About a week ago, I found The Session and wanted to pass along my thanks to those responsible for creating the site and those who share music, experience and knowledge. I've been learning the fiddle for only a few months. My interest has always been Irish music but my teacher is an avowed Bluegrass fan. Despite his having slipped a few Irish tunes in, it has been a bit of a mixture so far.
Well after searching through your archives under "Beginner", I found the music notes and midi files (vitally important as I am pathetic at reading notes and timing). I have been learning Inisheer and love it.
I feel like, in a small way, I have taken controle over my learning and put my feet on the road to the kind of music I want to play and which means something to me. Very exciting!
Any other hints about beginner tunes that I MUST learn would be very appreciated.
Hey, welcome to The Session, Lalonde, and be careful, this stuff is habit forming. Hang on a sec, and I'll go find you a link to some of the suggested tunes, but in the meantime, if you look in the Tune Section, you can find a list of tunes most popular in the archives.
It's Our Benevolent Dictator, Jeremy Keith, that you have to thank for the site itself (as well as God duties). Be sure to check out the archives of discussions, they're a lot of fun and very educational. Well, sometimes they're educational. ;)
Walsh's collection is a great starting point, and there are good suggestions in the quoted comments. However, I'd add to that the "must learn" lists on the backs of the records you listen to - the tunes that made you "must learn" are probably the ones you'll pick up on the quickest and easiest, since you already know what they sound like. Some of those might turn out to be more difficult to play than Dunmore Lasses and Merrily Kiss the Quaker, but they'll probably be a lot easier to learn. If the tunes you want to learn aren't listed here, ask. Someone probably knows them.
Lalonde, if you want ready access to well-known standard session tunes (you'll hear some of these at most sessions or conversely if you play them you're fairly sure others will know them) then go to http://music.celtic.ru/Session_Tune_Sets/Contents.htm. All right it's a Russian site and don't ask me how they got there other than they've been lifted from the Comhaltas Foinn Seisiun Book 1.
Should you want a hard copy of the book and also the accompanying CD (this has all 39 sets of 116 tunes recorded in Monkstown by the session group), then these are available from Comhaltas at http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinn.htm and http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinnCD.htm respectively.
Good luck with your session playing and welcome to the club of trad addicts (well that’s what my better half says I am and I can’t really argue with her!).
Comhaltas has released two books and CD's of popular sets of reels,jigs etc. It was found that people starting to learn tunes (different instruments and teachers),when they got together they did not know each others tunes and therefore no Session.
check www.comhaltas.com . also Frank Custy in Clare has also done the same . his notes are in ABC format (varient) and the package can be had from www.custysmusic.com
Playing along with these CD's as a beginner can be difficult but the slowdowner from www.ronimusic.com allows you to slow down, repeat all or part of a track and also you can change key all at a very reasonable cost.
murcu - what did you mean when you said that Frank Custy's "notes are in ABC format"? Do you mean that there is no standard music notation? Is the ABC in files on the disk to be used on the computer or are there people out there that simply read ABC? I'm not one of those anyway.
What - you don't have that one memorized yet? What kind of a session musician are you ;)
My only suggestion would be for any of you to try and go to the link. If the page is stil in your browser's cache, then you will see it and you should save it to disk immediately. Refreshing that web page will make it disappear! I managed to save part2 but only after learning my lesson on part1....
Hey imp....of course I memorised it on first reading - it's just that I need printed copies for some of my students in the plectum-anger management therapy group. Some of them are so bored with the standard session tunes, they are making paper aeroplanes out of the printed music, when they are not using angle-grinders on each other (they already smashed up the guitars and banjos). I gotta have that music!
beginner's thanks
beginner's thanks
About a week ago, I found The Session and wanted to pass along my thanks to those responsible for creating the site and those who share music, experience and knowledge. I've been learning the fiddle for only a few months. My interest has always been Irish music but my teacher is an avowed Bluegrass fan. Despite his having slipped a few Irish tunes in, it has been a bit of a mixture so far.
Well after searching through your archives under "Beginner", I found the music notes and midi files (vitally important as I am pathetic at reading notes and timing). I have been learning Inisheer and love it.
I feel like, in a small way, I have taken controle over my learning and put my feet on the road to the kind of music I want to play and which means something to me. Very exciting!
Any other hints about beginner tunes that I MUST learn would be very appreciated.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Lalonde
Re: beginner's thanks
Hey, welcome to The Session, Lalonde, and be careful, this stuff is habit forming.
Hang on a sec, and I'll go find you a link to some of the suggested tunes, but in the meantime, if you look in the Tune Section, you can find a list of tunes most popular in the archives.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
P.S.
It's Our Benevolent Dictator, Jeremy Keith, that you have to thank for the site itself (as well as God duties). Be sure to check out the archives of discussions, they're a lot of fun and very educational. Well, sometimes they're educational. ;)
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: beginner's thanks
Start here and work your way out, Lalonde -- have fun!
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Oops
http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/3331
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: beginner's thanks
Being new to Irish sessions, I recently looked at several collections, and decided to start with John Wlash's. You can find it here:
http://www.ceolas.org/pub/tunes/tunes.pdf/SessionTunes.pdf
Hope this helps,
Avi
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
Sorry, I meant John Walsh's. It's 8:30pm and I'm still at work with a fried brain.....
Avi
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
And if those seem too easy for you, you can try this one ;)
http://www.thursdaycontra.com/~spuds/tunes/couple/DeathWaltz.jpg
I really should leave now and go home...
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
Avi - I haven't played that one in a session in years. It's funny how some tunes go out of fashion.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by ragaman
Re: beginner's thanks
Oh, we got into that one by accident the other night...
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: beginner's thanks
Walsh's collection is a great starting point, and there are good suggestions in the quoted comments. However, I'd add to that the "must learn" lists on the backs of the records you listen to - the tunes that made you "must learn" are probably the ones you'll pick up on the quickest and easiest, since you already know what they sound like. Some of those might turn out to be more difficult to play than Dunmore Lasses and Merrily Kiss the Quaker, but they'll probably be a lot easier to learn. If the tunes you want to learn aren't listed here, ask. Someone probably knows them.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: beginner's thanks
Improziv: great, I will start practising tonight.
http://www.thursdaycontra.com/~spuds/tunes/couple/DeathWaltz.jpg
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Lalonde
Re: beginner's thanks
Since you are used to Irish tunes, I'm sure you were wondering which 'B' part goes with this so here it is:
http://www.thursdaycontra.com/~spuds/tunes/couple/DeathWaltz2.jpg
The finale is particularly tasty. Btw - even better than the notation monstrosity are the dynamics directives. You gotta zoom in and check'em out
Avi
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
The last one is a Italian Recipe for Spaghetti. On top of the Page it says "With pesto"
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Ranks
Re: beginner's thanks
Lalonde, if you want ready access to well-known standard session tunes (you'll hear some of these at most sessions or conversely if you play them you're fairly sure others will know them) then go to http://music.celtic.ru/Session_Tune_Sets/Contents.htm. All right it's a Russian site and don't ask me how they got there other than they've been lifted from the Comhaltas Foinn Seisiun Book 1.
Should you want a hard copy of the book and also the accompanying CD (this has all 39 sets of 116 tunes recorded in Monkstown by the session group), then these are available from Comhaltas at http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinn.htm and http://www.comhaltas.com/seisiun/foinnCD.htm respectively.
Good luck with your session playing and welcome to the club of trad addicts (well that’s what my better half says I am and I can’t really argue with her!).
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Bannerman
Re: beginner's thanks
Improziv, would you have a spoon version for this tune somewhere?
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by EastPole
Re: beginner's thanks
Comhaltas has released two books and CD's of popular sets of reels,jigs etc. It was found that people starting to learn tunes (different instruments and teachers),when they got together they did not know each others tunes and therefore no Session.
check www.comhaltas.com . also Frank Custy in Clare has also done the same . his notes are in ABC format (varient) and the package can be had from www.custysmusic.com
Playing along with these CD's as a beginner can be difficult but the slowdowner from www.ronimusic.com allows you to slow down, repeat all or part of a track and also you can change key all at a very reasonable cost.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by murcu
Re: beginner's thanks
Janek - spoons are free to improvize. Don't they anyway?
murcu - the comhaltas looks very useful because the tunes are arranged in sets. Thanks!
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
Hey, spoons is traditional with spaghetti.
# Posted on December 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: beginner's thanks
murcu - what did you mean when you said that Frank Custy's "notes are in ABC format"? Do you mean that there is no standard music notation? Is the ABC in files on the disk to be used on the computer or are there people out there that simply read ABC? I'm not one of those anyway.
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
oooooo - someone's removed the "Death Waltz" pages from the site! The destruction of a masterpiece!!! Hrmphhhhh!
Jim
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by Worldfiddler
Re: beginner's thanks
What - you don't have that one memorized yet? What kind of a session musician are you ;)
My only suggestion would be for any of you to try and go to the link. If the page is stil in your browser's cache, then you will see it and you should save it to disk immediately. Refreshing that web page will make it disappear! I managed to save part2 but only after learning my lesson on part1....
Was good while it lasted
Cheers
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by improziv
Re: beginner's thanks
Hey imp....of course I memorised it on first reading - it's just that I need printed copies for some of my students in the plectum-anger management therapy group. Some of them are so bored with the standard session tunes, they are making paper aeroplanes out of the printed music, when they are not using angle-grinders on each other (they already smashed up the guitars and banjos). I gotta have that music!
Jim
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by Worldfiddler
Re: beginner's thanks
Well Jim, I don't want to get in the way of you healing practices so... if you must....here are some new sources for the images...
Part 1: http://www.harrogate.co.uk/harrogate-band/deathw.jpg
Part 2: http://www.tangento.net/DeathWaltz2.gif
Enjoy
Avi
# Posted on December 27th 2004 by improziv