Everyone is sticking to that rule which is great. The only person who has ever been out of line with their comments has been myself when I used unneccesary sarcasm in a discussion: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/41
for which I am very sorry :(
So, anyway, there is still basically only rule for The Session: be civil.
Now, recently I've weighed in with *suggestions* to do with tune submissions. I want to emphasize that they are just suggestions and not hard'n'fast rules.
I'd like to explain the reasoning behind them.
Take, for example, my plea recently not to submit too many tunes all at once. Some people might think that I mentioned this because it might be too much work for me to make the sheetmusic and soundfiles. That's not the case.
My reason for wanting a steady flow of tunes (rather than a drought and deluge) is for the sake of the tunes themselves.
The tunes are the heart of The Session. My fear is that if someone submits, say, ten tunes in a ten minute period that people might look at the last two or three but that the first seven or eight might get overlooked. That would be a shame.
(Personally, I think it's better to submit one good tune with some personal comments that ten uncommented tunes).
Now, I hope I'm speaking for the majority when I say that a steady flow is better than a drought and deluge approach. The Session is supposed to be democratic so I'd like to hear how every one else feels about this.
I remember when The Session first switched over to being more community-run with member submitted tunes, some people found the sudden increase in tune numbers overwhelming. That's why I suggested that people shouldn't submit too many tunes all at once.
However, if you people can't get enough of the tunes and wouldn't find a sudden onslaught overwhelming, then that's fine. Let me know.
I should just mention that another reason for requesting restraint with tune submissions is to make sure that The Session doesn't get dominated by one or two members posting tons of tunes all at once.
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't submit more than three tunes all at once (within a, say, 12 hour period). That said, I realise that a lot of people don't have constant access to the internet and want to make the most of it when they do get online.
For example, it's been quite a long time since An Ceolteoir posted any tunes. No doubt he's been really busy in the "real" world. So, if he were to come along tomorrow and submit ten tunes all at one time, I think that would be fair enough.
So you see, there are no hard'n'fast rules. A bit of common sense is all that's needed.
I hope my tone here doesn't across as too schoolmarmish. Just in case anyone thinks I'm unhappy with the state of The Session, let me set that straight.
I think it's fantastic the way The Session has turned into this vibrant, self-regulating community. I don't know about you, but I find it a terrific resource for getting new tunes. I've still got loads in my tunebook that I need to sit down and learn. And the discussions here are fabulous. There's so much thought-provoking stuff, amiable chit-chat and a general atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.
What more could I ask for?
Okay, enough praise. Now I want some feedback. What do you think of the "unwritten rules" (i.e. suggestions) for tune submissions? Fair? Harsh?
Are there any other issues that need clarifying? Enquiring minds want to know...
Wow. Two of us whine that we miss your comments and suddenly you post a novella....
My feedback, for what it's worth: Your suggestions are spot on. The Session already has the ebb and flow that marks any good real world session, as different people bring various talents and levels of energy to the circle. Some nights, the piper's in a melancholy mood and stays in the minor keys all night. Some times it's the flute player on a latte buzz who keeps the string of tunes going for 45 minutes (and nobody minds that she's "dominating" the choice of tunes for a spell because at least it keeps the fiddles from running away with it again *grin*). And sometimes everyone's tuckered out from a harsh week and we talk and drink more than we play tunes.
Your suggestions fall right in line with this natural rhythm, and I think most of us "get it." But it helps newcomers to The Session to see these ideas articulated, and it never hurts to underestimate how "common" common sense really is. These discussions have certainly helped me think more clearly about posting tunes.
I'd like to second your encouragement to everyone to use the comment section when we post a tune. Tell us who you learned it from, what instrument(s) you play it on and how your approach changes on the same tune from one instrument to the next (or from day to day). Talk about WHY you play this tune--what makes it stand out enough from the thousands of tunes that made you want to learn it--a particularly pleasing line of notes, a rhythmic catch, a great chord progression, whatever. Give us variations, and ideas for other tunes to form a set.
Thanks again Jeremy for hosting such a wonderful session!
Nah, it's more like a short story -- kind of an essay as it were. *grin*
I think I've said in the past that I love The Session because it's like a 24/7 live session, only missing the actual playing. In some ways, that's really nice, because it means that dead beginners can keep up with the hotshots, and feel on an equal footing, something that is rare to unusual in the real world, because, while I firmly believe that any player can learn *something* from any other player, skill level often translates into a kind of pecking order (and amount of mouthiness allowed) in a live session. So I think that's something that's really unique and valuable to cyber-sessions.
And I especially love it that people tend to behave here as they would face to face -- in other words, civilly and with an awareness that things said out loud in front of God and everybody are important. And yet we have lots of room for the silly, inane, and otherwise fun stuff, just like you would in a real session.
So, even though we have our own "unwritten" rules as well as our One Big Rule, just like any other gorup of players, I think that your guidelines are just dandy, Jeremy. I also agree with Will 100% that newbies do need to understand and come to agree with the common part of common sense (often more difficult to find than idealists think!) and a posting with some of those things doesn't hurt a bit.
Great site, Jeremy!
I don't think it needs any other rules besides "The One". It seems to work pretty well the way it is. As for the number of tunes: I don't look at all the new tunes if there are loads of them. In that case I just look at the tunes to see if there are any comments. It's nice to know that a tune is someones favourite or that it is a regular tune at his or her local session (much nicer than "oh, another one that I don't know") and of course it's great to have a story with a tune. I don't know that many tunes and I have to decide somehow which tunes to learn. I wouldn't like to miss a great tune because hundreds have been posted at the same time and I just didn't have the time to give every single one of them a go. Sometime in the future I might have such a huge repertoire that I long for a new tune and can't wait for another one to be posted. Up until then I don't mind lots of tunes posted but, it has been said before, please do comment. Will and Jeremy, I like the way you comment your tunes with your ideas for variation and ornamentation. And I agree with glauber that the recordings need comments. I can find out which tunes are on a recording easily enough but I'd like to hear what you think of it.
Hello Jeremy,
I'm sorry I haven't said hello to you yet, myself being a newbie here. You have created a great site here, and I'm very happy to support your one golden rule. I also appreciate you writing your clarifying vision of what you see for thesession. My boss has monthly meetings for our entire project at work, and often kids himself about stating the obvious. However, I think it really helps. We always have new people who haven't heard it before, and I often find myself that I need some reminding.
I just submitted my first tune last week, and I'll be happy to add some comments on Si Bheag Si Mhor. It's a nice little tune. However, Zina, you have really peaked my curiosity about why you call it "She begs for more." Would you mind telling me the story?
Oh, it's just because the title (which is of course Irish) is pronounced "she beg she more", Dirk -- nothing more than that, I'm afraid. Maybe we could make up a much more interesting story. Let's see...maybe because it's such a sappy little waltz that you need something else to take the taste out of your mouth with afterwards? *snicker* I'm joking. No, really, I am.
You KNOW that's not my favorite tune, Dirk -- probably because I'm just so darn sick of it! hehehe. No, actually, it's a very pretty little thing. It's just that a lot of teachers start their students out with it (along with The Dawning of the Day). So I end up hearing it a lot.
I used to work for a training team for a HR department. One of the things I often had to remind people of was, for cat's sake, don't assume everyone knows what some acronym stands for. There's no reason why an acronym should be familiar to anyone coming into a new situation, but I find that, especially in the tech field, people forget that. Nothing like sitting in a meeting with a bunch of new members to a team and watching their eyes get bigger and blanker as the acronyms start flying.
Well, Thanks for explaining that to me, Zina. I only heard that for the first time on the H.C. Clark piping tutor a year ago. It's kind of funny, that of all the stuff I listened to over the years, I never heard anyone playing that. I guess since so many have tried to avoid playing a tune which might be too well-known, I never heard it. Isn't that odd? If you have any info on the tune, I'd be interested in learning it.
TTFN- and o MERRY XMAS
Si Bheag Si Mhor was the first tune O'Carolan ever wrote. It was inspired of a legend about two great warriors being buried in the big hill and the little hill. While alive, they were leading two armies fighting each other. They both died in the battle, but as ghost they are still fighting each other. And the battle goes on forever....
So this very qute tune, which I really likes to play, both solo on the guitar and on the whistle, has a quite violent history.
Lars
Besides, I think the Session is a wonderful place on the net. I like the combination of people being here - from the puritans to the heretics
But I wouldn't mind the library of tunes being as big as ever. But I respect your intention Jeremy.
Thanks for the Session
Lars
By the way, it might possibly be worth mentioning (then again, perhaps not) that the infamous Sidhe (pronounced "she"), or Fairy Folk, or Fair Folk, or Lords and Ladies or whatever you want to call them, got their name from the old Irish word for "hill" -- since when the Tuatha De Danaan were banished from this world, they went to the world under the ground inside -- ta da -- the hills! The Sidhe are those who dwell under the hills -- the hill people. Apparently, it's never-neverland under there. Who knew?
General guidelines for The Session
General guidelines for The Session
Hello everyone. I thought I'd start a little discussion here just to clear up a few points.
I'm always loathe to post any "rules" for the site because, let's face it, we don't need no steenkin' rules. Everything runs pretty smoothly anyway.
That's kind of why I'm wary of posting any pronouncements in case they get taken as some kind of rule of law.
In the Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.thesession.org/members/index.php/faqs
there is basically just one rule: be civil.
Everyone is sticking to that rule which is great. The only person who has ever been out of line with their comments has been myself when I used unneccesary sarcasm in a discussion:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/41
for which I am very sorry :(
So, anyway, there is still basically only rule for The Session: be civil.
Now, recently I've weighed in with *suggestions* to do with tune submissions. I want to emphasize that they are just suggestions and not hard'n'fast rules.
I'd like to explain the reasoning behind them.
Take, for example, my plea recently not to submit too many tunes all at once. Some people might think that I mentioned this because it might be too much work for me to make the sheetmusic and soundfiles. That's not the case.
My reason for wanting a steady flow of tunes (rather than a drought and deluge) is for the sake of the tunes themselves.
The tunes are the heart of The Session. My fear is that if someone submits, say, ten tunes in a ten minute period that people might look at the last two or three but that the first seven or eight might get overlooked. That would be a shame.
(Personally, I think it's better to submit one good tune with some personal comments that ten uncommented tunes).
Now, I hope I'm speaking for the majority when I say that a steady flow is better than a drought and deluge approach. The Session is supposed to be democratic so I'd like to hear how every one else feels about this.
I remember when The Session first switched over to being more community-run with member submitted tunes, some people found the sudden increase in tune numbers overwhelming. That's why I suggested that people shouldn't submit too many tunes all at once.
However, if you people can't get enough of the tunes and wouldn't find a sudden onslaught overwhelming, then that's fine. Let me know.
I should just mention that another reason for requesting restraint with tune submissions is to make sure that The Session doesn't get dominated by one or two members posting tons of tunes all at once.
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't submit more than three tunes all at once (within a, say, 12 hour period). That said, I realise that a lot of people don't have constant access to the internet and want to make the most of it when they do get online.
For example, it's been quite a long time since An Ceolteoir posted any tunes. No doubt he's been really busy in the "real" world. So, if he were to come along tomorrow and submit ten tunes all at one time, I think that would be fair enough.
So you see, there are no hard'n'fast rules. A bit of common sense is all that's needed.
I hope my tone here doesn't across as too schoolmarmish. Just in case anyone thinks I'm unhappy with the state of The Session, let me set that straight.
I think it's fantastic the way The Session has turned into this vibrant, self-regulating community. I don't know about you, but I find it a terrific resource for getting new tunes. I've still got loads in my tunebook that I need to sit down and learn. And the discussions here are fabulous. There's so much thought-provoking stuff, amiable chit-chat and a general atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.
What more could I ask for?
Okay, enough praise. Now I want some feedback. What do you think of the "unwritten rules" (i.e. suggestions) for tune submissions? Fair? Harsh?
Are there any other issues that need clarifying? Enquiring minds want to know...
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by Jeremy
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Wow. Two of us whine that we miss your comments and suddenly you post a novella....
My feedback, for what it's worth: Your suggestions are spot on. The Session already has the ebb and flow that marks any good real world session, as different people bring various talents and levels of energy to the circle. Some nights, the piper's in a melancholy mood and stays in the minor keys all night. Some times it's the flute player on a latte buzz who keeps the string of tunes going for 45 minutes (and nobody minds that she's "dominating" the choice of tunes for a spell because at least it keeps the fiddles from running away with it again *grin*). And sometimes everyone's tuckered out from a harsh week and we talk and drink more than we play tunes.
Your suggestions fall right in line with this natural rhythm, and I think most of us "get it." But it helps newcomers to The Session to see these ideas articulated, and it never hurts to underestimate how "common" common sense really is. These discussions have certainly helped me think more clearly about posting tunes.
I'd like to second your encouragement to everyone to use the comment section when we post a tune. Tell us who you learned it from, what instrument(s) you play it on and how your approach changes on the same tune from one instrument to the next (or from day to day). Talk about WHY you play this tune--what makes it stand out enough from the thousands of tunes that made you want to learn it--a particularly pleasing line of notes, a rhythmic catch, a great chord progression, whatever. Give us variations, and ideas for other tunes to form a set.
Thanks again Jeremy for hosting such a wonderful session!
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by Will Harmon
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Nah, it's more like a short story -- kind of an essay as it were. *grin*
I think I've said in the past that I love The Session because it's like a 24/7 live session, only missing the actual playing. In some ways, that's really nice, because it means that dead beginners can keep up with the hotshots, and feel on an equal footing, something that is rare to unusual in the real world, because, while I firmly believe that any player can learn *something* from any other player, skill level often translates into a kind of pecking order (and amount of mouthiness allowed) in a live session. So I think that's something that's really unique and valuable to cyber-sessions.
And I especially love it that people tend to behave here as they would face to face -- in other words, civilly and with an awareness that things said out loud in front of God and everybody are important. And yet we have lots of room for the silly, inane, and otherwise fun stuff, just like you would in a real session.
So, even though we have our own "unwritten" rules as well as our One Big Rule, just like any other gorup of players, I think that your guidelines are just dandy, Jeremy. I also agree with Will 100% that newbies do need to understand and come to agree with the common part of common sense (often more difficult to find than idealists think!) and a posting with some of those things doesn't hurt a bit.
Add my thanks to the list, Jeremy!
Zina
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by Zina Lee
Comments
I can't agree more. Please comment your tunes and (even more important() your recordings.
Jeremy, this site is great. Thanks!
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by glauber
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Great site, Jeremy!
I don't think it needs any other rules besides "The One". It seems to work pretty well the way it is. As for the number of tunes: I don't look at all the new tunes if there are loads of them. In that case I just look at the tunes to see if there are any comments. It's nice to know that a tune is someones favourite or that it is a regular tune at his or her local session (much nicer than "oh, another one that I don't know") and of course it's great to have a story with a tune. I don't know that many tunes and I have to decide somehow which tunes to learn. I wouldn't like to miss a great tune because hundreds have been posted at the same time and I just didn't have the time to give every single one of them a go. Sometime in the future I might have such a huge repertoire that I long for a new tune and can't wait for another one to be posted. Up until then I don't mind lots of tunes posted but, it has been said before, please do comment. Will and Jeremy, I like the way you comment your tunes with your ideas for variation and ornamentation. And I agree with glauber that the recordings need comments. I can find out which tunes are on a recording easily enough but I'd like to hear what you think of it.
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by Irina
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Hello Jeremy,
I'm sorry I haven't said hello to you yet, myself being a newbie here. You have created a great site here, and I'm very happy to support your one golden rule. I also appreciate you writing your clarifying vision of what you see for thesession. My boss has monthly meetings for our entire project at work, and often kids himself about stating the obvious. However, I think it really helps. We always have new people who haven't heard it before, and I often find myself that I need some reminding.
I just submitted my first tune last week, and I'll be happy to add some comments on Si Bheag Si Mhor. It's a nice little tune. However, Zina, you have really peaked my curiosity about why you call it "She begs for more." Would you mind telling me the story?
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by dirk
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Oh, it's just because the title (which is of course Irish) is pronounced "she beg she more", Dirk -- nothing more than that, I'm afraid. Maybe we could make up a much more interesting story. Let's see...maybe because it's such a sappy little waltz that you need something else to take the taste out of your mouth with afterwards? *snicker* I'm joking. No, really, I am.
You KNOW that's not my favorite tune, Dirk -- probably because I'm just so darn sick of it! hehehe. No, actually, it's a very pretty little thing. It's just that a lot of teachers start their students out with it (along with The Dawning of the Day). So I end up hearing it a lot.
I used to work for a training team for a HR department. One of the things I often had to remind people of was, for cat's sake, don't assume everyone knows what some acronym stands for. There's no reason why an acronym should be familiar to anyone coming into a new situation, but I find that, especially in the tech field, people forget that. Nothing like sitting in a meeting with a bunch of new members to a team and watching their eyes get bigger and blanker as the acronyms start flying.
TTFN! hehehe
Zina
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by Zina Lee
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Well, Thanks for explaining that to me, Zina. I only heard that for the first time on the H.C. Clark piping tutor a year ago. It's kind of funny, that of all the stuff I listened to over the years, I never heard anyone playing that. I guess since so many have tried to avoid playing a tune which might be too well-known, I never heard it. Isn't that odd? If you have any info on the tune, I'd be interested in learning it.
TTFN- and o MERRY XMAS
# Posted on December 22nd 2001 by dirk
She Begs
What does the title really mean?
# Posted on December 25th 2001 by glauber
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Basically, "Little Hill, Big Hill." I've never read any stories about why.
zls
# Posted on December 26th 2001 by Zina Lee
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Si Bheag Si Mhor was the first tune O'Carolan ever wrote. It was inspired of a legend about two great warriors being buried in the big hill and the little hill. While alive, they were leading two armies fighting each other. They both died in the battle, but as ghost they are still fighting each other. And the battle goes on forever....
So this very qute tune, which I really likes to play, both solo on the guitar and on the whistle, has a quite violent history.
Lars
# Posted on December 26th 2001 by lars
Besides, I think the Session is a wonderful place on the net. I like the combination of people being here - from the puritans to the heretics
But I wouldn't mind the library of tunes being as big as ever. But I respect your intention Jeremy.
Thanks for the Session
Lars
# Posted on December 26th 2001 by lars
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Actually, I find the rule about being civil rather oppressive. Who's up for a Session Revolution?
# Posted on December 29th 2001 by CreadurMawnOrganig
No, No! Put that bodhr
# Posted on December 29th 2001 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Aha! David, you must be an....anarchist! hehehe
zina
# Posted on December 29th 2001 by Zina Lee
She, Si, and Sidhe
By the way, it might possibly be worth mentioning (then again, perhaps not) that the infamous Sidhe (pronounced "she"), or Fairy Folk, or Fair Folk, or Lords and Ladies or whatever you want to call them, got their name from the old Irish word for "hill" -- since when the Tuatha De Danaan were banished from this world, they went to the world under the ground inside -- ta da -- the hills! The Sidhe are those who dwell under the hills -- the hill people. Apparently, it's never-neverland under there. Who knew?
# Posted on December 29th 2001 by Zina Lee
Re: General guidelines for The Session
Hello, Jeremy,
I, too, never got to say Hello to you, till now. I think your guidelines are wonderful, and sit fine with me. Thank you for this wonderful site.
Marian
# Posted on December 31st 2001 by Marian63