Thanks to everybody who came out, especially George for teaching us tunes. It was great to see Pete and Diane again, too, and welcome to Sean and Dick! Jeff, Karen, Dave, Karin, and Colleen were there, too, so you see we had plenty of talent and a lot of laughs! There's room for more bodies, so if you see something on the list below that you like, plan on joining us for next time.
To our new friends, I should mention that usually we're a little bit more of a lively group, but I think we were all half asleep, so come back next time and I promise to be more cheery!
October 10
We worked on tunes by ear this time -- the photocopier doesn't like me...
Colerain Jig (with all the sharps!)
The Peacock's Feather (Dmaj) Hornpipe
some waltzes, including Gentle Maiden and Southwind. I think there were more, but I can't remember names. I think we all liked Gentle Maiden, so I'll bring copies next time.
Thank you to Pete and Sean for bringing treats....
I enjoyed getting the chance to really learn a tune by ear instead of blasting through it on paper. Keep practicing the tunes from this month, so you have them for next! I told Elaine in an e-mail that Trusty Companion and I loved King of the Fairies so much that we are playing it now in gigs!
Learning Tune List for November 14:
Reels: Father Kelly's Speed the Plough
Hornpipes: review of Peacock's Feather (DMaj) and we'll learn the minor Peacock's Feather
Set Dance: Jockey to the Fair
Waltz: Gentle Maiden
O'Carolan: Morghan Meghan
Jigs: still open for someone to pick! Send me an e-mail or comment on this post!
Just so we're playing the same version anyway, let me pull together some music for y'all to check out. I'll bring spots to the session next time, and not try to rely on the Old Songs copier. As I said, it doesn't like me much...I'm feeling kind of the same way about the copier, frankly!
Best wishes to Julie and her family on their trip to Kazakhsthan! We look forward to seeing you in November!
And don't forget, the East Coast Pipers Tionol (www.eastcoastpipers.com) is coming up on Oct. 26-28 in East Durham (Gavin's Golden Hill Resort). Don't miss a great concert, a chance for fiddle or pipes classes, and plenty of session action!
Happy Playing Y'All!
The Trad
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My co-leader (l) and me (r) at a party at Jose Malone's in Troy, NY!
Helping you build your repertoire of Irish traditional music. Please support the music and the community -- go out and play the music at sessions and with friends!
75 Commonly Played Irish Session Tunes
Slow Session Sets O' Tunes
Gentle Maiden (G) (Waltz) Munster's Cloak (Waltz)
The Mountain Road (DMaj) Swinging on a Gate (GMaj) Merry Blacksmith (DMaj) (Reels)
Tobins (D) Morrison's Jig (Emin) Out on the Ocean (G) Brendan Tonra's (D)
Father Kelly's (G) Speed the Plough (D) (Reels)
Swallowtail Jig (Emin) Gallagher's Frolics (Emin) Mist Covered Mountain (Amin)
The Swallow's Tail Reel (G) Cooley's Reel (Emin) Come West Along the Road (G) (Reels)
Kesh Jig (G) Father O'Flynn's (aka Top O Cork Road) (D) Blackthorn Stick (G) (Jigs)
Her Long Golden Hair Flowing Down Her Back (Amin) (slow tune)
Eagle's Whistle (D) (slow tune) Inisheer (G) (waltz)
The Mountain Road (DMaj) Swinging on a Gate (GMaj) Merry Blacksmith (DMaj) (Reels)
Tobins (D) Morrison's Jig (Emin) Out on the Ocean (G) Brendan Tonra's (D)
Father Kelly's (G) Speed the Plough (D) (Reels)
Swallowtail Jig (Emin) Gallagher's Frolics (Emin) Mist Covered Mountain (Amin)
The Swallow's Tail Reel (G) Cooley's Reel (Emin) Come West Along the Road (G) (Reels)
Kesh Jig (G) Father O'Flynn's (aka Top O Cork Road) (D) Blackthorn Stick (G) (Jigs)
Her Long Golden Hair Flowing Down Her Back (Amin) (slow tune)
Eagle's Whistle (D) (slow tune) Inisheer (G) (waltz)
About Me
- fidilkid
- New Baltimore, NY, United States
- I'm always delighted to meet people who have an attention span somewhat longer than that of a hamster. It makes my cage seem bigger...
We're just happy to be here!
My co-leader (l) and me (r) at a party at Jose Malone's in Troy, NY!
Tunes to Learn for Nov. 2007 -- Start Now and You'll Be A Champ!
- Gentle Maiden (Waltz)
- Father Kelly's | Speed the Plough (Reels)
- Kesh | Father O'Flynn | Blackthorn Stick (Jigs)
- The Peacock's Feathers DMaj & Minor (Hornpipes)
- Morghan Meghan (O'Carolan)
Tunes List from Sept. 2007
- Swallowtail Jig (jig)
- Swallowtail Reel | Swinging on a Gate (reels)
- Josephine's (waltz) + listening party -- bring a recording of this if you have one!
Tunes List from August 2007
- Inisheer (waltz-ish slow tune)
- Contentment is Wealth (aka Carty's Jig)
- King of the Fairies (set dance)
- Out on the Ocean (reel)
- Kesh Jig | Stool of Repentence (jigs)
- Father Kelly's (reel)
- Tonra's (jig)
Tune Links
Some links of interest
- Capital District Celtic Cultural Association
- Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eirann Sean O'Riada Branch (Albany, NY)
- Riley School of Irish Music -- great link for tunes
- East Coast Pipers
- Catskills Irish Arts Week
- The Dance Flurry
- Jose Malone's Mexican Irish Restaurant
- The Session
- George Ward
- Skidmore College
- Old Songs, Inc.
2 comments:
I think we played Margaret's Waltz too.
Hey, speaking of "just so we're playing the same version".... there are times when I'm preparing for the next slow session and I find myself thinking, "The only sheet music I have for this tune is what's on thesession .org... but, is that the right version?" so I hesitate. So, for me, just knowing whether we're going to play a tune the same as or different than thesession .org would help. (And yes, this does mean that I'm learning to read sheet music!)
Well, isn't that the truth? Part of the dynamic of learning and sharing Irish music is being able to hear the variations, ultimately. To be able to listen closely enough to hear, discern and decide for yourself which version you'd like to use.
For our purposes, the easy way out is to say, "Yes, the Session version is the version we'll stick with." But I'm not sure I want to do that. We've noticed numerous times that a version on The Session can be flawed in certain ways -- significantly different from a local version or very awkward to play and perhaps the poster's own private version.
Here's my suggestion: let me go over the tunes, and indicate whether or not we'll use that version. If The Session version is significantly different, I will find a way to get you a version that is either accurate or closer to the version played around here (the Albany, NY area).
Dave, you rock the house! Learning spots as you go...excellent! BUT, don't start to depend on that. Like you told us the other night, your friend depends on them to get himself started (jog the memory, that kind of thing). I think that's a great way to use the sheet music! I feel comfortable recommending spots for that or for getting the skeleton of the tune, and then using recordings to figure out how to flesh the tune out.
You inspire me!
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