I should be cutting the hedge but it's piddling rain this morning so I thought I would give a final update on my little harmless survey as to what instrument, members here play as their main choice. This was back in June at http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/13966 and there were a grand total (roughly!!) of 72 replies:
fiddlers - 20
fluters - 15
mand/ baz - 8
whistlers - 7
banjos - 5
box - 5
pipes - 4
harmonica - 2
bodhrán - 2
concertina - 1
harp - 1
guitar - 2
that's roughly proportioned: 30% bowed - fiddle, 30% wind - flute& whistle, 18% pluckers, 8% button pushers + 14% others.
So if one went along to a typical session involving 10 of these people, one might expect 3 fiddles, 3 whistle/ fluters, 2 mandos/ banjos etc., 1 box and perhaps an odd bodhran or concertina or pipes or even harp on the off day. Sound like your lot?! Probably not but mightn't be too far out, I would guess. Before anyone points it out, you could look down the above thread and come up with a different answer as many people gave multiple instruments and I just took the first on the list.
But it does bring to mind that this Session community here is probably very representative of the ITM community across the world as a whole. i.e. if you went to Willie Week or Celtic Connections or a CCE Fleadh and asked the same question, the answers would be skewed by various factors including geographic location, the music on offer, classes offered or competition classes etc. The answers here are skewed by the fact that the choice to participate is self selecting, the thread is only visible for a day or so, regular members prob. answer mostly and these would not be typical of ITM musicians as a whole anyway. Not hard to figure the latter out.
But I do note, that the number of members on thesession.org now exceeds 30,000. That's a pretty big number even allowing that some are probably multiple entries for same person and many are probably people who join and look in once or twice. It must be typical of the ITM community as it would include both experienced and novice musicians from a wide range of countries. Anyone for a full members survey!! I'm sure yous can come up with a list of suitably inane questions such as 'your fav. tune'... 'what beer do you drink' ..'how often do you visit the jacks' etc. ...
Have to agree that these results typifie most sessions I've been to apart from the placings for the bodhrán and concertina which I thought would have been higher in the ranks. But then I suppose this is the nature of trad where the concertina would be more prevalent in Munster and particularly in Clare.
On the other matter of member participation I've always been puzzled by the small number of regular posters (usual susects!) who take part in discussions out of such a massive potential audience. Maybe we need a new thread on the lines of "is there anybody there?" - like a roll call!
Forums are like churches in that many more "belong" than are "active". If you go tired of a forum, you're not likely to visit it again just to pull your name off the list. Especially if it's an alias anyway.
Does the survey only include your main instrument? So many people I know play many instruments. While fiddle is my main passion, I'm still learning whistle, banjo, and working on the DADGAD guitar tuning. My wife and I just bought a concertina, so soon I'll be represented in all four of your categories.
Sorry to ramble... don't usually do that, but it's so nice to have a relaxing Saturday.
Instrument Survey results etc.
Instrument Survey results etc.
I should be cutting the hedge but it's piddling rain this morning so I thought I would give a final update on my little harmless survey as to what instrument, members here play as their main choice. This was back in June at http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/13966 and there were a grand total (roughly!!) of 72 replies:
fiddlers - 20
fluters - 15
mand/ baz - 8
whistlers - 7
banjos - 5
box - 5
pipes - 4
harmonica - 2
bodhrán - 2
concertina - 1
harp - 1
guitar - 2
that's roughly proportioned: 30% bowed - fiddle, 30% wind - flute& whistle, 18% pluckers, 8% button pushers + 14% others.
So if one went along to a typical session involving 10 of these people, one might expect 3 fiddles, 3 whistle/ fluters, 2 mandos/ banjos etc., 1 box and perhaps an odd bodhran or concertina or pipes or even harp on the off day. Sound like your lot?! Probably not but mightn't be too far out, I would guess. Before anyone points it out, you could look down the above thread and come up with a different answer as many people gave multiple instruments and I just took the first on the list.
But it does bring to mind that this Session community here is probably very representative of the ITM community across the world as a whole. i.e. if you went to Willie Week or Celtic Connections or a CCE Fleadh and asked the same question, the answers would be skewed by various factors including geographic location, the music on offer, classes offered or competition classes etc. The answers here are skewed by the fact that the choice to participate is self selecting, the thread is only visible for a day or so, regular members prob. answer mostly and these would not be typical of ITM musicians as a whole anyway. Not hard to figure the latter out.
But I do note, that the number of members on thesession.org now exceeds 30,000. That's a pretty big number even allowing that some are probably multiple entries for same person and many are probably people who join and look in once or twice. It must be typical of the ITM community as it would include both experienced and novice musicians from a wide range of countries. Anyone for a full members survey!! I'm sure yous can come up with a list of suitably inane questions such as 'your fav. tune'... 'what beer do you drink' ..'how often do you visit the jacks' etc. ...
# Posted on August 11th 2007 by the wounded hussar
Re: Instrument Survey results etc.
Have to agree that these results typifie most sessions I've been to apart from the placings for the bodhrán and concertina which I thought would have been higher in the ranks. But then I suppose this is the nature of trad where the concertina would be more prevalent in Munster and particularly in Clare.
On the other matter of member participation I've always been puzzled by the small number of regular posters (usual susects!) who take part in discussions out of such a massive potential audience. Maybe we need a new thread on the lines of "is there anybody there?" - like a roll call!
# Posted on August 11th 2007 by Bannerman
Re: Instrument Survey results etc.
I second the idea of a roll call. 30,000 seems like a LOT of people and I'll bet the number of regulars is a tiny fraction of that.
# Posted on August 11th 2007 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Instrument Survey results etc.
Forums are like churches in that many more "belong" than are "active". If you go tired of a forum, you're not likely to visit it again just to pull your name off the list. Especially if it's an alias anyway.
Does the survey only include your main instrument? So many people I know play many instruments. While fiddle is my main passion, I'm still learning whistle, banjo, and working on the DADGAD guitar tuning. My wife and I just bought a concertina, so soon I'll be represented in all four of your categories.
Sorry to ramble... don't usually do that, but it's so nice to have a relaxing Saturday.
Best regards,
Nofrets
# Posted on August 11th 2007 by nofrets
Re: Instrument Survey results etc.
That was supposed to be "grow" tired. My 5th grade English teacher would be SO disappointed.
# Posted on August 11th 2007 by nofrets