Comments

Kickass tunes

Kickass tunes

I bet there's a hundred and one threads on this site similar to this one but I'm relatively new and there's a lot of threads!

I'm looking for some new kickass tunes for my repertoire and was hoping people could throw me their favourites. In the interests of communism here's a few of mine:
High Drive, Pressed for time, Farewell to Chernobyl, Miss Shephards, Catharsis, Mouth of the Tobique, Maggie's Pancakes, Tongadale reel, Islay Rant

Obviously some tunes are better on different instruments, I'm a fiddle player personally. Incidentally, this site rocks! Can't believe I haven't used it before. But its no good for my procrastination habits!

Hannah

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by hannahcoutts

Re: Kickass tunes

Paddy Faheys number one http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/463 and Julia Delaney go well with Chernobyl. Craigs Pipes is a kickass tune especially when played by Paddy Keenan - good luck with the tunes!

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by RichardB

Re: Kickass tunes

farewell to erin, griffin from the bridge (coleman's cross), maple leaf, maud millar

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Ralex

Re: Kickass tunes

High Road to Linton - the version with four parts - that should keep you rocking for a while

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Jusa Nutter Eejit

Re: Kickass tunes

O'Rourke's reel, Boys of Malin and Gravel Walk not necessarily played together.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Bannerman

Re: Kickass tunes

The Wizard's Walk: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/885
But ssshh! I'll get my head kicked in if anyone finds out I gave you that one!

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Joe CSS

Re: Kickass tunes

Cheers! What a quick response.

I've heard of Wizards Walk in legend and I've got High Road to Linton and Gravel Walk down. I shall get on with adding the others to my tunebook and then all I have to do is learn them! I want to show off to my friends what cool tunes I know when I go to Whitby :)

Hannah

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by hannahcoutts

Re: Kickass tunes

If you like syncopated or lopsided / crunchy tunes, there's Staten Island, Willafjord, The Trip To Herve's.

Spootiskerry and Dusty Windowsills are good tunes.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by nicholas

Re: Kickass tunes

Interesting list posted by the originator of this thread – not an Irish tune among them. I don’t much care for the motive either – “ I want to show off to my friends what cool tunes I know”.
Ah , well – try these :

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1665

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2716

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1311

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3033

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2267

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4447

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Kenny

Re: Kickass tunes

Bloody puritan ;-)

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/248
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3367
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2510
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3076
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6837
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6943
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/16
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2063

Try these too.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Joe CSS

Re: Kickass tunes

Singing Stream; Guns of Magnificent Seven. Both reels that have a bit of syncopation to them.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Jason G

Re: Kickass tunes

I don't know about kickass tunes but some of those mentioned above are likely to get your "ass" kicked.

I get somewhat weary of these sessions where "the hits" are continually being churned out although one or two a night are OK.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Back for a while

Re: Kickass tunes

At the risk of being too obvious: Toss the Feathers, Humours of Tulla, Cooley's Reel

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Pablofromargentina

Re: Kickass tunes

Miss Susan Cooper (one of the few non-Irish in my repertoire)
Master Crowley's (not the nice easy one, the weird one, in Em or Dm [it's more kick-ass in Dm if you ask me])

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by seisflutes

Re: Kickass tunes

By the way, I can't even play Master Crowley's yet. I just know it kicks ass because this guy I know plays it.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by seisflutes

Re: Kickass tunes

At the risk of sounding self serving, I'll suggest Bang Your Frog on the Sofa. http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/371

I've never felt it sounded "Irish" at all, and it doesn't session particularly well. But it does fit in with the sorts of "catharsis" tunes Hannah lists in her first post.

For all of these reasons, I rarely play it myself.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Re: Kickass tunes

I like the 'Roaring Barmaid' - she's a syncopated lass.
It works with Maid at the Spinning Wheel.
Humours of Ballylaughlin is my favorite jig.

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by morning star

Re: Kickass tunes

Recently taken to playing pigeon on the gate over and over. Father O'Flynn's too. Star of Munster. Cooley's. Frank's Reel (syncopated? So what)

# Posted on August 3rd 2007 by copo24

Re: Kickass tunes

Corsie's goose, thats the one. If you can get Steve Cooney to back you on guitar, so much the better. The Dogs Among The Bushes aint bad either....or The Dublin Reel....or....Purple Haze!!!!!

# Posted on August 4th 2007 by strayaway

Re: Kickass tunes

One for the Record. Bonaparte's Retreat.

# Posted on August 4th 2007 by cathrynb

Re: Kickass tunes

Donegal Tinker, Shetland Fiddler, Oak Tree, Seanmach Tubestation, Kickin' Up the Devil on a Holiday, Japanese Hornpipe. Old standards Farewell to Ireland and The Gravel Walks

# Posted on August 5th 2007 by banjobabe

Re: Kickass tunes

"Interesting list posted by the originator of this thread – not an Irish tune among them. I don’t much care for the motive either – “ I want to show off to my friends what cool tunes I know”. "

In my defence, Kenny, (not that I think I should need to defend myself), this is me being sick of the same tunes played every week at my session and wanting to find some new tunes to get sick of. I live in Scotland so I guess maybe there's a bias towards scottishness in the tunes I listed although I don't choose what tunes I like based on their origin.

I can see that I sounded a bit vapid with the last statement you made, I suppose I should have worded it "learn some cool tunes and then share them with my friends so we can have a good time playing them". Sorry for offending your sensibilities, and thanks for the list desipte the offence!

# Posted on August 5th 2007 by hannahcoutts

Re: Kickass tunes

Fair play, Hannah.

# Posted on August 5th 2007 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Re: Kickass tunes

No offence to me, Hannah. I'm sure that's what you meant the first time, - hope some of the tunes mentioned above are to your liking. Playing around St.Andrews - do you know Nick and Deborah ?

# Posted on August 5th 2007 by Kenny

Re: Kickass tunes

Thanks for the impetus to start using this website properly finally with it being the immoderately termed, but enticing title of 'kickass tunes'. I've downloaded all the ones with links into my tune book just now and am mentally fortifying myself towards going that extra mile and typing in the rest. As a converting fiddler and beginner dancer this should get my cletic blood astirring.

# Posted on August 5th 2007 by fiddlebd

Re: Kickass tunes

How about............

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2639
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5270 (actually written in B major but normally played in A, even by the writer. Never heard it in G
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3854
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4791
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7335
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2686
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5921

Mostly Scottish but they're all been done really well by Irish bands. Hope you like them

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by bogman

Re: Kickass tunes

Kenny, If they're the Nick and Deborah who play banjo, fiddle and flute between them then yep. They come down to the session every so often.

Fiddledd, thanks! I always find threads with enticing names do better as opposed to "all my tunes are boring and crap"!

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by hannahcoutts

Re: Kickass tunes

I've known Nick and Deborah too over many years and meet them at various festivals. They'll probably be at Auctermuchty this weekend.
Unfortunately, it's not been quite so good for sessions in the last few years as The Hollies is closed and the Royal is "hanging by a tack". So, the two better pubs...The Cycle and Forest Hills tend to be a bit overcrowded and noisy.

Hope I didn't offend you either, Hannah.
It's just that many of the tunes mentioned by yourself and others here are very "fashionable" in Scottish sessions. They're mostly all good tunes, of course, but they crop up with increasing regularity. I can quite understand why you might wish to learn more. ;-)
It can often get frustrating though when you do learn lots of great tunes and don't always get an opportunity to play them or to move in circles that do. Happens to me all the time.

However, for what's worth, I don't think that "forcing your tunes" on friends or fellow sessioners in the answer either. I realise that's not your intention now, of course.

One good thing about visiting different festivals/other sessions is that many of these tunes(those you've learned) will get played and you sometimes do get an opportunity to give them an airing ...at last. There's also the chance to listen to others (and their tunes) too which is probably more important in the long run.

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by Back for a while

Re: Kickass tunes

I had no idea those tunes were considered fashionable, just that they inspire me when I hear them and I enjoy playing them - the point, surely?!

I consider myself to be a very courteous sessioner and will avoid playing a tune if I think noone else will know it and in a small session will deliberately try to play tunes that as many people as possible know. However this can make for a very samey session week after week.

I hate people who use sessions to show off their party pieces as much as anyone, but my choice of tunes played in the comfort of my Whitby cottage with my mates is obviously not going to annoy anyone! The friends I was referring to don't live in Scotland and rarely attend sessions outside of Whitby festival so they're unlikely to see them as tired 'hits'.

I'm sure I'll get all irished up at Whitby, where the scottish sessions are thin on the ground :)

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by hannahcoutts

Re: Kickass tunes

Tuttles goes well with Julie Delaney

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by IJ Shelton

Re: Kickass tunes

"I consider myself to be a very courteous sessioner"

I'm sure you are and no offence meant.

Don't worry about getting "all irished up" either. I know this is a predominantly Irish site but there's no compulsion to plough an exclusively Irish music path or even to play it all. Of course, many here would disagree. :-)

# Posted on August 6th 2007 by Back for a while

Re: Kickass tunes

Oh, and one more: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7588
Definitely kicks ass.

# Posted on August 7th 2007 by Joe CSS

Re: Kickass tunes

If anyone has the music or recording for The Foggy Dew or Johnny Cope--please post it.

# Posted on August 9th 2007 by zinnia

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