Perhaps those who play regularly at sessions could post every now and again what common sets of tunes are played at their respective sessions. The posting could be in the comments area for the posted session and need not be in this discussion area.
This would be interesting (1) to those around the world to see what others play; (2) in that it would show over time how sets change at a particular session; and (3) would be helpful for those who might be interested in approaching a session with the idea of sitting in.
Around here different folks play different medleys from a large body of tunes. It depends on who starts the tune as to what tunes you might expect to follow. Many times medleys are put together spontaneously. There are a couple of medleys that seem to be traditional i.e. Boys of Tulla/Skylark/Roring Mary, Master Crowley's/The Rosscommon Reel, Tarbolton/Longford Collector/Sailor's Bonnet, etc. But for the most part just about any combination could happen -- even with tunes from these established medleys. It all depends on what the person starting the tune wants to do.
Where I play in Leitrim/Roscommon there are definitely certain sets played all the time e.g. Down the Broom and the Gatehouse Maid; Skylark and Roaring Mary. Over the Moor/Green Gates. Galway Rambler/London Lassies and a lot of these have been played for years in areas like Gurteen. Then when, say two or three people, play/practise together like my friend Mairead and myself we would have our own sets which we have put together and we would always play these at the the session. I found that the sets in this part of the country are very different from those in Dublin. REally when a group of people play together for a long time they will tend to have sets of tunes they always play. When I moved to Leitrim I had to learn a whole set of new tunes to fit into the session and now when my Dublin friends come to visit I find I have almost forgotten a lot of the tunes we used to play.
Why not get regular sessioners to post this info in the session section so that anyone thinking of going there could at least be aware of a few favourites that might get played?
I think this is a good idea. Let's face it, there are very few sessions where there isn't at least one set that gets played every week. Doesn't matter how advanced the players are or how many tunes they know. I would be very surprised and not a little suspicious if someone told me their regular sessions vary entirely from one week to the next in terms of sets played. Now whether or not you actually know the names of the tunes is an entirely different kettle of ballgames.
I always find it a bit humorous whenever someone suggests compiling lists of session tunes or sets so as to help those who might someday want to be able to sit right in at a session in some new place they find themself in. Really, it's an impossible goal. There are literally thousands of tunes out there being played in sessions around the world, and the overlap of tunes from one session to the next is rather small. I've been playing in sessions for maybe eight years now in my native Washingon DC and in other places like Boston and Ireland, as well as at many music camps and summer schools along the way. At my home sessions, what usually happens is that the various players bring the tunes and sets that happen to catch their fancy at any given time to the table, throw them out there and some of them catch on and stick around for a while. But then those sets fade and others take over, so over the course of several years the entire repertoire shifts. There's really no notion of a common core set of tunes that lingers in the long run.
When I've gone off to sessions in other places, I usually discover a little overlap in tunes that I actually know and play, and a fairly large overlap in tunes that I've heard somewhere along the way, either on a CD or at another session somewhere. (I listen to a lot of Irish music.) As my skills have increased, I increasingly find myself able to join in on tunes I've not played before, because these tunes are already in my head. But as for ever trying to list and learn a common core set of tunes so that I could consider myself "session ready", I've never done that. And I doubt that I'm atypical in that regard....
Sarah has hit on the right idea here. Post it in the sessions section for your own session. Whether I'll actually get round to doing it for The Blythe is another thing, but you guys are welcome to work work away. Maybe in a year's time if we reviewed the repertoire at eg the Blythe, then we'd see how much we'd moved on...or not....
Certainly in England, they play totally different repertoire in various ends of the country. Having just returned from Newcastle and Durham sessions, They play a lot of tunes not played around the Yorkshire sessions, although they do have a wide knowledge of tunes, they just choose not to play the same tunes as found elsewhere
They were somewhat bemused by some of the sets I played, but did know all the tunes - they just commented they haven't played those for ages.
What was curious was that a couple of people were at both sessions, but played totally different repertoire at the two sessions, to fit in with the rest.
I suppose some sessions have specialised rather than play a really wide range of tunes.
Yes. While you might think it may helpful to know what's going to be played in advance, it's probably quite impracticable. You might have to learn the entire evening's repertoire in some cases. Alternatively, if they were all standards, it might put you off going.
I can go to different sessions and know the bulk of the tunes but there are times that I get to play one tune out of ten. There's occasions when I don't know any at all and leave the instrument in the case. Of course, even with the latter, you can always lead a few sets of your own---if you're confident enough and the regulars don't mind.
So, I wouldn't worry too much about what tunes might be played in a particular session. It might be helpful, though, to give a little indication of the style of music e.g. mainly Sligo,Donegal etc, or mixed i.e including Scottish or music from other areas when adding details of new sessions to this site.
John, being "session ready" is a bit grand compared to the actual goal of this little exercise. If I posted three sets that are pretty much played every week at my usual session, then when someone comes along they have a rough idea of what to expect and will not sit on their hands the whole day like a "spare one".If they're asked to play a set themselves or are brave enough to forge ahead on their own with one of the suggested sets, they'll be more readily accepted than if they play some obscure set from their session that not everyone might know.
I see your point Conan but they might have to get "in quick" before someone else starts the set. That happened to me a couple of nights ago. Still, that'll maybe not matter. At least I/we/they would get to play a tune.
Actually John, I was just thinking that! I was hoping no-one else would. Your point about particular regional repertoires is a good one but I think it would apply more readily to sessions in Ireland, unless there are certain places elsewhere with a very strong Sligo influence or contingent , for example. I mean we could pick holes in this idea all day but I think it's better than having no clue what to expect when you turn up in an unfamiliar place.
My interest would lie in markwilson's second point - how your own session's repertoire changes over time. Because, although there may well be regional/national variations (particularly in Geordieland, where I've heard they do ABI sessions [Anything But Irish], and of course, Scotland), in Irish sessions much of the common (common as in shared) repertoire will eventually come up. So, from that point of view this would be a redundant exercise.
I'm glad to hear you're not revamping the Blythe playlist in the near future Danny.... I'm only just getting the hang of what's going on now.... well I thought I was... Ummm well then again...
I wasn't going to suggest listing EVERYTHING that might be played it was really just to echo wot Conan has said that it would be nice to go somewhere, especially somewhere new, and know that if there was a set of tunes played most weeks that you could feel happy to join in confidently instead of trying to just busk along all evening and hoping you weren't upsetting anybody by doing so!
Jeremy's wonderful site here has lists of tunes submitted by members and lists of sessions submitted by members. My suggestion was simply to combine the two ideas somewhat: if you play at a session, describe the session in the comments area for that session but also list in those comments some common tunes that are played. I still think it would be interesting. Or, if on a particular evening you had a special guest or played something unusual at your session, post that event under the session comments. It would give all who look more of a picture of what your particular session is like.
When visitors come to our session I often ask them to start tunes or suggest medleys from their neck of the woods. I have no idea what they might be, and sometimes it might even be a trad medley we know about too... but it doesn’t matter. The fact that they're visiting our sesh is part of the fun isn’t it? On the other hand, when I'm visiting someone else's session, I don't expect to know their medleys. If I had prepared though, and a local was starting a tune that I was assuming to be the first tune in one of their medleys that I had prepared for, but the local decided to put the tunes together differently, or the medley had changed... double confusion and frustration. Why not relax and enjoy the visit and not worry about being able to play along on all the tunes. I enjoy just listening to sessions I visit too, no harm in that.
I wonder how many of us have been able to sit and listen to a session without feeling frustrated about the fact that we don't know enough of the tunes being played. When I was in Ireland, my instrument sat on my lap more than in my hands, and I had to give up my seat more than once. At first I was frustrated and embarrassed, but after I accepted that the local players had their own common tunes, many of which I had never heard, I enjoyed the effect of the session, i.e. music, and I listened happily. It would have been a daunting task to try to learn tunes common or semi-common to each location I visited, and the likelihood of those tunes coming up while I happened to be there was slim anyway -- so why bother. I'd much rather capture the tune with a personal recording device, bring it home, learn the ones I like, and share them with the locals of where I come from.
OK, Mark, maybe "redundant execise" was a bit strong. I hope you weren't offended. Your idea is probably a good one, but from my experience, many tunes are ubiquitous.
What tunes do you play?
What tunes do you play?
Here's a thought:
Perhaps those who play regularly at sessions could post every now and again what common sets of tunes are played at their respective sessions. The posting could be in the comments area for the posted session and need not be in this discussion area.
This would be interesting (1) to those around the world to see what others play; (2) in that it would show over time how sets change at a particular session; and (3) would be helpful for those who might be interested in approaching a session with the idea of sitting in.
Your thoughts?
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by markwilson
Re: What tunes do you play?
Around here different folks play different medleys from a large body of tunes. It depends on who starts the tune as to what tunes you might expect to follow. Many times medleys are put together spontaneously. There are a couple of medleys that seem to be traditional i.e. Boys of Tulla/Skylark/Roring Mary, Master Crowley's/The Rosscommon Reel, Tarbolton/Longford Collector/Sailor's Bonnet, etc. But for the most part just about any combination could happen -- even with tunes from these established medleys. It all depends on what the person starting the tune wants to do.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: What tunes do you play?
Ditto.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: What tunes do you play?
Same here.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Kerri Brown
Re: What tunes do you play?
And here.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Dow
Re: What tunes do you play?
Yup!
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: What tunes do you play?
Sets can change by the town, the pub, the night, the lead player, or the mood he/she is in. It's good they do.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: What tunes do you play?
Where I play in Leitrim/Roscommon there are definitely certain sets played all the time e.g. Down the Broom and the Gatehouse Maid; Skylark and Roaring Mary. Over the Moor/Green Gates. Galway Rambler/London Lassies and a lot of these have been played for years in areas like Gurteen. Then when, say two or three people, play/practise together like my friend Mairead and myself we would have our own sets which we have put together and we would always play these at the the session. I found that the sets in this part of the country are very different from those in Dublin. REally when a group of people play together for a long time they will tend to have sets of tunes they always play. When I moved to Leitrim I had to learn a whole set of new tunes to fit into the session and now when my Dublin friends come to visit I find I have almost forgotten a lot of the tunes we used to play.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by MollyB
Re: What tunes do you play?
Why not get regular sessioners to post this info in the session section so that anyone thinking of going there could at least be aware of a few favourites that might get played?
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Sarah the Flute
Re: What tunes do you play?
I think this is a good idea. Let's face it, there are very few sessions where there isn't at least one set that gets played every week. Doesn't matter how advanced the players are or how many tunes they know. I would be very surprised and not a little suspicious if someone told me their regular sessions vary entirely from one week to the next in terms of sets played. Now whether or not you actually know the names of the tunes is an entirely different kettle of ballgames.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Conán McDonnell
Re: What tunes do you play?
I always find it a bit humorous whenever someone suggests compiling lists of session tunes or sets so as to help those who might someday want to be able to sit right in at a session in some new place they find themself in. Really, it's an impossible goal. There are literally thousands of tunes out there being played in sessions around the world, and the overlap of tunes from one session to the next is rather small. I've been playing in sessions for maybe eight years now in my native Washingon DC and in other places like Boston and Ireland, as well as at many music camps and summer schools along the way. At my home sessions, what usually happens is that the various players bring the tunes and sets that happen to catch their fancy at any given time to the table, throw them out there and some of them catch on and stick around for a while. But then those sets fade and others take over, so over the course of several years the entire repertoire shifts. There's really no notion of a common core set of tunes that lingers in the long run.
When I've gone off to sessions in other places, I usually discover a little overlap in tunes that I actually know and play, and a fairly large overlap in tunes that I've heard somewhere along the way, either on a CD or at another session somewhere. (I listen to a lot of Irish music.) As my skills have increased, I increasingly find myself able to join in on tunes I've not played before, because these tunes are already in my head. But as for ever trying to list and learn a common core set of tunes so that I could consider myself "session ready", I've never done that. And I doubt that I'm atypical in that regard....
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by johnkerr
Re: What tunes do you play?
Sarah has hit on the right idea here. Post it in the sessions section for your own session. Whether I'll actually get round to doing it for The Blythe is another thing, but you guys are welcome to work work away. Maybe in a year's time if we reviewed the repertoire at eg the Blythe, then we'd see how much we'd moved on...or not....
...not, I suspect!
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: What tunes do you play?
Certainly in England, they play totally different repertoire in various ends of the country. Having just returned from Newcastle and Durham sessions, They play a lot of tunes not played around the Yorkshire sessions, although they do have a wide knowledge of tunes, they just choose not to play the same tunes as found elsewhere
They were somewhat bemused by some of the sets I played, but did know all the tunes - they just commented they haven't played those for ages.
What was curious was that a couple of people were at both sessions, but played totally different repertoire at the two sessions, to fit in with the rest.
I suppose some sessions have specialised rather than play a really wide range of tunes.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by geoffwright
Re: What tunes do you play?
Yes. While you might think it may helpful to know what's going to be played in advance, it's probably quite impracticable. You might have to learn the entire evening's repertoire in some cases. Alternatively, if they were all standards, it might put you off going.
I can go to different sessions and know the bulk of the tunes but there are times that I get to play one tune out of ten. There's occasions when I don't know any at all and leave the instrument in the case. Of course, even with the latter, you can always lead a few sets of your own---if you're confident enough and the regulars don't mind.
So, I wouldn't worry too much about what tunes might be played in a particular session. It might be helpful, though, to give a little indication of the style of music e.g. mainly Sligo,Donegal etc, or mixed i.e including Scottish or music from other areas when adding details of new sessions to this site.
John
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: What tunes do you play?
John, being "session ready" is a bit grand compared to the actual goal of this little exercise. If I posted three sets that are pretty much played every week at my usual session, then when someone comes along they have a rough idea of what to expect and will not sit on their hands the whole day like a "spare one".If they're asked to play a set themselves or are brave enough to forge ahead on their own with one of the suggested sets, they'll be more readily accepted than if they play some obscure set from their session that not everyone might know.
Just my opinion...
Conán
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Conán McDonnell
Re: What tunes do you play?
I see your point Conan but they might have to get "in quick" before someone else starts the set.
That happened to me a couple of nights ago. 
Still, that'll maybe not matter. At least I/we/they would get to play a tune.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: What tunes do you play?
Actually John, I was just thinking that! I was hoping no-one else would. Your point about particular regional repertoires is a good one but I think it would apply more readily to sessions in Ireland, unless there are certain places elsewhere with a very strong Sligo influence or contingent , for example. I mean we could pick holes in this idea all day but I think it's better than having no clue what to expect when you turn up in an unfamiliar place.
All the best for now lads and lasses
Conán
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Conán McDonnell
Re: What tunes do you play?
My interest would lie in markwilson's second point - how your own session's repertoire changes over time. Because, although there may well be regional/national variations (particularly in Geordieland, where I've heard they do ABI sessions [Anything But Irish], and of course, Scotland), in Irish sessions much of the common (common as in shared) repertoire will eventually come up. So, from that point of view this would be a redundant exercise.
Now back to preparing my talk....
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: What tunes do you play?
I'm glad to hear you're not revamping the Blythe playlist in the near future Danny.... I'm only just getting the hang of what's going on now.... well I thought I was... Ummm well then again...
I wasn't going to suggest listing EVERYTHING that might be played it was really just to echo wot Conan has said that it would be nice to go somewhere, especially somewhere new, and know that if there was a set of tunes played most weeks that you could feel happy to join in confidently instead of trying to just busk along all evening and hoping you weren't upsetting anybody by doing so!
Hey ho back to real work!
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Sarah the Flute
Re: What tunes do you play?
Jeremy's wonderful site here has lists of tunes submitted by members and lists of sessions submitted by members. My suggestion was simply to combine the two ideas somewhat: if you play at a session, describe the session in the comments area for that session but also list in those comments some common tunes that are played. I still think it would be interesting. Or, if on a particular evening you had a special guest or played something unusual at your session, post that event under the session comments. It would give all who look more of a picture of what your particular session is like.
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by markwilson
Re: What tunes do you play?
When visitors come to our session I often ask them to start tunes or suggest medleys from their neck of the woods. I have no idea what they might be, and sometimes it might even be a trad medley we know about too... but it doesn’t matter. The fact that they're visiting our sesh is part of the fun isn’t it? On the other hand, when I'm visiting someone else's session, I don't expect to know their medleys. If I had prepared though, and a local was starting a tune that I was assuming to be the first tune in one of their medleys that I had prepared for, but the local decided to put the tunes together differently, or the medley had changed... double confusion and frustration. Why not relax and enjoy the visit and not worry about being able to play along on all the tunes. I enjoy just listening to sessions I visit too, no harm in that.
I wonder how many of us have been able to sit and listen to a session without feeling frustrated about the fact that we don't know enough of the tunes being played. When I was in Ireland, my instrument sat on my lap more than in my hands, and I had to give up my seat more than once. At first I was frustrated and embarrassed, but after I accepted that the local players had their own common tunes, many of which I had never heard, I enjoyed the effect of the session, i.e. music, and I listened happily. It would have been a daunting task to try to learn tunes common or semi-common to each location I visited, and the likelihood of those tunes coming up while I happened to be there was slim anyway -- so why bother. I'd much rather capture the tune with a personal recording device, bring it home, learn the ones I like, and share them with the locals of where I come from.
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: What tunes do you play?
OK, Mark, maybe "redundant execise" was a bit strong. I hope you weren't offended. Your idea is probably a good one, but from my experience, many tunes are ubiquitous.
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: What tunes do you play?
Mark that's just what I was trying to say but you put it over much more succinctly! Must be the time of day!!!!
# Posted on May 5th 2004 by Sarah the Flute