I've got a lot of tunes I've written, but I can never find others to listen to them or play them, and since I know this site isn't really for compositions, and I somehow can never find tunes that aren't already on here, I made a little site for my tunes. Do you think any of y'all could listen to them or try some of them and see if you like any of them?
Good, you've added the link to you 'Details' on site here too. You could also consider adding the ABCs for a few favourites there too, as others have done... Well done and considerate, I'll give your site and tunes a closer look later...
"since thesession.org isn't as composition-friendly" ~ from your homepage
~ that is not so well considered. There are TONS of compositions on this site and endless tunes and variations that are not yet on site. It is VERY composition-friendly, it is not so friendly toward the ego-maniacal that feel the need to swamp it with their own compositions... Saying there are no more tunes to find to contribute, well, the last person who said that EVERY slip jig in the world was already on site was slapped down with a flow of ones that weren't, basic slip jigs, not the bizarre which also exist...
My latest contribution, "Patrick's Reel", was from the muse of a Seán Ryan, a 'composition'. Seán Ryan was a wonderful musician and also has been the source of some lovely tunes. I have also contributed 'compositions' from the muse of several of our members, including variations on their tunes in the 'Comments' for those tunes on site here.
The problem is when someone is so full of themselves that they feel the urge to impress us all with their genius by adding a stream of 'new' melodies, one after the other, that are often, in my so humble opinion, cack, shight ~ showing little understanding or consideration for the 'tradition'. And no, I'm not a purist or stuck in a single slot. There is the occassional odd one, meter-key-melody-wise, that interests me...
Mostly, unlike a few, I let them slide, but when they hit 4 or 5 in a row, and if for some reason I'm feeling cantacerous, as recently, I might comment, but it takes 4 or 5 in a row to rile me up enough for me to act...
So, CORRECTIONS ~
1.) This is a composition friendly site, but there are limits
2.) Those limits aren't unreasonable ~ there are still tons of tunes
So, while your own awareness or experience there may be limited, beware of sweeping statements, just because you can't meet the reasonable request of striking a balance here...
While I'll give your tunes a spin, I won't promise comment...
I had a look at your tunes and found some of them quite interesting. Some nice titles, too ( pass the rolls`). So I plan to sit down over the weekend and try my hand (tenor banjo and concertina ) on the welcoming whistler, the super, the christmas flute...Some of them have quite exotic melody lines, though ...
TheSessionDotOrg is a composition friendly site ~ with limits
Done! ~ though I sometimes didn't get much further than the A-part...
"And please don't say that you've written them, plagiarism is NOT something I tolerate." ~ Joseph of CK
No worry there Joe... Some are formulaic, with 'agreement', for example between bars 1 & 2 with 5 & 6, which shows some understanding ~ but ~ ... There were a couple I had some fun with. Mostly they're not anything I'll take away with me, but there are some popular current composers who's tunes I don't particularly care for or play. Your compositions leave me with one suggestion ~ get out more ~ meaning ~ learn more tunes that aren't your own compositions, and learn them well and intimately...
Good luck with your music and the growth of your appreciation and understanding of it... There's no harm being on a swing to compose and compose and compose, as long as you can also just let go of them, not take them 'personally', and can move on...
I like to compose, and also find it hard to come across Irish (or reasonably related) tunes that aren't already in the base - bar very recent recorded compositions by other people, which I'm reluctant to submit because (a) a monopoly, or at any rate limited access to such tunes away from the recording may well boost the recording's sales and benefit the artists financially, (b) I haven't got the neck and can't be bothered to communicate with the artists in question and ask permission, and (c) I don't want to get sued, of course.
But original tunes put out some time ago, in the 80s maybe, I regard as fair game.
So, putting in very few non-me tunes these days, I feel I shouldn't put my own in the Tunes database for the time being. So I am writing them in ABC in my personal Details. So far, so good - and, like Ringo Starr, I find composition "don't come easy", so I am not likely to take over huge chunks of the website's storage capacity. What will happen to the latter if everybody does it - writes series of tunes out in their details - may be another matter, though I hope it still wouldn't be enough to come anywhere near busting the system.
Love After the Storm, it's one of those perfect ones for piano accordion (in my opinion, I don't care how much everybody else hates the poor old PA!), have been playing it faster and faster for the past hour.
Next time I go busking I'll play that (and certainly credit you, JCK)
I just played through most of the tunes (skipping the ones in keys that don't work well on the B/C accordion and the very long ones), I liked the slip jig "Cu Chulainn's Sword" that you say you don't like! I also liked the polka "An Evening Dance". There were a couple of reels whose A parts I liked ("Carmichael Joe's" and "Black-Handled Scissors", for instance). Other than that, I didn't find anything particularly interesting to me.
I think it's great that you have composed so many pieces and actually written them out, whether to share with others or just for yourself, I would imagine there are not too many teens who have been quite so prolific these days...most of them are playing Guitar Hero! Good for you for writing and being creative beyond playing the music of others while still enjoying the Irish music tradition.
Since thesession isn't for this as much as that...
You could find just about any recording off your shelf, or just trolling the recordings here, and there's likely to be something that has been missed here, probably thousands of somethings... And even for those already here, I know of few tunes, if any, I've heard played EXACTLY the same from one musician or instrument or recording to the other. That dear friends had ~ (infinity!) possibilities...
Yeah Gary, and Joe, that's one of the one's I had some fun with too, the tune Joe tags as 'unliked' but had to post with all the others just the same ~ the little slip jig...
I still think that it might be a healthy option to up your anty of non-self-composed playing... That, is what the whole mass of them were telling me, shouting at me as I finished the last few bars of them...
Since TheSession isn't for this as much as that...
Something worth considering in this realm ~
Does the music overcome you or do you come over the music?
Is it the music in control or are you taking control of the music? Muse or mechanics? Most of the composers I've had the pleasure of meeting suffered the former, the music came on them rather than them interferring with it or 'working it'. Over-worked music is usually obvious in its clumsiness, or in the attempt to be 'cool' or the drive to impress. The other side of it is, when the music is in control, that sometimes it comes so quickly or in the most inoportune moments that you don't always catch it.
"There were a couple of reels whose A parts I liked ("Carmichael Joe's" and "Black-Handled Scissors", for instance)"
I definitely agree with that, "Carmichael Joe's" is just... eh... The A part didn't come out very well, but I originally had it as 8-bar phrases to make it shorter but for some reason felt it was too short. "Black-Handled Scissors", I just wanted to be weird... some will like it, some won't.
mehitabel23, thanks, I'm glad you liked that tune, I noticed it's been added to 23 "tunebooks" on here, that's really cool!
I'm surprised that some of you liked "Cu Chulainn's Sword", it just doesn't seem like a full tune to me, or much of a good tune.
"1.) This is a composition friendly site, but there are limits
2.) Those limits aren't unreasonable ~ there are still tons of tunes"
Maybe it's just me, and my fairly small repertoire right now...
I'm warming even more to you Joe, well said... Give Gary's suggestion a try. I haven't let go of that slip jig yet. Check out some others Joseph, while there are the behemouth multi-part ones there are tons that are just two parts and 16 measures total counting the repeats, or 4-bars per part...
Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Since thesession isn't for this as much...
I've got a lot of tunes I've written, but I can never find others to listen to them or play them, and since I know this site isn't really for compositions, and I somehow can never find tunes that aren't already on here, I made a little site for my tunes. Do you think any of y'all could listen to them or try some of them and see if you like any of them?
The link:
http://josephscarmichael.googlepages.com/
I'll warn you, there are some odd and ridiculous tunes in there, but they ARE playable... just not easily....
Anyways, please tell me you thoughts!
God bless,
Joseph C.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by JosephofCK
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Hey Joseph, am gonna try some of these later, they look good to me though.
Fair play to ya. Keep it up lad.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by session savage
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Good, you've added the link to you 'Details' on site here too. You could also consider adding the ABCs for a few favourites there too, as others have done... Well done and considerate, I'll give your site and tunes a closer look later...
Here's a good example ~ Reverend Pete
http://www.thesession.org/members/display/11048
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
A 'COMPOSITION' FRIENDLY SITE!!!
"since thesession.org isn't as composition-friendly" ~ from your homepage
~ that is not so well considered. There are TONS of compositions on this site and endless tunes and variations that are not yet on site. It is VERY composition-friendly, it is not so friendly toward the ego-maniacal that feel the need to swamp it with their own compositions... Saying there are no more tunes to find to contribute, well, the last person who said that EVERY slip jig in the world was already on site was slapped down with a flow of ones that weren't, basic slip jigs, not the bizarre which also exist...
My latest contribution, "Patrick's Reel", was from the muse of a Seán Ryan, a 'composition'. Seán Ryan was a wonderful musician and also has been the source of some lovely tunes. I have also contributed 'compositions' from the muse of several of our members, including variations on their tunes in the 'Comments' for those tunes on site here.
The problem is when someone is so full of themselves that they feel the urge to impress us all with their genius by adding a stream of 'new' melodies, one after the other, that are often, in my so humble opinion, cack, shight ~ showing little understanding or consideration for the 'tradition'. And no, I'm not a purist or stuck in a single slot. There is the occassional odd one, meter-key-melody-wise, that interests me...
Mostly, unlike a few, I let them slide, but when they hit 4 or 5 in a row, and if for some reason I'm feeling cantacerous, as recently, I might comment, but it takes 4 or 5 in a row to rile me up enough for me to act...
So, CORRECTIONS ~
1.) This is a composition friendly site, but there are limits
2.) Those limits aren't unreasonable ~ there are still tons of tunes
So, while your own awareness or experience there may be limited, beware of sweeping statements, just because you can't meet the reasonable request of striking a balance here...
While I'll give your tunes a spin, I won't promise comment...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
"in my so humble opinion" ~ sorry, I left a word out ~ in this case ~ "in my 'not so humble opinion"
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
I had a look at your tunes and found some of them quite interesting. Some nice titles, too ( pass the rolls`). So I plan to sit down over the weekend and try my hand (tenor banjo and concertina ) on the welcoming whistler, the super, the christmas flute...Some of them have quite exotic melody lines, though ...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by alexweger
TheSessionDotOrg is a composition friendly site ~ with limits
Done! ~ though I sometimes didn't get much further than the A-part...
"And please don't say that you've written them, plagiarism is NOT something I tolerate." ~ Joseph of CK
No worry there Joe... Some are formulaic, with 'agreement', for example between bars 1 & 2 with 5 & 6, which shows some understanding ~ but ~ ... There were a couple I had some fun with. Mostly they're not anything I'll take away with me, but there are some popular current composers who's tunes I don't particularly care for or play. Your compositions leave me with one suggestion ~ get out more ~ meaning ~ learn more tunes that aren't your own compositions, and learn them well and intimately...
Good luck with your music and the growth of your appreciation and understanding of it... There's no harm being on a swing to compose and compose and compose, as long as you can also just let go of them, not take them 'personally', and can move on...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
I like to compose, and also find it hard to come across Irish (or reasonably related) tunes that aren't already in the base - bar very recent recorded compositions by other people, which I'm reluctant to submit because (a) a monopoly, or at any rate limited access to such tunes away from the recording may well boost the recording's sales and benefit the artists financially, (b) I haven't got the neck and can't be bothered to communicate with the artists in question and ask permission, and (c) I don't want to get sued, of course.
But original tunes put out some time ago, in the 80s maybe, I regard as fair game.
So, putting in very few non-me tunes these days, I feel I shouldn't put my own in the Tunes database for the time being. So I am writing them in ABC in my personal Details. So far, so good - and, like Ringo Starr, I find composition "don't come easy", so I am not likely to take over huge chunks of the website's storage capacity. What will happen to the latter if everybody does it - writes series of tunes out in their details - may be another matter, though I hope it still wouldn't be enough to come anywhere near busting the system.
Joseph, I intend to look at your tunes.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by nicholas
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Love After the Storm, it's one of those perfect ones for piano accordion (in my opinion, I don't care how much everybody else hates the poor old PA!), have been playing it faster and faster for the past hour.
Next time I go busking I'll play that (and certainly credit you, JCK)
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
I just played through most of the tunes (skipping the ones in keys that don't work well on the B/C accordion and the very long ones), I liked the slip jig "Cu Chulainn's Sword" that you say you don't like! I also liked the polka "An Evening Dance". There were a couple of reels whose A parts I liked ("Carmichael Joe's" and "Black-Handled Scissors", for instance). Other than that, I didn't find anything particularly interesting to me.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by GaryAMartin
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Joseph,
I think it's great that you have composed so many pieces and actually written them out, whether to share with others or just for yourself, I would imagine there are not too many teens who have been quite so prolific these days...most of them are playing Guitar Hero! Good for you for writing and being creative beyond playing the music of others while still enjoying the Irish music tradition.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by twangtown
Since thesession isn't for this as much as that...
You could find just about any recording off your shelf, or just trolling the recordings here, and there's likely to be something that has been missed here, probably thousands of somethings... And even for those already here, I know of few tunes, if any, I've heard played EXACTLY the same from one musician or instrument or recording to the other. That dear friends had ~ (infinity!) possibilities...
Yeah Gary, and Joe, that's one of the one's I had some fun with too, the tune Joe tags as 'unliked' but had to post with all the others just the same ~ the little slip jig...
I still think that it might be a healthy option to up your anty of non-self-composed playing... That, is what the whole mass of them were telling me, shouting at me as I finished the last few bars of them...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
Since TheSession isn't for this as much as that...
Something worth considering in this realm ~
Does the music overcome you or do you come over the music?
Is it the music in control or are you taking control of the music? Muse or mechanics? Most of the composers I've had the pleasure of meeting suffered the former, the music came on them rather than them interferring with it or 'working it'. Over-worked music is usually obvious in its clumsiness, or in the attempt to be 'cool' or the drive to impress. The other side of it is, when the music is in control, that sometimes it comes so quickly or in the most inoportune moments that you don't always catch it.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
'Composers' in the traditional and Irish sense of the term...including several that have books of their melodies in print, and at hand...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Thanks everybody for checking out my tunes.
"There were a couple of reels whose A parts I liked ("Carmichael Joe's" and "Black-Handled Scissors", for instance)"
I definitely agree with that, "Carmichael Joe's" is just... eh... The A part didn't come out very well, but I originally had it as 8-bar phrases to make it shorter but for some reason felt it was too short. "Black-Handled Scissors", I just wanted to be weird... some will like it, some won't.
mehitabel23, thanks, I'm glad you liked that tune, I noticed it's been added to 23 "tunebooks" on here, that's really cool!
I'm surprised that some of you liked "Cu Chulainn's Sword", it just doesn't seem like a full tune to me, or much of a good tune.
"1.) This is a composition friendly site, but there are limits
2.) Those limits aren't unreasonable ~ there are still tons of tunes"
Maybe it's just me, and my fairly small repertoire right now...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by JosephofCK
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Try going from Cu Chulainn's Sword into na Ceannabhain Bhana
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/612.
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by GaryAMartin
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
I'm warming even more to you Joe, well said... Give Gary's suggestion a try. I haven't let go of that slip jig yet. Check out some others Joseph, while there are the behemouth multi-part ones there are tons that are just two parts and 16 measures total counting the repeats, or 4-bars per part...
# Posted on January 31st 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Hm, those tunes do actually fit together well. I might still try adding another phrase or two to Cu Chulainn's Sword though.
# Posted on February 1st 2008 by JosephofCK
Re: Since thesession isn't for this as much...
Clever Git (take that as a compliment, I'm just jealous)
# Posted on February 1st 2008 by Free Reed