the E, either ascending or descending, all 3 notes in the time/space of one quarter note, then hit the E again for an eighth. E-F#-A---E.. The B can be played the same way, the next two highest notes in the scale on the opposite side being the C# and E. (I might even go a bit higher and flick the E and G). The ornaments are just short flicks or chirps, more rhythm than melody. Once again, lots of speed available and very simple and crisp.

Interesting,

I was just trying to learn this tune as well. I play a G/D anglo and play on the d row with our small pipes. Wish I had some sheet music