Hey all, I've been minorly obsessing over the playing of polkas for some time now. I currently decline to play along with them at the session for 2 reasons. One, I don't like how the "half-time" style sounds...it comes off as plodding and sorta desperate in a "i gotta take my turn no matter what" kinda way. Two, I can't currently play double-time in a consistent way and can't figure out if triplets are appropriate. I've recently been practising top-end style triplets to see if this might offer something. Finally, can anyone recommend cd's or you tube vids that have good examples of bodhran playing on polkas?? I learn better by hearing/seeing playing that is better than mine soI can tell what's ahead of me and how I might get there! Love the new look of the website and all the features!! Yes sir. Ciao, Fanokeano

Hey Fanokeano

Thanks for your kind words about the website - we just want to make it as useful a resource for everyone as we can. There is plenty more to come :)

Re Polkas - I'm not a big fan myself but I can definitely refer you to Amy 'polkahontas' Richter who nails them every time. Amy is a subscriber here. You can possibly hear some of her recordings at www.athasmusic.com or google for athas. There's also some stuff on youtube.

Amy? if you are here maybe you might want to chime in. Rob Forkner (Dr Metloef) is another member who is no stranger to the 200mph polka - Rob?

The rhythm I find I use most at full speed is the bodhran version of the taiko 'don doko' with don being 1/2 beat and doko being 2x1/4 beat strokes - you can certainly use triplets or top end rolls but the tunes are so fast that such ornamentation is possibly unnecessary - as I said, I normally sit them out or play half-time.

Amy and Athas will be with me for New Year so I'll nail her on that one.

Great to have you on board Fanokeano, I hope this has been useful.

P

Hi Fanokeano!

Polkas are a fun one to tackle. Whenever playing polkas the main thing I always keep in the back of my head is that "boom-chick" feel. I've played a lot for dancers...set dancers in particular and they require a lot of polkas for their sets so much of my style was developed in watching what they do with their feet as well. I still try my best to follow the tune too. What I try not to do is that horse trot beat. I tend to get bored with that and it's too tiring. You can still play up to speed w/o having to play every single note. Although sometimes half speed is nice. Paul Phillips taught us a sweet style of playing to polkas in half speed this summer. You can hear it on one of our you tube vids. I'm actually playing the rhythm on a djembe. Here is the link to the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyhdk3jnGzE

As Paul said we do have quite a few vids up on youtube. Just search athas and also our myspace has some music clips www.myspace.com/athas with the first one being a polka set.

I hope some of that helps. I'm a lot like you I do better seeing and hearing rather than reading about it or trying to understand it on paper.

All the best!
Amy

Amy and Paul,

Thanks for your responses, video clips and advice! I think it'll be awhile before I'm polka ready but it's great to have some different ideas to work with.Another drummer brought a djembe into a local session this past summer and a pipes player got up and left immediately and the rest(of the musicians) shit-talked the incident for the rest of the month.The trad world is still kinda new to me....next time I'm in Milwaukee I'll try and catch Athas. Thanks again! Fanokeano

I am listening to the "Drowsy Maggie / Mountain Road / Tam Linn" set as I type and find it absolutely brilliant.

Amy, your drumming is crisp and clear, the beat skipping really gives a lift to the music. The intro is dazzling too.

I am a big fan of beat skipping, having learned much from Steafan Hannigan's books, as he himself advises that it is sometimes better to "breathe in" while the music flows than it is to try and fill every 1/16th quaver with your drum.

Polkas are not easy to play along with, in a session I would rather sit back and sip ale while the band plays, but on stage, you are -expected- to stand and deliver. Amy's example is enlightening on how to make it work.

Hey Guys,

I have just made the beta-mix polka track from the PPS (Paul Phillips Scholarship) New Year Sessions exclusively available to Bodojo members - there's a player on the front page of the site (public can't see it)

The track features our very own Amy (polkahontas) Richter and Rob (rhythm god) Forkner. Rob and Amy's playing is an exquisite example of polka playing - Amy won't mind me saying that the All Ireland comhaltas adjudicator commented very positively on her polkas.

The full recording of the session (about 60 mins) will be available for download before the end of Jan

Anyway, more grist to the mill for yez, hope it is useful

P