suggestions please for unusual and interesting tunes that could be added to a set list. I know loads of standard tunes but am looking for other stuff to provide some variety - any offers?
Yohan
Yohan, what do you mean by "unusual"? Non traditional Irish? The definition of the word is quite subjective, so please give us some examples of "standard" tunes or sets.
ok - anything that an audience would enjoy or a band would enjoy playing. It could be traditional Irish but could be other folk styles as well. I don't mean anything like e.g. Silver Spear - Sally Gardens etc. Tunes that are maybe not widely played but could have good audience appeal. I sometimes play a Hungarian Waltz which is not Irish but goes down very well and nicely breaks up a set. Or something like 'Czardas' that Leahy did a version of. Anything like that really
Play anything well, and the audience and band will enjoy it! Heh...okay, okay, I know what you actually mean instead of what it sounds like. Still, there's plenty of unusual and interesting tunes well within the tradition, which is pretty much the only thing you're going to find on this site. Fly Fishing Reel by Jackie Daly, anything by Paddy Fahey, lots of the new comps, they'll all be unusual and interesting, but not everyone's cup of tea.
Mazurkas are accepted in the tradition if they're played Irish. Czardas generally are not (Leahy, after all, is a Canadian band that plays mainly French Canadian and Cape Breton), but what the heck, even the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel have been played at sessions for a spot of fun.
But really, a band can take something like Silver Spear and make something new of it -- like Lunasa regularly does with tunes. Of course, so does James Kelly, Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, etc. The whole POINT of Irish music is that you make it your own and like no one else's, within a fairly narrow framework.
i would definately suggest mazurkas. something like 'George Brabazon' isn't hard to learn and has plenty of room for harmonies etc. also 'The Tour' an arrangement by Aidan O'Neill. i can't get to grips with putting in tunes as yet but i'll keep at it as i'm nearly positive 'The Tour' would go down well at any occasion be it religious, concert or just background music.
as the comments suggest, it is a quirky tune, which i attributing in part to the fact that within each part there is virutally no repetition of phrases, which is generally common for a good majority of irish tunes. (this is the antithesis of, say, a vincent broderick tune where you learn one key phrase and you have almost the whole thing.) definitely a tune that would spices up any set, but perhaps hard to master in a group setting. i could listen to micheal o ralghallaigh's version of it all day, and i have.
I think it's Beare Island, being a real place. It's often erroneously attributed to Paddy Fahey (and once I saw to "Patty" Fahey!). One of my favorite reels, but I don't play it very well. Yet.
That 3rd part and also the last bar of the tune PP just recommended isn't notated correctly. If you try it, make sure to half the note values. It's a pipe tune, so it really needs to be played with a drone on G for it to sound right.
Have you ever tried "Drowsy Maggie"-like reel called "The Reel with the Birl" in your local session yet? I heard very cool versions of the tune in Sligo last summer.
I personally think Scottish tunes like "Islay Rant," "John of Badenyon," and "The Hills of Glenorchy" are really great and should be introduced to the sessions of ITM. A Shetland Reel "Da Sleep Soond Ida Moarnin'" will be a fun tune just like "The High Reel." And recent compositions such as "Alice's Reel" (by Frankie Gavin) and "Farewell to Whalley Range" (by Michael McGoldrick) will also go nicely with traditional tunes though they are not so commonly played.
being Scottish I think Scottish tunes are really great too! Seriously though I'm a big fan of Shetland reels - Jack Broke the Prison Door, Sleep Sound In the Morning etc. We already do 'The Hills of Glenorchy' we play it with Winnie Hayes jig. The fiddle starts Winnie Hayes and second time through the low whistle plays Glenorchy at the same time - works quite well as the chords underneath are the same. Some good other suggestions too - thanks. We did try a bit of bluegrass as well - I found a version of 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' arranged for fiddle. It is a great tune but definitely works best on banjo. Another good tune is 'The Old Woman's Dance'. It is a pipe jig (I think). Shooglenifty play it as part of one of their sets
Hey!
This might not be exactly what your lookin for but my favourite reel is definately the "Tamlin" at a ceili or a session it always gets everyone goin
Mairead
We have been listening to some of the American Celtic bands like Rodney Miller, KGB, Wild Asparagas etc.
You might like to look for them.
for a taste from this lis, have a look at "Camping with Roosters". There is also a collection of very wonderful quirky tunes called "The Portland Collection" (Susan Songer). I haven't sent this list any of our own tunes or talked about this here because I thought it was only for Irish/Scottish trad tunes but I can...Or you could ask me off list.
unusual, interesting tunes wanted
unusual, interesting tunes wanted
suggestions please for unusual and interesting tunes that could be added to a set list. I know loads of standard tunes but am looking for other stuff to provide some variety - any offers?
Yohan
# Posted on July 9th 2003 by Yohan
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Yohan, what do you mean by "unusual"? Non traditional Irish? The definition of the word is quite subjective, so please give us some examples of "standard" tunes or sets.
# Posted on July 9th 2003 by slainte
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
ok - anything that an audience would enjoy or a band would enjoy playing. It could be traditional Irish but could be other folk styles as well. I don't mean anything like e.g. Silver Spear - Sally Gardens etc. Tunes that are maybe not widely played but could have good audience appeal. I sometimes play a Hungarian Waltz which is not Irish but goes down very well and nicely breaks up a set. Or something like 'Czardas' that Leahy did a version of. Anything like that really
# Posted on July 9th 2003 by Yohan
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Play anything well, and the audience and band will enjoy it! Heh...okay, okay, I know what you actually mean instead of what it sounds like. Still, there's plenty of unusual and interesting tunes well within the tradition, which is pretty much the only thing you're going to find on this site. Fly Fishing Reel by Jackie Daly, anything by Paddy Fahey, lots of the new comps, they'll all be unusual and interesting, but not everyone's cup of tea.
Mazurkas are accepted in the tradition if they're played Irish. Czardas generally are not (Leahy, after all, is a Canadian band that plays mainly French Canadian and Cape Breton), but what the heck, even the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel have been played at sessions for a spot of fun.
But really, a band can take something like Silver Spear and make something new of it -- like Lunasa regularly does with tunes. Of course, so does James Kelly, Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, etc. The whole POINT of Irish music is that you make it your own and like no one else's, within a fairly narrow framework.
Zina
# Posted on July 9th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
i would definately suggest mazurkas. something like 'George Brabazon' isn't hard to learn and has plenty of room for harmonies etc. also 'The Tour' an arrangement by Aidan O'Neill. i can't get to grips with putting in tunes as yet but i'll keep at it as i'm nearly positive 'The Tour' would go down well at any occasion be it religious, concert or just background music.
# Posted on July 9th 2003 by marymccaffrey
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Try this 9/8 tune from the northumberland tradition, it's quite odd but still a great tune.
http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/gettune?F=GIF&U=http://www.bath.ac.uk/~exxhf/music/north1&X=40&T=SHEWUSTHEWAYTOWALLINGTON&N=ShewUsTheWayToWallington.gif
# Posted on July 11th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
at the top of my list of unusual and interesting tunes is Bear Island, a tune composed by finbar dwyer. It's listed here at: http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/696.
as the comments suggest, it is a quirky tune, which i attributing in part to the fact that within each part there is virutally no repetition of phrases, which is generally common for a good majority of irish tunes. (this is the antithesis of, say, a vincent broderick tune where you learn one key phrase and you have almost the whole thing.) definitely a tune that would spices up any set, but perhaps hard to master in a group setting. i could listen to micheal o ralghallaigh's version of it all day, and i have.
# Posted on July 11th 2003 by Brendan
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
I think it's Beare Island, being a real place. It's often erroneously attributed to Paddy Fahey (and once I saw to "Patty" Fahey!). One of my favorite reels, but I don't play it very well. Yet.
zls
# Posted on July 11th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
That 3rd part and also the last bar of the tune PP just recommended isn't notated correctly. If you try it, make sure to half the note values. It's a pipe tune, so it really needs to be played with a drone on G for it to sound right.
# Posted on July 11th 2003 by Dow
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Have you ever tried "Drowsy Maggie"-like reel called "The Reel with the Birl" in your local session yet? I heard very cool versions of the tune in Sligo last summer.
I personally think Scottish tunes like "Islay Rant," "John of Badenyon," and "The Hills of Glenorchy" are really great and should be introduced to the sessions of ITM. A Shetland Reel "Da Sleep Soond Ida Moarnin'" will be a fun tune just like "The High Reel." And recent compositions such as "Alice's Reel" (by Frankie Gavin) and "Farewell to Whalley Range" (by Michael McGoldrick) will also go nicely with traditional tunes though they are not so commonly played.
# Posted on July 13th 2003 by slainte
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
being Scottish I think Scottish tunes are really great too! Seriously though I'm a big fan of Shetland reels - Jack Broke the Prison Door, Sleep Sound In the Morning etc. We already do 'The Hills of Glenorchy' we play it with Winnie Hayes jig. The fiddle starts Winnie Hayes and second time through the low whistle plays Glenorchy at the same time - works quite well as the chords underneath are the same. Some good other suggestions too - thanks. We did try a bit of bluegrass as well - I found a version of 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' arranged for fiddle. It is a great tune but definitely works best on banjo. Another good tune is 'The Old Woman's Dance'. It is a pipe jig (I think). Shooglenifty play it as part of one of their sets
# Posted on July 13th 2003 by Yohan
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Try a Bouree. To hear one go to:
http://www.wco.ru/bran/puck/mp3.htm
and listen to Dna Bourees. Real interesting rhythms.
B McKim
# Posted on July 13th 2003 by bmckim
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
Hey!
This might not be exactly what your lookin for but my favourite reel is definately the "Tamlin" at a ceili or a session it always gets everyone goin
Mairead
# Posted on July 14th 2003 by mairead_maguire
Re: unusual, interesting tunes wanted
We have been listening to some of the American Celtic bands like Rodney Miller, KGB, Wild Asparagas etc.
You might like to look for them.
for a taste from this lis, have a look at "Camping with Roosters". There is also a collection of very wonderful quirky tunes called "The Portland Collection" (Susan Songer). I haven't sent this list any of our own tunes or talked about this here because I thought it was only for Irish/Scottish trad tunes but I can...Or you could ask me off list.
good luck
Liz Merton
# Posted on July 14th 2003 by Liz Merton