My beautiful partner in life bought me a Handsping for our anniversary, and the first thing I looked for is ABC software that runs on it. That way, I can use it to learn and teach tunes whenever I'm waiting in line somewhere, or have a minute to jot a few "notes."
First I got a neat program called PalmABC which plays tunes that I jot down in ABC. Tonight, I'm planning on trying ABC Viewer, which creates the image right on the PDA.
PalmABC is at this WWW address: http://www.gander.demon.co.uk/palmabc.htm
The ABC Viewer for the Palm is at this address: http://www.biff.org.uk/dave/abc.html
If anyone else knows of other good music tools out there, please join in the discussion.
You're miles ahead of my technological capability already, Dirk. I reckon that would come in handy at a session, though... I could jot down the dots of the tunes I ALMOST know to remind me to learn them instead of having to hurriedly scribble staff notation in crayon on cocktail napkins.
The crazy-ironic thing about Dirk and his new toy, Kerri, is that he's the quickest learner I know for someone who's been only playing a year, so he is probably voted least likely to need all his toys. What happens when you're a computer geek. *grin*
Well, Zina, tell Dirk to ride that wave until it hits the shore. And be careful not to learn things TOO fast... that was my mistake. It works for the first hundred or so tunes, then your tune memory bank pops like a water balloon and they all get mixed together. If I had your new toy, I'd keep a file of the tunes I know seperate from the ones I'm learning or want to learn and not move them in there lightly. Gosh, I wish I did have a toy like that... I get tunes popping into my head all the time that I can't remember playing before, then before I can get to my fiddle, they pop out again.
I don't have a software suggestion, but here's a general suggestion: Find another ABC geek, preferably one who goes to your sessions and seems to know ten thousand tunes, make friends, and then if you get a fraction of a tune looping in your head, you can send it off to him and say "recognize this?" and he can send you the ABC file.
Of course, you can do this right here at the session, but I've never been able to find any tunes in here with a fragment. They're usually played much differently at my session than they are notated here, if they're here at all. Having a session buddy really helps my learning curve.
I think I already posted this in another thread, but--the guys in my real world session occasionally tease me by claiming that they only keep me around because I can peg a name to so many scraps of melody. You *are* teasing, right? Guys?
Hi Folks. Thanks for the advise on not learning too many tunes too fast. Iv'e found that since Zina made me focus on a few tunes, that I'm hearing and enjoying the nuances of those few tunes. It's important for us techno-geek types to remember to slow down sometimes, and stop rushing what takes at least 10 years to learn well.
By the way, the new toy kept crashing while I tried to use it to record today's session,so it went in the case. Keep using those napkins!
ABC is still easier to write on a napkin than music. I know that "every good boy does fine," but not without the ability to draw straight lines.
Hey, naming tunes is a great skill. We beginners out in the boonies need those names. By the way, does anyone know another (English) name for the reel "Bearna na Gaoithe?" Should I send the ABC?
Yeah, right, blame it on me, go ahead. *grin* 'Twas fun at Flanagan's this afternoon, Dirk, I'll look forward to the next one.
Will -- it's me. The woman who regularly e-mails you with "what is this tune" questions. The one who's always pestering you for information on this bowing and that technique. No I'm not teasing. *snort*
Dirk, my copy of Breathnach's Ceol Rince na hEireann (volume 1) lists your reel as Bearna na Gaoithe, with alternate titles in English of "Ah Surely" and Killabeg's House." I've also seen it given as Killabheg House. These titles may be euphemisms for the Gaelic...bearna is gap or break and gaoithe would be wind or windmill. I'll leave that to your imagination....
It would be fun to get someone like Philipe Varlet into thesession.org--he can give the entire etymology and discography of any tune or snippet of melody. An amazing and generous person....
Here's a story by Seamus Tansey, from the liner notes in his beautiful "Easter Snow" cd:
"Ah Surely is a very old Sligo reel, played first by a great Sligo flute player by the name of Willie Snee who lived in the hills of Darroon outside Ballymote. Nobody know how Willie Snee had so many tunes stored up in his head. This was the turn of the century before Coleman had gone to America to make records, long before radio or recording studios came to Ireland. Willie would answer quietly that he first heard these tunes from 'the little people'. The boys however would not believe him. One Sunday there was a great gathering of flute players, the PReston Brothers and many more. They decided to have a contest amont them to find out how many tunes each of them had. The contest went on all day, but in the end Willie Snee won out, playing [this tune]. In admitting defeat, all of them said in tribute 'Ah Surely Willie, Ah Surely' and that is how this old reel got its name."
"Willie Snee died, alas, in Sligo while he was heading home. People perhaps thought Willie Snee was mad with his talk about the fairies and so on, but the people then (and now) didn't understand the close affinity between musicians and the environment. In actual fact maybe Willie Snee was saner than all of them."
Geeeeez....you guys! I think I saw it once listed as The Windy Gap? Reminds me of why the English find it soooooo funny that we call our light jackets "wind breakers"
Will, thank you for the titles, and thank you for the story, Glauber. The only recording I have of it is by Colcannon, and they translate the Gaelic as "The Gap in the Winds." I'll look for the Tansey recording.
It would be fun to teach this one at the learner's session, Zina. It's only two parts!
Thanks for all the inspiration, I went ahead and posted "Ah Surely" with alternate names and Glauber's story to share what I have learned. Thanks again.
-Dirk
Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
My beautiful partner in life bought me a Handsping for our anniversary, and the first thing I looked for is ABC software that runs on it. That way, I can use it to learn and teach tunes whenever I'm waiting in line somewhere, or have a minute to jot a few "notes."
First I got a neat program called PalmABC which plays tunes that I jot down in ABC. Tonight, I'm planning on trying ABC Viewer, which creates the image right on the PDA.
PalmABC is at this WWW address:
http://www.gander.demon.co.uk/palmabc.htm
The ABC Viewer for the Palm is at this address:
http://www.biff.org.uk/dave/abc.html
If anyone else knows of other good music tools out there, please join in the discussion.
-Dirk
# Posted on March 1st 2002 by dirk
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
You're miles ahead of my technological capability already, Dirk. I reckon that would come in handy at a session, though... I could jot down the dots of the tunes I ALMOST know to remind me to learn them instead of having to hurriedly scribble staff notation in crayon on cocktail napkins.
# Posted on March 2nd 2002 by Kerri Brown
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
The crazy-ironic thing about Dirk and his new toy, Kerri, is that he's the quickest learner I know for someone who's been only playing a year, so he is probably voted least likely to need all his toys. What happens when you're a computer geek. *grin*
Zina
# Posted on March 2nd 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Well, Zina, tell Dirk to ride that wave until it hits the shore. And be careful not to learn things TOO fast... that was my mistake. It works for the first hundred or so tunes, then your tune memory bank pops like a water balloon and they all get mixed together. If I had your new toy, I'd keep a file of the tunes I know seperate from the ones I'm learning or want to learn and not move them in there lightly. Gosh, I wish I did have a toy like that... I get tunes popping into my head all the time that I can't remember playing before, then before I can get to my fiddle, they pop out again.
I don't have a software suggestion, but here's a general suggestion: Find another ABC geek, preferably one who goes to your sessions and seems to know ten thousand tunes, make friends, and then if you get a fraction of a tune looping in your head, you can send it off to him and say "recognize this?" and he can send you the ABC file.
Of course, you can do this right here at the session, but I've never been able to find any tunes in here with a fragment. They're usually played much differently at my session than they are notated here, if they're here at all. Having a session buddy really helps my learning curve.
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by Kerri Brown
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
I already have that, Kerri! His name is Will and he lives in Montana.
Zina
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Aw, shucks.... *blush*
I think I already posted this in another thread, but--the guys in my real world session occasionally tease me by claiming that they only keep me around because I can peg a name to so many scraps of melody. You *are* teasing, right? Guys?
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Now if I could just figure out how to play the whole tune (not just the scraps)
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Hi Folks. Thanks for the advise on not learning too many tunes too fast. Iv'e found that since Zina made me focus on a few tunes, that I'm hearing and enjoying the nuances of those few tunes. It's important for us techno-geek types to remember to slow down sometimes, and stop rushing what takes at least 10 years to learn well.
By the way, the new toy kept crashing while I tried to use it to record today's session,so it went in the case. Keep using those napkins!
ABC is still easier to write on a napkin than music. I know that "every good boy does fine," but not without the ability to draw straight lines.
Hey, naming tunes is a great skill. We beginners out in the boonies need those names. By the way, does anyone know another (English) name for the reel "Bearna na Gaoithe?" Should I send the ABC?
-Dirk
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by dirk
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Yeah, right, blame it on me, go ahead. *grin* 'Twas fun at Flanagan's this afternoon, Dirk, I'll look forward to the next one.
Will -- it's me. The woman who regularly e-mails you with "what is this tune" questions. The one who's always pestering you for information on this bowing and that technique. No I'm not teasing. *snort*
zls
# Posted on March 3rd 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Dirk, my copy of Breathnach's Ceol Rince na hEireann (volume 1) lists your reel as Bearna na Gaoithe, with alternate titles in English of "Ah Surely" and Killabeg's House." I've also seen it given as Killabheg House. These titles may be euphemisms for the Gaelic...bearna is gap or break and gaoithe would be wind or windmill. I'll leave that to your imagination....
It would be fun to get someone like Philipe Varlet into thesession.org--he can give the entire etymology and discography of any tune or snippet of melody. An amazing and generous person....
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
??????????????????????????????????
Oh I get it! Breaking wind! Hahahahahaha.
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by Kerri Brown
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Ahhhhh, surely.
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Ah Surely
Here's a story by Seamus Tansey, from the liner notes in his beautiful "Easter Snow" cd:
"Ah Surely is a very old Sligo reel, played first by a great Sligo flute player by the name of Willie Snee who lived in the hills of Darroon outside Ballymote. Nobody know how Willie Snee had so many tunes stored up in his head. This was the turn of the century before Coleman had gone to America to make records, long before radio or recording studios came to Ireland. Willie would answer quietly that he first heard these tunes from 'the little people'. The boys however would not believe him. One Sunday there was a great gathering of flute players, the PReston Brothers and many more. They decided to have a contest amont them to find out how many tunes each of them had. The contest went on all day, but in the end Willie Snee won out, playing [this tune]. In admitting defeat, all of them said in tribute 'Ah Surely Willie, Ah Surely' and that is how this old reel got its name."
"Willie Snee died, alas, in Sligo while he was heading home. People perhaps thought Willie Snee was mad with his talk about the fairies and so on, but the people then (and now) didn't understand the close affinity between musicians and the environment. In actual fact maybe Willie Snee was saner than all of them."
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by glauber
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Geeeeez....you guys! I think I saw it once listed as The Windy Gap? Reminds me of why the English find it soooooo funny that we call our light jackets "wind breakers"
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by soft black stars
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Will, thank you for the titles, and thank you for the story, Glauber. The only recording I have of it is by Colcannon, and they translate the Gaelic as "The Gap in the Winds." I'll look for the Tansey recording.
It would be fun to teach this one at the learner's session, Zina. It's only two parts!
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by dirk
Re: Palm Pilot's, Handsprings and ABC
Thanks for all the inspiration, I went ahead and posted "Ah Surely" with alternate names and Glauber's story to share what I have learned. Thanks again.
-Dirk
# Posted on March 4th 2002 by dirk