The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Merry Christmas everybody - especially the lovely Jeremy.
Around 20-25 years ago a science journal (I can't remember if it was Science or New Scientist) ran an editorial at Christmas time, which said something like:
"So we've come to the end of 19-- and we've now answered all the questions known to science, except for 'When it snows, who brushes the snow out of the bowl at Jodrell Bank?' (this refers to the Jodrell Bank radio telescope - basically a steerable 250 foot side satellite dish).
Now it just so happened that at that time I worked just next door to Jodrell Bank, and my mate's dad was the site director responsible for disposing of snow from the bowl.
So - here in TheSession world, we've had answered for us all the great questions about The Music - or have we? What, in the world of Irish Traditional Music, is the BIG unanswered question of 2005?
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What are the rules of ettiquette for a session?
What are the regional fiddles styles, and more importantly, which one is better than all the others?
and
Which is more important, accompaniment or melody?
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
I get a good view of Jodrell Bank telescope from the window of my 8th floor flat in sunny Eccles, in fact it points towards me some times in the evening; they may be looking for intelligent life in the Lamb.
Why does playing such life-enhancing joyous music produce the occasional miserable bastard?
Re: The Big Unanswered Question(s) in Irish Traditional Music
*Do you, in fact, really _want_ your old lobby washed down?
*With what frequency do cockle shells turn silver bells?
*<Christy Moore voice> An' hoo arrr yoo, me pritty fayer maid, 'an hoo arr yoo, me hun-nay?
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Some good ones there alright. Although, obviously you don't like bodhrans Rosh. I think one is good in a small session (up to 15 people) and after I would have one more but NEVER would I have more than 2 bodhrans in a session.
And since someone mentioned amps for mandolin....
....its a co-incidence that last Friday I was at the session I go to and I was playing my mandola (like a mandolin but a bit bassier, still quiet though). We did "Geese in the Bog" the "Connaught Man Rambles". Next tune should be "Out on the Ocean" so I continued to play it but everyone else forgot it and they couldn't hear my instrument it was that low. Quite funny so I just shouted out the name and they joined in.
But then the bass guitarist beside me (yes, I know. I wasn't fond of it but it was Christmas so he was allowed in or something like that) advised that we should get the mandola a pickup and plug it in. But it was only a joke.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
There are no big unanswered questions in ITM, we have answered them all, and the answers are all contained in the increasingly massive discussion section of this website.
Now, which answer is which, and which are the correct answers? I will leave the proof of that as an exercise for the student.....
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
If you think about it, you can come it with some logical reason as to how and why a certain tune got its name.
Obvious are ones like "Tulla Reel", "Humours of Ennistymon" and "Siege of Ennis" which are Clare tunes, duh!
But take "Tripping up the Stairs". I thought it would be referring to some husband arriving home late and him drunk. Falling up the stairs on his way to bed and maybe his wife, son or daughter composed it. Theres no telling but its something to occupy yourself anyway.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Maireado, isn't it: why does every Tune Name have 20 different tunes attached to it? 7 reels, 4 jigs, 3 hornpipes, 3 polkas, a mazurka, a march and a slow air. And of course the Purist KGB at the Politburo will endlessly tell us that the slow air always came first.
But closely related, my actual Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music, is more like, does a 100% IRISH traditional music session still exist, playing purely genuine Irish tunes wholly by Irish men/women, on purely traditional (so-called) Irish instruments, outside Ireland, but come to think of it, even in Ireland, nowadays?
100%, remember.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
But let's not side step the Medium Sized Question, which of course is: What is the eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel? (I know I have). Sorry to hear about your Flo, er I mean flu, btw, Danny. See you next week.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Danny - Come to that, why does every tune have 20 different names attached to it.
Of course the slow air came first, because people used to have more time to play and listen. Now we have to try and squeeze in a quick set of reels whilst microwaving our dinner or waiting for the super-high-speed electric kettle to boil. All this technology supposedly 'saves time' - so where does it put all the time it saves? Don't know about traditional music, but that's the mountainous unanswered question in the world today.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
AH! It's obvious - all the saved time is kept at number 42 (although, by now, the amount of time saved ought to fill more than one house). All that remains now is to find the name of the street and the post (or ZIP) code. Perhaps it's 42nd Street.
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Prof. Max - Happy Hanuka.
The eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel is, as most respectable quantum ethnomusicologists involved in the field of the wave tectonic flow model of the hyper-semiotics relating to the semantic spin hypothesis, have agreed that it is exactly the same as that found in a previous exhaustive study, involving Over the Moor to Maggie and The Bird in the Bush.
Since the Eigenfunction can only = 1, or = 0.5, it came as a surprise to many observers, that these tunes, despite their power and popularity, only achieved an eigenfunction = 1.
Huge schisms within the field have followed, many previously respected quantum ethnomusicologists having lost their Chairs, so they had to sit off the carpet at story time, in the corner with the other naughty professors.
Who knows what the future holds?
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What is the eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel? I've almost got it worked out. I think it's a third-order Bessel function. No, wait, the ornamentation threw me off. Damn, gotta start over!
The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Merry Christmas everybody - especially the lovely Jeremy.
Around 20-25 years ago a science journal (I can't remember if it was Science or New Scientist) ran an editorial at Christmas time, which said something like:
"So we've come to the end of 19-- and we've now answered all the questions known to science, except for 'When it snows, who brushes the snow out of the bowl at Jodrell Bank?' (this refers to the Jodrell Bank radio telescope - basically a steerable 250 foot side satellite dish).
Now it just so happened that at that time I worked just next door to Jodrell Bank, and my mate's dad was the site director responsible for disposing of snow from the bowl.
So - here in TheSession world, we've had answered for us all the great questions about The Music - or have we? What, in the world of Irish Traditional Music, is the BIG unanswered question of 2005?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Which way really IS the right way to play it?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Whatever the question is, the answer's got to be 42.
Trevor
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Trevor Jennings
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What are the rules of ettiquette for a session?
What are the regional fiddles styles, and more importantly, which one is better than all the others?
and
Which is more important, accompaniment or melody?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by kjay_bc_box
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
;)
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by kjay_bc_box
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
whose round is it?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by RichardB
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
IS McGoldrick the best folk musician of 2005?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by NeilC
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Did we have enough to drink to play this tune?
Is that song really necessary?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Dark Raven
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Is it time to drop the "Irish" prefix?
How many actual `Irish` tunes are here in the session`s database?
Nollaig Shona daoibhse uilig.
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by cos
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
You love a tune until you learn it & finally nail it, at which point you completely lose interest in it.
Why??!!
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by farmer barleymow
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
This happens to me with women,funnily enough,Snuff!!
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by cos
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Big unanswered (kind of) question on the session:
Is copyright good or bad?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by copo24
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Snuff and Richard B have the two most appropriate and should win a prize at the next Gradam Ceoil for their creativity.
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Aberandy
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
why aren't there there any tunes in the key of Bmajor
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Ripthecalico
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
I get a good view of Jodrell Bank telescope from the window of my 8th floor flat in sunny Eccles, in fact it points towards me some times in the evening; they may be looking for intelligent life in the Lamb.
Why does playing such life-enhancing joyous music produce the occasional miserable bastard?
Merry Christmas
PP
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Pied Piper
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What are all those other notes for?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by McMandolin
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Is that ........... (instrument) really necessary?
(Insert Shakey-Egg / 2nd Bodhran / 5th Banjo / 10th Guitar)
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by geoffwright
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Will mandolin players finally allowed to bring in an amp?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by improziv
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
"Whose round is it?"
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Innocent Bystander
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Damn! It's been done! Sorry RichardB (It was a good one though, wasn't it!)
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Innocent Bystander
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Where the @#%# did I leave my Copeland whistle?????
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Ailin
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What's the name of that tune you just played ?
(Knowing the county it came from is NOT an acceptable answer.)
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Is The Fields of Athenry the only truly 'Seltic'music?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Where does your lap go when you stand up?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Wurzel
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
why did my reed go wonky on the only tune I can play with you guys??? HUH? HUH????
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by I_Fel
Re: The Big Unanswered Question(s) in Irish Traditional Music
*Do you, in fact, really _want_ your old lobby washed down?
*With what frequency do cockle shells turn silver bells?
*<Christy Moore voice> An' hoo arrr yoo, me pritty fayer maid, 'an hoo arr yoo, me hun-nay?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by sts
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
For how much longer will I reign supreme?
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Why do the spoons need to exist?
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by cathrynb
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Who invented the bodhran, and why is this form of torture not yet illegal??
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by Rosh
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Some good ones there alright. Although, obviously you don't like bodhrans Rosh. I think one is good in a small session (up to 15 people) and after I would have one more but NEVER would I have more than 2 bodhrans in a session.
And since someone mentioned amps for mandolin....
....its a co-incidence that last Friday I was at the session I go to and I was playing my mandola (like a mandolin but a bit bassier, still quiet though). We did "Geese in the Bog" the "Connaught Man Rambles". Next tune should be "Out on the Ocean" so I continued to play it but everyone else forgot it and they couldn't hear my instrument it was that low. Quite funny so I just shouted out the name and they joined in.
But then the bass guitarist beside me (yes, I know. I wasn't fond of it but it was Christmas so he was allowed in or something like that) advised that we should get the mandola a pickup and plug it in. But it was only a joke.
Good night that.
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by 52Paddy
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Cathryn: that one's easy. Because soup goes right through the fork.
Happy holidays.
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Whatever the question; music is the answer.
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Zina, you're so right. LOL. Hope you had a great Solstice.
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by cathrynb
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Who put the dley in diddley?
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by ∅
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
This music seems too simple to have been created by an unknown superior intelligence. Did it just evolve?
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by grego
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
There are no big unanswered questions in ITM, we have answered them all, and the answers are all contained in the increasingly massive discussion section of this website.
Now, which answer is which, and which are the correct answers? I will leave the proof of that as an exercise for the student.....
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by AlBrown
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
To answer at least one of theses -it's y round lol
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by breandan
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
One of the beautiful things about ITM is that some of the biggest questions can't really be answered.
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Why does every tune have about 20 names?!
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by Mairéado
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
If you think about it, you can come it with some logical reason as to how and why a certain tune got its name.
Obvious are ones like "Tulla Reel", "Humours of Ennistymon" and "Siege of Ennis" which are Clare tunes, duh!
But take "Tripping up the Stairs". I thought it would be referring to some husband arriving home late and him drunk. Falling up the stairs on his way to bed and maybe his wife, son or daughter composed it. Theres no telling but its something to occupy yourself anyway.
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by 52Paddy
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
And why can I never remember any of them?
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by LowProfile
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Maireado, isn't it: why does every Tune Name have 20 different tunes attached to it? 7 reels, 4 jigs, 3 hornpipes, 3 polkas, a mazurka, a march and a slow air. And of course the Purist KGB at the Politburo will endlessly tell us that the slow air always came first.
But closely related, my actual Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music, is more like, does a 100% IRISH traditional music session still exist, playing purely genuine Irish tunes wholly by Irish men/women, on purely traditional (so-called) Irish instruments, outside Ireland, but come to think of it, even in Ireland, nowadays?
100%, remember.
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
But let's not side step the Medium Sized Question, which of course is: What is the eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel? (I know I have). Sorry to hear about your Flo, er I mean flu, btw, Danny. See you next week.
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by pfft
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Danny - Come to that, why does every tune have 20 different names attached to it.
Of course the slow air came first, because people used to have more time to play and listen. Now we have to try and squeeze in a quick set of reels whilst microwaving our dinner or waiting for the super-high-speed electric kettle to boil. All this technology supposedly 'saves time' - so where does it put all the time it saves? Don't know about traditional music, but that's the mountainous unanswered question in the world today.
# Posted on December 25th 2005 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
AH! It's obvious - all the saved time is kept at number 42 (although, by now, the amount of time saved ought to fill more than one house). All that remains now is to find the name of the street and the post (or ZIP) code. Perhaps it's 42nd Street.
# Posted on December 25th 2005 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Prof. Max - Happy Hanuka.
The eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel is, as most respectable quantum ethnomusicologists involved in the field of the wave tectonic flow model of the hyper-semiotics relating to the semantic spin hypothesis, have agreed that it is exactly the same as that found in a previous exhaustive study, involving Over the Moor to Maggie and The Bird in the Bush.
Since the Eigenfunction can only = 1, or = 0.5, it came as a surprise to many observers, that these tunes, despite their power and popularity, only achieved an eigenfunction = 1.
Huge schisms within the field have followed, many previously respected quantum ethnomusicologists having lost their Chairs, so they had to sit off the carpet at story time, in the corner with the other naughty professors.
Who knows what the future holds?
# Posted on December 26th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
What is the eigenfunction of the Flogging Reel? I've almost got it worked out. I think it's a third-order Bessel function. No, wait, the ornamentation threw me off. Damn, gotta start over!
# Posted on December 27th 2005 by Bob himself
Re: The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music
Is it farther to Tipperary, or by bus?
# Posted on December 28th 2005 by Graewulf