Jeff Stallard
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Posts posted by Jeff Stallard
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Rosline Castle is an easy somber song. There's a G# accidental thrown in there at one point, but it's not bad at all. I learned this one by ear, so I don't know where you can find sheet music. PM me with your email address and I'll send you a recording of it. In the recording, they're playing chords along with the melody, but I just play the melody.
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Looking back over the article, there do seem to be some inconsistencies. On one hand he says this:
Amateur musicians were rare in impoverished rural Ireland where hard work was the norm and there was little leisure time to play music or money to buy instruments.Irish music was traditionally played in a solo, unaccompanied form. There were few instruments available, few were able to play, and the number of tunes any musician knew was limited. Many professional musicians avoided playing in the presence of other musicians for fear their tunes and techniques would be stolen.
On the other hand he says this:
Musicians would travel around the county to these places where they were always welcome. Here tunes, songs and stories would be exchanged. People would learn the music by an oral tradition, listening, watching and trying to imitate other players.If musicians were rare and secretive (which supports the existence of regional styles in such a small country), then how were ceili a good place to exchange tunes? Is he talking about the rare amateur, or the professional?
Just a small side question. If Irish traditional music had truly been music of the people, and was being played well before the Industrial Revolution (when leisure time increased), then how can the concertina be a traditional instrument (on page 1 he says it is)? It didn't hit folk music until at least the mid 19th century. The other instruments he lists (fiddle, pipes, the whistle, and flute) had been around much longer.
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The author wasn't talking about how traditional the MUSIC in sessions may or may not be, at least not that I recall. Instead, he was looking at how traditional the session itself is. If he's right that there were very few amateur musicians before the late 1800s, then the main way the tunes would get passed on is from professional to professional. Would you consider that a session? Well yes, I guess it could be now that I think about it. But yes, he's obviously talking about the "pub" session only.
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Recently a fellow started a slow bluegrass session in our area. Unfortunately he is a control freak (well meaning) and insisted that folks sign up, only so many could come, there had to be "balance" in the instrumentation...blah, blah.
And Jeff, you can put this in the bank...those types will show up
.Uggg, that's the exact thing I'd want to AVOID. I used to be in a slow session a few years ago, but I moved on, and they moved up, so while there are a fistful of sessions in Columbus, there's no longer a slow session. I'd want a slow session to be a constitutional democracy: define a few core definitions so people know what to expect, but leave 95% of the stuff up to popular opinion. I'd hope to keep "trad" considerations out of it entirely and just play whatever Irish music we liked.
Thanks for the suggestions though; talking to local teachers will probably get me where I want to go. The problem is that I don't have a place to host sessions, and is it bad form to try to start one but expect someone else to physically host it?
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To my mind, an Irish "slow" session would bring the speed down to what it ought to have been all along...
Chris
I've read, from several seemingly educated sources, that the tunes get faster and faster with each year that ticks by. I wonder if that because no one dances to these tunes anymore, so there's no tempo governer.
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Sorry, I typed "topic" in the subject when I meant to type "article."
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Summary: Irish sessions aren't traditionally Irish.
Interesting quotes:
The decade of the 1960s saw a strengthening revival in traditional music. During the period the format changed radically. The primary venue changed from what had been the cottage to the new one of the pub. The music was now solely for listening purposes rather than dancing.the traditional Irish pub session is a recent phenomenon, which became popular only after the folk craze of the 1960s, and may have had its origin earlier among Irish immigrants in America, not Ireland.Only after Irish musicians emigrated to America and England in the 20th century did they gather at the local pub to play their music. This new “tradition” only became popular in Ireland after the 1960s.Only when socio-economic conditions improved in the late 1800s did ordinary people begin to play music as amateurs.In the early 20th century, prior to the re-emergence of traditional Irish culture and music in the mid century, traditional music was considered to be a lower-class culture and people who aspired to a higher class were embarrassed to be associated with it...Irish musicians who emigrated to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were less likely to be influenced and inhibited by these class prejudices. Amateurs were more likely to play for dances (céilís) and later in sessions. The session became the standard venue for the playing of Irish music, and perhaps was more an American innovation.My commentary: I don't give a flip about what's traditional and what's not, but it does seem ironic to hear session players talking about 'keeping it trad' when sessions themselves aren't trad. No, I don't have an agenda. I was just looking for tips on how to start a slow session and ran across this article. By the way, any tips you have on forming a slow session would be appreciated.
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Excellent tip about velvet. Thank you!
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If you want to improve technique, practice classical music. The big things, like speed and ear training, are just going to have to come with time; you can't force that stuff. The important thing is to keep playing, whether you're focusing on one really difficult song, or bouncing from one tune to the next. Both approaches are beneficial, so don't discount bouncing around.
Or...figure out a specific problem you have, then look for music that uses that problem area. I've tried that, and it's tough, but it really does help.
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The hard shell helps disperse exterior energy across the surface of the case. If that's all you're worried about, padding isn't so important. However, the energy is also interior, as the instrument's inertia is resisted by the impacted object. Extensive blocking might provide enough surface area to disperse enough of the energy, but I prefer firm padding in addition to extensive surface coverage, so the energy is dispersed both by the elasticity of the foam and the surface area. With only blocking, the acceleration of the instrument is awfully fast: it goes from whatever speed it was traveling to a complete rest in VERY little time, so delicate parts could be jostled around. With foam, you cut that acceleration down considerably.
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I'm not even sure what you're talking about, so I don't know how to answer.
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I found that an easy way to cut high-density foam rubber is with an electric carving knife.
Yep, I learned the same thing. For $10, it makes a nice cut with little effort.
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If I were building a case, I'd want to use a padding that does not involve direct contact between foam rubber and the concertina.
Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I always line the foam with fake fur, but I'm wondering if the fibers could come off over time and find their way into the reed pan. I might go with a shorter-fiber lining, like velvet: something less likely to shed. Any suggestions? I've never used anything but fake fur. By the way, here's the case I'll be using as a shell.
It's W18" X H9" X D11", so I'll have room for accessories plus plenty of foam to absorb impact.
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>I prefer the look of a leather-covered case
Yeah, I made leather (dark red) mandolin case, and I really like the way it looks. The problem is that it was a failure functionally, so I never use it.
What I'll probably do this time is aluminum extrusions (like a flight case, just not QUITE so robust) with colored panels. Or...maybe leather-covered panels WITH the aluminum extrusions! Hmm..... Weight might be a problem, and leather isn't cheap, but damn that would look good.>I'd like 3 handles: at the opening horizontal side, at one of the narrow ends, >and a removable shoulder strap w/ a pad, like a guitar strap.
I get the long end handle and the shoulder strap, but how would the narrow end handle be used?
Thanks for the comments; you gave me some ideas.
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What would your ideal concertina case be like? I ask because I'm just about to build one (a little hobby of mine), and rather than just a wooden box with no real padding (the norm from what I've seen), I want it to be nice, with proper padding, room for accessories, plenty of strength, and maybe even some way to carry some sheet music (yes, I know most of you don't use the stuff). I'm just brainstorming here, and would appreciate your input. Removable lid? Shoulder strap? Locking latches?
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Ahhh, a fellow English major (BA from OSU).
....I knew there was something I didn't like about you.
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Well I think I could if I swung the English around so it's hanging down my back.
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When first you travel the path of the darkside, forever will it shadow your destiny. It's too late for me my son, but there is still hope for you! Remember your training!
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Fella puts on a kilt and goes all William Wallace on ya.
When I hit the battlefield, I like to use my trusty concertina like a flail, hence my devotion to a strap.
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I just looked up the serial number (23437), and using the formula at
http://www.concertina.info/tina.faq/conc-ap1.htm, it was made in 1880, which would put it smack dab in the middle of the Victorian era, as Mark suggested. I was guessing 1910s or so; boy was I off. I feel even more obligated to take care of it now.
Here's a painting from 1884. If you look way in the back, you can clearly make out some dude playing my Lachenal. It's hard to tell, but it appears that he's wearing a neck strap! AHA!!!!
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Again, I really like the papers (althought I guess they are recent replacements by the lack of discoloration.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but upon closer inspection, there is some fading in spots, so if they were replaced, I'm guessing it happened a while ago. Unfortunately, my camera isn't good enough to get close enough to show you the fading to get your opinion.
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Hold me back man! Hold me back!
Uhh...everyone does know I'm just joking around right? I'd hate to get blackballed because someone thought I was seriously being aggressive.
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I'll beat ya like you stole my cookie!!
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Are green bellows rare or something?
Song Accompaniment
in Teaching and Learning
Posted
I try to think like a rhythm guitarist in cases where a steady oom-pah oom-pah doesn't sound good. Figure out the focal points in each section, and time your "pah" with those points. Old Solas stuff would be a good group to listen to. Get a feel for how the guitarist is playing, and try to emulate that on the concertina.