Sessions

[Lester Bailey]

That being said, I think you underestimate the importance of sessions for carrying on various traditional music forms (well at least Irish Music, but I suspect much the same could be said of other forms, even if their sessions take place in the homes of the music lovers as opposed to a pub). 

Trust me I do not underestimate the importance, I think my point is that as an English man I should learn "my music". There is a reason that a nation gets its own traditions, dances, songs, tunes, etc and one should be proud of them.

 

There is a theory about folk traditions that nations who have been conquered by other nations are far more protective of their traditions whereas the conquering nations are far less so. This leaves England ex-owner of a vast empire disdainful of its traditions, so I do my bit to keep them alive.

[Clive Thorne]

Just thought I'd add in some thoughts as my wife and I went to our first session for many years last night.

 

It was a very varied session ranging from from traditional english folk songs, to english dance music, to irish fiddle tunes, to comtempoary songs, to 'spoof' covers.

 

This was great to listen to, but I came away only having played along with 4 tunes, which dissapointed me in a way. Obviously your not going to know all the tunes in a session anyway, but with such a wide range being played you know even less (or you know them, but they're in F# or something).

 

For the record we contributed a few good old dance tune stompers (Redwing, Uncle Bernards, Shortening bread (Ok so its not a classic dance tune)), and someone else launched into 'Pleasures of the town' which I knew.

 

 

We'll probably go along again, but if something came up with more emphasis on what we do (but not exclusively!) then I'd be tempted to favour that one instead - especially if it was closer (this was a slow 17 miles away).

 

 

Clive

[Tom Cowell]

...I think my point is that as an English man I should learn "my music"

Lester, I envy you. I'm English, but I don't have particularly strong roots in the area where I grew up. At the moment I live in Germany, and I like to think of myself as a European (probably just an affectation, I realise).

 

I certainly can't claim any cultural roots, and I wasn't brought up in the context of a musical tradition. Instead, I am a cultural zombie, feeding on the living music of others. I play British and some European folk music because that is what I like, and because I have no music of my own.

 

The positive side of my tale of woe is that I don't feel encumbered by any obligation to keep a musical tradition alive.

 

Cheers

Tom

[d.elliott]

It is interesting to note that when this thread started, comments were made that indicated that those people who do not play by ear cannot/ should not be active in session play. Apparently dot players do not listen accross the room.

 

Personally I have never been much of an ear player, and most of our local sessions are dominated by a combination of frenetic fiddle players and melodian defined playing keys. Surely there is room for those who need the dots to participate.

 

In Sheffield, The Red House has a weekly session, run initially through the South Riding Folk Network, that does not object to those who use dots to help them along, and they have been known to stray into the odd key with a flat, or two. Good for English system players! All we need now is to keep the frenetic fiddlers under control, or at least to get them to finish at the same speed as starting................

 

 

Dave

[bill_mchale]

It is interesting to note that when this thread started, comments were made that indicated that those people who do not play by ear cannot/ should not be active in session play. Apparently dot players do not listen accross the room.

 

Personally I have never been much of an ear player, and most of our local sessions are dominated by a combination of frenetic fiddle players and melodian defined playing keys. Surely there is room for those who need the dots to participate.

 

In Sheffield, The Red House has a weekly session, run initially through the South Riding Folk Network, that does not object to those who use dots to help them along, and they have been known to stray into the odd key with a flat, or two. Good for English system players! All we need now is to keep the frenetic fiddlers under control, or at least to get them to finish at the same speed as starting................

 

 

Dave

I am not sure I agree with the assesment that playing by ear was a requiement for playing in sessions, rather it was stated that the players were not using written music. In other words they were playing tunes they knew, how they learned the tune is kind of irrelevant. Once you know how to play a tune people will rarely care how you learned it. That being said, at least for irish music learning a tune by ear is a wonderful way of learning the tradition because the dots just don't give you everything in the tune...

 

Bill

[Alan Day]

Hallo Dave(from memory I think it was Dave but forgive me if it isn`t)

I think you have slightly misread the previous post in that some of the sessions were only performed by players reading and if it was not written then it was not played.Players reading are always welcome at sessions but are restricted within the limitations of what music they bring with them.

The joy of a session and you know this from your area ,is you never know who is turning up and what they are going to play.Someone may play a tune which you remember playing at a folk weekend or festival years ago and after about two or three times through away you go playing it with them.You and I must have hundreds of tunes locked away in our heads and it is great to get them unlocked even with read music.

 

It has been of interest in this forum of those not happy with the sessions they go to.Why not start your own?First find a venue ideally attached to a pub,a room upstairs or at the back.One of the best sessions places was a storeroom shed behind the pub.Once you can get a nucleus of musicians,others will join in.If children are made welcome the future of folk tradition in your area will live on.

Regards

Al

[bill_mchale]

Hallo Dave(from memory I think it was Dave but forgive me if it isn`t)

I think you have slightly misread the previous post in that some of the sessions were only performed by players reading and if it was not written then it was not played.Players reading are always welcome at sessions but are restricted within the limitations of what music they bring with them.

Alan,

I think it depends on the session. I know some Irish slow sessions that allow players to play from written music, but more advanced sessions almost always frown on bringing the music with you for the simple reason that it can be rather disruptive to other players. Not to mention a person playing from written music takes up more room. If one does bring written music to the session, they are usually encouraged to sit at the edge of the group.

 

Overall I think at least for Irish Sessions the etiquiette is to memorize any tunes you want to play.

 

--

Bill

 

P.S. Sorry if the first part of this message appears twice.. hit a button by accident

[geoffwright]

Is the problem with people who play from dots, or people who play the same tunes from dots the month after as they never commit them to memory and probably play them exactly the same?.

 

To keep things fresh, I make a point of playing a few more obscure tunes in session every week and am always pleasantly surprised when people either know them or join in and want to learn them because they like them.

I also try to play a few sets on the slow side for the benefit of those that do slow.

 

I have always been a quantity-of-tunes person only playing tunes once, but bowed down under pressure, to session etiquette and play a tune three times through as a compromise since they asked me to play a minimum four. (Unless no-one joins in, then its only once).

Life is too short to play tunes in sets of one or two.

[Helen]

Ah well,

 

All this talk of sessions is urging me on to go out and try. I did go to an Irish session 2 weeks ago because it followed a bodhran (David, did I spell that right?) workshop. Whaling away on the drum was not too nerve wracking.

 

I guess I'll venture out to the old time one this Friday and bring the drum for security and be brave and bring the anglo and maybe an accordion. Or if I chicken out I'll just take my hammer dulcimer.

 

Even all the talk about not using written music has not scared me off. This session is low key (pun intended, sorry) and people are welcome who do both.

 

The session is pretty far away, farther because I get lost coming home, so I'll also sit in ones closer to home and see how I might fit in.

 

Cheers,

Helen

[Sharron]

My opinion for what it's worth is that written music doesn't *belong* in an irish session.

The reasons are mainly that nobody knows what tunes are coming next, so to tell everyone to get their sheet music out *can just hear all that rustling paper* takes away the spontaneity of playing. It also stops other players carrying on when one set stops but someone has an idea of tunes to follow on with, if you have to keep stopping to fill everyone in on what tunes are coming up.

 

There are so many tunes that get played and not always the same ones each week and then, but not too often, someone will change a set around or add/subtract from the set. Who knows what tunes come up? It would take forever for someone to collect all tunes played and then sort them out at a session, and then it would still be up to someone to tell them *which means stopping someone playing* what the tune is that they are currently playing. And what about if someone has a different setting The miond boggles!

 

On the other hand I must have sickened loads of people off when I first started, as when they had finished a set I would ask them the titles, then go off, find them and learn them at home later. Trouble is that most players only know about 40/50% of titles, the reason is probably learning by *osmosis* so titles never come up for discussion. after all it is the tune you are playing that is important.

 

I don't mean to sound unfriendly to sheet music, I use it too. But once learned it is only kept as a reference for ''how does it go again'' and then I ususually only need the first bar as a reminder. But if I hear it played then I don't need it. So it stays at home where it belongs. I offer anyone who is interested but doesn't know a tune I play, the music, as close as I can get to my playing, for them for the following week.

 

I go to a session to *make* music not copy from the dots which would be a mechanical thing, you can't *make* music until you *know* it. You know that saying ''you ain't got that thing if you can't make it swing'' well my version of it

 

I wouldn't expect to go to any session and expect music given to me. I would expect that if someone wanted to play irish music then they would want to learn it and THEN play it.

 

Corr I let myself in for some slack this time eh

 

Sharron

[JimLucas]

Life is too short to play tunes in sets of one or two.

And tunes are too short to play them only once through. Even a simple tune can -- and I feel should -- be played with a variety of expression. One can't ever cover all the possibilities, but I think it's a shame to hint at the potential by playing it once, and then abandon it.

 

If you're addicted to "quantity", try "quantity of different interpretations of a single tune" some time.

Edited October 15, 2003 by JimLucas

[JimLucas]

Whaling away on the drum was not too nerve wracking.

Maybe not for the whaler, but what about the whales... er, listeners?

[duckln]

My opinion for what it's worth is that written music doesn't *belong* in an irish session.

 

 

 

I know a limited number of tunes, and thats what I'll play when its my turn to pick.

Problem is the others know so many and play increasingly fast , I can't hope to learn even part of them.

 

I'm incouraged the group to keep playing along by ear. Last time I play a few short 'drone notes',

quietly at first and a bit louder when they blended. Then I'd play some chords and again

quietly, half the time it didn't sound too bad (to me that is).

 

Question: I have a English. Is there a single note 'rhyhme', that might include triades, you can play

along with a hornpipe, or jig or polka? First in G, and then modified for D, A, and E. If the rhyhme'

didn't always match, one would quickly lay off the individual note combinations

 

If possible maybe a 'rhyhme', say for Kesh or whatever could be posted on Tunes.

 

Joe

[Clive Thorne]

Life is too short to play tunes in sets of one or two.

And tunes are too short to play them only once through. Even a simple tune can -- and I feel should -- be played with a variety of expression. One can't ever cover all the possibilities, but I think it's a shame to hint at the potential by playing it once, and then abandon it.

 

If you're addicted to "quantity", try "quantity of different interpretations of a single tune" some time.

Hear Hear!

 

Clive

[d.elliott]

The bottom line is that many people cannot play without dots, for some its a case of:

 

can't do it, so won't do it,

won't do is so can't do it.

 

but with the dots as as reference, or prop, they can keep up and make a good solid contribution to a session. I feel that those who have the ear to play along in open music, un-aided, are fortunate, perhaps more fortunate than they realise, and I for one bitterly regret the attitude that "there is no place for written music in a session" (of any form).

 

I strongly feel that this music should be inclusive, otherwise we risk discouraging leaners of both the music and the instrument. Some people have enough mastering the instruments without having to spend time 'sitting out' in the hope someone will play a tune they may know at a pace they can keep up with. Where as dots can provide a bit of confidence and enable people to dip in and out of a tune as they gain proficiency and tempo.

 

 

Dave

[Alan Day]

You can tell by my enthusiasm that I love sessions of all music.

I have found to introduce a new tune to a session it will take about four sessions and it will slowly get picked up.If you have confidence in the tune keep playing it and it will become a favorite.

A tape recorder is a must for any session you attend, record the music, practice it and the next session you will be able to join in.

If you are trying to play a tune new to you at a session, be sure to play quetly and above all if you go to a new session do not dominate it ,unless requested to do so.

Some of the best sessions I have ever been to, it was possible I never played a note,one in County Claire springs to mind, but just being there was good enough for me.

Regards

Alan

[Samantha]

I'm incouraged the group to keep playing along by ear. Last time I play a few short 'drone notes',

quietly at first and a bit louder when they blended. Then I'd play some chords and again

quietly, half the time it didn't sound too bad (to me that is).

 

Question: I have a English. Is there a single note 'rhyhme', that might include triades, you can play

along with a hornpipe, or jig or polka?

This sort of playing along is what I do, too, at sessions near me. I also, when I recognise a run or other group of notes, try to pop that it whenever it appears, too!

 

As to answering your question - I think you will quickly learn if you keep playing along as you do, which (drone) notes to switch to when in a tune. They are usually the tonic (key note, or G in the key of G), dominant (one fifth up, or D in the key of G) and sub-dominant (one fourth up or C in the key of G). You may also find the relative minor (E in the key of G major) appears, sometimes in teh second half of the tune. This is a very rough guide, but a useful starting point, perhaps.

 

Samantha

[Samantha]

My opinion for what it's worth   is that written music doesn't *belong* in an irish session.

The reasons are mainly that nobody knows what tunes are coming next, so to tell everyone to get their sheet music out *can just hear all that rustling paper* takes away the spontaneity of playing. It also stops other players carrying on when one set stops but someone has an idea of tunes to follow on with, if you have to keep stopping to fill everyone in on what tunes are coming up.

It all depends how you use the sheet music, surely? If I were to take sheet music to a session I would not expect everyone to stop and wait until I had found the right page. I'd be happy to sit at the edge of the session (my preferred place anyway) and discreetly riffle through my pages looking for the notes if I though I'd have it, and if someone were able to give me a title.

 

This (too) is approximately what I do at local sessions - but they have produced a book of tunes which are likely to turn up at sessions and that is the only sheet music I take to these sessions. If no-one gives me the title, then I'll probably busk drone notes and chords quietly, along with the odd snatch of phrase which I manage to master before the tune is changed!

 

Samantha

 

PS I've just noted that you are talking about Irish sessions, but I think my comments could apply to any session.

Edited October 15, 2003 by Samantha