should the mandolin/banjoist play with e

Subject: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: tuggy mac
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 05:46 AM

should the banjoist / mandolin be played with every tune" After all the bodran takes a rest!

Cheers tuggy mac.

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: tuggy mac
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 05:48 AM

P.S. What would the best time to take a rest from the other players.

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 06:02 AM

When you need a drink

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: Noreen
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 06:15 AM

There's no 'should'... players are there to enjoy themselves (in a session, I presume you mean) and the session will sound different depending on who's there.

I suppose if a dominant instrument, like piano accordion or pipes were making it hard for others to be heard the player 'should' have the sensitivity to put the instrument down for a bit to give the others a chance.

But as with everything else in life, sensitivity to other people makes things go more smoothly.

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 07:22 PM

Life is full of interesting paradoxes.

The guitar player may think the accordion player is obnoxiously intrusive, and want the accordion to be silent from time to time, but not want to be silent himself. But the acoordion can produce a bieutiful sound suitable for certain songs too.

So with any instrument.

But then some think..

"If it aint got a guitar in it, it aint folk!"

"If it aint got a banjo in it, it aint bluegrass!"

"If it aint got a (particular style) banjo in it, it aint real bluegrass!"

USW!

Robin

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: oombanjo
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 06:57 AM

I agree with Noreen, if the accordian and the pipes take a rest, then the more quiet/sensitive instruments like banjo can be heard.

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play wi
From: kitchen piper
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 07:10 AM

I totally agree, but have to point out that when I my pipes in sessions they totally get drowned out! The banjo would win over the smallpipes in volume any day!
lol
:-))
Vix

(This is meant as a humerous post, do not take offence or flame!)

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: oombanjo
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 07:19 AM

I Agree on all counts,The idea of perfect pitch comes from , the banjo being thrown from 30yds into a skip, and hitting the accordian. BUT 'Who threw it'????

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: Mark Clark
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 12:08 PM

I'd say that at a session or song circle everyone is pretty much entitled to play along as they choose unless the one calling the tune has indicated otherwise. One way to compete is to cut the others out by playing something they probably won't know or in a key they can't get or start before giving them a chance to retune and re-capo.

I don't get to many Irish jams anymore but when I did, I loved the uillean pipes and the pennywhistles. They didn't ever have to be quiet for me. I don't recall ever playing along with a piano accordian but I've jammed with concertinas and fiddles quite a lot and don't remember wanting them to back off. Still, if you start singing an unaccompanied song, the way Barry Finn can for instance, you won't be troubled by people playing over your performance.

As for which instruments can play when and how, remember that the recordings you hear are arranged performances. They used specific instruments in specific ways because that created the effect they were trying to capture. The recorded arrangement didn't come about because the musicians were in some musical straight jacket and only alowed themselves to use instruments and voices in certain ways. It was just their personal expression of their music. In a jam session or song circle there is no “arrangement” as such and if you can be relaxed about it, you'll hear some interesting ideas and variations that won't be available on any recording. Think of it as a surprise. Remember that some of the best bluegrass the Stanley Brothers ever recorded used only lead and rhythm guitars behind the brothers’ voices. No one would argue that it wasn't bluegrass.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: tuggy mac
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 05:10 AM

Thanks mark i"ll look up theStanley brothers!

Cheers tuggy mac.

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:19 AM

> "One way to compete is to cut the others out by playing something they probably won't know or in a key they can't get"

I was once asked to stop playing airs at an Pseudo Irish Session by the organiser because

1) Nobody else knew what I was playing and they couldn't join in.

2) They couldn't join in with the (Portsmouth Synfonia Style) tuneless fast paced racket.

Funny, I had been talking with someone earlier up from Sydney, who said they didn't like this session because nobody was playing any airs.

In Sydney they would play an air, then some faster ones, etc..

Haven't been back since... :-)

Robin

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:46 AM

oops, left s bit out

"2) They couldn't join in with the (Portsmouth Synfonia Style) tuneless fast paced racket."

should have read
"2) They couldn't join in with the (Portsmouth Synfonia Style) tuneless fast paced racket that was the normal sound the session produced. The sound became fatiguing after a while. The jigs and reels were played so fast that you couldn't tell one tune from another. Great technical showoff, but totally tuneless, lacking in phrasing and expression. There was one fiddle player though, when he played, he would take things slower, and it was delightful - you could hear the phrasing, etc."

sorry,
technical problem in transfering data...

Robin

Subject: RE: Folklore: should the mandolin/banjoist play with e
From: tuggy mac
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:03 PM

theres a team o 2nd generation irish musicians over our way whos drummer does a solo!with various drums(scarlet hieghts is there name and very populer they are). the drummer uses diffrent drums up to a huge base drum all mobile and he walks among the audiance doing his thing.

Must say i enjoyed it with the rest.

Tuggy.