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Medieval and Renaissance drum rhythms
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Belle S. Tuten
Nov 8, 1993, 8:57:25 AM11/8/93
to
Having been (willingly) pressed into playing some drum and tambourine for
our early music ensemble, I would love to find a good source describing
some theories on rhythm performance practice. Anything to make my drumming
more interesting. Anyone?
our early music ensemble, I would love to find a good source describing
some theories on rhythm performance practice. Anything to make my drumming
more interesting. Anyone?
Bev Ross
Nov 8, 1993, 10:08:16 AM11/8/93
to
While I know of no books discussing "theories on rhythm performance
practice" in early music, I picked up the CD listed below after
hearing it described on this list. I love it! It was recorded
maybe a decade ago and is a reissue but, nevertheless, alot of
fun, uses lots of percussion effects and has detailed liner notes
on the instrumentation. It got me thinking about starting a
collection of bells, gongs, wood blocks, etc. Some of the
instrumentation and interpretations are, in places, obviously not
authentic (e.g., the use of the modern guitar at points) but,
hey, 'tis good music.
BIS CD-163: La Spagna, Music of XV-XVII Centuries, Atrium Musicae de
Madrid Paniagua
Yours, Bev Ross
practice" in early music, I picked up the CD listed below after
hearing it described on this list. I love it! It was recorded
maybe a decade ago and is a reissue but, nevertheless, alot of
fun, uses lots of percussion effects and has detailed liner notes
on the instrumentation. It got me thinking about starting a
collection of bells, gongs, wood blocks, etc. Some of the
instrumentation and interpretations are, in places, obviously not
authentic (e.g., the use of the modern guitar at points) but,
hey, 'tis good music.
BIS CD-163: La Spagna, Music of XV-XVII Centuries, Atrium Musicae de
Madrid Paniagua
Yours, Bev Ross
Michael McKay
Nov 8, 1993, 11:23:10 PM11/8/93
to
The only source I know of off hand is that section in Arbeau's
_Orchesographie_ in which Arbeau tells Capriol about the basic
patterns for certain forms of music (namely, French and Swiss marches,
Basse-Danses, and Pavanes) and gives all the possible combinations for
embellishing the French march. Perhaps you can apply his discussion...
_Orchesographie_ in which Arbeau tells Capriol about the basic
patterns for certain forms of music (namely, French and Swiss marches,
Basse-Danses, and Pavanes) and gives all the possible combinations for
embellishing the French march. Perhaps you can apply his discussion...
- Mike
Bruce Larkin
Nov 9, 1993, 12:16:30 PM11/9/93
to
A good starting point is the 1589 dance manual "Orchesographie" by
Thoinot Arbeau, available in English translation from Dover. It's
written in the form of a dialogue between a dancing master and his young
student who wishes to become an adept dancer so as not to embarrass
himself in high society. Besides giving delightful insight into the
tenor of the times, Arbeau gives us steps, music, and drum patterns for
a number of dances of the type Attaingnant, Phalese, and Susato
published music for a generation or so earlier.
From a later period, there are drum notations from the band of the
French royal stables at the time of Philidor. Susan Sandman published
an article about them in Early Music about 20 years ago.
I know of no drum notations earlier than Arbeau. Can anyone else on the
list help with that? I learned to play medieval rhythms from experience
as a percussionist, with lots of help from James Blades' books on
historical percussion (his history of percussion instruments was
published by Faber (UK) and Praeger (U.S.), and he and Jeremy Barlow
have a volume on percussion in the Oxford University Press series on
early music performance), and from listening to recordings of good
players. Peter Maund of Ensemble Alcatraz is an incredibly talented and
tasteful player, IMHO, for one example.
Bruce Larkin lark...@mc.duke.edu
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Medieval and Renaissance drum rhythms
Author: Early Music List <EARL...@AEARN.BITNET> at Internet
Date: 11/8/93 8:53 PM
Thoinot Arbeau, available in English translation from Dover. It's
written in the form of a dialogue between a dancing master and his young
student who wishes to become an adept dancer so as not to embarrass
himself in high society. Besides giving delightful insight into the
tenor of the times, Arbeau gives us steps, music, and drum patterns for
a number of dances of the type Attaingnant, Phalese, and Susato
published music for a generation or so earlier.
From a later period, there are drum notations from the band of the
French royal stables at the time of Philidor. Susan Sandman published
an article about them in Early Music about 20 years ago.
I know of no drum notations earlier than Arbeau. Can anyone else on the
list help with that? I learned to play medieval rhythms from experience
as a percussionist, with lots of help from James Blades' books on
historical percussion (his history of percussion instruments was
published by Faber (UK) and Praeger (U.S.), and he and Jeremy Barlow
have a volume on percussion in the Oxford University Press series on
early music performance), and from listening to recordings of good
players. Peter Maund of Ensemble Alcatraz is an incredibly talented and
tasteful player, IMHO, for one example.
Bruce Larkin lark...@mc.duke.edu
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Medieval and Renaissance drum rhythms
Author: Early Music List <EARL...@AEARN.BITNET> at Internet
Date: 11/8/93 8:53 PM
Bruce Larkin
Nov 9, 1993, 12:21:28 PM11/9/93
to
Addendum to my earlier reply:
If you want to percuss for dance music you gotta learn to do the
dances (in addition to consulting Arbeau). There's nothing like feeling
the rhythm in your moving body that lets you understand how the tune,
the drum, the tempo, and the dance instructions fit together.
How fast does a galliard go? The better the dancer, the longer the
hang time from the fourth to the sixth beats, and the slower the tempo.
If you want to percuss for dance music you gotta learn to do the
dances (in addition to consulting Arbeau). There's nothing like feeling
the rhythm in your moving body that lets you understand how the tune,
the drum, the tempo, and the dance instructions fit together.
How fast does a galliard go? The better the dancer, the longer the
hang time from the fourth to the sixth beats, and the slower the tempo.
Rafe Ronkin
Nov 9, 1993, 8:19:01 PM11/9/93
to
> Having been (willingly) pressed into playing some drum and
> tambourine for
> our early music ensemble, I would love to find a good source
> describing
> some theories on rhythm performance practice. Anything to make my
> drumming
> more interesting. Anyone?
> tambourine for
> our early music ensemble, I would love to find a good source
> describing
> some theories on rhythm performance practice. Anything to make my
> drumming
> more interesting. Anyone?
1. Ben Harms, 1989. "Percussion Instruments," _in_ Jeffery T. Kite-Powell (ed.),
A Practical Guide to Historical Performance; the Renaissance; p. 105-114. New
York: Early Music America, 250 West 54th Street, Suite 300, New York, New York
10019.
2. Mary Ellen Donald, 1977. Doumbec Delight; a Thirty Lesson Course in Middle
Eastern Drumming With Basic Music Theory. [Cassette tape available.] San
Francisco: Mary Ellen Books, P.O. Box 7589, San Francisco, California,
94120-7589.
-Rafe-
R. R. Ronkin
<rafe....@p18.f151.n109.z1.fidonet.org>
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