I was wondering recently is it a new trend within Irish Traditional Music to include various tune types within a single set of tunes? For instance playing a jig-slipjig-jig set or a jig-jig-reel set. I know Lunasa are great advocates of mixing up tune types, but is this a relatively new practice or does it go way back?
In Cape Breton it is common to hear an air-strathspey-jig(s)-and reels.... by the end it is like a train coming at you. Very effective!! But great pace. Not fast. They typically seem to play a lot of reels in one set. (more than most Irish musicians, similar to Burke on If The Cap Fits)
The Chieftains and the Boys of the Lough also did this. I've heard it done at sessions and have contributed to this degenerate practice. I doubt if it dates much further back than the 1970s as the music was originally intended to be danced to, in Ireland anyway. The Cape Breton tradition echoes the old Scottish piping tradition, which I think usually starts with a lament or a pibroch.
I don't think it's that uncommon in recordings or performances going back several decades. But I have found it to be rare in sessions. Although it doesn't bother me any, I have seen some folks get remarkably put out if someone jumps styles in the middle of a set.
March, strathspey and reel is also a common sequence for Scottish fiddlers and pipers.
As I understand it, in the Irish tradition, playing tunes in sets at all is a relatively recent practice, becoming the norm only in C20th. In earlier times it was the custom to play a single tune many times over, introducing new variations with each iteration. But that's another discussion.
Playing for the sets (i.e. set-dancing) has always (I think - I know nothing about dancing) called for playing tunes of several different types, albeit with breaks in between them. Perhaps this provided the basis for some of the arrangements of The Chieftains, The Bothy Band etc.
Query regarding various tune types.
Query regarding various tune types.
I was wondering recently is it a new trend within Irish Traditional Music to include various tune types within a single set of tunes? For instance playing a jig-slipjig-jig set or a jig-jig-reel set. I know Lunasa are great advocates of mixing up tune types, but is this a relatively new practice or does it go way back?
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by Penfold
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
I don know if it's a common practice at sessions, but the Bothy Band recorded quite a few of mixed sets back in the '70's
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
In Cape Breton it is common to hear an air-strathspey-jig(s)-and reels.... by the end it is like a train coming at you. Very effective!! But great pace. Not fast. They typically seem to play a lot of reels in one set. (more than most Irish musicians, similar to Burke on If The Cap Fits)
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by CDNMoose
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
The Chieftains and the Boys of the Lough also did this. I've heard it done at sessions and have contributed to this degenerate practice. I doubt if it dates much further back than the 1970s as the music was originally intended to be danced to, in Ireland anyway. The Cape Breton tradition echoes the old Scottish piping tradition, which I think usually starts with a lament or a pibroch.
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by Rudall the time
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
Ottawa Valley fiddlers will also play a air,jig,clog (a hornpipe-like tune I think.) in a set.l
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by jigtime
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
Yes, The Chieftains...
An extreme example would be their Drowsy Maggie. How do you call that?
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
I don't think it's that uncommon in recordings or performances going back several decades. But I have found it to be rare in sessions. Although it doesn't bother me any, I have seen some folks get remarkably put out if someone jumps styles in the middle of a set.
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
March, strathspey and reel is also a common sequence for Scottish fiddlers and pipers.
As I understand it, in the Irish tradition, playing tunes in sets at all is a relatively recent practice, becoming the norm only in C20th. In earlier times it was the custom to play a single tune many times over, introducing new variations with each iteration. But that's another discussion.
Playing for the sets (i.e. set-dancing) has always (I think - I know nothing about dancing) called for playing tunes of several different types, albeit with breaks in between them. Perhaps this provided the basis for some of the arrangements of The Chieftains, The Bothy Band etc.
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Query regarding various tune types.
I feel that your abouve comment granama makes a perfect segway into this other forum topic - Sets vs. Single Tunes http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/17641
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Lykos