The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #111814   Message #2359658
Posted By: Tootler
06-Jun-08 - 05:27 PM
Thread Name: Easy session tune music (dots)
Subject: RE: Easy session tune music (dots)
From the Folkworks Session collection book 1.

Egan's Polka
John Ryan's Polka
Winster Gallop - mentioned several times already
Jamie Allen
Salmon Tails
Davy, Davy Knick Knack
Hesleyside
Fairy Dance
New Rigged Ship
Athol Highlanders (I find it a pig on the flute or whistle but fiddlers seem to like it)
Out in the Ocean
Spirit of the Dance
Drops of Brandy
Peacock Followed the Hen
Harvest Home
Trumpet Hornpipe (Increasingly called Capt. Pugwash [g] )
Boys of Bluehill
Margaret's Waltz
Give me your Hand
Road to the North

That's the list of tunes in the first book described on the cover as "Twenty great tunes to help you enjoy taking part in informal music sessions"

Some of these tunes are straightforward, others are quite notey. I cannot say which are easy and which are not on the fiddle, as I play flute, whistle and recorder, but many of the tunes can be simplified while retaining the essence of the tune. I find Athol Highlanders tricky as you seem to be moving lots of fingers at once all the time and I often leave out the middle quaver in a group of three to make it more playable for me.

If you live in NE England the Folkworks session collection is a useful set of tune books. There are three and they each come with a CD with the tunes played slowly and at moderate tempo for ear learners.

I'm not sure what the price is these days, but it is reasonable and they can be got from the Sage. Ask for the Music Education Centre.

Geoff