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Recommended Session Tunes

08 Mar 01 - 02:33 PM (#413502)
Subject: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Jeri

This thread gave me an idea. Does anyone else think commonly played tunes might be a good topic for a permathread?

We seem to talk about good tunes a lot - "What are your favorite jigs/reels/whatever?" I don't think there's enough space on the planet to list everyone's favorites. I don't know if I can just say I want to start a permathread, or whether I have to check with Joe or Max or somebody first.

The object is to recommend tunes for a person to learn so he/she can go to a session and have something they can play with others. Here's what I'm think of:

  • We nominate tunes. These should be widely known - not a list of our favorites, but tunes actually played in sessions. (Maybe we can add an "it ain't popular, but it should be" section later on.)

  • We vote on which tunes to put on the list. The voting will eliminate tunes that are only played in one session in the world. If you nominate the same tune as others, I'll consider it a vote for that tune.

  • We reduce the list. I think the list ought to contain no more than, say, 50 tunes. It's a "what do I learn to get started" list, not a comprehensive one. I also think there should be a mix of tune types - marches, hornpipes, jigs, slipjigs, etc.

What do you think? Is this worth doing? Does the process sound reasonable, or do you have a better idea? Are 50 tunes too many? Too few? Am I completely nuts for proposing this?

08 Mar 01 - 02:45 PM (#413511)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Snuffy

Are you talking just Irish, or do Scots/Cape Breton, Bluegrass etc count? Might need separate lists.

08 Mar 01 - 03:08 PM (#413527)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: bill\sables

Good idea Jeri, but as Snuffy says it would have to be catigorised. I mentioned in an earlier thread that the sessions in my area differ in their tune content. We at the JUG play a mixture of English morris, Irish, Scotish and the occasional American tunes depending who is in on the night. I have noticed in the USA you play a different set most of which I have never heard played in the UK, or an American version of the tune we play. To give an example St. Annes Reel in the UK is not exactly the same as the one played in Canada and theirs is not exactly the same as you play in the USA. If we in England play different tunes in an area within a few miles of York I would think America would have a vast difference depending on the region and who settled in that particular area.
Cheers Bill

08 Mar 01 - 04:17 PM (#413555)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Jeri

I thought it was a good idea because people frequently ask what tunes they should learn and usually get similar answers, but my idea doesn't take different genres into consideration, and there's a chance someone may accidentally learn the wrong version of a tune.

Oh well.

08 Mar 01 - 09:14 PM (#413665)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Pinetop Slim

I think it's a great idea, Jeri. A way to address the regional issues could be to post whatever session lists are available. Hartford (Conn., USA) Country Dance club posts a list of the most commonly used tunes at their dances (inviting musicians to join the band). A couple of slow jams in Rhode Island put out a list of tunes and the preferred key. Given some of the samples from the thread you blue-clickied and the global participation here, the Mudcat could be a focal point for putting together sort of a Fodor's Guide to Sessions (in Australia, US, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, England, etc). Handy for the musical traveler.

08 Mar 01 - 09:24 PM (#413671)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Jon Freeman

Just go for it Jeri.

Jon

08 Mar 01 - 09:31 PM (#413676)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: Julia

It would be great to have them divided into regions, even associated with the sessiun at which they are favorites. And how about location, time and contact info for said sessiun. I realize that things are fairly volatile in this business, but if it were a website that could be updated regularly, it would be ideal. We recently had just such a thread going on a harp digest to which I belong- it was very popular. Can provide info from said digest if you want it

09 Mar 01 - 05:43 AM (#413858)
Subject: RE: Recommended Session Tunes
From: The Shambles

Great idea. For the reasons stated but also that The Mudcat is probably the best place to do it and it will be a very valuable record of what music is played in all parts of the world.

The session, the informal gathering of people just to make music together, is the purest example of free cultural musical expression.

Not too sure if it would be wise to try too hard to seperate the genres or divide on which nation they are held. Record what comes in and just order it to make it readable.