OKAY... had to take a break from EVERYTHING, so here's a set the Tannahill Weaver's play.  I started working on them today, except I'll count myself lucky when I get these all clean at HALF this speed! 😵 ...seriously think these sound better slower, anyway!

Anyone feeling the syncopation here?  Free sheet music at thesession.org! 

"The Smokey Lum", "Maggie's Pancakes", "Dancing Feet", "The Mason's Apron"! 

I was a bit disheartened when I read, what felt like almost a consensus at The Session, that there's no place for syncopation in ITM (Irish Trad Music).  ...just finding that hard to swallow, given the maritime, even Scottish influences apparent in much of the music - besides, I've already found quite a few syncopated tunes on the site. 

...there's definitely syncopation history in the Nordic & European Folk music, too!

I did find another GREAT site that describes the different types of syncopation, GREAT examples in different genres (including Medieval, but MUCH more) - AND GREAT help with practicing syncopation! 

Get Rhythm: All About Syncopation - Music U

@ABitRusty -

Wow, depending on if I search "syncopation" or "syncopated", I got different results at The Session!  ...looks like I have more to read.  😊

I think I just focused too much on the 1st reply here, but there were a few more comments that may have just been directed at the OP example there:

About syncopated tunes and 7th chords

The world of music is FULL of wonderful chord progressions and substitutions, wonderful melodic excursions, and rhythmic possibilities…your example is a great start, wonderful playing and delightful to hear. Just don’t try to call it Irish Traditional. Trad is, by most interpretations, rather limited to the major and minor chords, rarely uses Dom 7s or minor 7’s, even rarer 9th’s, diminished and augmented, suspended, or any of the other chords from the massive collection of possibilities. At least not on purpose. Heck, in some discussions I’ve read that some players even deny the existence of the C natural note. The closest it gets to syncopation might a little swing. Yeah I know you can find a few examples of something else but the operative word here is “traditional”.

The more I dig into this set (back in post #41), "The Smokey Lum", "Maggie's Pancakes", "Dancing Feet", "The Mason's Apron", the more I want to learn ALL of it! 🤗  

I HATE EVEN LISTENING TO THIS AT THIS SPEED - could be happy anywhere from 124 to 160 BPM (I'll be lucky to make 100)!  Anyway, it will probably take me the rest of my life to learn even slow.  Guess it's a good thing I'm starting now! (lol) 

These syncopated tunes are Scottish in origin (from what I've read, various sources) - come to think of it, there really IS a lot of syncopation found in Scottish music - especially in Piper tunes & Strathspeys!

The 1st two tunes, "The Smokey Lum" & "Maggie's Pancakes", are composed by Stuart Morison (Scotland band,Tannahill Weaver's Fiddler), who also composed "The Unicorn Waltz" that I love to play.  "Dancing Feet" was composed by G.S. McLennan, a Highland Piper. 

"The Mason's Apron" (aka "Braes Of Glenorchy") is a traditional tune.  I've heard Kevin Burke mention he believes it's Scottish in origin.  John Sheehan played a version with The Dubliners (great close-up view) with many variations in different positions (VERY unusual for Irish tune playing!), I'm sure he learned it from Sean Maguire.  I like the Tannahill Weaver's version, BUT - Dezi Donnelly takes the prize, as far as I'm concerned - just fascinating! 

...without any syncopation - "The Mason's Apron" would be boring, no matter how many variations are played! 

The tutorial about Syncopated Emphasis For Reels (post #4) is a great place to start, if you want to add some syncopation to the reels you already play! 

@ABitRusty - 

I get what you are saying - show tunes vs. session tunes & know your focus is on the latter.

😕 yeah, makes a good show tune & these guys are all just crazy, out to win the race! 

Hey, I still like it & everything is doable/learnable at a snail's pace, one phrase (or measure) at a time! 🤗 

Honestly, I have to test out/listen to tune prospects at about 80 BPM, to make sure they sound good, first - because I may never exceed much more than that speed.

...just call me 'tortoise'. 😁 

Btw, if anyone wants to learn to play the Orange Blossom Special, Fiddlerman has 1 tutorial and Lora, at Red Desert Violin, has a series of 8 tutorials - easy to follow.

@ABitRusty -

I've started on the Smokey Lum in the Tannahill Weaver's set - I may kick the bucket before I ever GET to the Mason's Apron!

Yes, I like that whole set, but especially Maggie's Pancakes. 

...I even like Kevin's pancakes.

My speed:

@ABitRusty -

That was cool!  

Yep, I was fine until they sped it up... darn professionals.  

I promise not to steal The Rusty Turtle moniker. 😊

Did you see the discussion at The Session - the comments about the Devil's Dream Hornpipe? 🤣  Pretty cool it's known in Scotland as "De’il Amang The Tailors"... and they don't let you forget it (see what else it's known as)! 

🤔... think I need an attitude adjustment. 

Got to stop thinking of myself as an amateur the rest of my life - it's humble, but depressing.  Rather think of myself as a Fiddle Fanatic... or Freak.

Kinda backwards from what I usually do, but I've been playing "Glass Island" off The Session notation & decided to search for how others have played it on YT. 

Ran across another very syncopated Reel, in E minor - "Windbroke"!  The tune was composed by Michael McGoldrick, who associates with some of my favorite musicians (known for syncopation) and associated with some GREAT bands!

Here's the set that 1st caught my attention, but this does NOT have my favorite version of 'The Caribou' (I prefer Andy Dejarlis's Caribou Reel)! 

The Caribou/Windbroke/Glass Island set of Reels by Mandology 

"Windbroke" - by Mike himself!  I think it's important to note the pulse, the groove he imparts on this Reel.

In "Windbroke" - all of the notated versions of at The Session (except for the 1st one), show an obvious 'sign', or 'signs' of syncopation:

• 2nd version - 1st-beat rests & a 'tie' across the barline, both change the pulse to the 2nd beat.
  
• 3rd version - ties across barlines & a few 2nd-beat quarter note emphasis.
• 4th version - ties across barlines, 1st-beat rests AND some 2nd-beat emphasis (either a quarter note or bowed triplet). 
• 5th version also - ties across barlines & 2nd-beat quarter note emphasis.

Without hearing the tune, these 'signs' help us imagine syncopation. 

I have read a little about 'Imaginary Barlines in Musical Notation' (Berklee Online Take Note) & how they can help show syncopation. 

The concept takes what we normally perceive as note 'groupings' (Imaginary Bars) in common Time Signatures & shows these can be 'crossed', using only: a whole note, a half note, or dotted half note - to see where syncopation is intended within a bar. 

Discussions of imaginary barlines tend to get very mathematical. It’s easier to think of them in terms of clarifying syncopation.

An imaginary barline is a notation convention designed to help the music reader know what’s syncopated—off the beat—and what’s not. It’s not an actual notation mark; it is an understanding and a notation convention.

In 4/4, the imaginary barline separates beats 1 and 2 from beats 3 and 4. Only whole notes and non-syncopated half and dotted half notes can be notated as “crossing the imaginary barline.” No other note durations can cross them. Rather, they must be rewritten as pairs of tied notes, with beat 3 being shown. This makes the notation much easier to read. 

So, these are acceptable:

Hope more people keep this option in mind if composing or transcribing syncopated folk music!  

I believe the more help given to musicians in folk music notation, the more freedom we have to add variation & improv without losing a sense of original intent.  As it stands right now, I always feel obligated to search for examples of how different musicians play traditional folk tunes (and some can be WAY OFF, because it's personal interpretation if the composer can't be found playing their music) - I rarely find notation I can trust. 

...but I think I see it's changing - at least noticing more discussion, like about "Windbroke", at The Session!