What is a 'dotted quaver' feel?

[wrbriggs]

I recently purchased a book of flatpicking solo arrangements of Scottish, Irish and Northumbrian folk songs. In the book, the author recommends playing some of the pieces with a 'dotted quaver' feel. Is it safe to assume that this is the same as 'swing eighths', or am I way off base?

[cotten]

That would be my guess. Something written with straight 8th notes (quavers) but meant to have a dotted 8th/16th feel.

cotten

[mc1]

my guess as well. lots of those tunes from the old country have a lilted feel that is easier not to bother notating.

[clintj]

That's what a jazz drummer would call a hard swing or short swing. Normal swing is based on the triplet so the note ratio is two:one. Dotted note is three:one, counted as ONE-e-and-A TWO.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by clintj

That's what a jazz drummer would call a hard swing or short swing. Normal swing is based on the triplet so the note ratio is two:one. Dotted note is three:one, counted as ONE-e-and-A TWO.

Yes, except that in this folk context, what's described a "dotted quaver feel" is almost certainly triplet feel, or a lazier version of that more like swing. The reason they wouldn't say "triplet feel" is (I guess) that 3 triplets in a beat would be rare.
Also, this swing/shuffle feel is often notated (wrongly) as a dotted quaver + semiquaver, as a kind of shorthand attempt to write it in 4/4 without the clutter of triplet "3"s and brackets, or the further clutter of 12/8.

True dotted quaver feel (3:1) would be very rare, a very clipped military rhythm. Not folk at all.

I'm happy to be convinced otherwise if you know of audio examples of any of those folk tunes in 3:1 ratio.

[clintj]

Some of the traditional Irish tunes like Banish Misfortune feel a little bit shorter than a triplet swing to me, just ever so slightly. I like the lively feel they have when played that way, but that's just my preference. The term lilt was used, and that's a good word for it. I can't disagree with you, though. About the only thing I've run across that was truly that short is some jazz in my music collection, and some of my snare drum exercises. I want to say Coltrane recorded some, but I would have to do some searching.

[stanron]

Treat it as a triplet swing as others have suggested but if you get in a session where those tunes are played, listen to how the others treat the rhythm and follow that. The rhythmic feel can change from session to session.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by stanron

Treat it as a triplet swing as others have suggested but if you get in a session where those tunes are played, listen to how the others treat the rhythm and follow that. The rhythmic feel can change from session to session.

Good advice. The notation for such tunes is always a rough sketch, open to improvisation and flexibility of feel when performed.