I am seeking the names of tunes that would be most popular to be played at sessions. I specifically am in Minnesota, but are there universal hallmark tunes?
Thank you,
Sverre
You mean the URL link, Jim? Just type in the entire thing, using the http all the way through the end of the URL. It'll do it all by itself, clever Jeremy.
Or copy and paste the link from the address bar at the top of your screen. (In Explorer, copy and paste are under the "edit" function on your tool bar.)
Sverre, Alan Ng's site (http://www.irishtune.info/) includes an index of tunes, and smaller indices of the 100 most recorded tunes and also tunes commonly played at the sessions in Madison, Wisconsin. Also, the Minneapolis crew has a tune book that includes most of the repertoire for sessions at Kieran's and O'Gara's (not sure if that latter sesh is still running).
Y'know, I've only seen the thing once, many years ago, and I don't remember the title. I do recall being told that some of the transcriptions didn't mesh well with sessions elsewhere. But that's not uncommon among session tune collections.
You can also click on "Members", then "Tunebook" and this gives you a list of the most downloaded tunes on this site. As you will see Drowsey Maggie has been downloaded 331 times and The Kesh Jig 289 times so some people must like them
You could also check out David Mallinson's books-100 Essential, 100 Enduring, and 100 Evergreen Session tunes and 100 Irish polkas. Most of the standards are there and the settings aren't too far out.
Ah, but has Will maybe downloaded it himself all these times just to make "The Concertina Reel" appear less important, thus lessening the chances of its continued popularity?
Hah, John, go look at my tunebook--Bang Your Frog's not in there, not even once!
What miserable for me is that I rarely play the tune myself, but people ask for it, so I slaughter it every time. I'm sure there are brilliant players out there having a good lash at it (gold on banjo at the All-London Fleadh!), but I'm not one of them.
The other problem with tune collections is that the better ones are written by players, and the settings tend to favor whatever instrument that person plays. The tunebooks I put together for our local session are heavily fiddle oriented, though the third volume wanders into whistle and flute territory on some tunes. It can make a big difference. My version of Last Night's Fun for fiddle is far different from how Mary Bergin, say, plays it on whistle. It would be difficult at best to pick up a fiddle and play a transcription of Mary's setting, and vice versa, to play my setting on a whistle. So it goes.
Not surprisingly this question comes up fairly often. The Comhaltas Foinn Seisiun Books 1 & 2 should be a big help as not only do they contain most of the common session tunes but the settings are also what you'd hear at most sessions. Goto http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinn.htm for more information.
Heh, only just caught up with this one, Zina. Saw the discussion title and thought the official TheSession Web Ferret might swing into action. (Looks like you've been training up an Assistant Ferret, too.)
What are popular tunes to learn
What are popular tunes to learn
I am seeking the names of tunes that would be most popular to be played at sessions. I specifically am in Minnesota, but are there universal hallmark tunes?
Thank you,
Sverre
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Sverre
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Will Harmon's list is at http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/110
Don't be discouraged by how many there are. Just learn the ones you like at first. They'll come as they come.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Wow, that was our 110th thread, in 2001. Time flies when you're having. Wasn't that just yesterday?
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
You mean the URL link, Jim? Just type in the entire thing, using the http all the way through the end of the URL. It'll do it all by itself, clever Jeremy.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Geezz... I just did a search and came up with this thread:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/110/comments
...only to return and find that Zina's already posted it.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
*grin* This one comes up fairly frequently. I know JUST what to put in the search engine and what link it is, y'see.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
See, no secret to being The Web Ferret, Tish.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Or copy and paste the link from the address bar at the top of your screen. (In Explorer, copy and paste are under the "edit" function on your tool bar.)
Sverre, Alan Ng's site (http://www.irishtune.info/) includes an index of tunes, and smaller indices of the 100 most recorded tunes and also tunes commonly played at the sessions in Madison, Wisconsin. Also, the Minneapolis crew has a tune book that includes most of the repertoire for sessions at Kieran's and O'Gara's (not sure if that latter sesh is still running).
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Is that the Midwest Session tunebook, Will? If so, I have that one -- quite nice, although some of the settings are...interesting.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Y'know, I've only seen the thing once, many years ago, and I don't remember the title. I do recall being told that some of the transcriptions didn't mesh well with sessions elsewhere. But that's not uncommon among session tune collections.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
That's definately a problem, Will. Finding the names of common tunes is easy, but finding the common tune settings is another story.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
You can also click on "Members", then "Tunebook" and this gives you a list of the most downloaded tunes on this site. As you will see Drowsey Maggie has been downloaded 331 times and The Kesh Jig 289 times so some people must like them
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by John J.
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
You could also check out David Mallinson's books-100 Essential, 100 Enduring, and 100 Evergreen Session tunes and 100 Irish polkas. Most of the standards are there and the settings aren't too far out.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by John J.
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
I note that Bang Your Frog has been requested more times than the Salamanca, the Concertina, and Man of the House. Amazing.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Ah, but has Will maybe downloaded it himself all these times just to make "The Concertina Reel" appear less important, thus lessening the chances of its continued popularity?
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by John J.
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Hah, John, go look at my tunebook--Bang Your Frog's not in there, not even once!
What miserable for me is that I rarely play the tune myself, but people ask for it, so I slaughter it every time. I'm sure there are brilliant players out there having a good lash at it (gold on banjo at the All-London Fleadh!), but I'm not one of them.
The other problem with tune collections is that the better ones are written by players, and the settings tend to favor whatever instrument that person plays. The tunebooks I put together for our local session are heavily fiddle oriented, though the third volume wanders into whistle and flute territory on some tunes. It can make a big difference. My version of Last Night's Fun for fiddle is far different from how Mary Bergin, say, plays it on whistle. It would be difficult at best to pick up a fiddle and play a transcription of Mary's setting, and vice versa, to play my setting on a whistle. So it goes.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Not surprisingly this question comes up fairly often. The Comhaltas Foinn Seisiun Books 1 & 2 should be a big help as not only do they contain most of the common session tunes but the settings are also what you'd hear at most sessions. Goto http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinn.htm for more information.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Bannerman
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
That reminds me Will, I have yet to receive the $10 you said you'd send me if I added "Bang Your Frog" to my tunebook.
hahaha
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Yes, Will, that's why I like your tunebooks.
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
(Shhh...Jack, most of my 'friends' here only got $2 to put BYF in their tunebooks. And I went through several rolls of Canadian 'twonies.'
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Ok. Any tunes for ultimate frisbee?
# Posted on July 13th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Yes, I will gladly take ultimate frisbee tunes as well, Irish ones preferrably. Perhaps there's a forum...
# Posted on July 14th 2004 by Sverre
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
I would show up at your local session(s) with a pen and paper. Ask the names of the tunes and come back to this site (or others) to obtain them.
It does you no good to know the tune(s) of the moment in Montanta (sorry...) if hardly anyone in Minnesota plays them...
Schy
# Posted on July 15th 2004 by Schy
Re: What are popular tunes to learn
Heh, only just caught up with this one, Zina. Saw the discussion title and thought the official TheSession Web Ferret might swing into action. (Looks like you've been training up an Assistant Ferret, too.)
# Posted on July 15th 2004 by Tish