When I first started learning about different fiddle traditions, I was introduced to the concept of "fiddle tunes." For several years, I knew that the tunes I was learning were different from songs in some way, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly how. Turns out, there are a few different differentiating factors, which I will discuss today. Instrumental vs. Vocal
The first and most obvious difference between tunes and songs is whether or not it has lyrics. Although in some traditions it can get a little fuzzy, generally tunes don't have lyrics and songs do. Even if a tune does have lyrics, when the instrumental melody is the focus (rather than the vocal melody), it can be described as a tune. Songs always have lyrics, and the song is centered around those lyrics. If the song wouldn't exist or be recognizable without the lyrics, it's most likely classified as a song. In the old time tradition, there are these things called "tune songs," which are in the middle between tunes and songs. They probably could be played instrumentally as a tune and still be recognizable, but the lyrics are also an important part of how the tune is characterized. Structure (of the music) Aside from the presence of lyrics or not, there are some key differences in the structure of tunes and songs. For example, tunes usually have a pretty simple structure containing at least 2 sections, of which each are repeated a set number of times (usually 2). So the average fiddle tune structure could be notated as AABB. That structure then gets repeated many times, until the person leading the tune decides it's over. In songs, the structure CAN be essentially the same, but it also has a lot of flexibility to change. In many cases, songs have many sections that just come around once in the whole song, like a bridge. This would never happen in a fiddle tune because there is no way to know when that section would come around. But, since songs are lyric-centered, it's easy to tell when the bridge will happen, because it's set in relation the lyrics of the song. Also, many songs have an instrumental section too, but what this section consists of is pretty flexible as well. It could be the same as one of the vocal sections of the song, like the verse or the chorus, or it could be a totally different section. It also could be based on one of the vocal sections of the song but modified. Structure (of how it's played in an ensemble) In addition to the structure of the music itself, songs and tunes are also approached differently in the context of an ensemble. Since tunes are melody focused, the person who is leading the tune is usually determined by who starts it. That person decided the tempo, who will take solos (if anyone), and they will also cue the group to end the tune. Songs, on the other hand, are lead by the person singing. This person will decide what key they want to sing in, the tempo, the solos, and someone other than the person leading a song can start or end it. Overall, there are several structural differences between tunes and songs, which change the way musicians approach them either when writing, learning, playing, or performing music. I came to this understanding through exposing myself to lots of traditional music and learning as much as I could. Luckily, our brains work to make sense of what we hear, so the more similarly structured music we hear, the more it makes sense. Understanding the structure of tunes and songs is also extremely helpful for learning music more quickly and accurately.
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Alani SugarAlani Sugar is a young fiddle and mandolin player from Maryland. She has been involved in the region's music scene since she was 15 years old, and has the attention of musicians and music lovers alike in the area. She currently works as a professional musician and teaches fiddle and mandolin lessons online via Skype Archives
January 2024
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