'slow ' sessions

Subject: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 24 Jul 05 - 08:52 AM

George Garside will be doing a couple of slow sessions    'well known tunes at a steady pace giving everybody the chance to join in' and his melodeon 'crash course for beginners' at Whitby Folk Week. He will also be doing    sessions and workshops at Saltburne festival.

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 05 - 11:51 AM

Would that be olde Saltburne?

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 09:48 AM

Saltburne,cleveland. 12 -14 aug is that the same as 'olde saltburne'?

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: s&r
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 10:34 AM

This one here . The 'e' is superfluous.

Stu

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 02:19 PM

Why does everyone assume that the only folks who play at a less-than-breakneck speed are beginners or incompetents? What's needed is a workshop for flashy players to teach them to slow down so that the music can be listened to.

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: buttonbox
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 05:33 PM

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: buttonbox
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 05:35 PM

quite so! but try teling them they need to slow down - it is rhythm not speed that is important

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: treewind
Date: 25 Jul 05 - 06:04 PM

They probably can't play slowly. I used to find I could play something fast, then when I tried playing it slowly it fell to pieces. I learnt to recognise that as a danger sign, and the cure was to practice even slower still until I could play it perfectly, and only then try it faster, and then it was much better (more even and rhythmical) that it had ever been.

Isn't the idea of a slow session for learning tunes? Mary and I ran a tunes workshop recently a bit like that. Very simple format - about 5 tunes, see how much a group of people could learn in half an hour. All we did was play each slowly and repetitively (lots of A's then lots of B's) and then put the tune together, then the same with the other tune, then the whole set. Simple but it worked well.

Anahata

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 04:40 AM

There are obviously many interpretations of the meaning of 'slow' session. The ones george garside does are definately not workshops or tune learning sesions. He seems to work on the basis of only running tunes that a goodly proportion of those there are able to tackle - a sort of concensus aproach and taking the top edge off the speed- they are not aimed at those who are beginners on their instrument but more at those who find it dificult to 'get in' on a session.Those with limited playing ability will find tunes being played that they can cope with. The type of 'slow' sesion where tunes are played very slowly over & over again for learning purposes would perhaps sit beter as a tune learning'workshop'or whatever

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: vectis
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 07:19 AM

I would recommend George's sessions at Whitby to anyone. He makes it accessible to most of those there and keeps control with patience and good humour. I have learned how to busk tunes I don't know at these sessions purely because they are played at dance speed rather than performance speed.
Can't wait 'til this years sessions.

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST,flatat
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 11:01 AM

Ah but! I always thought dance tunes were supposed to be played at dance speed with emphasis (as with all good music) on the rhythm?is 'performance speed' a euphamism for too bloody fas & sod the rhythm

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 11:22 AM

is 'performance speed' a euphamism for too bloody fast & sod the rhythm

I hope not. For a performance for listening you can get away with going a little faster than dance speed sometimes, though I prefer not to do that... but losing the rhythm is inexcusable.

Anahata

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 11:34 AM

Sounds like a good idea to me.

My first sessions with other musicians included a drummer that got to the end of songs before everyone else so we had to go with his internal rhythmn. There's no way I can play to a metronome now.

One of the best songs I ever wrote was a very slow and (I thought) beautifully haunting thing the pace of which was a fluid trickle. When I played it for my mate he embarrassed me by joining in half-way through, upping it into 4/4. It turned out I'd written All My Loving by Lennon & McCartney.

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 05 - 10:13 AM

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: vectis
Date: 27 Jul 05 - 10:23 AM

Certainly too bloody fast but not necessarily sod the rhythm.

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 27 Jul 05 - 02:07 PM

Aha! Noone has seen the clever marketing trick here! We need paying shedloads of money to slow down.

It works like this. We play super fast in sessions to stop beginners being admitted to the elite group of self-important know-it-alls, and so we can show off how many tunes we can play by squeezing double the number into an evening, and only playing them twice through. That is because we are also altruistic, and have graciously donated our genius gratis to be enjoyed by aspiring entrants to our clever society, but when you pay us, whoaaaaaaaa......... let's dance! The pace comes down to a solid 120, the punters really hear the gaps between the notes, and we get to watch the pretty ladies dancing.

The last time I offered to slow down for a mere £58 (that's probably about 1,000 of your American Dollars), I was pilloried on this very platform! Bah to the lot of you!

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: scouse
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 12:28 PM

I"ll never forget the time a young piper from a group called "Upstairs in a Tent." was sitting next to me backstage . Finber fury walked in.. the Guy grabbed his pipes and played as fast as his poor little fingers would allow for the time that it took Finbar to drink his Beer, sit and digest it. Finbar rose... Walked over to the young Fella and said (Quote.."Don't forget the long notes.) Turned and walked out!!!

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 02:47 PM

Never play fast in front of old timers, in the hope of showing what a flash young up-and-coming thing you are. The old geezers won't be able to play as fast as you, but will be able to protect themselves by having mastered a few effective put downs. ("Wish I could do that, and then not bother to" is a classic of the genre).

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: GUEST,buttonbox
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:02 PM

The late and much loved mouth organ player Will Atkinson (Border Shepherds) was leading a mouthorgan workshop at a major festival. One participant, a know all & member of the british harmonica society played a hornpipe well but rather on the fast side - Will's constructive comment was ; every tune has a natural speed and you'd find it much easier to play that way'

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: Mo the caller
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 08:39 AM

Are there any slow sessions in Cheshire (uk)

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: Geoffw
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 11:44 AM

I believe another of Will Atkinson's put downs was along the lines of "He's very good, but he's not a musician"

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: buttonbox
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 02:10 PM

not quite Cheshire but was once Lancashire! Southport sessions at the Guest House pub Union street 3rd monday about 8pm. Saturday sessions ,same venue, may restart october - check bothy folk club website for up to date info. These are easy going sessions with players of all levels of ability and any type of tune. All very welcome - we don't sit round a table in the middle and ignore newcomers! www.bothyfolkclub.co.uk

Subject: RE: 'slow ' sessions
From: buttonbox
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 11:35 AM