Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(12 votes) 
Regulars
Offline
I wasnt familiar with any of these except sailors bonnet from Martin Hayes' playing..but not heard it played in a set. This set was played last night made popular from an old Michael Coleman album I think.. Anyone know of other popular or famous sets or just ones played in your area? Or ones youve heard recorded that you like? Do they have names?
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Sorry, I'm having a hard time running across a set I truly like - I lose enthusiasm because I always seem to only like 1 out of the 3 tunes!
So, in your set, the tune I like the best is the 'Tarbolton Reel'.
I definitely need to learn it from the Duncan Cameron Music tutorial - fingers up close!
I guess 'Traonach' plays several sets I like - and they're out of Ithaca, upstate New York!
Partial to the Jackie 'Jackie Roche's', 'Dusty Windowsill', and 'Mouse in the Mug' set (I posted elsewhere) from their 'Macintosh Jon' album (kinda like others there, too). I definitely like the 'Paddy Cronin's Slides' set from their 'The First Round' album & maybe another set or two there. Here's what Traonach says about these slides.
Paddy Cronin visited Noel Hill's concertina class at the Willie Clancy school one summer and played these slides. Paddy called the first slide "The Weaver's" which refers to Bill `The Weaver` Murphy, the father of Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford. We don't know the name of the second slide, but the third one is "Barrack Hill" which is a very old tune that appears in the Petrie collection, published in 1855.
Maybe as I get more proficient, I can talk people into playing a set of tunes made up from my favorites.
I can see it now... a Swedish Vals, a Bushi Okinawan tune, a Scottish Strathspey, and a French Canadian Reel!
...no one will ever play a set with me. 😒
- Emily
Regulars
Offline
Shoot, I made a mistake about Traonach!
Looked for "The First Round" - turns out it was NOT the actual name of the album/CD with the Paddy Cronin's Slides set (and the other sets I like).
Traonach says:
"The First Round" is a preview of, and extra takes from, our upcoming album, "I'll Have Another."
Darn, really like everything on the preview, but now I can't find anywhere to buy the "I'll Have Another" CD - might have to contact them, directly. 😶
The First Round - Traonach Preview
🤔 ...think there's a member missing here.
- Emily
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Sorry, this isn't famous or even popular. 😔
Just ran across 3 tunes I think would make a great set. Two are for Irish 'set dances', but that's a whole other story, I think... or are session sets from set dances?
Anyway, don't think these have been mentioned anywhere on the forum, so here they are:
Love this version by Sam Sweeney!
Princess Royal has some similarity to "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" - really like it. Here's a tutorial by Chris Haigh!
Rodney's Glory & The Vanishing Lake can be heard with nice swing & at various speeds at the Sean Softley Youtube Channel as Set Dance tunes.
Princess Royal (Barndance) - Sheet Music Versions at The Session
Of course I haven't actually heard these played as a set - think the reason I like these 3 is because they seem to have some similar characteristics that tie them together.
Plus, I like all 3!
- Emily
Regulars
Offline
@elcbk like princess royal and the vanishing lake! I wish he would tour closer to where I could go watch live!
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Think you might really enjoy the Sean Softley version of "The Vanishing Lake".
I did find a GREAT set I hadn't heard before, has Fiddle & Accordion - and includes one of my new favorite tunes in it!
"Moran's Return", "The Lady's Cup of Tea", "Porthole of the Kelp" - Lynnsey Weissenberger & Treasa Harkin.
...think I might have to learn this whole set!
- Emily
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
As you know, I'm not very good at focusing on what's popular. (lol)
So, I'm pretty sure this Set is NOT well known(?) and it's Scottish, NOT Irish - but, I LOVE it!
See what you think:
Peat in the Creel - Thatcher Set
The Thatcher Set - "The Thatcher", "Peter Byrne's" and "The Soup Dragon".
Found out the "Peat in The Creel" is a band in my state of Michigan, from the Grand Rapids/West side of the State - playing since 2011!
More than a day trip for me, but I like all their music.
Kinda surprised you're not hearing from all the members who are more familiar with sessions!
...maybe worth making this popular?
- Emily
Regulars
Offline
@elcbk never heard any of them but really good tunes. i especially liked the soup dragon! great find!
Regulars
Offline
Well, I'm back here, still with absolutely NO session experience, but found an interesting set from "Trouble In The Kitchen" (Australia).
The Tap Room, The Road to Port Fairy, The Abby Leix & Sweeney's Dream
...I'd be quite content playing "The Tap Room" & "Abby Leix" together. 😊
Regulars
Offline
i couldnt get the tap room link to play.
I guess last year i was hoping there were people that visited the forum that would post whats popular in the way of sets in their area. Just to get a feel for what people are currently playing out there in sessions. The OP seems to be one of those from discussions and youtube channels that is fairly common. I think this one is another maybe.
As far as what sounds good together thats always fun to experiment with. no rules from what ive understood except it may be a good idea to know ahead of time what people are familiar with that youre playing with. unless you want to solo. 🙂 I think whats common maybe depends on where you are. Again i was hoping there were those universal type sets that seem to be known everywhere.
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Like it!
Maybe cause not too many people going to sessions last year because of covid? Well, the one place we know that talks about what's played together, is thesession.org.
Don't know why you had trouble with the link - still works for me. Takes you to the bandcamp.com site, where you can hear it.
Yeah, it was a long stretch to think what may be popular in Australia - is also popular here. Not even sure it's popular there. (lol)
Hope you can try the link again.
Just figured I'd revive the thread. 😊
Regulars
Offline
@ELCBK said
Like it!
Maybe cause not too many people going to sessions last year because of covid? Well, the one place we know that talks about what's played together,
Yeah, it was a long stretch to think what may be popular in Australia - is also popular here. Not even sure it's popular there. (lol)
Hope you can try the link again.
Just figured I'd revive the thread. 😊
covid... big reason probably. but if anyone was going before.. same thing on what sets.
My only active forum participation is here. ironic given the style of music i suppose.
As far as popularity...i think thats what im trying to see. if someone says.. well we played The blarney pilgram into morrisons last night.. and so did our local venue...and maybe a few others chime in...it says something i think. probably just luck ...but interesting. to me anyway..😏
I knew you were bumping it up and appreciate it! actually had forgotten. lol.
Regulars
Offline
FWIW.. this week some of the sets
foxhunters (slipjig)/humors of ballymanus
doherty's/ my love is in America
black rouge/scatter the mud
others...
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Know you've probably seen all these & doesn't quite make up for all my attempts to get people to bring more fresh ideas to sessions, but may help others that want to jump into a Traditional Irish Session.
Best Session Tunebooks - Irish Traditional Music Tune Index Top Session Tunes - IrishTune.info
Here's a Historical Graph that shows which types of Irish music were the most popular, from the 1900's thru 2010's - based on recordings.
Regulars
Offline
ELCBK said
Know you've probably seen all these & doesn't quite make up for all my attempts to get people to bring more fresh ideas to sessions, but may help others that want to jump into a Traditional Irish Session.
i havent been going long enough for some established well known tunes to become stale. I barely know what I know! And i could spend another 5 years working on them. Id rather stay in the territory that people can play with instead of trying to perform a new tune for them to learn that I think is cool...there arent do overs live!!🤣
That being said, people do print off sheet music and hand it out, but that would be a session to session thing depending on the dynamics of the group. I havent experienced it, but some groups may frown on it. And I think its common in some if not most other sessions for people to just start playing and if people join in they join in. Not my cup of tea at this stage. Ill stick to the training wheels for now.
I have a couple on that list. And thesession.org always gets a look, but as far as session tune books..book 1,2, and 3 of this series have been the most helpful in my experience. Id say if searching for irish session tunes in a tune book form this is a good place to start.
sheet music examples from book
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Haven't heard of quite a few of those tunes, but they might have an alias (or 2) I'd recognize.
Have you heard all of them played at sessions?
Regulars
Offline
gosh no.. quick count through that list in book one is 37 I know for sure have been played. And youre correct in names. some of the ones that i dont recognize name may be a tune called something else.
Regulars
Offline
@ABitRusty -
Did you ever get 'the Tap Room' link to play? It's just Bandcamp.
This is such a great thread - I don't want to forget about the tunes here!
Probably not common, but I really like this set - have you heard Patricia Clark?
Not super keen on the last one, though.
The Templehouse - Sheet Music Versions at The Session - I like some of the Jig versions, too!
Hope this isn't a tune I saved that you showed me (?) 🥴
.png)
Regulars
Offline
Ive been listening to these during commute time. cant wait to try and play along. I really like how they are playing the kerry polka in the polka set. yah gotta hear it. And then they play the tarbolton set. if you open the description they have chaptered each set. ALSO... gonna have to learn apples in winter from that first set!
they also have a playlist of what they call the slow slow fast sessions where tbey play the first tune through twice slow then speed up and go into next. Its great and a very handy resource.
Regulars
Offline
I love the tunes in this one, the only one I can play (albeit not this fast, lol) is The Reconciliation
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
1 Guest(s)
Mouse
