My main objecive is to steal good tunes but i also would find it interesting to know peoples taste. My favorite tune would either be Last House Connaght or Mountain Road. I reliaze that some tunes sound better on other intruments, and i will only take the ones good on fiddle, but i would like to know them anyway. So what is your favorite tune(s)?
My favourite tunes change as quickly as the direction of the wind. My favourite is usually the tune I'm learning at any particular moment. I play it to death, and then get bored of it and play other tunes to death. Then I revive the old ones and play them to death again, and then I get sick of them again and learn some new ones which I play to death and then get sick of ... Hmm come to think of it I've always been a bit like that with life in general.
It ate my reply. I was saying that I change favourite tunes all the time though they are generally always reels. At the moment - Punch in the Dark, The Uppy Downy, Eel in the Sink etc. Some all time favourites that never go out of fashion - 'The Curlew', 'Hanlys Tweed' 'Sweenys' 'Fred Finns', and the token jig 'Tar Road to Sligo'.
With the possible exceptions of Atholl Highlanders and the Concertina Reel, I like 'em all, especially when I'm in the middle of playing any one of them.
But like Bridie says, there are some tunes that call my name more than others: Eileen Callaghan's, Dr. Gilbert's, Miss Glavin's, Paddy O'Brien's (slip jig), Sean Ryan's jigs, the Roscommon Reel, at least two of the Toss the Feathers, Eileen Curran, the Gneevgullia Reel, the Whinny Hills of Leitrim, Fig for a Kiss, Young Tom Ennis, Beare Island, the Scholar, and the Morning Dew. For a start anyway....
I love Catharsis - if played with a bit of zip it really flies along (although a bit tricky for me to play!), and old stalwarts like Cooleys, Drowsy Maggie always seem to go down well.
My wife plays a lovely pibroch tune on the fiddle called The march of Donald Lord of the Isles to the Battle of Harlaw which is beautiful
I guess I like those tunes that have a bit of low end to 'em!
As Dow said, "my favourite tunes change as quickly as the direction of the wind". But, long time favourites: The Foxhunter's reel, The Trip to Durrow, An Phis Fluich (aka The Choice Wife), The Duke of Leinster, The Gold Ring and, sorry Will, but I LOVE The Atholl Highlanders. The list would be too long so I leave it here.
I've been playing Charlie Lennon's "Dance of the Honeybees" a lot over the last few days-till yesterday, that is, when I broke my arm. However, every week or so, I have a new favourite.
Tunes like the Atholl Highlanders are ok but I dislike the treatment they get in sessions. Everybody seem just to be going through the motions. I have worked on tunes like A H and others and often try to produce more subtle and imaginative arrangements but find that I just have to "go with the flow" when they are played in sessions. Shame.
I just started working on the Dublin Reel and Christmas Eve (John Carty's lovely flute version he gave to me). I really love both!! Great flute tunes! Frog in the Well is a beautiful e minor jig I've also been working on. Other new ones (for me) are Corney's Coming, Black Haired Lass, Ah Surely (Catherine McEvoy's version), Billy Brockers (Jimmy Noonan), Cooley's Hornpipe (Granne Hambly-harpist), Tailor's Twist Hornpipe (Paul McGrattan), and Swinging on the Gate (John Creavan's version)......
Some upcoming tunes to learn which I love are: the Scholar, the Skylark, and that classic Michael Coleman set: Tarbolton, Longford Collector, and the Sailors Bonnet....SO many common tunes that I STILL don't know yet.....
Emily did mention that I should request Bunkers Hill at my next flute lesson so I will if I can remember : )
Oh I forgot to mention these lovely jigs I've been listening to that are written by Lucy Farr. They are on the Double Barrelled CD with Keirin O'Hare and John Skelton. (track #6) They are f***king gorgeous! hahahaha.....um.....really they are hauntingly beautiful and I'm going to learn them. I'm not sure if they will be useful in sessions, but that's not supposed to matter right???
If anyone is familiar with these jigs and does play them in a session, please let me know....Danny, Brad, Glauber??
Contradiction Reel.
Convenience Reel.
Congress Reel.
Concert Reel.
Con Casady's Jig.
Con is the governor's name in the Blythe Hill Tavern, wherre we're going to start a session this Thursday.
Contrary to what you may think, I actually do very much like all of the above tunes!
Bunker Hill is a favorite of mine too, it'll be interesting to see if you learn the same setting from Shannon that she taught us. Never fails to get a "what's that one, I like it" from players who don't know it. I don't play the Lucy Farr jigs (yet) but I know they're played out...bet Brad plays them!
Oh, I don't know a fiddle setting of Bunker Hill -- I learned Shannon's, and whether that's a 'flute setting' or not is unknown to me. I need to somewhat relearn it, because I've been using the ornaments that I knew at the time, and I really need to roll more of them than triplet -- it was the only way I could come up with at the time to play what I was hearing Shannon play...
Danny, is it really Casady, then? I've always seen it spelled Cassidy. Nice to know, if that's the case.
I really like The Home Ruler the way Matt Molloy does it,Lord Mayo,The Reel of Rio,and most polkas.There are a lot of others I love too,but I can't remember the names of them.
-Kelly
While the latest tune to be learnt usually gets the most attention, I still have a list of favourite hardy perennials. These include Fred Finn's and Sailing into Walpoles Marsh, The First Day of Spring and Bunker Hill, McFadden's Handsome Daughter after the Reconciliation reel, the lads of Laois. And these are only the one's I can think of right now...
Oh I wasn't correcting anyone, just reporting what I'd read elsewhere. I kinda like that Irish names (people and places) are in constant flux, get spelled backwards and forwards, in several languages, and no two can agree how to pronounce any of it. Like a grand game of anagrams.
My favourite tunes are the ones i'm now learning or have just learned. Seanamhach tubestation(cathal Hayden on the banjo), the Swedish jig,the monaghan jig, kitty gone a milking, morrisons jig, the cliff's of Moher, the mountain road, bucks of Oranmore,
Next to learn is palmer's gate, the sottish jig, chigago reel, lads of laois.
Well, the name thing...you know how that goes, only way to ever find out is to ask...and I think Ed Reavy is just that, though I could be wrong...somewhere I have a book of his stuff and I suppose his son got it right, but I can't remember off hand now if that's right or wrong...
At every gig we have ever palyed some dumb drunk yells FREE BIRD!!!!! i hate it last time i blew up at some guy for it.
anyway i post this last night and by the next night i have like 10 new favorite tunes. Otter's Holt, Ashplant, and some others i can't remember the names of.
i bet by tomarrow i will have at least one more!!
Right now I'm enjoying learning Fisherman's Island by Ed Reavy, but it's not the Ed Reavy's Favourite on Wooden Flute Obsession (another Geese in the Bog conundrum)... must polish up Bunker Hill as well!
I have not heard the recording, but chances are the fiddler (if there is one) is tuned down to B. This means the tune all their strings down a minor third (D to B, A to F#, etc...) This tuning is fairly commonly used when playing with a set of B pipes. It gives the fiddle a dark, rich, drone like quality. The looser strings ring a lot more, especially if you have a good instrument. Personally, I love it. I highly recomend B sessions to any fiddle player that knows a good piper with a B set. Unfortunately this tuning is murder on your strings. Most fiddlers that use this tuning have two fiddles, one for each tuning.
As for my favorite tunes, that changes with my mood. Jigs in A, like Hansome Young Maidens and Irishmans Heart to the Ladies, are always good set starters, especially when followed by a jig in D with a greater range. The Mouse in the Mug is good at any place in a set. Some of my favorite reels are the Whistling Postman, the Chattering Magpie, the Skylark (great flute tune) any Reavy tune (I think they're all good) O'Dowd's (the one in g minor. Yeah, the flute players love me for that one) any tune with back and forth bowing like Mountain Road and Rolling in the Ryegrass, and any of those great northern tunes like Boys of Malin, Gravel Walk (that's abrieviated, but I can't remember the full name) Glory, and the Curlew. Some of my favorite slip jigs are the Snowy Path, Gusty's Frolics, Fig for a Kiss, and this great Mike McGoldrick tune with a name I can never remember.
favorite tunes
favorite tunes
My main objecive is to steal good tunes but i also would find it interesting to know peoples taste. My favorite tune would either be Last House Connaght or Mountain Road. I reliaze that some tunes sound better on other intruments, and i will only take the ones good on fiddle, but i would like to know them anyway. So what is your favorite tune(s)?
AJ
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by berserker
Re: favorite tunes
My favourite tunes change as quickly as the direction of the wind. My favourite is usually the tune I'm learning at any particular moment. I play it to death, and then get bored of it and play other tunes to death. Then I revive the old ones and play them to death again, and then I get sick of them again and learn some new ones which I play to death and then get sick of ... Hmm come to think of it I've always been a bit like that with life in general.
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: favorite tunes
Whichever one I'm learning at the moment. Ed Reavy's Hunter's House, right now, although I do love Christmas Eve, or the Cordal Jig is also a fav...
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: favorite tunes
It ate my reply. I was saying that I change favourite tunes all the time though they are generally always reels. At the moment - Punch in the Dark, The Uppy Downy, Eel in the Sink etc. Some all time favourites that never go out of fashion - 'The Curlew', 'Hanlys Tweed' 'Sweenys' 'Fred Finns', and the token jig 'Tar Road to Sligo'.
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by bb
Re: favorite tunes
With the possible exceptions of Atholl Highlanders and the Concertina Reel, I like 'em all, especially when I'm in the middle of playing any one of them.
But like Bridie says, there are some tunes that call my name more than others: Eileen Callaghan's, Dr. Gilbert's, Miss Glavin's, Paddy O'Brien's (slip jig), Sean Ryan's jigs, the Roscommon Reel, at least two of the Toss the Feathers, Eileen Curran, the Gneevgullia Reel, the Whinny Hills of Leitrim, Fig for a Kiss, Young Tom Ennis, Beare Island, the Scholar, and the Morning Dew. For a start anyway....
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: favorite tunes
Otter's Holt is my current can't-leave-alone tune.
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Tish
Re: favorite tunes
Oooohhh I love Eileen Curran as well - that is just the sweetest tune!
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by bb
Re: favorite tunes
Free Bird
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by cuchulain54
Re: favorite tunes
I love Catharsis - if played with a bit of zip it really flies along (although a bit tricky for me to play!), and old stalwarts like Cooleys, Drowsy Maggie always seem to go down well.
My wife plays a lovely pibroch tune on the fiddle called The march of Donald Lord of the Isles to the Battle of Harlaw which is beautiful
I guess I like those tunes that have a bit of low end to 'em!
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by nick b
Re: favorite tunes
As Dow said, "my favourite tunes change as quickly as the direction of the wind". But, long time favourites: The Foxhunter's reel, The Trip to Durrow, An Phis Fluich (aka The Choice Wife), The Duke of Leinster, The Gold Ring and, sorry Will, but I LOVE The Atholl Highlanders. The list would be too long so I leave it here.
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Toni Ribas
Re: favorite tunes
I've been playing Charlie Lennon's "Dance of the Honeybees" a lot over the last few days-till yesterday, that is, when I broke my arm. However, every week or so, I have a new favourite.
Tunes like the Atholl Highlanders are ok but I dislike the treatment they get in sessions. Everybody seem just to be going through the motions. I have worked on tunes like A H and others and often try to produce more subtle and imaginative arrangements but find that I just have to "go with the flow" when they are played in sessions. Shame.
John
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by Johnny Jay
Re: favorite tunes
Reels that go down to the bottom A like Master Crowley's.
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by kuec
Re: favorite tunes
Ah yes, "Trip to Durrow"... thats the one that starts like the "Home Ruler", isn't it.
A favorite of mine along with "The Bank of Ireland".
# Posted on September 15th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: favorite tunes
I just started working on the Dublin Reel and Christmas Eve (John Carty's lovely flute version he gave to me). I really love both!! Great flute tunes! Frog in the Well is a beautiful e minor jig I've also been working on. Other new ones (for me) are Corney's Coming, Black Haired Lass, Ah Surely (Catherine McEvoy's version), Billy Brockers (Jimmy Noonan), Cooley's Hornpipe (Granne Hambly-harpist), Tailor's Twist Hornpipe (Paul McGrattan), and Swinging on the Gate (John Creavan's version)......
Some upcoming tunes to learn which I love are: the Scholar, the Skylark, and that classic Michael Coleman set: Tarbolton, Longford Collector, and the Sailors Bonnet....SO many common tunes that I STILL don't know yet.....
Emily did mention that I should request Bunkers Hill at my next flute lesson so I will if I can remember : )
Joyce
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by JMH
Oh I forgot to mention these lovely jigs I've been listening to that are written by Lucy Farr. They are on the Double Barrelled CD with Keirin O'Hare and John Skelton. (track #6) They are f***king gorgeous! hahahaha.....um.....really they are hauntingly beautiful and I'm going to learn them. I'm not sure if they will be useful in sessions, but that's not supposed to matter right???
If anyone is familiar with these jigs and does play them in a session, please let me know....Danny, Brad, Glauber??
Joyce
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by JMH
Re: favorite tunes
Contradiction Reel.
Convenience Reel.
Congress Reel.
Concert Reel.
Con Casady's Jig.
Con is the governor's name in the Blythe Hill Tavern, wherre we're going to start a session this Thursday.
Contrary to what you may think, I actually do very much like all of the above tunes!
Danny.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: favorite tunes
Bunker Hill is a favorite of mine too, it'll be interesting to see if you learn the same setting from Shannon that she taught us. Never fails to get a "what's that one, I like it" from players who don't know it. I don't play the Lucy Farr jigs (yet) but I know they're played out...bet Brad plays them!
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: favorite tunes
Oh good! I'm glad to hear they are played out!
I'll ask Shannon about Bunker Hill and different settings. (flute vs fiddle settings)
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by JMH
Re: favorite tunes
Oh, I don't know a fiddle setting of Bunker Hill -- I learned Shannon's, and whether that's a 'flute setting' or not is unknown to me. I need to somewhat relearn it, because I've been using the ornaments that I knew at the time, and I really need to roll more of them than triplet -- it was the only way I could come up with at the time to play what I was hearing Shannon play...
Danny, is it really Casady, then? I've always seen it spelled Cassidy. Nice to know, if that's the case.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: favorite tunes
I really like The Home Ruler the way Matt Molloy does it,Lord Mayo,The Reel of Rio,and most polkas.There are a lot of others I love too,but I can't remember the names of them.
-Kelly
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by seisflutes
Re: favorite tunes
Sorry Zina, I'm not sure of the spelling..... maybe it's Casadaigh. I'm not how Reavey is spelt either...
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: favorite tunes
While the latest tune to be learnt usually gets the most attention, I still have a list of favourite hardy perennials. These include Fred Finn's and Sailing into Walpoles Marsh, The First Day of Spring and Bunker Hill, McFadden's Handsome Daughter after the Reconciliation reel, the lads of Laois. And these are only the one's I can think of right now...
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Niall L
Re: favorite tunes
In the Northern Fiddler (Feldman and O'Doherty), they interview the man himself and he goes by Con Cassidy.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: favorite tunes
OK, OK. Cassidy, then. So sorry. And there was me giving out about the poor spelling from he of the smarting phalanges.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: favorite tunes
Oh I wasn't correcting anyone, just reporting what I'd read elsewhere. I kinda like that Irish names (people and places) are in constant flux, get spelled backwards and forwards, in several languages, and no two can agree how to pronounce any of it. Like a grand game of anagrams.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: favorite tunes
My favourite tunes are the ones i'm now learning or have just learned. Seanamhach tubestation(cathal Hayden on the banjo), the Swedish jig,the monaghan jig, kitty gone a milking, morrisons jig, the cliff's of Moher, the mountain road, bucks of Oranmore,
Next to learn is palmer's gate, the sottish jig, chigago reel, lads of laois.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: favorite tunes
Palmers gate is a great tune, I play it in G I think but my friends play it in A.
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by bb
Re: favorite tunes
Well, the name thing...you know how that goes, only way to ever find out is to ask...and I think Ed Reavy is just that, though I could be wrong...somewhere I have a book of his stuff and I suppose his son got it right, but I can't remember off hand now if that's right or wrong...
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: favorite tunes
You would hope his son would get it right - otherwise duuuuuuhhh! %-6
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: favorite tunes
for starters, Cuch is a snot.
At every gig we have ever palyed some dumb drunk yells FREE BIRD!!!!! i hate it last time i blew up at some guy for it.
anyway i post this last night and by the next night i have like 10 new favorite tunes. Otter's Holt, Ashplant, and some others i can't remember the names of.
i bet by tomarrow i will have at least one more!!
AJ
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by berserker
Re: favorite tunes
Right now I'm enjoying learning Fisherman's Island by Ed Reavy, but it's not the Ed Reavy's Favourite on Wooden Flute Obsession (another Geese in the Bog conundrum)... must polish up Bunker Hill as well!
# Posted on September 16th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: favorite tunes
Re: Lucy Farr's - I don't have the album yet. But I'll be seeing John in two weeks & will ask him to teach me them. I'll post the music for yez.
-Brad
# Posted on September 17th 2003 by B Rad
Re: favorite tunes
Sergeant Early
# Posted on September 17th 2003 by Nell
Re: favorite tunes
I have not heard the recording, but chances are the fiddler (if there is one) is tuned down to B. This means the tune all their strings down a minor third (D to B, A to F#, etc...) This tuning is fairly commonly used when playing with a set of B pipes. It gives the fiddle a dark, rich, drone like quality. The looser strings ring a lot more, especially if you have a good instrument. Personally, I love it. I highly recomend B sessions to any fiddle player that knows a good piper with a B set. Unfortunately this tuning is murder on your strings. Most fiddlers that use this tuning have two fiddles, one for each tuning.
As for my favorite tunes, that changes with my mood. Jigs in A, like Hansome Young Maidens and Irishmans Heart to the Ladies, are always good set starters, especially when followed by a jig in D with a greater range. The Mouse in the Mug is good at any place in a set. Some of my favorite reels are the Whistling Postman, the Chattering Magpie, the Skylark (great flute tune) any Reavy tune (I think they're all good) O'Dowd's (the one in g minor. Yeah, the flute players love me for that one) any tune with back and forth bowing like Mountain Road and Rolling in the Ryegrass, and any of those great northern tunes like Boys of Malin, Gravel Walk (that's abrieviated, but I can't remember the full name) Glory, and the Curlew. Some of my favorite slip jigs are the Snowy Path, Gusty's Frolics, Fig for a Kiss, and this great Mike McGoldrick tune with a name I can never remember.
# Posted on September 19th 2003 by fiddleK