Number of repeats in medleys

Subject: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 03:54 PM

Something I just posted to the JP Cormier thread prompted me to start this one. When doing medleys of fiddle tunes, how many times do you repeat a tune before going on to the next one? Around here, we've always done each tune in a medley three times through. Free standing non-medleyed tunes usually get done four times through for quick tunes like jigs and reels or three times for waltzes and airs. When I met JP Cormier I was surprised that he was only doing each tune in a medley twice through. Is this common in some areas or just a quirk of JP's?

Bruce

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Noreen
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 04:29 PM

Custom is: twice through in Irish music sessions, three times each in English music sessions.
So when the two meet, and they don't listen to each other.... !

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Efiddler
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 04:35 PM

Yeah, twice through for Irish is the norm, though when I've been in sessions with Irish fiddlers (as opposed to English, Scots, French, etc, playing Irish), they often seem to play tunes three or four times!

Three times has become the norm for English tunes, despite efforts on my part to make it four (or five, or six)! As for the old-timey boys, they seem to play everything through twenty times.

efiddler

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: IanC
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 04:41 AM

Around here, it's always been twice through for English. Most Irish sessions I've been to in Herts seem to go on about 5 or 6 times before changing (when they do).

:-)

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 06:51 AM

I never thought I would say it, but maybe John Kirkpatrick is right about playing tunes that stand alone- over and over ,trying to get different ways of playing. I certainly would like the opportunity to "jam" with some tunes, riffing and trying out counter melodies. I think it's pretty difficult with irish stuff, but English hornpipes can be tackled. It gets a bit indulgent, and customers in the pub would probably get fed up, but there you are!

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 07:08 AM

We tried the bluegrass style on Irish tunes, at the extraordinary Sloop session, where the session leader shouted out a name and that individual played one A and one B part, whilst the assembly vamped quietly. It really worked well, as the good players get heard, and different playingt styles or counter melodies are tried, but the, err, improving players also get to play during the public verses.

We had a superb Mason's Apron done this way, that lasted about 7 time through, and the punters in the pub loved it.

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: treewind
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 07:18 AM

I love John Kirkpatrick's essay on "Medley Mania", but please note that it did apply specifically to playing for dancers. The dancers get to learn which bits of the dance go with which bits of the tune, and when you change tune they lose all that.

I like to do two tunes per dance, can't stand the sort of bands that whizz through a whole page of tunes two at a time, thought that's the norm in the Scottish dance world.

For tunes to listen to, the ability to make up interesting variations would have to be very good indeed to keep interest up after many repeats. In a session, that's unlikely to happen; in a carefully crafted arrangement it might be possible.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: nickp
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 07:33 AM

Don't do medleys unless I absolutely have to - mind you, we're talking old time here... (about 8 minutes seems a good time)

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: weepiper
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 09:29 AM

Round here we tend to play through each tune 3 or 4 times depending on who's leading the set - everybody else pays attention and when he/she says 'hup!' you know the tune's about to change. Sometimes it'll go on another time round because evewryone's enjoying it. We tend not to sit there beforehand and say, right, we'll play tunes x, y and z, and we'll play them all 3 times. We make sets up as we go along. Sometimes two players will take turns picking the tune.

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Declan
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 12:25 PM

Tunes are mostly played 3 or 4 times in most sessions in Ireland these days as well. More often if people are enjoying the tune.

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: GUEST,SharonG
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 01:14 PM

At our Irish session in Arizona- usually we play three times through unless it's one of those hypnotic or really monster tunes that demand more- (like Morning Dew or Foxhunter's Reel).

Playing for stepdancers or ceili dancers- we go a few times through- not a set number, but 3 or 4 times through seems reasonable.   

Playing for stepdancers at a feis- sometimes the tune changes for every dancer- depends on the whim of the particular musician.

Playing for contra dances- a medley of 2 or 3 tunes lasts for the whole dance- which means each tune gets played considerably more than 3 times. (maybe 10 or more times?)

Concert performances- we usually play 3 times through, unless it's a multi-part tune (3 or more parts)- then only twice.

Old-time sessions- usually medleys do not apply. (they just play one tune repeatedly until a hypnotic, trance-like state is achieve.

Sharon

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: GUEST,Rose
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 03:51 PM

What a great, unobtrusive idea to say "hup!" as a signal for the tune to change. Our guitar player usually yells, "Change!" for the tune change or "Bring it home!" for the last time through. Yes, even in concert, where I'm thinkin' we're there for our own good time just as much as anyone else's... :)

Rose

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 22 Nov 02 - 02:22 AM

My local session plays mainly Irish music and normally has 3 tunes in a set, 2 A's – 2 B's played through twice for each tune.

As a beginner/intermediate who only half knows a lot of the tunes, I wish that they would play each 3 times through – the first time to hear it, the second time to have a go and the third time to prove I can do it.

Doug C

Subject: RE: Number of repeats in medleys
From: raredance
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 01:11 AM

At old time sessions I've been to, I've always thought it was "too many".

rich r