Sorry if this discussion is out of order or anything, i'm a new member to the site. I'm a 15 year old living out in Hong Kong in Asia. As you can imagine, there are no sessions out here and the few folk musicians i've come by are not brilliant, just like myself. However, when i go back to England for my holidays I've been down to the odd session at a pub in Durham. The problem is because I've lived out in the far east all my life I've not had the chance to learn enough of, or the right tunes to join in and it really gets me down. Could people submit a set or two they play that i might find useful to learn and play next time i go to England? It would be much appreciated. Thanks!
P.S. I read somewhere on the site in the Etiquette discussion that people frown upon others who play common tunes, e.g. The Kesh Jig, Planxty Irwin, etc. Is this true or did i just misinterprut the comment?
We've had similar discussions to this fairly frequently, but don't worry. You'll find that you'll never know all the tunes in every session--even the best musicians don't, although they can learn them very quickly. What's popular in your Durham pub might not get played up the road. You can learn the repertoire of a particular session, if you go there often enough, but there's no guarantee that they'll be playing that music in the next pub.
My advice is to concentrate on the common tunes, then slightly less common tunes and so on. You'll always be sure of a tune for part of the evening. If you go to a particular pub regularly, you'll pick up the rest eventually. Don't worry too much about the people here slagging off certain tunes. Everyone has their pet hates and they vary from town town, pub to pub, session to session. You'll hear the Kesh jig and others all over the place and in any type of session. If you are wary about starting them, just sit back because some one else will.
There are other sources and I'm sure the others will give you advice.
Try and listen to as many good albums as you can. A lot of younger players will be playing tunes off Danu and Lunasa etc albums so that's a start, However, there's much more to it than that and most of us will pick tunes tune to learn that we like ourselves rather than those which are just fashionable. Incidentally, even bands like Danu include the odd "old warhorse" or two in their sets/albums so never reject anything out of hand.
Enjoy your sessions.
Jocklet, how much fun is that goofy site!! Don't know why I'd never tried it before, Happy Valentine's Day to ye, here's a big kiss for this fun diversion! T'anks!
Hello Scottbboy. WElcome to the whacky world of ITM. You have now taken up something which will probably take over your life but its wonderful so sit back and enjoy! Never mind what people say about the well played tunes e.g. Kesh, Butterfly,
Boys of Bluehill etc. Some people like to slag these tunes off because they are so common and most beginners play them but they are wonderful tunes in their own right, after all the Bothy Band recorded the Kesh, I rest my case.
Enjoy
d
Welcome to The Session, Scottyboy, and feel free to pipe up whenever you like.
Will's rather gargantuan list of tunes to learn can be found at http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/110 -- waaaaaay back at thread #110, I can hardly believe we are coming perilously close to 3000 at this point. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list. Just pick one to learn off the list (or any list, for that matter) and learn it. Then pick another and learn it. One day you'll turn around and the list will be finished.
Try not to get too set in to a certain set. I know beginners who have a hard time playing a tune if it wasn't following the tune they're used to playing it with -- and that's no good for a session player.
Caveat: If you're a beginner, don't worry about learning too many tunes your first year. Concentrate on learning maybe 10-30 tunes really really well and get your style and feel down. (I know of teachers who want their students to stick with FOUR tunes their first year, which strikes me as pretty minimal.)
As John says above, don't worry about playing the more common beginner tunes. They're good tunes. Everyone ought to have knowledge of the Maid Behind the Bars and the Kesh Jigs and the Silver Spears, because when you travel, when you start a set and no one else knows the tunes you know, a desperation bid of starting Sligo Maid or My Darling Asleep is always going to get people to play with you. (It'll also show that you're trying to play *with* everyone and not just play solos all night.)
For most people, they usually only get exasperated when a beginner shows up month after month after month with no attempt to learn any of the tunes the session normally plays and always wanting to play the same tunes.
BTW, tunes do go through cycles. Someone will record a tune and everyone will fall in love with it all over again and it'll start getting played out, and then it falls into disuse. And then somebody starts it up by recording it or playing it out, and everyone will fall in love with it all over again, and...
Thanks everyone who replied, didnt think id get such a good come back. I guess i wont have the oportunity to get really good till i actually move to England or Scotland or where ever. Thanks for the links too, i've heard some cappercaillie stuff i quite enjoy any comments on them? i learnt Dr. McPhails reel if any one is farmiliar with it.
Thanks again
scottyboy
Nonsense Scottyboy! You can get as good as your talent and desire will take you by learning off recordings, hunting down the trad players in Hong Kong, and begging for lessons off any toruing muso's who swing through. Use the Scoiltrad online school or MadforTrad cds to get specific instruction. You don't have to live on the moors to learn to play this music.
Help with tunes!
Help with tunes!
Sorry if this discussion is out of order or anything, i'm a new member to the site. I'm a 15 year old living out in Hong Kong in Asia. As you can imagine, there are no sessions out here and the few folk musicians i've come by are not brilliant, just like myself. However, when i go back to England for my holidays I've been down to the odd session at a pub in Durham. The problem is because I've lived out in the far east all my life I've not had the chance to learn enough of, or the right tunes to join in and it really gets me down. Could people submit a set or two they play that i might find useful to learn and play next time i go to England? It would be much appreciated. Thanks!
P.S. I read somewhere on the site in the Etiquette discussion that people frown upon others who play common tunes, e.g. The Kesh Jig, Planxty Irwin, etc. Is this true or did i just misinterprut the comment?
# Posted on February 13th 2004 by scottyboy
Re: Help with tunes!
We've had similar discussions to this fairly frequently, but don't worry. You'll find that you'll never know all the tunes in every session--even the best musicians don't, although they can learn them very quickly. What's popular in your Durham pub might not get played up the road. You can learn the repertoire of a particular session, if you go there often enough, but there's no guarantee that they'll be playing that music in the next pub.
My advice is to concentrate on the common tunes, then slightly less common tunes and so on. You'll always be sure of a tune for part of the evening. If you go to a particular pub regularly, you'll pick up the rest eventually. Don't worry too much about the people here slagging off certain tunes. Everyone has their pet hates and they vary from town town, pub to pub, session to session. You'll hear the Kesh jig and others all over the place and in any type of session. If you are wary about starting them, just sit back because some one else will.
Here's a link to some well known sets
http://music.celtic.ru/Session_Tune_Sets/Contents.htm
There are other sources and I'm sure the others will give you advice.
Try and listen to as many good albums as you can. A lot of younger players will be playing tunes off Danu and Lunasa etc albums so that's a start, However, there's much more to it than that and most of us will pick tunes tune to learn that we like ourselves rather than those which are just fashionable. Incidentally, even bands like Danu include the odd "old warhorse" or two in their sets/albums so never reject anything out of hand.
Enjoy your sessions.
John
# Posted on February 13th 2004 by Johnny Jay
Re: Help with tunes!
Try playing along with The Virtual Session at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/.
# Posted on March 1st 2003 by dafydd
Re: Help with tunes!
Jocklet, how much fun is that goofy site!! Don't know why I'd never tried it before, Happy Valentine's Day to ye, here's a big kiss for this fun diversion! T'anks!
xoxoxoxo Emily
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by emily_bmore
Re: Help with tunes!
Hello Scottbboy. WElcome to the whacky world of ITM. You have now taken up something which will probably take over your life but its wonderful so sit back and enjoy! Never mind what people say about the well played tunes e.g. Kesh, Butterfly,
Boys of Bluehill etc. Some people like to slag these tunes off because they are so common and most beginners play them but they are wonderful tunes in their own right, after all the Bothy Band recorded the Kesh, I rest my case.
Enjoy
d
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by MollyB
Re: Help with tunes!
Welcome to The Session, Scottyboy, and feel free to pipe up whenever you like.
Will's rather gargantuan list of tunes to learn can be found at http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/110 -- waaaaaay back at thread #110, I can hardly believe we are coming perilously close to 3000 at this point. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list. Just pick one to learn off the list (or any list, for that matter) and learn it. Then pick another and learn it. One day you'll turn around and the list will be finished.
Try not to get too set in to a certain set. I know beginners who have a hard time playing a tune if it wasn't following the tune they're used to playing it with -- and that's no good for a session player.
Caveat: If you're a beginner, don't worry about learning too many tunes your first year. Concentrate on learning maybe 10-30 tunes really really well and get your style and feel down. (I know of teachers who want their students to stick with FOUR tunes their first year, which strikes me as pretty minimal.)
As John says above, don't worry about playing the more common beginner tunes. They're good tunes. Everyone ought to have knowledge of the Maid Behind the Bars and the Kesh Jigs and the Silver Spears, because when you travel, when you start a set and no one else knows the tunes you know, a desperation bid of starting Sligo Maid or My Darling Asleep is always going to get people to play with you. (It'll also show that you're trying to play *with* everyone and not just play solos all night.)
For most people, they usually only get exasperated when a beginner shows up month after month after month with no attempt to learn any of the tunes the session normally plays and always wanting to play the same tunes.
Hope you're having fun with it!
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Help with tunes!
BTW, tunes do go through cycles. Someone will record a tune and everyone will fall in love with it all over again and it'll start getting played out, and then it falls into disuse. And then somebody starts it up by recording it or playing it out, and everyone will fall in love with it all over again, and...
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Help with tunes!
Thanks everyone who replied, didnt think id get such a good come back. I guess i wont have the oportunity to get really good till i actually move to England or Scotland or where ever. Thanks for the links too, i've heard some cappercaillie stuff i quite enjoy any comments on them? i learnt Dr. McPhails reel if any one is farmiliar with it.
Thanks again
scottyboy
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by scottyboy
Re: Help with tunes!
Nonsense Scottyboy! You can get as good as your talent and desire will take you by learning off recordings, hunting down the trad players in Hong Kong, and begging for lessons off any toruing muso's who swing through. Use the Scoiltrad online school or MadforTrad cds to get specific instruction. You don't have to live on the moors to learn to play this music.
# Posted on February 15th 2004 by Will Harmon