My bandmates & I are playing for an upcoming wedding - I have been told that there will be family members of the groom present (from Scotland) who play instruments and who may want to sit in for a few tunes with us. No information on what instruments these may be...or what tunes they will know. Does anyone have any ideas of popular tunes Scotish musicians may be likely to know? Thanks...
They aren't necessarily tunes that people play a lot in sessions, but they are tunes that sesson players in Scotland (the south-east, anyway) will all know.
If you stick to tunes in the pipe scale at concert pitch (G A B c# d e f# g a), they'll fit any instrument you're likely to meet with except Highland pipes in B flat.
In addition to the tunes on Jack's list, they might be aware of some of the following. They are so common in Scottish sessions that even I know play most of them. Also, they'll probably know a fair few Irish tunes.
Father John MacNeill of Barra
Rory McLeod
The Kitchen Maid
Crossing the Minch
Kenny Gillies of Portnalong
Donald McLean's Farewell to Oban
Stirling Castle
The Barrowburn
The Ewe with the Crooked Horn
The Famous Bridge
Trip to Pakistan
The High Drive
The Ramnee Ceilidh
Miss Girdle
Andy Renwick's Ferret
Pressed for Time
Famous Baravan
Buntata's sgadan
Big John MacNeill
Cape Breton Fiddler's Welcome to Shetland (or possibly the Shetlanders Welcome to Cape Breton)
I was just about to say that. Not everyone plays The Ewe in Gmix/dor although it is nice like that.
That is a nice set of tunes though and you will hear them regularly in Scottish sessions. Bogman's list was also a great list of tunes. You shouldn't go wrong with the tunes on those lists. Even if it turns out that the guys that come along are Corries impersinators and don't know any tunes then at least you will have learned some good tunes along the way.
They would know the Silver Spear, the Wind that Shakes the Barley, the Lark in the Morning, the Tarbolton Lodge, and dozens of other tunes popular in Ireland.
"I have been told that there will be family members of the groom present (from Scotland) who play instruments and who may want to sit in for a few tunes with us."
As has been suggested, that could mean just about anything!
Fair enough, learn a few well known Scottish tunes just in case but wouldn't it be better just to let them get on with it or, at least, allow them to take the lead on their choices and either just "join in" or provide backing as required?
If they are "sitting in" on your own sets, then it's up to them to adapt or "fit in" the best they can. Unless you can arrange what your combined repertoire well in advance, it'll probably be a "hit or a miss" anyway.
I think you'll find that if you stick to tunes like Da Spoot o' Skerry, Villafjord, and a few other of the "usual" Shetland tunes, along with some of the better known tunes from The Silver Spear's list above, such as:
Father John MacNeil (?!?: Should be MacMillan) of Barra
Rory McLeod
Crossing the Minch
Donald McLean's Farewell to Oban
Stirling Castle
The Barrowburn
Andy Renwick's Ferret
I would think you'd be on fairly safe ground as these would be common to both the straighter Scottish Dance Bands, as well as in the Scottish session repertoire.
You seem to be assuming that they will have traditional instruments in their hands and traditional tunes in their head!
In case they turn up with a bedroom strat, a casio synth, fender bass, alto sax and a cheap Thomann drumkit you better learn a shuffle in A, Must Hang Sally, Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven and a selection of the Proclaimers, Robin Hall & Jimmy McGregor, Simple Minds, the Exploited, Sheena Easton, Alex Harvey and Orange Juice just in case!
A ‘bedroom strat’ is an cheap instrument in the shape of its Fender namesake specifically used by amateur BLooZ botherers usually privately in the boudoir but, of course, weekly at the dreaded overamplified ‘Open Mic Nite/ BLooZ Jam.
But seriously, folks.....
....one thing I've found with the odd Scottish musician is that they sometimes will start a tune with you, but then have their own sets which they can't deviate from, so you'll get one tune they've joined in with because they know it, then they're off on a set you've never heard before.
Now, that's not like any of us, is it ?
Sorry Jack but that gives me exactly the same thing. I click on the link and it opens up a box asking if I want to open the ABC file. I click yes. I then get a box from the virus checker asking if I want to open it. I click yes. It then opens ABC Navigator and... nothing. I just get the tunes I already have on there and no new ones.
It doesn't really matter from my point of view. I was just wondering what tunes you had in your list. It is just it might affect other folk too.
Sounds like your browser is oddly configured. I use browsers in two different setups - either open the file with an external application as you're doing, or within the browser itself. I just did the latter on this machine (old laptop running Windows 2000 Pro, latest Firefox) - right-clicked on that link, got it to open in a new tab and there it was. You can then save the page or copy-paste it into ABC Navigator (unless you're using an iPad in which case I give up, they're just weird).
Unfortunately I can't install ABC Navigator on this machine to try it (it's a locked-down work system).
"They would know the Silver Spear, the Wind that Shakes the Barley, the Lark in the Morning, the Tarbolton Lodge, and dozens of other tunes popular in Ireland."
Don't bet on it!
In 2007 I spent two weeks in Glasgow and attended a local session there.
There were, as I recall, three fiddlers and a guy who played Lowland/Border pipes. Hour after hour they played tunes I'd never heard. I've been playing in Scottish Pipe Bands for over 30 years and listen to the top bands regularly (in person and on the internet) and hear all the new Highland tunes that come out each year, but these tunes were new to me. Many of the tunes were highly chromatic and I think that many are recent compositions by the like of Gordon Duncan etc.
But when I started Lark In The Morning all I got was blank stares. They said that they had heard that tune but didn't know it.
So you can't assume that Irish session standards will be Scottish session standards. I think the lists given above are very good, of well-known Highland pipe and Scottish fiddle standards.
In the session Richard is referring to (I'm not sure but based on your description of the tunes played, I have a pretty damned good idea which one it is) you won't hear "common" Irish or even Scottish tunes. I doubt they will know the Lark in the Morning. I stopped going to that session a while ago since I don't know and can't play enough of their repertoire to play along with them, they don't know mine, and as they are top class players, the last thing they want is to hear me play solo sets.
"Older' Scottish players (say anyone over 30 ) probably will know more Irish tunes. I have heard that until quite recently, the majority of pub sessions in Scotland played a lot of Irish tunes and traddies were listening to the likes of Planxty and the Bothy Band. Kenny would know more so hopefully he'll weigh in here.
The session in question is not in existance any more or at least it stopped and then was reinstated later by different players. I thought that the piper you were talking about did know the Lark in the Morning but perhaps not well enough. They all know The Silver Spear though.
One difference I have noticed betwen the Irish and Scottish tradtional music is that, in Scotland, there seem to be several distinct sub-traditions, each with its own repertoire, and with only limited crossover between them. For example: piping, N.E. Highland fiddle, W. Highland fiddle, Borders fiddle, country dance...
Each of these has a separate repertoire and, where there are tunes shared between them, the settings are often quite different. Many tunes are clearly not well suited to the (highland) pipes owing to the limited range of notes available on that instrument - and when 'fiddle' tunes are played on the pipes, they more-often-than-not ned to be modified in some way to fit the pipes. Similarly, fiddlers will often 'sharpen' the flat 7ths in pipe tunes, if they are not playing with a piper.
I have not been to many sessions in Scotland, but I imagine this would be one reason why different sessions would have completely different repertoires.
Thanks for all of the replies - it's reassuring to hear that we may have some tunes in common - if not, we'll play anyway, and they can just listen! The gig is actually the after wedding ceilidh, so whatever happens will be good.
Scottish tunes
Scottish tunes
My bandmates & I are playing for an upcoming wedding - I have been told that there will be family members of the groom present (from Scotland) who play instruments and who may want to sit in for a few tunes with us. No information on what instruments these may be...or what tunes they will know. Does anyone have any ideas of popular tunes Scotish musicians may be likely to know? Thanks...
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by flpiper
Re: Scottish tunes
I have a page for that (in ABC) on my website:
http://www.campin.me.uk
They aren't necessarily tunes that people play a lot in sessions, but they are tunes that sesson players in Scotland (the south-east, anyway) will all know.
If you stick to tunes in the pipe scale at concert pitch (G A B c# d e f# g a), they'll fit any instrument you're likely to meet with except Highland pipes in B flat.
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Scottish tunes
In addition to the tunes on Jack's list, they might be aware of some of the following. They are so common in Scottish sessions that even I know play most of them. Also, they'll probably know a fair few Irish tunes.
Father John MacNeill of Barra
Rory McLeod
The Kitchen Maid
Crossing the Minch
Kenny Gillies of Portnalong
Donald McLean's Farewell to Oban
Stirling Castle
The Barrowburn
The Ewe with the Crooked Horn
The Famous Bridge
Trip to Pakistan
The High Drive
The Ramnee Ceilidh
Miss Girdle
Andy Renwick's Ferret
Pressed for Time
Famous Baravan
Buntata's sgadan
Big John MacNeill
Cape Breton Fiddler's Welcome to Shetland (or possibly the Shetlanders Welcome to Cape Breton)
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Scottish tunes
Here's some nice wee Scot's Jig - If they help - jim,,,
X:1
T:Kenmure’s Up and Awa’
R:JIG
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A
||Ace aec|efe e2c|Ace aec|BcB B2c|
|Ace aec|efg agf|edc dcB|ABA A3:|
|a2e fec|efe e2g|a2e fec|BcB B2e|
|A2e fec|efg agf|edc dcB|ABA A3:||
X:3
T:Bonny Dundee
R:Jig
M:6/8
K:A
A/c/|efe efe|agf e2d|ceE BeE|BcB Bcd|
|efe efe|agf e2d|ceE BeE|ABA A2:|
e|A3- d2c|BGE E2G|BcB Bcd|dcc c2A|
|cBc dcd|ede fed|ceE BeE|ABA A2:||
X:1
T:The Top Of Ben Lomand
R:single jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:D
a |faf dfd | BdB A2B | def afd | efd e2a|
|faf dfd | BdB A2B | def afe | d3- d2:||
g |a~A3 f~A3| BdB A2B | def afd | efd e2g|
|a~A3 f~A3| BdB A2B | def afe | d3 d2-:||
X:7
T:Miss Sally Hunter of Thurston's Jig
R:Single Jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:D
A|DFA d2A|B2A d2A|Bcd egf|efd cBA|
|DFA d2A|B2A Bcd|egf edc|d3-D2-:|
g|fed g2e|a2f b2g|fef def|efd cBA|
|fed g2e|a2f b2g|fga Adc|d3- d2g|
|fdf geg|afa bgb|afd Bcd|efd cBA|
|AFA d2A|B2A Bcd|egf edc|d3- D2-||
X:1
T:The Ferry
R:Jig
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:A
cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c cBA | cBB Bed | cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c BAB | A3 Aed | \
cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c cBA | cBB Bed | cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c BAB | A3 Aed | \
cea aga | fdf agf | e2c cBA | cBB Bed | cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c BAB | A3 Aed | \
cea aga | fdf agf | e2c cBA | cBB Bed | cBc Ace | f3 efg | a2c BAB | A4 z2 | \
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Scottish tunes
Bogman posted a very good list on a previous thread which I hope he will not mind me linking.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/22590/comments#comment468168
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by creathana
Re: Scottish tunes
Good ideas, but in my experience you don't get many takers for tunes in G minor (The Ewie wi the Crookit Horn).
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Scottish tunes
The version I have of that is in Am.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Scottish tunes
I was just about to say that. Not everyone plays The Ewe in Gmix/dor although it is nice like that.
That is a nice set of tunes though and you will hear them regularly in Scottish sessions. Bogman's list was also a great list of tunes. You shouldn't go wrong with the tunes on those lists. Even if it turns out that the guys that come along are Corries impersinators and don't know any tunes then at least you will have learned some good tunes along the way.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Scottish tunes
On the other hand I can't seem to open Jack's ABC file. Not sure why. When I click on it it opens up ABC Navigator and then nothing happens. Strange.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Scottish tunes
They would know the Silver Spear, the Wind that Shakes the Barley, the Lark in the Morning, the Tarbolton Lodge, and dozens of other tunes popular in Ireland.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by slainte
Re: Scottish tunes
Look into Harry Lauder, then the relatives are covered.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by RichardB
Re: Scottish tunes
"I have been told that there will be family members of the groom present (from Scotland) who play instruments and who may want to sit in for a few tunes with us."
As has been suggested, that could mean just about anything!
Fair enough, learn a few well known Scottish tunes just in case but wouldn't it be better just to let them get on with it or, at least, allow them to take the lead on their choices and either just "join in" or provide backing as required?
If they are "sitting in" on your own sets, then it's up to them to adapt or "fit in" the best they can. Unless you can arrange what your combined repertoire well in advance, it'll probably be a "hit or a miss" anyway.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Johnny Jay
Re: Scottish tunes
Depending on their political leanings, there's Repeal of the Poll Tax.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by minijackpot
Re: Scottish tunes
I think you'll find that if you stick to tunes like Da Spoot o' Skerry, Villafjord, and a few other of the "usual" Shetland tunes, along with some of the better known tunes from The Silver Spear's list above, such as:
Father John MacNeil (?!?: Should be MacMillan) of Barra
Rory McLeod
Crossing the Minch
Donald McLean's Farewell to Oban
Stirling Castle
The Barrowburn
Andy Renwick's Ferret
I would think you'd be on fairly safe ground as these would be common to both the straighter Scottish Dance Bands, as well as in the Scottish session repertoire.
Good luck.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by On Sabbatical
Re: Scottish tunes
You seem to be assuming that they will have traditional instruments in their hands and traditional tunes in their head!
In case they turn up with a bedroom strat, a casio synth, fender bass, alto sax and a cheap Thomann drumkit you better learn a shuffle in A, Must Hang Sally, Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven and a selection of the Proclaimers, Robin Hall & Jimmy McGregor, Simple Minds, the Exploited, Sheena Easton, Alex Harvey and Orange Juice just in case!
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by yhaalhouse
Re: Scottish tunes
Or you could play tradional tunes on "a bedroom strat, a casio synth, fender bass, alto sax and a cheap Thomann drumkit ".
Or you could play "a shuffle in A, Must Hang Sally, Hotel California, .... " on traditonal instruments.
Could be fun.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by harmonic miner
Re: Scottish tunes
"....a bedroom strat..."
Doesn't that refer to the player rather than the instrument ?
I've got a bedroom tele......
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Scottish tunes
A ‘bedroom strat’ is an cheap instrument in the shape of its Fender namesake specifically used by amateur BLooZ botherers usually privately in the boudoir but, of course, weekly at the dreaded overamplified ‘Open Mic Nite/ BLooZ Jam.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by yhaalhouse
Re: Scottish tunes
Athol Highlanders
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Scottish tunes
Kate Dalrymple, The High Reel, The New Bridge of Edinburgh.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Scottish tunes
Maybe this link might work, going direct to the ABC, if going through my homepage doesn't?
http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/ScottishSessionTunes.abc
ABC Navigator seems pretty flaky from reports I've had of it - I don't have access to a Windows box I can try it on.
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Scottish tunes
But seriously, folks.....
....one thing I've found with the odd Scottish musician is that they sometimes will start a tune with you, but then have their own sets which they can't deviate from, so you'll get one tune they've joined in with because they know it, then they're off on a set you've never heard before.
Now, that's not like any of us, is it ?
# Posted on September 15th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Scottish tunes
Sorry Jack but that gives me exactly the same thing. I click on the link and it opens up a box asking if I want to open the ABC file. I click yes. I then get a box from the virus checker asking if I want to open it. I click yes. It then opens ABC Navigator and... nothing. I just get the tunes I already have on there and no new ones.
It doesn't really matter from my point of view. I was just wondering what tunes you had in your list. It is just it might affect other folk too.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Scottish tunes
Sounds like your browser is oddly configured. I use browsers in two different setups - either open the file with an external application as you're doing, or within the browser itself. I just did the latter on this machine (old laptop running Windows 2000 Pro, latest Firefox) - right-clicked on that link, got it to open in a new tab and there it was. You can then save the page or copy-paste it into ABC Navigator (unless you're using an iPad in which case I give up, they're just weird).
Unfortunately I can't install ABC Navigator on this machine to try it (it's a locked-down work system).
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Scottish tunes
"They would know the Silver Spear, the Wind that Shakes the Barley, the Lark in the Morning, the Tarbolton Lodge, and dozens of other tunes popular in Ireland."
Don't bet on it!
In 2007 I spent two weeks in Glasgow and attended a local session there.
There were, as I recall, three fiddlers and a guy who played Lowland/Border pipes. Hour after hour they played tunes I'd never heard. I've been playing in Scottish Pipe Bands for over 30 years and listen to the top bands regularly (in person and on the internet) and hear all the new Highland tunes that come out each year, but these tunes were new to me. Many of the tunes were highly chromatic and I think that many are recent compositions by the like of Gordon Duncan etc.
But when I started Lark In The Morning all I got was blank stares. They said that they had heard that tune but didn't know it.
So you can't assume that Irish session standards will be Scottish session standards. I think the lists given above are very good, of well-known Highland pipe and Scottish fiddle standards.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by Richard D Cook
Re: Scottish tunes
Depends on the Scottish session.
) probably will know more Irish tunes. I have heard that until quite recently, the majority of pub sessions in Scotland played a lot of Irish tunes and traddies were listening to the likes of Planxty and the Bothy Band. Kenny would know more so hopefully he'll weigh in here.
In the session Richard is referring to (I'm not sure but based on your description of the tunes played, I have a pretty damned good idea which one it is) you won't hear "common" Irish or even Scottish tunes. I doubt they will know the Lark in the Morning. I stopped going to that session a while ago since I don't know and can't play enough of their repertoire to play along with them, they don't know mine, and as they are top class players, the last thing they want is to hear me play solo sets.
"Older' Scottish players (say anyone over 30
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Scottish tunes
The session in question is not in existance any more or at least it stopped and then was reinstated later by different players. I thought that the piper you were talking about did know the Lark in the Morning but perhaps not well enough. They all know The Silver Spear though.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Scottish tunes
Over 30? Older? Hang on a second! I object.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Scottish tunes
Everyone who isn't a fresher is older, including me. The campus is crawling with them. They're so YOUNG.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Scottish tunes
Here are a couple tunes to accompany dancers should impromptu dancing break out:
The Gay Gordon's
The Dashing White Sergeant
Miss McCleod's
White Cockade
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by fiddlerdan
Re: Scottish tunes
One difference I have noticed betwen the Irish and Scottish tradtional music is that, in Scotland, there seem to be several distinct sub-traditions, each with its own repertoire, and with only limited crossover between them. For example: piping, N.E. Highland fiddle, W. Highland fiddle, Borders fiddle, country dance...
Each of these has a separate repertoire and, where there are tunes shared between them, the settings are often quite different. Many tunes are clearly not well suited to the (highland) pipes owing to the limited range of notes available on that instrument - and when 'fiddle' tunes are played on the pipes, they more-often-than-not ned to be modified in some way to fit the pipes. Similarly, fiddlers will often 'sharpen' the flat 7ths in pipe tunes, if they are not playing with a piper.
I have not been to many sessions in Scotland, but I imagine this would be one reason why different sessions would have completely different repertoires.
# Posted on September 16th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Scottish tunes
Thanks for all of the replies - it's reassuring to hear that we may have some tunes in common - if not, we'll play anyway, and they can just listen! The gig is actually the after wedding ceilidh, so whatever happens will be good.
# Posted on September 17th 2010 by flpiper
Re: Scottish tunes
http://www.sessionite.com/docs/sss.pdf
a good start...also there are plenty of collections available for free download
http://www.heallan.com/freedownloads.asp
# Posted on September 17th 2010 by Sunnybear
Re: Scottish tunes
It would be great to hear how this "jam" went. Were your fears unfounded?
I'm sure that when groups of musicians get together, there is always a common ground which can be explored.
Let us know, flpiper!
# Posted on October 13th 2010 by clavey