We have just moved our session from the Coventry Arms, Corfe Mullen to the Chequers Inn, Lytchett Matravers.
Several changes at the pub have left us with too much furniture, and isolated from the audience. The beer has also changed and sometimes does not meet with our considerably well informed palates.
However the main reason for moving is to prompt an improvement within the music. We have the usual mix of experienced players through to beginners and those with that intangible combination of both. Our intention is to create a “centre” to the session for the experienced players who contribute most to the session to enable them to underpin the musical proceedings, as is typical with many well run sessions.
We have established a layout at a number of trial sessions.
Any thoughts on maintaining this arrangement without becoming overtly elitist and upsetting every out of time, out of tune Numpty that walks in
Endless supply of numpties, sorry. They're bound to find you out and sit smack down in the middle of things no matter what you do.
The only thing I've seen work with any consistency is to limit the number of seats to just the core players. And be firm about reserving them for the core players.
Yes, making it closed/invite only is your best bet. Otherwise you have a bit of a caste system that I think might be quite hard to maintain for a long period of time. All sessions have a hierarchy anyway but the implicit, understood ones are less hassle for the regulars to maintain. And yeah, the downside of that is sometimes you have to tolerate the numpties who don't get it or who are just learning the etiquette. It's part of the game for an open session.
The best sessions I have ever attended are festival sessions with no leaders, just free flowing tunes and people flowing in and out the session.... See the thread about losing time at sessions.
How about a sign over your chair saying "Talk to me before you sit down to play". And in your case a can of mace, just in case.
Should be pretty easy to keep people in line...
It's so simple--------you talk to the players that you want in the new (exclusive) session, & find a place that works. If anyone else wants to join in---just say your a group practicing arrangements.
How hard is that ? It's not an OPEN session !
if the pub has a good supply of punters who come for the music (omigahd, titch said "audience"), plenty of good players, but an endless supply of numpties wanting to join in, then be as elitist as you like
If however, there is a paucity of decent players who'll turn up every week, the punters are restless and not that atatched to the music, and the numpties aren't really that many when you get it in perspective, then you're signing a session suicide note by excluding people
Aren't you all missing the point here - weren't all players 'numpties' when you started (or are you all god-given geniuses?) Where else should newbies go to learn new tunes, see good technique in action and get to know other players - lighten up! Surely a session is a social occasion as well. If you want a closed session, don't have it in a public place and don't advertise it! You'll be asking people to audition for you before they can play at this rate.
Titch - this is not aimed at you personally, this whole thread annoys us. See you Friday (or am I too much of a numpty!?!?! LOL)
"ALEX!" No No No No No.... a Numpty is not a beginner, a Numpty is someone with an unreasonable inability who plonks themselves in the middle of the session and drags it down.
Also...... I would be a Numpty if I went to an unaccompanied song session and continuously interjected with Jigs and Reels.
Anyway Alex you are a Lightweight Numpty; a couple of beers and a bottle of red and you fall asleep on the way back from the gig
Anyway the session is now running well with the new layout.
TITCH!!!!!!
OK, if that is the official definition of a numpty, then we accept song sessions have them too, but everyone is just too polite to say so!
At least I still play in tune and in time after above mentioned alcohol consumption (I suppose having frets helps!)
Look after our friend Gill and make sure she gets her seat back - hope it's near the top of the pecking order!
Thanks for the gig, even if I did fall asleep, by the way do you need a numpty licence? And when does the shooting season start - we have one or two targets in mind!
We (duo) should have a support spot at Sunray Folk Club next month. It's on a Thursday, so why not come and see the layout for a constructive folk club! (And hear some well sung songs - God forbid!!)
Sort your Myspace site out and then we can contact you through there instead of here!
….update….. for those that have lost loved ones in Dorset, they may be found in a field just off the A31 at Upton. They are all just below the surface, so the bodhran players are easily found by the circular impression close to the ground.
The whistle players however are buried face down, but should still be able to be located by a short length of pipe protruding from the surface.
Please be careful not to trip on the trumpet whist searching.
closed, open, anchors, wanchors, mikes, bikes, trikes.... all of you who want firm demarkation between the closed and open sessions are missing out on half the fun. The most amusing ones are the "almost closed". To demand clear labelling is missing the point in grand and wonderful style.
Constructive Session Layout.
Constructive Session Layout.
We have just moved our session from the Coventry Arms, Corfe Mullen to the Chequers Inn, Lytchett Matravers.
Several changes at the pub have left us with too much furniture, and isolated from the audience. The beer has also changed and sometimes does not meet with our considerably well informed palates.
However the main reason for moving is to prompt an improvement within the music. We have the usual mix of experienced players through to beginners and those with that intangible combination of both. Our intention is to create a “centre” to the session for the experienced players who contribute most to the session to enable them to underpin the musical proceedings, as is typical with many well run sessions.
We have established a layout at a number of trial sessions.
Any thoughts on maintaining this arrangement without becoming overtly elitist and upsetting every out of time, out of tune Numpty that walks in
( Hmmmm…….. maybe we should just be elitist
)
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Titch {=/=}===++
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
Endless supply of numpties, sorry. They're bound to find you out and sit smack down in the middle of things no matter what you do.
The only thing I've seen work with any consistency is to limit the number of seats to just the core players. And be firm about reserving them for the core players.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
make it a closed/invite only session
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
Yes, making it closed/invite only is your best bet. Otherwise you have a bit of a caste system that I think might be quite hard to maintain for a long period of time. All sessions have a hierarchy anyway but the implicit, understood ones are less hassle for the regulars to maintain. And yeah, the downside of that is sometimes you have to tolerate the numpties who don't get it or who are just learning the etiquette. It's part of the game for an open session.
The best sessions I have ever attended are festival sessions with no leaders, just free flowing tunes and people flowing in and out the session.... See the thread about losing time at sessions.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
How about a sign over your chair saying "Talk to me before you sit down to play". And in your case a can of mace, just in case.
Should be pretty easy to keep people in line...
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
I hate Numpty heads!
# Posted on September 14th 2008 by jimee
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
It's so simple--------you talk to the players that you want in the new (exclusive) session, & find a place that works. If anyone else wants to join in---just say your a group practicing arrangements.
How hard is that ? It's not an OPEN session !
# Posted on September 14th 2008 by hauke
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
Anyybody who is thinking of going to a session should look at some web sites on session ettquette. What you will find is some good old common sense.
# Posted on September 16th 2008 by JAR
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
depends on supply and demand
if the pub has a good supply of punters who come for the music (omigahd, titch said "audience"), plenty of good players, but an endless supply of numpties wanting to join in, then be as elitist as you like
If however, there is a paucity of decent players who'll turn up every week, the punters are restless and not that atatched to the music, and the numpties aren't really that many when you get it in perspective, then you're signing a session suicide note by excluding people
# Posted on September 16th 2008 by Bren
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
Aren't you all missing the point here - weren't all players 'numpties' when you started (or are you all god-given geniuses?) Where else should newbies go to learn new tunes, see good technique in action and get to know other players - lighten up! Surely a session is a social occasion as well. If you want a closed session, don't have it in a public place and don't advertise it! You'll be asking people to audition for you before they can play at this rate.
Titch - this is not aimed at you personally, this whole thread annoys us. See you Friday (or am I too much of a numpty!?!?! LOL)
Alex
# Posted on September 23rd 2008 by MurphysLore
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
No, not all players were numpties when they started to play in public. It's not necessary to scrape along to learn.
# Posted on September 23rd 2008 by Bogman
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
"ALEX!" No No No No No.... a Numpty is not a beginner, a Numpty is someone with an unreasonable inability who plonks themselves in the middle of the session and drags it down.
Also...... I would be a Numpty if I went to an unaccompanied song session and continuously interjected with Jigs and Reels.
Anyway Alex you are a Lightweight Numpty; a couple of beers and a bottle of red and you fall asleep on the way back from the gig
Anyway the session is now running well with the new layout.
** CHEERS ALL **
PS - We shot the Numptys
# Posted on September 28th 2008 by Titch {=/=}===++
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
TITCH!!!!!!
OK, if that is the official definition of a numpty, then we accept song sessions have them too, but everyone is just too polite to say so!
At least I still play in tune and in time after above mentioned alcohol consumption (I suppose having frets helps!)
Look after our friend Gill and make sure she gets her seat back - hope it's near the top of the pecking order!
Thanks for the gig, even if I did fall asleep, by the way do you need a numpty licence? And when does the shooting season start - we have one or two targets in mind!
We (duo) should have a support spot at Sunray Folk Club next month. It's on a Thursday, so why not come and see the layout for a constructive folk club! (And hear some well sung songs - God forbid!!)
Sort your Myspace site out and then we can contact you through there instead of here!
# Posted on September 28th 2008 by MurphysLore
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
….update….. for those that have lost loved ones in Dorset, they may be found in a field just off the A31 at Upton. They are all just below the surface, so the bodhran players are easily found by the circular impression close to the ground.
The whistle players however are buried face down, but should still be able to be located by a short length of pipe protruding from the surface.
Please be careful not to trip on the trumpet whist searching.
Best regards ………………. DIMS
# Posted on September 29th 2008 by Titch {=/=}===++
Re: Constructive Session Layout.
lol at the whistle player image there.
closed, open, anchors, wanchors, mikes, bikes, trikes.... all of you who want firm demarkation between the closed and open sessions are missing out on half the fun.
The most amusing ones are the "almost closed". To demand clear labelling is missing the point in grand and wonderful style.
# Posted on September 29th 2008 by mutatis mutandis