Pop quiz. What albums are "just right" for you? Specifically, what are your top favourites recordings to play along to? Could be for learning tunes, for pleasure, or to just to see if you can...
For myself, Moher's Over the Edge wins out easily. Fantastic, intimate playing. Great lively pace, not too ridiculously fast, not too cluttered (Live at Matt Molloy's for example, great album, but too busy for me to get comfortable playing along to at home), not overly arranged, but neither is it run of the mill.
Well there aren't too many Cds I can play along with yet, but Kevin Crehan's An Bhabog sa Bhadog falls into that category. I've learned several tunes off that cd and find that the pace is something I can keep up with.
I can play along with most of them if I use the "slow down software"--I know that's cheating!
However, the style of playing and settings of certain tunes can cause difficulty even there. You have to actually ask yourself whether you actually *want* to play along with some musicians--good as they are. Sometimes, it's better just to listen and enjoy, picking up a few ideas and tips along the way.
For instance, I love listening to certain players but I don't necessarily want to go down the road of sounding just like them--even if I could.
Hi
For me, my current favourites as a flauntist are Gary Shannon (Lose The Head) and Colm O'Donnel ( Farewell to Evening Dances) - the playing on both is beautiful and not too flashy but makes you feel that you too could play like that and encourages you to try. But maybe I'm also answering a different question about which players I prefer and find easiest to borrow tunes and style from? Ah and that's probably a whole other thread...
By the way, good to meet you last weekend. It was a great weekend - did you manage to get your train?
Oh yeah I don't really play along with albums either unless I'm in a crash course of learning the tunes to join the band for a weekend. Then I play along with their cd's.
Wow Andee, playing along with Kevin on his recording is no small accomplishment! The tempos may be measured but his settings and ornamentations are not the least bit easy.
My favorites for playing along amd learning right now are "Live at Mona's" (Patrick Ourceau and company), "House to House" (Randall Bays and Roger Landes) and "A celebration of 50 Years" (The Tulla Ceili Band).
Neil, I missed the train I was aiming for. I blame Paddy Keenan. Heh. It was a grand weekend, wasn't it? Hope to catch you round the session scene soon.
John, you do the the spirit of the question an injustice, sir. Playing along to a recording doesn't require mimicry or imitation. Think of it as karaoke if you must. Who is your favourite backing band?
Brian Finnegan, in the interview posted on firescribble.net, enthusiastically recollects playing along to recordings, albeit in order honing improvisational skills. But, if you want to - and this is the point, really - you can work on anything - sticking to a groove, variations, counter-melodies or whatever you like.
Hi Fiddlemethis! I Just "play along" with the cd in the casual sense--mostly I guess for the lilt and steadyness of tempo and the big picture rather than all the ornamentation, etc--I'm not that good, yet!
Yeah Q, about a year ago I went thru some personal type stuff and kind of withdrew a lot. I'm ok now (happy) but for some reason never really came back here other than a little lurking. Anyway, it's nice to be back so maybe I'll participate a bit more in the future...
Oh god. I remember at Durham summer school last year, and Brian Finnegan was one of my whistle tutors. I CAN'T BELIEVE how STUPID I was. I really regret almost everything I said. I must have looked like such an idiot.
All of the first ten years of Altan's albums. I love bringing those tunes to my regular sessions every once in a while, and people saying "Where the heck did you get THAT!!!"
setting free - tola custy & cyril o'donaghue
songdogs - calico (minus the songs... )
three shouts from a hill - cian (dream karaoke for concertina - usually ends up as air karaoke)
the mulcahy family
wow, i really wish i lived closer to more sessions : (
Goldilocks recordings
Goldilocks recordings
Pop quiz. What albums are "just right" for you? Specifically, what are your top favourites recordings to play along to? Could be for learning tunes, for pleasure, or to just to see if you can...
For myself, Moher's Over the Edge wins out easily. Fantastic, intimate playing. Great lively pace, not too ridiculously fast, not too cluttered (Live at Matt Molloy's for example, great album, but too busy for me to get comfortable playing along to at home), not overly arranged, but neither is it run of the mill.
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by Q
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Hi Q!
Well there aren't too many Cds I can play along with yet, but Kevin Crehan's An Bhabog sa Bhadog falls into that category. I've learned several tunes off that cd and find that the pace is something I can keep up with.
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by Andee
Re: Goldilocks recordings
I can play along with most of them if I use the "slow down software"--I know that's cheating!
However, the style of playing and settings of certain tunes can cause difficulty even there. You have to actually ask yourself whether you actually *want* to play along with some musicians--good as they are. Sometimes, it's better just to listen and enjoy, picking up a few ideas and tips along the way.
For instance, I love listening to certain players but I don't necessarily want to go down the road of sounding just like them--even if I could.
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by Johannes J
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Hi
For me, my current favourites as a flauntist are Gary Shannon (Lose The Head) and Colm O'Donnel ( Farewell to Evening Dances) - the playing on both is beautiful and not too flashy but makes you feel that you too could play like that and encourages you to try. But maybe I'm also answering a different question about which players I prefer and find easiest to borrow tunes and style from? Ah and that's probably a whole other thread...
By the way, good to meet you last weekend. It was a great weekend - did you manage to get your train?
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by NeilC
Re: Goldilocks recordings
What's a flauntist? Is it like a flautist? Or flutist? Or. . .?
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by musicfan
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Oh yeah I don't really play along with albums either unless I'm in a crash course of learning the tunes to join the band for a weekend. Then I play along with their cd's.
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by musicfan
Re: Goldilocks recordings
If youve got it, flaut it. If the session supported signatures that would be mine
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by NeilC
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Wow Andee, playing along with Kevin on his recording is no small accomplishment! The tempos may be measured but his settings and ornamentations are not the least bit easy.
My favorites for playing along amd learning right now are "Live at Mona's" (Patrick Ourceau and company), "House to House" (Randall Bays and Roger Landes) and "A celebration of 50 Years" (The Tulla Ceili Band).
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by RogueFiddler
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Hi Andee, longtime no see - what's with that?!
Neil, I missed the train I was aiming for. I blame Paddy Keenan. Heh. It was a grand weekend, wasn't it? Hope to catch you round the session scene soon.
John, you do the the spirit of the question an injustice, sir. Playing along to a recording doesn't require mimicry or imitation. Think of it as karaoke if you must. Who is your favourite backing band?
Brian Finnegan, in the interview posted on firescribble.net, enthusiastically recollects playing along to recordings, albeit in order honing improvisational skills. But, if you want to - and this is the point, really - you can work on anything - sticking to a groove, variations, counter-melodies or whatever you like.
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by Q
Re: Goldilocks recordings
anything with mike mcgoldrick on it. i play along with wired every day
# Posted on November 4th 2005 by fused
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Hi Fiddlemethis! I Just "play along" with the cd in the casual sense--mostly I guess for the lilt and steadyness of tempo and the big picture rather than all the ornamentation, etc--I'm not that good, yet!
Yeah Q, about a year ago I went thru some personal type stuff and kind of withdrew a lot. I'm ok now (happy) but for some reason never really came back here other than a little lurking. Anyway, it's nice to be back so maybe I'll participate a bit more in the future...
# Posted on November 5th 2005 by Andee
Re: Goldilocks recordings
Oh god. I remember at Durham summer school last year, and Brian Finnegan was one of my whistle tutors. I CAN'T BELIEVE how STUPID I was. I really regret almost everything I said. I must have looked like such an idiot.
# Posted on November 7th 2005 by Folkie Junkie
Re: Goldilocks recordings
why, what did you say?
# Posted on November 7th 2005 by Q
Re: Goldilocks recordings
All of the first ten years of Altan's albums. I love bringing those tunes to my regular sessions every once in a while, and people saying "Where the heck did you get THAT!!!"
# Posted on November 7th 2005 by Red Crow
Re: Goldilocks recordings
My sunday morning karaoke albums are:
setting free - tola custy & cyril o'donaghue
songdogs - calico (minus the songs... )
three shouts from a hill - cian (dream karaoke for concertina - usually ends up as air karaoke)
the mulcahy family
wow, i really wish i lived closer to more sessions : (
# Posted on November 18th 2005 by katiebee