Denis Carey of the Brock Maguire band composed an air "Slán Leis an Uaigneas" and he plays piano so, unless he composed it on a different instrument (I'm not aware of him playing anything else) I suppose you could count him.
It doesn't necessarily follow that if you play an instrument then you compose tunes on the instrument. I've been told that Paddy Fahey, for example, would compose his tunes in his head while working in the fields, and only later on would play them in the pub. I think most of the great traditional musicians would have composed in this way.
Musical composition, like any other creative activity, starts in the head. You think out a tune and when it's mostly complete in your head only then do you write it down or play it. I'll go further and state that composing a tune AT the keyboard or on another instrument in fact hinders and distracts the creative mental process.
Some people might say that they pick out their tunes on the keyboard because it's too difficult to think up a tune in their head and then write it down. Whoever said that composing tunes, or any other creative artistic act, was meant to be easy? It most certainly is not. That's where studying, training and hard work come into the picture.
That would make sense lazyhound. I remember I was transcribing a hornpipe to submit here before. As I was learning it, I wrote it down but this was a bad idea because I forgot the whole tune the next day. If I had learnt it off first, then I would not need to re-learn it and transcribe when it was already in my head. Anyway, I suppose you learn from your mistakes and its all part of advancing.
On Geantraí last night, there was a piano player playing tunes and Eleanor Kane is great too.
On WEBTV at http://www.tg4.ie, the fiddle- and piano playing brother of Cillian and Niall Vallely (don't remember his name) plays a lovely piano verson of the jig "the strayaway child".
Check out "ceol cartlann" at webtv and look for the programme about Margaret Barry and you there you hear it. Surely a tune I would loved to play if I could play the piano.
Micheal O Suillebhain is a pianist and composer with a strong leaning towards traditional music. No doubt he has composed tunes more-or-less traditional in styl on the piano.
PIano Tunes?
PIano Tunes?
Is there such a thing? Does anyone know of tunes composed on piano?
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by shane c
Re: PIano Tunes?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Chopin composed most of his tunes on the piano.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by Bob himself
Re: PIano Tunes?
Andy Thorburn of Blazin Fiddles is a piano pl;ayer and he therefore composes his tunes on piano - some great tunes too.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: PIano Tunes?
Denis Carey of the Brock Maguire band composed an air "Slán Leis an Uaigneas" and he plays piano so, unless he composed it on a different instrument (I'm not aware of him playing anything else) I suppose you could count him.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by 52Paddy
Re: PIano Tunes?
I do. One of these days I'll get around to recording them.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by morning star
Re: PIano Tunes?
I just write my own arrangements of traditional tunes, like the Butterfly. Or I use harp music.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by gwendolen
Re: PIano Tunes?
It doesn't necessarily follow that if you play an instrument then you compose tunes on the instrument. I've been told that Paddy Fahey, for example, would compose his tunes in his head while working in the fields, and only later on would play them in the pub. I think most of the great traditional musicians would have composed in this way.
Musical composition, like any other creative activity, starts in the head. You think out a tune and when it's mostly complete in your head only then do you write it down or play it. I'll go further and state that composing a tune AT the keyboard or on another instrument in fact hinders and distracts the creative mental process.
Some people might say that they pick out their tunes on the keyboard because it's too difficult to think up a tune in their head and then write it down. Whoever said that composing tunes, or any other creative artistic act, was meant to be easy? It most certainly is not. That's where studying, training and hard work come into the picture.
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by Trevor Jennings
Re: PIano Tunes?
If you like tunes played out on the piano, you should check out http://www.troymacgillivray.com/ great stuff
# Posted on January 14th 2007 by anastasiadesroches
Re: PIano Tunes?
That would make sense lazyhound. I remember I was transcribing a hornpipe to submit here before. As I was learning it, I wrote it down but this was a bad idea because I forgot the whole tune the next day. If I had learnt it off first, then I would not need to re-learn it and transcribe when it was already in my head. Anyway, I suppose you learn from your mistakes and its all part of advancing.
On Geantraí last night, there was a piano player playing tunes and Eleanor Kane is great too.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by 52Paddy
Re: PIano Tunes?
On WEBTV at http://www.tg4.ie, the fiddle- and piano playing brother of Cillian and Niall Vallely (don't remember his name) plays a lovely piano verson of the jig "the strayaway child".
Check out "ceol cartlann" at webtv and look for the programme about Margaret Barry and you there you hear it. Surely a tune I would loved to play if I could play the piano.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by TradLad
Re: PIano Tunes?
Does anyone actually think piano tunes are necessary at a session?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by pfft
Re: PIano Tunes?
If you want to hear nice music played on the piano get padraig o' reillys cd, down the ivory stairs. Just fab.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by ceolgal
Re: PIano Tunes?
Caoimhin Vallely
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: PIano Tunes?
Micheal O Suillebhain is a pianist and composer with a strong leaning towards traditional music. No doubt he has composed tunes more-or-less traditional in styl on the piano.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: PIano Tunes?
Ths dman keuboard1
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig