Easy tunes for sessions

Subject: Easy tunes for sessions
From: MBSLynne
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 09:52 AM

My daughter Sarah has just started fife this year and will be moving on to flute soon. She's very enthusiastic and would love to play with everyone else. My son Richard plays oboe and likes to play with a crowd but complains he doesn't know enough folk tunes. Can anyone suggest a few easy tunes (preferably in C or G) that get played in lots of sessions, that they could learn and practise so they would have the confidence to join in if they hear them played in a session?

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: alison
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 09:59 AM

I'm sure there are older threads on this if you do a filter search for "session"... but here's a few for starters

rakes of mallow
rattlin' bog (bog down in the valley o)

you can find them & many other tunes at JC's ABC tunefinder

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: MBSLynne
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 10:02 AM

Thank you Alison. Is Rakes of Mallow the same as Rigs of Mallow?

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 10:02 AM

For a start Forget about C - Most session tunes are in D or G and their associated minors , though A minor does get in quite a bit too.
Harvest Home and Boys of Blue Hill are a regularly paired set of Hornpipes. Speed the Plough, Brighton Camp(The Girl I left Behind Me)
Wister Gallop, Rakes of Mallow, Dingle Regatta, that shold ne a good start.
Regarding Keys - There is a tendency to keep to keys that the ubiquitous D/G Melodeon players can manage though IF there are a preponderence of fiddles A crops up a lot too. And an Oboe and a Flute would be a nice addition to most sessions.

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: Marje
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 01:46 PM

The BBC's Virtual Session is very good - it shows you the written scores of popular session tunes, and also has sound files that sound like proper instruments so you can play along. Its main limitation is that it's nearly all Irish tunes. My attempt to make a blue clicky has failed, so you'll have to copy-and-paste this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/

In reply to Lynne's question, Rakes of Mallow (a reel, allegedly Irish) is related in a distant sort of way to an English tune known as Rigs of Marlow (a jig used for morris). Rigs of Mallow sounds like some sort of hybrid - they're probably all variants of the same tune, although I don't know where it originated. Both the tunes I've heard sound more English than Irish to me.

Marje

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:10 PM

I have found '110 Ireland's best Tin Whistle tunes'compiled by Claire McKenna, published by Waltons, ISBN I 85720 084 5 to be an excellent collection of tunes from the easiest to some pretty tricky ones. It comes with a CD of all the tunes played at a steady pace

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: GUEST,Mary Humphreys
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:32 PM

Have you seen Nick Barber's Book English Choice which comes with 2 CDs? It is published by Mally and readlily available at most good music shops and definitely at the Music Room, Cleckheaton.
Mary Humphreys

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: treewind
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:36 PM

You should be able to find some good tune books at http://www.mally.com - Dave Mallinson's folk music publishing outfit

Anahata

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: treewind
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:42 PM

They don't get much easier than Easy Peasy Tunes !

(a bit Irish biased for my taste, after we've got past the baby stuff like twinkle twinkle little star...)

Anahata

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: MBSLynne
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:40 PM

Well thanks guys...I think that should keep us going for a bit, though Sarah can only play in C and G yet so she may have to wait a bit longer. Richard should be able to manage if he can get around to the learning and practising bit!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: s&r
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 05:35 PM

Quite often D tunes can be played "in G" if there is no C# in the music. This is quite common

Stu

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 01:12 AM

Sully's ' Session Tunes ' are very good. from Halshaw Music.
eric

Subject: RE: Easy tunes for sessions
From: vectis
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 07:49 PM

The Lewes Tune Book is available on line. Google for it and you'll get it no problem. Good, basic mainly english tunes.