I'm sure this has been discussed before but so has everything else now.
Generally, I'm very lazy and let other people start tunes but there are times when no one will or I'm in a situation where I've been asked to start a set. Sometimes, this is in a non instrumental or mixed session situation. Doesn't your mind "go blank" sometimes, when this happens?
Anyway, which sets do you tend to "fall back on" most frequently. Fortunately, there's quite a few possibilities for me now but a couple of my favourites are
Irish sessions
"Garrett Barry's", "Boys of the Town", "Hag at the Churn"
Scottish
"Angus reel(Miss Jean Milligan), Petronella, The Black Dance
There are many more, of course. Let's hear some of yours as I'm always open to new ideas.
Ha ha, John, too true. Over the Moor to Maggie/The Bird in the Bush set always seems to manifest itself when I'm on autopilot. Or Tatter Jack Walsh and any number of combinations of jigs.
Roaring Mary / The Absent-Minded Woman. I wish more people would learn the latter. I love AMW, and somehow it's become one of my default tunes but everytime I launch into it from roaring mary I end up out there on my lonesome. It's lonely out there, you cruel non-AMW-playing people.
Foxhunters + Bucks ... gives you *plenty* of time to think of a few more 4/5-parters to play after. Lucy Campbell's, Lord Gordon's anyone? This teaches people to leap in and prevent me from starting any sets. Suits me.
Coleman's 3 (Tarbolton etc.)
Jigs
Frost Is All Over + Connaughtman's Rambles
Battering Ram + anything else that seems like a good idea at the time.
LOL -- I try to reset to something I know really well. I was cruelly mocked for this at one point and tried launching other stuff but then discovered that then I just looked like a crap player -- or rather more than the crap player that I already am. So if you ask me for one, you're probably going to get The Belles of Tipperary/Jackie Coleman's/Bunker Hill -- which is a nice mix of common and uncommon enough tunes. For jigs, I used to do Behind The Haystack/The Cordal/Kitty's Rambles, but then realized that hardly anyone knows Kitty's Rambles outside of Chicago and had the same problem that Matt had. So I haven't really settled on a new jig set to start in emergencies.
Dunno that this truly does anyone any good, because your emergency set really needs to be something that you know really well, the first one can be less common, but the other two (or one) should be stuff everyone knows so they can join in.
That often happens in sessions here in Croatia where I live.
Then we usually put a standard set O'Neill's march / Tralee gaol (polka) / O'Neill's march
We play O'Neill's march very energetic, so that save us from situation: " Oh maybe it's time to finish session and start drinking"
That's probably Brendan Larrisey. I don't know who he is, but Mary and Gary Shannon recorded the Kilmovee Jig and Kitty's Rambles together as Larrisey's jigs. I know Dow plays Kitty, but his version is slightly different from Zina's.
Even after decades at it, my mind still goes blank occasionally, when making up sets on the fly in session or at dances.
Although we have the dots out at dances, purely out of idleness, we sometimes can't be bothered or haven't got time to turn to another set so make one up.
This is a little different to trying to start a set and not being able to remember the first tune.
Rule number one - plan ahead - work out what the next tune you are going to play is - and possibly the one after that.
Emergency sets
Emergency sets
I'm sure this has been discussed before but so has everything else now.
Generally, I'm very lazy and let other people start tunes but there are times when no one will or I'm in a situation where I've been asked to start a set. Sometimes, this is in a non instrumental or mixed session situation. Doesn't your mind "go blank" sometimes, when this happens?
Anyway, which sets do you tend to "fall back on" most frequently. Fortunately, there's quite a few possibilities for me now but a couple of my favourites are
Irish sessions
"Garrett Barry's", "Boys of the Town", "Hag at the Churn"
Scottish
"Angus reel(Miss Jean Milligan), Petronella, The Black Dance
There are many more, of course. Let's hear some of yours as I'm always open to new ideas.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by This member is resting
Re: Emergency sets
Ha ha, John, too true. Over the Moor to Maggie/The Bird in the Bush set always seems to manifest itself when I'm on autopilot. Or Tatter Jack Walsh and any number of combinations of jigs.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Enda Vittol
Re: Emergency sets
That's only happened to me once or twice:
Fairy Dance/Barrowburn/Ale is Dear/Atholl Highlanders
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by ecidralla
Re: Emergency sets
Irish sessions: Reel of Rio/ Sligo Maid/ Pigtown; Mist on the Mountain/ Up Sligo (Creel of Turf)/ Donnybrook Fair
Scottish or Cape Breton sessions: Captain Campbell/ Brenda Stubbert's/ Jenny Dang the Weaver
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by slainte
Re: Emergency sets
Roaring Mary / The Absent-Minded Woman. I wish more people would learn the latter. I love AMW, and somehow it's become one of my default tunes but everytime I launch into it from roaring mary I end up out there on my lonesome. It's lonely out there, you cruel non-AMW-playing people.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Q
Re: Emergency sets
We know it really ... we're just being cruel.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Just a person
Re: Emergency sets
... and we can get the beers in while you're doing your accidental solo
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Just a person
Re: Emergency sets
Anyway, emergency sets:
Reels:
Foxhunters + Bucks ... gives you *plenty* of time to think of a few more 4/5-parters to play after. Lucy Campbell's, Lord Gordon's anyone? This teaches people to leap in and prevent me from starting any sets. Suits me.
Coleman's 3 (Tarbolton etc.)
Jigs
Frost Is All Over + Connaughtman's Rambles
Battering Ram + anything else that seems like a good idea at the time.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Just a person
Re: Emergency sets
... not that I know any tune names you understand.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Just a person
Re: Emergency sets
LOL -- I try to reset to something I know really well. I was cruelly mocked for this at one point and tried launching other stuff but then discovered that then I just looked like a crap player -- or rather more than the crap player that I already am. So if you ask me for one, you're probably going to get The Belles of Tipperary/Jackie Coleman's/Bunker Hill -- which is a nice mix of common and uncommon enough tunes. For jigs, I used to do Behind The Haystack/The Cordal/Kitty's Rambles, but then realized that hardly anyone knows Kitty's Rambles outside of Chicago and had the same problem that Matt had. So I haven't really settled on a new jig set to start in emergencies.
Dunno that this truly does anyone any good, because your emergency set really needs to be something that you know really well, the first one can be less common, but the other two (or one) should be stuff everyone knows so they can join in.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Emergency sets
That often happens in sessions here in Croatia where I live.
Then we usually put a standard set O'Neill's march / Tralee gaol (polka) / O'Neill's march
We play O'Neill's march very energetic, so that save us from situation: " Oh maybe it's time to finish session and start drinking"
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Bile
Re: Emergency sets
Fortunately I havent had to revert to emergency sets since I married my lovely wife !!!
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Newty
Re: Emergency sets
Any jig
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Cath
Re: Emergency sets
Farewell To Connaught, Road to Lisdoonvarna, Cooleys
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by NeilBarr
Re: Emergency sets
ZIna, what a great title: Kitty's Rambles Outside of Chicago" couldn't find it in "Tunes" or O'Niell's. Good thing I cn't read music, huh
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Owell Mabee
Re: Emergency sets
Whenever it's my turn to call a set, I always call Banish Misfortune/Blackthorn Stick. It always goes well.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Emergency sets
They tend to call it "Brendan's Jig" in Chicago, I think, OM -- that's what it was taught to me as, originally.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Emergency sets
That's probably Brendan Larrisey. I don't know who he is, but Mary and Gary Shannon recorded the Kilmovee Jig and Kitty's Rambles together as Larrisey's jigs. I know Dow plays Kitty, but his version is slightly different from Zina's.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by slainte
Re: Emergency sets
I think it's Brendan McKinney, actually, though could be wrong about that.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Emergency sets
Even after decades at it, my mind still goes blank occasionally, when making up sets on the fly in session or at dances.
Although we have the dots out at dances, purely out of idleness, we sometimes can't be bothered or haven't got time to turn to another set so make one up.
This is a little different to trying to start a set and not being able to remember the first tune.
Rule number one - plan ahead - work out what the next tune you are going to play is - and possibly the one after that.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by geoffwright