If you were going to set up a band to play traditional Irish music and were limited to 5 players, what would be your ideal combination of instruments and why?
Flute and fiddle are my favourites to provide melody. Their sound is just magic. Considering that most fluters can play whistle and low whistle as well, that covers a lot of ground.
Then for the rythym section, I't depends on the sound you want to get. If you prefer an, lets put it this way, old flavour sound, I'd go for piano. If you prefer something more contemporary, I'd go for bouzouki or mandolin.
A good bodhrán is always welcomed, although I wouldn't spend one position of the starting five strictly on it. Some of the players could play bodhran and then you get another position for melody or backing.
That leaves one last intrument to be chosen. I'd go for the box (button accordion), but you might prefer a piper or banjo player instead, for more sound variation. I think the box goes really well with flute & fiddle.
So my lineup woud be: flute, fiddle, box, bouzouki and bodhrán (last one can be substituted if any of the others can provide percussion)
You said 5 players - does that mean each player is restricted to one instrument? If so then it's flute, fiddle, box, tame banjo and subtle guitar. Check out previous thread:
Yeah, I'd look for a guitar player who can also play bouzouki (so I guess Zan MacLeod), a fluter/whistler who can box/concertina (so, John Williams, right?), a piper who can whistle and possibly flute, a fiddler, and a banjo who can fiddle (so John Carr), preferably with somebody also able to play the bodhran.
Short of that, though, I guess it'd be piper, fluter, box, fiddle, guitar, though I'm not set in stone on that. I like just about all of 'em and all combos of 'em.
cthuilleanpiper - you got it right the first time. That was the exact line-up of a band called "Columba", who were based in Dublin in the early 80s(?). I only heard them ever play 2 tracks on RTE - "Colonel Fraser" and the "Gold Ring", so they were obviously into pipe tunes in a big way. Maeve Donnelly was on fiddle, I think Eoin Kenny on pipes, and his brother Niall on concertina - didn't hear the names of flute and bouzouki player. I never heard any more of them as a band after that broadcast, but they had a lovely mellow sound, and I don't think I've ever heard a better combination of instruments. Anybody have any information about them?
Stylophone (As per Rolf Harris), shakey egg, set of spoons, kazoo, and washboard. :--))
No seriously. Fiddle, flute, button box, CBOM type instrument(Cittern, Bouzouki, octave mandola) or guitar, a Mandolin(Why not?) or tenor banjo. I suppose !!!! some form of percussion might be required but this would make it a total of six if you were able to argue that a bodhran was an instrument.
You can't do without the pipes! They're the spell of it all.
So, for me, it would be: pipes, flute, fiddle, a free reed, and the bodhran.
I don't want to start another topic here and I know you're joking John, but let's stop "making fun" of that subtle percussion instrument (in good hands of course, but have you ever heard a fiddle played by a novice?).
Well, considering that most places aren't exactly crawling with pipers begging and pleading to be in a band, they sort of have to. Get away without, I mean. *grin*
Going back to the original posting... In the real world, 5 players would probably be able to play a great deal more in the way of instruments. So, the piper may also play flute and whistle etc, the fiddler might play mandolin, viola, mandolin player could play tenor banjo, bodhran player the shakey egg and so on.
Mike hasn't actually stipulated five INSTRUMENTS. We have just assumed that's what he meant.
But he is being Machiavellian by saying just 5 - all the heads here love *all* the Stuff, so this thread will be just one big argument over whom should we include or exclude. But, Zina, thanks for developing my point - a band of talented ultra-multi-instrumentalists is the thing to go for.
However, I suspect Mike was thinking of a band-sized band.
Oh, and most importantly, actually in some ways more important than the instruments, I'd have to get along personally and musically with everybody else, and everyone should have at least an approximate same way of looking at this stuff. Otherwise the band won't fly no matter what.
You're right Danny, I wouldn't really CHOOSE to exclude any particular instrument - I just wanted to know what combinations other people thought worked - possibly though their own experiences.
Ideally to have multi -instrumentalists in the line up would be the best solution to any particular style of music or type of venue. However, sticking to the "rules" I would consider flute, pipes, fiddle, box and bazooka/guitar to be resonable ingredients to a pleasant evening.
The sound of the pipes, to me, epitomises Irish music. The fiddle/ flute combination is always very special, as is box (any) and guitar/bazouki - sorry I can't make my mind up between the last two. It's nice to have the bass of the guitar, but on the other hand, it's good to have the melodic versatility of the bazouki!!
Don't jest about it Geoff - I've been in sessions like that. Or rather I've looked in through the door then made my excuses then left. 6 bodhrans, 5 shakey eggs, 2 rainsticks and a partridge in a pear tree. All playing Christmas Eve.
Your not wrong, I used to attend a Sunday tune session regularly, up country where I grew up, from about the age of 12, right up until I was 25 - it's where I learnt my "trade".
I don't think I could face going back there again as about 6 months ago I went in to find that all the fine instrumentalists had been replaced by a single fiddle that sounded like somebody ironing a cat, a whistle player who was attracting a menagerie of nocturnal beasts with his ultrasonic blowing technique, a guy with timpanesque proportion turkish percussion, half a dozen suicidal singer/songwriter guitarists ("now that you've gone....I'm going to find something sharp and poke myself in the eye with it......now that you're gone" etc etc) and 5 rhythmically bereft bodrhani!!!
Yes - whistles played ultra-sharp and grossly overblown, Lambeg bodhrans etc etc (now I'm regurgitating my moan from a previous thread)... but yes, ideal combination of well-played fiddle, pipes, dropped-D guitar (or mandola), sweet 2-row box, Danny-type flute, bodhran - 6 instruments, 5 players. I'd want *loadsa* thought and effort put into arrangements to highlight the instruments, especially the pipes, as when going full pelt sometimes another melody instrument is superfluous to the sound....good voice for ballads, failing that, then the songs to be *really* funny.. if the voice doesn't sound good then I at least want to enjoy the words! And so does the audience. Phew. There. I said it.
Don't chooose on the basis of instruments atall. Pick the five players you know who get on best and play best together. You might end up with five fiddles or a more standard flute fiddle guitar et. but the important thing is they play well together and get on well.
Michael has perhaps answered the slightly different but closely related question: "You're on your way to a session you attend regularly - if you can choose who will be there, who will you choose".
It's one that is sometimes in my mind on the way to a sesh - sometimes you get what you want, sometimes theres someone or something you don't like. Sometimes you wish you'd stayed home with a crate of Bass and a pie.
Zina - when we finally meet, don't forget you already want to kill me.
It's all very exciting - I don't think I've ever had a death threat over the internet before. I've had them in sessions. There was a guy being a real pain at our sesh one night, so when he went to the loo, El Grumpo and I went and stood in the doorway and refused to let him back in - oh boy we got some death threats that night - but it was all talk, because we were a lot bigger than him and his mates put together.
What 5 instruments would you choose?
What 5 instruments would you choose?
If you were going to set up a band to play traditional Irish music and were limited to 5 players, what would be your ideal combination of instruments and why?
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
5 flutes. Muwahaha!
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by jerball
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Flute and fiddle are my favourites to provide melody. Their sound is just magic. Considering that most fluters can play whistle and low whistle as well, that covers a lot of ground.
Then for the rythym section, I't depends on the sound you want to get. If you prefer an, lets put it this way, old flavour sound, I'd go for piano. If you prefer something more contemporary, I'd go for bouzouki or mandolin.
A good bodhrán is always welcomed, although I wouldn't spend one position of the starting five strictly on it. Some of the players could play bodhran and then you get another position for melody or backing.
That leaves one last intrument to be chosen. I'd go for the box (button accordion), but you might prefer a piper or banjo player instead, for more sound variation. I think the box goes really well with flute & fiddle.
So my lineup woud be: flute, fiddle, box, bouzouki and bodhrán (last one can be substituted if any of the others can provide percussion)
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Toni Ribas
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
You said 5 players - does that mean each player is restricted to one instrument? If so then it's flute, fiddle, box, tame banjo and subtle guitar. Check out previous thread:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1319
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Pipes
Flute
Fiddle
Concertina
Bouzouki
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Hanley
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Gotta have pipes or I won't pay them any mind...
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Hanley
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Personally, I'd rather work with a trio
Pipes
Fiddle
Bouzouki
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Hanley
Multi-instrumentalists rule
Yeah, I'd look for a guitar player who can also play bouzouki (so I guess Zan MacLeod), a fluter/whistler who can box/concertina (so, John Williams, right?), a piper who can whistle and possibly flute, a fiddler, and a banjo who can fiddle (so John Carr), preferably with somebody also able to play the bodhran.
Short of that, though, I guess it'd be piper, fluter, box, fiddle, guitar, though I'm not set in stone on that. I like just about all of 'em and all combos of 'em.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Zina Lee
Oh, and hopefully someone or more than one someones can sing.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
cthuilleanpiper - you got it right the first time. That was the exact line-up of a band called "Columba", who were based in Dublin in the early 80s(?). I only heard them ever play 2 tracks on RTE - "Colonel Fraser" and the "Gold Ring", so they were obviously into pipe tunes in a big way. Maeve Donnelly was on fiddle, I think Eoin Kenny on pipes, and his brother Niall on concertina - didn't hear the names of flute and bouzouki player. I never heard any more of them as a band after that broadcast, but they had a lovely mellow sound, and I don't think I've ever heard a better combination of instruments. Anybody have any information about them?
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Kenny
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Stylophone (As per Rolf Harris), shakey egg, set of spoons, kazoo, and washboard. :--))
No seriously. Fiddle, flute, button box, CBOM type instrument(Cittern, Bouzouki, octave mandola) or guitar, a Mandolin(Why not?) or tenor banjo. I suppose !!!! some form of percussion might be required but this would make it a total of six if you were able to argue that a bodhran was an instrument.
John
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by John J.
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
You can't do without the pipes! They're the spell of it all.
So, for me, it would be: pipes, flute, fiddle, a free reed, and the bodhran.
I don't want to start another topic here and I know you're joking John, but let's stop "making fun" of that subtle percussion instrument (in good hands of course, but have you ever heard a fiddle played by a novice?).
Bart
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Bart
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Oh God, don't ask them to stop making fun, they'll keep it going just to wind you up, Bart. *grin*
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
banjo, bouzouki, box, fiddle, flute...
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Hey... what about the Whistle?
You can get away without pipes if you have a good whistle player.
Mandolin, Whistle/pipes, Bodhran, Fiddle and either Box or Piano for full on chording.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by alan_whistle
You can get away without pipes if you have a good whistle player.
No, you can't!! ; )
At any rate, a lot of melody players can play whistle anyway, as it was most likely their first instrument.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Hanley
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Well, considering that most places aren't exactly crawling with pipers begging and pleading to be in a band, they sort of have to. Get away without, I mean. *grin*
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Going back to the original posting... In the real world, 5 players would probably be able to play a great deal more in the way of instruments. So, the piper may also play flute and whistle etc, the fiddler might play mandolin, viola, mandolin player could play tenor banjo, bodhran player the shakey egg and so on.
Mike hasn't actually stipulated five INSTRUMENTS. We have just assumed that's what he meant.
John
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by John J.
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
But he is being Machiavellian by saying just 5 - all the heads here love *all* the Stuff, so this thread will be just one big argument over whom should we include or exclude. But, Zina, thanks for developing my point - a band of talented ultra-multi-instrumentalists is the thing to go for.
However, I suspect Mike was thinking of a band-sized band.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Oh, and most importantly, actually in some ways more important than the instruments, I'd have to get along personally and musically with everybody else, and everyone should have at least an approximate same way of looking at this stuff. Otherwise the band won't fly no matter what.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
You're right Danny, I wouldn't really CHOOSE to exclude any particular instrument - I just wanted to know what combinations other people thought worked - possibly though their own experiences.
Ideally to have multi -instrumentalists in the line up would be the best solution to any particular style of music or type of venue. However, sticking to the "rules" I would consider flute, pipes, fiddle, box and bazooka/guitar to be resonable ingredients to a pleasant evening.
The sound of the pipes, to me, epitomises Irish music. The fiddle/ flute combination is always very special, as is box (any) and guitar/bazouki - sorry I can't make my mind up between the last two. It's nice to have the bass of the guitar, but on the other hand, it's good to have the melodic versatility of the bazouki!!
Ah well, see who turns up first!!!
Cheers
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
You can take as many bodhran as you want as the only limit was five instruments (preferably musical).
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Don't jest about it Geoff - I've been in sessions like that. Or rather I've looked in through the door then made my excuses then left. 6 bodhrans, 5 shakey eggs, 2 rainsticks and a partridge in a pear tree. All playing Christmas Eve.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Your not wrong, I used to attend a Sunday tune session regularly, up country where I grew up, from about the age of 12, right up until I was 25 - it's where I learnt my "trade".
I don't think I could face going back there again as about 6 months ago I went in to find that all the fine instrumentalists had been replaced by a single fiddle that sounded like somebody ironing a cat, a whistle player who was attracting a menagerie of nocturnal beasts with his ultrasonic blowing technique, a guy with timpanesque proportion turkish percussion, half a dozen suicidal singer/songwriter guitarists ("now that you've gone....I'm going to find something sharp and poke myself in the eye with it......now that you're gone" etc etc) and 5 rhythmically bereft bodrhani!!!
Sometimes you just have to leave!!!
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
mandola/bouzouki, fiddle, flute/whistle, concertina/box, pipes/bodhran.
# Posted on October 14th 2003 by kuec
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Yes - whistles played ultra-sharp and grossly overblown, Lambeg bodhrans etc etc (now I'm regurgitating my moan from a previous thread)... but yes, ideal combination of well-played fiddle, pipes, dropped-D guitar (or mandola), sweet 2-row box, Danny-type flute, bodhran - 6 instruments, 5 players. I'd want *loadsa* thought and effort put into arrangements to highlight the instruments, especially the pipes, as when going full pelt sometimes another melody instrument is superfluous to the sound....good voice for ballads, failing that, then the songs to be *really* funny.. if the voice doesn't sound good then I at least want to enjoy the words! And so does the audience. Phew. There. I said it.
Jim
# Posted on October 15th 2003 by Worldfiddler
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Don't chooose on the basis of instruments atall. Pick the five players you know who get on best and play best together. You might end up with five fiddles or a more standard flute fiddle guitar et. but the important thing is they play well together and get on well.
# Posted on October 15th 2003 by llig leahcim
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Fair point michael. Maybe not exactly what Mike had asked for, but worth saying anyway. Teamwork innit?
# Posted on October 15th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Michael has perhaps answered the slightly different but closely related question: "You're on your way to a session you attend regularly - if you can choose who will be there, who will you choose".
It's one that is sometimes in my mind on the way to a sesh - sometimes you get what you want, sometimes theres someone or something you don't like. Sometimes you wish you'd stayed home with a crate of Bass and a pie.
Dave
# Posted on October 15th 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Whoa -- Dave, you are NOT going to get me to go *there*...LOL That kind of list has a way of coming back to haunt one.... hehehe
# Posted on October 15th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Zina - when we finally meet, don't forget you already want to kill me.
It's all very exciting - I don't think I've ever had a death threat over the internet before. I've had them in sessions. There was a guy being a real pain at our sesh one night, so when he went to the loo, El Grumpo and I went and stood in the doorway and refused to let him back in - oh boy we got some death threats that night - but it was all talk, because we were a lot bigger than him and his mates put together.
By the way! How's the self-duetting coming on?
Dave
# Posted on October 16th 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
LOL -- all right, how about if I settle for giving you a sizeable bruise, then? Dow already has a backlog built up as well...
# Posted on October 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Self doo-wha? sorry, that one whizzed by me, I'm running on a total sleep deficit right now...
# Posted on October 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Hey Zina, (sizeable bruise and all that) - you're not by any chance a distant relation of Bruce Lee? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Ouch!
Jim
# Posted on October 16th 2003 by Worldfiddler
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
I rather fancy myself more along the lines of Usagi Yojimbo. Ryaaaaa! Cool beans. *grin*
# Posted on October 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
ahem.. back on the topic....... pipes, fiddle, flute, box and bouzouki, don't have to swap out, that combination is just fine with me!
# Posted on October 17th 2003 by Aine Ni Scully
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Three vibraslaps, a spoon and a whoopee cushion.
# Posted on October 17th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
I'm partial to the timbre I usually play with -
fiddle, whistle, mandolin, drop-D guitar, and a harmonium!
# Posted on October 19th 2003 by SteveM
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
Dadgad guitar - two flutes and two fiddles - heaven!
# Posted on October 24th 2003 by geoffmc
Re: What 5 instruments would you choose?
guitar/bouzouki, box/flute, fiddle, banjo, percussion/singer
# Posted on October 25th 2003 by banjopluckinjan