The Session >> Discussions >> Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
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Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Our session in Niles, Ohio, USA (just added) gets a fair number of visitors or novices that don't know many of our tunes. These folks appreciate having sheet music. So although I play mostly by ear, I've been photocopying about 20 pages of tunes (including chords) to donate to newcomers.
I'd like to have a tunebook here linked directly to that session, so people can download the tunes on their own. (I'd also like to have chords shown above the staff.) Is there a way to do this?
All I can see is to build all the tunes into my personal tunebook, then give a link to it - but my personal tunebook should really be different than the tunebook for this session.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Frank--congratulations on your new session, and for trying to help newbies get started. (Feel free to ignore llig, he does not appreciate the challenges of starting up a session in places where trad is not well known. Although I do hope you encourage people to free themselves from the dots ASAP.)
Does your ISP package include a personal web page? You could scan your pages, put them on your web page, and people could save and print them from that.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Have you thought about creating an .abc file of all the tunes, and e-mailing it to people who are interested?
You can include chords in there if you want.
People can then download a freeware software package that will let them print their own copies out and it's great for practicing building up speed, etc.
I use ABC Navigator 2, but there are a couple of different ones.
The .abc files are very small in size & easy to e-mail.
You could even create an e-mail account for that purpose, so that people don't e-mail your own personal account.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
If you are going to use notation, one quick way to get the tunes into heads is this- let them look over the notation, then sing it back right away. It will get memorized faster and you can then put the sheet music away.
I do this with my middle school jazz band, where I want them to learn by hearing. It isn't always workable, since these are young kids and the vocabulary of the jazz standards is greater than our trad, but learning by ear is always a good thing and valuable part of a musician's training.
Good luck to you and to your fledgling sessioners!
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
I have emailed sheet music, in .pdf format, to a local copier service. This works well for getting out multiple 2-sided bound copies. Prices vary but I found a reasonable shop. The shop also needs to know their software well enough to get the work done easily. You'd be surprised.
The reason I have done it this way is because I had over 20 pages. Above that you some of the small home printers are gasping, "more ink"
Another thing we have done is set up a Yahoo Groups where I have uploaded various music files.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
It would be great if you could also have some decent audio files of the tunes/sets, especially if they're of the local players playing the local variations. I suppose that you could set up a MySpace page, although I haven't figured out how to add audio files to one, yet. Or a Yahoo Group or something like that.
Also check out feardearg's site: http://www.sessionite.com/
He and a few friends have done a bunch of work organizing and keeping some of the local sessions going.
Good on you, Frank, for trying to get something happening out in your neck of the woods. Without someone taking a little initiative and providing some leadership, we wouldn't have sessions around here.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
You may want to be careful about where you get the tune sources you use for such a book. If you use .abc files commonly available from the web as the source, you may just get a takedown notice from the original file creator. This happened to me a couple of years ago.
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
There are already a lot of tunebooks in PDF format available associated with various sessions and Yahoo groups around the country. Here are some that I think are pretty good.
Given that you are in Niles, It might be a good idea to adopt an online tunebook from a nearby source (The Dayton OH sessions or Travers City in MI, I think there is a good session in Conklin MI that might have a tune book too. Anyway, here are some links:
Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Our session in Niles, Ohio, USA (just added) gets a fair number of visitors or novices that don't know many of our tunes. These folks appreciate having sheet music. So although I play mostly by ear, I've been photocopying about 20 pages of tunes (including chords) to donate to newcomers.
I'd like to have a tunebook here linked directly to that session, so people can download the tunes on their own. (I'd also like to have chords shown above the staff.) Is there a way to do this?
All I can see is to build all the tunes into my personal tunebook, then give a link to it - but my personal tunebook should really be different than the tunebook for this session.
Does anyone have any advice?
- Frank Krygowski
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by frkrygow
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
flipin' heck
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Frank--congratulations on your new session, and for trying to help newbies get started. (Feel free to ignore llig, he does not appreciate the challenges of starting up a session in places where trad is not well known. Although I do hope you encourage people to free themselves from the dots ASAP.)
Does your ISP package include a personal web page? You could scan your pages, put them on your web page, and people could save and print them from that.
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by John Galt
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Have you thought about creating an .abc file of all the tunes, and e-mailing it to people who are interested?
You can include chords in there if you want.
People can then download a freeware software package that will let them print their own copies out and it's great for practicing building up speed, etc.
I use ABC Navigator 2, but there are a couple of different ones.
The .abc files are very small in size & easy to e-mail.
You could even create an e-mail account for that purpose, so that people don't e-mail your own personal account.
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by -ronan-
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
If you are going to use notation, one quick way to get the tunes into heads is this- let them look over the notation, then sing it back right away. It will get memorized faster and you can then put the sheet music away.
I do this with my middle school jazz band, where I want them to learn by hearing. It isn't always workable, since these are young kids and the vocabulary of the jazz standards is greater than our trad, but learning by ear is always a good thing and valuable part of a musician's training.
Good luck to you and to your fledgling sessioners!
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
I have emailed sheet music, in .pdf format, to a local copier service. This works well for getting out multiple 2-sided bound copies. Prices vary but I found a reasonable shop. The shop also needs to know their software well enough to get the work done easily. You'd be surprised.
The reason I have done it this way is because I had over 20 pages. Above that you some of the small home printers are gasping, "more ink"
Another thing we have done is set up a Yahoo Groups where I have uploaded various music files.
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by Ben Steen
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
It would be great if you could also have some decent audio files of the tunes/sets, especially if they're of the local players playing the local variations. I suppose that you could set up a MySpace page, although I haven't figured out how to add audio files to one, yet. Or a Yahoo Group or something like that.
Also check out feardearg's site: http://www.sessionite.com/
He and a few friends have done a bunch of work organizing and keeping some of the local sessions going.
Good on you, Frank, for trying to get something happening out in your neck of the woods. Without someone taking a little initiative and providing some leadership, we wouldn't have sessions around here.
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by tomw
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
...oops, a bit of cross-posting, I'm afraid...
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by tomw
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Yahoo Groups has a tab for files. If you have a Yahoo id & are a member of the group you can upload & download audio files. mp3s are fairly common.
# Posted on December 31st 2008 by Ben Steen
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Yes, I have a suggestion.
Blindfolds.
# Posted on January 1st 2009 by Lint - upon - Tweed
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
You may want to be careful about where you get the tune sources you use for such a book. If you use .abc files commonly available from the web as the source, you may just get a takedown notice from the original file creator. This happened to me a couple of years ago.
# Posted on January 1st 2009 by Michael Eskin
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
Why don't you create a session.org account that everyone shares - and add the tunes to the tunebook?
# Posted on January 4th 2009 by cgs
Re: Helping novices - can I put up a tunebook for a specific session?
There are already a lot of tunebooks in PDF format available associated with various sessions and Yahoo groups around the country. Here are some that I think are pretty good.
Given that you are in Niles, It might be a good idea to adopt an online tunebook from a nearby source (The Dayton OH sessions or Travers City in MI, I think there is a good session in Conklin MI that might have a tune book too. Anyway, here are some links:
PDF TUNEBOOK LINKS:
O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat Music Files (Great retreat in Texas)
http://www.irishtradmusic.org/retreat/resources.htm
San Diego Session Tunebooks and Resources
http://www.uptospeed.net/hoi/
Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School Sheet Music (For the last 5-6 years)
http://scottishfiddle.org/bh/
Karen Ashbrook's Sligo Creek Hedge School Tunebook (Silver Spring Maryland)
http://www.karenashbrook.com/ChildrensSessionBook.pdf
Shrewsbury Folk Festival Tune Book
http://www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/tunebook/index.shtml
Atlanta Session Roswell Tunebooks
http://www.atlantairishmusic.com/localsessions.htm
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The following YAHOO groups have pdf or abc tunebooks in their file areas that I think are very good:
TCceltic (Travers City Michigan)
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/TCceltic/
http://www.judithlindenau.com/tc_celtic_tunebook.pdf
TacomaIrishSessioners (Tacoma Washington)
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/TacomaIrishSessioners/
Stlirishsession • St. Louis Irish Session Players
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Stlirishsession/
# Posted on January 5th 2009 by johnbunch