Arranging Sets in Sessions

It seems to me that there has been a trend in recent years for players in sessions to sort of arrange sets of tunes before playing them. By this I don’t mean working out band-type arrangements or playing from a list or anything like that; I mean simply agreeing on what tunes will be played in each set so that everyone knows what is coming next and can anticipate the transitions between tunes. I saw this in Ireland last year and, in the past few years, in sessions in the US as well. For example, the session leader (or someone else) will say let’s do this one (and play a few notes) and then this one after it (and play a few notes), and so on. If a more beginning player is asked to start a set and names a tune, the session leader may ask him what he wants to play with it.

When I first started going to sessions, it was the norm for someone to start a set; that person would then go into the next tune(s). (This has been discussed to some extent in the “Hijacking a Set” thread.) When I first experienced a session where the tunes were announced beforehand, I didn’t like the idea -- I thought it destroyed sponteneity. However, I’ve slowly come around, at least somewhat. I think it’s a good way of mixing up tunes and not always playing the same sets of tunes week after week or playing sets from CDs. And since there is a performance aspect to any public session, it makes for a somewhat more polished sound. Of course, I think the ideal session has a mix of everything. I will sometimes start a tune with no idea of what I will play after it. By the same token, there are a few sets that I play the same way most of the time -- certain tunes that may have difficult transitions and work well together. It seems as though Coleman sets are perfectly acceptable -- someone starts the Tarbolton Reel and with a wink or a nod, everyone knows what will come next. And of course, if a session is really rocking, it’s fine to rip through the tired old warhorses once in a while to please the audience.

Anyway, I would be interested to hear what people do in their own sessions and what works (or doesn’t work) for them.

Aimee

We do both!

Yeah, mix it up. Sometimes it might be that you just give the strummers a list of keys before hand, and then think of tunes in those keys on the hoof

Well now I have fixed, “set” ideas bout this sort of thing.

I would hate to “mix up” any of the tunes that I know which I already play with my friends as set sets (!!!). I went to an evening class to learn to play and we used to learn one or two tunes a week which were usually on the same page for convenience. They were tunes which went well together but I don’t know why my teachers put them together like that; whether they were standard sets of tunes already (like the Tarbolton) or whether they thought about it and discussed it before they put them together. I never actually asked. So for 10 years I’ve been playing the class tunes as on the page with my class friends and when we started our session of course we all knew what we were doing when we changed. Occasionally they do get mixed up, especially when other people come to play with us and also, sometimes you might have an odd tune you’ve learned on its own and want something to go with it - but I’d never take a tune from one of our existing sets and put it with something new.

I hate it when someone else does it with one of “my” sets - i.e. they learn a tune, one which I already play in a set, and put it with one of their own. That’s bloody annoying!!!

In a proper “kosher” session the leader will announce the next tune/set by playing a few notes - to let everyone know but I’m almost 100% sure they won’t be “mixing” anything new - they’ll be doing their standard sets that they always play - and sometimes these will be standard sets, such as The Tarbolton.

If I’m playing a set of two tunes together I might try and think of a third to stick at the end…..in fact I prefer to do three in a row if I can - I think it’s more exciting and keeps the music flowing better, but I don’t always have the stamina. I sometimes try to shout it out, but that’s difficult when you’re playing the whistle. I really love those sets of reels which go on and on for ages, especially at the end of the night when you’ve been given the “last one” sign by the landlord or barman!!
xx

Doesn’t it get boring playing the same sets all the time? Lots of different tunes go well together -- try it some time. Actually, it’s pretty standard at most sessions to mix things up from one week to the next.

Aimee

A bit of this and a bit of that. That’s my view. Sometimes it’s good to go spontano-berserko, and do whatever comes into yer head next. Other times it’s good to stick to sets that have good key changes: D to A or some minor key. It’s fun and creative mucking round beforehand to get it off. I have had occasion to go into a different tune! (in the same signature key as that tune which I had intended to embark upon…never admit to it of course {except on here!})

Danny.

I’m bad for sets cause I get quite bored so I like mixing it up heaps better. Plus I dont like playing tunes I’m sick of and I dont learn tunes unless I really like them, so I find it better just to make up sets on the spot of the tunes I love. I’m pretty bad at it so I’ll look at my friends to start the next tune and then if they play some really cranking tune its like a nice suprise.

What about tunes other people are sick of Beebs? The UDR?!

I’m working on a new set: The Scartaglen Polka/Knockabower #1/Humors of Ballydesmond 🙂

Seriously, I’ve noticed that less established sessions tend to discuss the sets more -- probably to ensure that there’s a fair amount of participation. I don’t think anybody much enjoys an entire evening of solos.

Maybe the trend to more discussion of the sets reflects a trend for less established sessions?

-- Scott

Hello again…Aimee I don’t think it’s utterly boring to play the sames sets every week - in fact, we don’t because there’s not enough time to play everything we know so of course different sets come up. However, I see what you’re getting at and I have to own up - we do get bored with the same old tunes - but I still wouldn’t like those tunes mixed around….however, that’s the reason why it’s good when new musicians turn up - they bring new tunes or tunes we don’t play very often because maybe we’re not up to scratch with them. The other thing to do is to go to other sessions with a tape recorder and learn their tunes.

Me and my friends sometimes get together outside of the session to make up new sets. For instance my friend is learning the concertina and has come concertina-type tunes which I’m learning so we can introduce them to the session. Quite often some of the the other musicians might know these tunes as well.
That’s a surprise and keeps it interesting.

Scott, I agree with you - no-one wants an entire evening of solos but the tunes we play are known among the group of us who make up the session (usually). And because I’m a big fan of session etiquette, I would never play any of “my” tunes at another session without being asked first and then I usually try to find tunes that some of the others know to avoid doing a solo. However, we all have our “best” tunes and it’s nice to have a platform once in a while (but not too often), maybe to introduce something exciting and new to the others at the sesh.

Danny’s right about good key changes. It’s very important and that’s what can really make a set…if you are mixing up different tunes you’ll have to spend precious time going through the changes to see if they are going to work. With your pre-prepared standard sets it’s not a problem, so no time wasted!!

xx

If you know enough tunes (and I probably know around 500), it’s not hard to figure out what to play; nor does it take much time. It’s just a matter of experience as well as trial and error. For instance, if I want to play a D tune and then change to another key for the next one, I just pick out one in, say, A minor. If the transition is a bit rough, it’s no big deal. Next time, I’ll pick a different tune. Besides, there is always some “down” time in sessions (hopefully) during which people chat, tell jokes, go up to the bar or to the jacks, etc. Sometimes I use those moments to play a slow air or introduce a new tune -- or plan the next set. I never meant to imply that you can never play the same set twice; every session has its favorites. But part of the joy of Irish music is learning new tunes and discovering new ways of putting tunes together. From your second posting, it sounds like you are doing this -- keep it up, and have fun!

Aimee

P.S. And by all means, DO go to other sessions and tape them. It’s a great way to learn tunes!

BTW, in case it wasn’t obvious, that last posting of mine was in response to Sensible Shoes’ posting right above it.

Aimee

Dow - maybe other people dont give some cranking tunes a chance🙂 seriously tho - now I’m sick of it too (I sill like it but just tired of playing it at the moment) - thats the one thing about me - you know I’m never going to play the same tunes for years on end cause I get so sick of tunes really quickly.

I was in a session in Dublin once one that had been going for 20+ years and they had their favourite sets (the same ones they’d been playing all that time) and they wouldnt consider changing the sets around. The offense of mixing up tunes would probably be punishable by death!

I attend two sessions in different cities--in fact, they are in different states. At one session, the sets seem pretty well established, and there is a dearth of new tunes. If my partner and I introduce new stuff (and we do, often), nobody ever tapes it or learns it. They listen politely and then launch into something familiar. I attend that session mostly out of loyalty to the owner, and attendance is down…
The other session is attended by cracker-jack players who know more tunes than I can imagine, and mix them up and one of the best parts of the session is waiting to see what comes next. They also make sure that this lesser mortal gets plenty of opportunities to play, and beamed like proud parents the first time I led an entire set, which I made up on the spot, and managed each one of the changes. Now, this, to me, is a perfect session.