Slow airs are the heart of Irish music. That’s because they allow players to convey deep emotions and tell stories through their instruments.
But have you ever tried playing a slow air on your Irish banjo, only to find it lacks the expression and soul these tunes deserve? If so, you’ll be looking to gain perfection on how to play slow air on Irish banjo. So, that’s exactly what we’ll do here.
In this blog post, we’ll break down the art of playing slow air perfectly on the Irish banjo. We know that such a style is challenging to master at first. Therefore, we’ll keep this entire discussion simple and easy to follow. Now, let’s get started with the details here!
Some Prerequisites Before Learning How to Play Slow Air on Irish Banjo
You wantto play slow air on Irish banjo, right? So, in order to gain a comprehensive command of this, it is essential to go through a few prerequisites, such as the following:
1. Get Familiar With the Slow Air Style
Slow airs are different from fast-paced jigs and reels. So, before getting to playing them on your Irish banjo, you should learn what those differences are and familiarize yourself with them.
To put the differences simply, slow airs are more about the feeling behind them and the melody itself than keeping a strict rhythm. For this reason, they are often helpful in a legato style, which means the notes are connected smoothly with little space between them.
2. Pick the Right Tune to Start With
Slow airs are of different types. So, if you want to learn to play them, it is essential to pick one before moving forward. A few of the most popular examples of slow airs are as follows:
- The Dawning of the Day.
- The Last Rose of Summer.
Hence, practice with a well-known air before moving on to more complex pieces. To practice, play by ear or find sheet music/tabs. But remember that the melody is the key focus here.
3. Tune Your Banjo Correctly
Like mandolin and violin players, most Irish banjo players use GDAE tuning. So, experts recommend this tuning pattern because it works for most pieces.
But this doesn’t mean that it’s the only pattern. Some also use the GDAD tuning pattern. So, if you believe that the GDAD tuning pattern will work for the piece you may have selected, tune your banjo accordingly.
The 3 Essential Steps of Learning to Play Slow Air on Irish Banjo
By now, you may be familiar with the prerequisites of how to play slow air on Irish banjo. If so, it’s time to talk about the heart of the matter. So, here is what you need to do to learn to play slow air on Irish banjo:
1. Focus on Smooth, Legato Playing
Slow airs often require a gentle style, which goes by the name of fingerpicking. So, make sure to use that. But if you want a more delicate sound or up-and-down strokes for a smooth transition between notes, you can also use the down-picking style.
When it comes to the actual playing, the key is to focus on the phrase. So, think of each phrase as a sentence in a story. Doing so will allow the notes to flow naturally without abrupt stops.
2. Control Your Dynamics
Slow airs often have dynamic variations. So, start softly and gradually build, or play with subtle crescendos and decrescendos. Doing so will help you reflect the emotional mood of the tune.
If you’re dealing with important or long notes, you can pause or slightly linger on specific notes. Doing so will help you build more emotional emphasis.
3. Express Yourself
Slow air is famous for the emotional depth it helps convey. So, in order to add such a factor naturally, you can use phrasing to tell a musical story rather than just playing notes. And that’s where experimentation will come in handy.
For instance, you can experiment with how you phrase the notes, the subtle dynamics, and the pacing. Doing so will help make the piece truly your own.
A Few Enhancements to Make Your Playing More Advanced
Assuming that you are following this ‘how to play slow air on Irish banjo’ blog post from the beginning. So, now, let’s discuss a few tips that will help take your playing to the next level.
1. Add Ornamentation, but Sparingly
Ornamentation such as grace notes, rolls, and slides help add character to a slow air. So, you can definitely use them. However, be subtle with their inclusion. In fact, your focus should be on expression and melody. This way, you can avoid overusing embellishments.
2. Practice Slowly and With Patience
Start by playing the air at a slow tempo. But while doing so, make sure to concentrate on smooth transitions between notes and proper ornamentation. Once you are comfortable with the dynamics and phrasing, you can gradually increase the speed.
3. Always Listen to the Professionals
The best way to achieve perfection in anything is to take assistance from experts. And learning to play slow air on Irish banjo is not any different. So, listen to recordings by well-known players. Doing so will help you understand how they approach slow airs. Some excellent examples of playing slow airs on the banjo are the following players:
Summarizing This Discussion About Playing Slow Air on Irish Banjo
To conclude everything discussed here, we just want to say that playing slow airs on the Irish banjo is a rewarding challenge. But you can get better at it with patience, technique, and emotional expression and by focusing on smooth, legato playing, subtle ornamentation, and dynamic control. Keep in mind that the slow air is all about feeling. So, take your time, experiment with different approaches, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey.
