In Larsheen's recent thread we talked about a type of session where people are willing to slow down and talk about the music, listen to one another, maybe even teach each other tunes - as well as just rip through sets of tunes for the fun of it.
Let me define my idea of a "perfect" session. Small - maybe 2-6 people. Not a slow "learners" session, rather one where people who can play reasonably well, or better than that, are willing to share and listen to tunes as well as play sets together. Where it's okay to know the names of tunes ---or not!
The kind of session where if somebody might say "That's a different turning to the B part of that tune than I have. Could you let me hear it again?" Or "That was a great reel, could you play it over a few more times so I can try to get hold of it?" Where it's okay to play a tune nobody knows - or a different setting - but long stretches of playing together are also possible.
I would be interested to know how many of you have experienced sessions like this, or maybe even go to one regularly. Do you love it, or would this type of session be your worst nightmare?
I used to travel over an hour to a small session which was stuggling to survive. One week only the fiddler and I turned up. We spent the whole night swapping tunes and settings. It was the best of all the sessions I attended there.
That's a fair description of our Wednesday Night session. About six people, with a couple of irregular visitors. A good chance to play new instruments with plenty of sympathetic 'cover' and try out new tunes. I can't think of any other situation where I'd get the chance to air my rudimentary box-playing with the discipline that 'playing in public' imposes (i.e. feeling obliged to make it all the way to the end, in time, without the luxury of being able to bail out because there's no-one to hear).
When a bunch of people drop in to the pub to listen, though, we tend to revert to 'professional session mode' .... or as near to that as we can(!)
I go to two session a week (most weeks) in the same venue. On Wednesday nights it's a big session and a very welcome session. Ok, it is a very formal session but it works well. It is indeed a "You're covered" session but I have great craic every time I go down.
Friday night session in the other room are less formal because teenagers in the venue arn't allowed to be in the bar after 9 o clock. We have a small session between ourselves but it's great because anything goes and we're always exchanging tunes and it's a lot easier to relate to people on Fridays because they're my age. A mix of both is healthy though, I think.
My favorite session is like this. The owner tries to limit it to five players at a time. If it is the right players, it can be great. If you don't have the right mix, though, it can tend to be difficult to sustain the energy. And variety in the instruments is essential. (although a recent night was me and three fiddles, very nice)
I like them both! I was very down on big sessions until the one we started up in Rockaway NJ. We have had up to about 30 musicians, a great guest host each time, and the music tends to be pretty high test. Not everyone is playing all the time of course, people get up, eat, drink, talk, dance whatever. Still I'd say we generally have about 15 going at once at least. Later in the evening people get up and mill around and leave etc.so it tones down some.
The key to a large session I think is to have at least a few sort of dominant players carrying things along. Not that people aren't asked around to start tunes and all....though in a real big session the sequence tends to fall apart, unfortunatley some get offended where no offense was meant.
If there are no dominant players, and what I mean are people who just know lots of tunes, are very confident and strong players, I don't mean people "top-dogging" each other or running over them etc. then a large session can fall apart and become chaotic, everyone going at a different speed etc. You need some strong players and good rhythm section who can keep the timing on track and then the music can be really together, almost orchestral at times. We have recordings of these sessions and they sound really good. It may be hard to hear each other due to background noise at these, but the mikes pick everyone up and the recordings sound better than people tend to remember the session.
Small ones with a few people you love to play with are best, though I really enjoy our huge one thorougly for a change.
Yes, in big session I think "leaders", for the want of a better word, are good to have. In smaller sessions (under 8 or so) it's not so bad but when there is more than that, it can easily fall apart.
This kind of session?
This kind of session?
In Larsheen's recent thread we talked about a type of session where people are willing to slow down and talk about the music, listen to one another, maybe even teach each other tunes - as well as just rip through sets of tunes for the fun of it.
---or not!
Let me define my idea of a "perfect" session. Small - maybe 2-6 people. Not a slow "learners" session, rather one where people who can play reasonably well, or better than that, are willing to share and listen to tunes as well as play sets together. Where it's okay to know the names of tunes
The kind of session where if somebody might say "That's a different turning to the B part of that tune than I have. Could you let me hear it again?" Or "That was a great reel, could you play it over a few more times so I can try to get hold of it?" Where it's okay to play a tune nobody knows - or a different setting - but long stretches of playing together are also possible.
I would be interested to know how many of you have experienced sessions like this, or maybe even go to one regularly. Do you love it, or would this type of session be your worst nightmare?
# Posted on April 15th 2006 by kris
Re: This kind of session?
That's my favourite type of sesh.
I used to travel over an hour to a small session which was stuggling to survive. One week only the fiddler and I turned up. We spent the whole night swapping tunes and settings. It was the best of all the sessions I attended there.
Eno
# Posted on April 15th 2006 by bc_box_player
Re: This kind of session?
That's a fair description of our Wednesday Night session. About six people, with a couple of irregular visitors. A good chance to play new instruments with plenty of sympathetic 'cover' and try out new tunes. I can't think of any other situation where I'd get the chance to air my rudimentary box-playing with the discipline that 'playing in public' imposes (i.e. feeling obliged to make it all the way to the end, in time, without the luxury of being able to bail out because there's no-one to hear).
When a bunch of people drop in to the pub to listen, though, we tend to revert to 'professional session mode' .... or as near to that as we can(!)
# Posted on April 15th 2006 by Ottery
Re: This kind of session?
I go to two session a week (most weeks) in the same venue. On Wednesday nights it's a big session and a very welcome session. Ok, it is a very formal session but it works well. It is indeed a "You're covered" session but I have great craic every time I go down.
Friday night session in the other room are less formal because teenagers in the venue arn't allowed to be in the bar after 9 o clock. We have a small session between ourselves but it's great because anything goes and we're always exchanging tunes and it's a lot easier to relate to people on Fridays because they're my age. A mix of both is healthy though, I think.
# Posted on April 15th 2006 by 52Paddy
Re: This kind of session?
You're describing most of the sessions I've been to. Here in SF and across the pond.
# Posted on April 15th 2006 by Farr
Re: This kind of session?
My favorite session is like this. The owner tries to limit it to five players at a time. If it is the right players, it can be great. If you don't have the right mix, though, it can tend to be difficult to sustain the energy. And variety in the instruments is essential. (although a recent night was me and three fiddles, very nice)
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: This kind of session?
I like them both! I was very down on big sessions until the one we started up in Rockaway NJ. We have had up to about 30 musicians, a great guest host each time, and the music tends to be pretty high test. Not everyone is playing all the time of course, people get up, eat, drink, talk, dance whatever. Still I'd say we generally have about 15 going at once at least. Later in the evening people get up and mill around and leave etc.so it tones down some.
The key to a large session I think is to have at least a few sort of dominant players carrying things along. Not that people aren't asked around to start tunes and all....though in a real big session the sequence tends to fall apart, unfortunatley some get offended where no offense was meant.
If there are no dominant players, and what I mean are people who just know lots of tunes, are very confident and strong players, I don't mean people "top-dogging" each other or running over them etc. then a large session can fall apart and become chaotic, everyone going at a different speed etc. You need some strong players and good rhythm section who can keep the timing on track and then the music can be really together, almost orchestral at times. We have recordings of these sessions and they sound really good. It may be hard to hear each other due to background noise at these, but the mikes pick everyone up and the recordings sound better than people tend to remember the session.
Small ones with a few people you love to play with are best, though I really enjoy our huge one thorougly for a change.
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by irisnevins
Re: This kind of session?
Yes, in big session I think "leaders", for the want of a better word, are good to have. In smaller sessions (under 8 or so) it's not so bad but when there is more than that, it can easily fall apart.
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by 52Paddy