Challenge

Hello everyone, A thank you to rogfox for pointing out that website (http://worldfiddlemusic.co.uk/mightycraiconline). I went there, listened to lots of tunes and was inspired to learn Ward’s Jig that Matt MacIsaac recorded on the guitar. I listened to it all morning, great playing.

I am trying to motivate myself to learn some new tunes, so I thought maybe we session members can use each other as motivators. Maybe we can at least “guilt” each other into learning new tunes, hahaha. Learn a tune, come on here and post (brag about) the tune that you learned. Not necessarily the sheetmusic, just to say that you learned something!!

So here is my challenge: For the next week, let’s try to learn a tune a day. Mine today is Ward’s Jig. Anyone wanna bite?

Anastasia

I WISH I had time to learn a tune a day. right now my realistic goal is two a week. I guess that comes with being an overworked college student though.

My tunes for this week are:
Morrison’s Jig
Sligo Maid

And weeks start and end on session day (friday)… I dunno about this week. I"m thiiiis close to morrison’s, but sligo maid’s b section I haven’t even STARTED yet. they certainly won’t be up to speed.

ah well.

*encouragement*

Your words are a challenge to us all. One a day ! Sometimes I don’t manage one a month.
The worst problem is that it is easy to download the dots from here or elsewhere, having got a name of a tune at a session; it’s the re-creating the spirit of what moved you about the tune in the first place.
….from downstairs come the notes of my SO, playing “The Sweetness of Mary” on the flute…time to go and practice, session termarrer……

Anastasia, your intentions are laudable. I wish you luck in your quest. I have a huge backlog of tunes I want to learn, but I also have a job, a wife, 3 young children, a hobby of songwriting, and a band all contending for my tune learning time.

That’s funny, I was listening to Matt MacIsaac playing St Kilda Wedding just yesterday. I don’t imagine that’s an easy one on guitar!

I’m beginning fiddle, so I can’t really join the challenge, but I’m working on St Kilda Wedding anyway. It’s probably only up to 1/3 speed at this point, but improving. I agree that the other players here are an inspiration---it’s good to know that it’s possible to play well without having to become a professional and devote your entire life to it.

Yeah… It doesn’t really work like that. I had a spasm of guilt and decided to properly learn Jockey to the Fair, Happy to Meet and Sorry to Part, The Geese in the Bog and Banish Misfortune.
Fair enough, and I seem to have a handle on them.
But now Happy to Meet is running into The Connaughtman’s Rambles and Old Hag you have Killed me, along with My Darling Asleep. And the Geese in the Bog seem to slip up and down the scale… It’s become a Connaughtmans Sleeping ramble in the Hag’s Bog with some darling geese…
And I’m involved in a songwriting challenge. Suddenly the songs have dried up and I’ve realised why I haven’t learned any new tunes in a while! Looks like I’ve only got one channel.
But it’s a fine Idea, and best of luck to youse.

Ahh well, I guess maybe I was a bit too ambitious. I just thought maybe I could motivate myself if someone else was working as hard. I’m still going to go for it, I’ll let you know what my tune of the day is. Feel free to post what you’re learning too, even if it is only one a week, or one a month……or year 🙂

Great idea!

Yesterday I learned Doodely Doodely Dank from the Pauls McGrattan and O’Shaughnessy’s Within a Mile of Dublin. Today The Pipe on the Hob from Patrick Ourceau’s Live at Mona’s. Tomorrow…….I don’t know yet.
I don’t think I can keep up a pace of a tune a day though!
Michael

Hmmm. The trick is in remembering the tune from ten nights ago in six weeks time at a session and being able to actually play it through three times at a decent speed before launcing into another. And still have friends at the end of the session!

I find I’m much more likely to remember a tune after I’ve learnt it if I learnt it for a particular reason to start with.

For example, I hear a tune on a CD or in a session and I love it, so I listen to it dozens of times, then try to play it. Often I’ll need some dots to help me along too, but the tune sticks much quicker that way.

If I tried to learn a tune a day, I might get a few learnt, but they wouldn’t have much life to them, and I’d soon forget them again.

There’s no way I’ll pick up a tune a day . . . mostly because I don’t really know the tunes I ‘know,’ IE - I can remember how a lot of tunes go, and play them, but not well.

But anyway, my most recent conquest is Bonny Anne (The tune!). I have a half-baked version entirely inspired by the last track on the newest Teada album.

Today’s tune…Bridge of Banmore. A nice reel that follows Devil in the kitchen on a Natalie MacMaster recording.
Almost didn’t get to post today, my internet has been down until now. Pretty frequent thing here.

Anna
It’s actually “Bridge to Bamore” - good tune - I’ve just posted it

Thank you for the correction. I hate having the wrong names of tunes. I am fairly particular about that. I am just wondering about your source. It is indicated as Bridge OF Bamore on the Natalie recording as well as Buddy’s, Jerry’s and the Beolach one. They are usually pretty accurate. I will post sheetmusic on my website tomorrow.

Anna
Whoops !
I got the name right when I posted the tune but not in the above ‘correction’ to your own posting - it of course

(The) Bridge of Bamore

Cheers

Hey Anna, Please give “Lady Gordon” a try. The version I’m shooting for is from Joanie Madden’s Whistle in the Wind. I thought I I was doing wellto stay with her while playing the recording, but alas it fell apart when i tried playing it by myself. Now I’ve been working on it since May and I don’t think I’m ready quite yet. The challenge idea is certainly interesting and provocative, but who would be the judge?
So maybe if we were to compare how many hours of actively trying and had a common criterion for self judging we could at least derive that benefit to which you have alluded.
windybaer

I had kind of given up on this challenge cause I figured no one else had this much time on their hands. I’d be glad to try out Lady Gordon, thanks for the recommendation!