i was invited to a session recently and plan on attending. I told them that i only know two irish tunes, a set, Road to Lisdoonvarna and Swallowtail.
They said it was a pretty laid back atmosphere and that i could at least play those two tunes and then sit and listen.
I’d like to learn at least one more set of tunes, could you recommend one thats popular and should be well known?
Do you feel up to playing reels? Some on here may groan at this, but it is a set that absolutely everyone should know:
Tarbolton, The Longford Collector, The Sailor’s Bonnet
Can’t go wrong with that - everyone will know it, and if they’re at all friendly, they’ll be prepared, for that set at least, to take it at your speed.
Have fun! 🙂
I’m guessing that you’re something of a beginner; since they seem okay with that you could probably do a decent job learning Bill Sullivan’s:
https://thesession.org/tunes/481
followed by The Britches Full of Stitches
https://thesession.org/tunes/481
They’re simple and fun polkas.
I said polkas twice 😉
Im not really a beginner but i do not know alot of irish tunes. I was at a bluegrass tune when i was invited. I play mandolin and fiddle but will probably just bring the mandolin for this session, its my main instrument. I mostly come from an old time, bluegrass, and blues background. Its much easier to wing it in those styles as im sure you all know.
I have no problem playing up to speed once i know the tunes, and i can learn them pretty quickly. My problem is that it seems like irish sessions have a more varied mix of tunes and its harder to put my finger on which ones i can suggest that most would know.
I plan on writing down all the tunes that i hear at this session for sure.
I also just remembered that i know the Kesh Jig as well, gotta find a good one to go with that i suppose
Ben, why on earth would ANYONE groan at the Tarbolton set?! 🙂
No you’re right of course, Colmán. Great set of tunes. 🙂
Hi Tex - I play your two tunes and then roll in to Tripping Up the Stairs - that seems to flow pretty well. I sometimes tag on The Coleraine ( a really cracking tune). Of course I do all this in the safety of my lining room! ;o) I haven’t ventured out to a session to play - even though I have 50 or so tunes pretty much under my belt. One day…………….. If you have the chance to play at a laid back session leap at it! You will soon arm yourself with the right tunes to learn for that session. And enjoy it all!
Hi, Tex - A nice set could be: Kesh, Morrisons Jig and The Cliffs of Moher.
Rolling in the Ryegrass, the Boyne Hunt and Red-haired Lass sound quite nice together.
Did you ask them the tunes they played? You could just learn the tunes they play.
The Tarbolton set is great, but it takes some well-developed chops
to lead it.
A set of Ballydesmond Polkas never goes wrong…
Cooley’s and The Wise Maid?
You needn’t necessarily stick to ‘standard’ sets, as long as the tunes themselves are well known. Players in sessions are used to listening out for the next tune - or you could tell them in advance.
East at Glendart and Saddle the Pony (jigs) are also two quite simple tunes that pretty much anyone who has been playing Irish trad for a while will know, and at least in most sessions where I have heard them they are often played together in that order.
I hate to say it, but the local sessions hereabouts would fall over if you tried starting the Tarbolton set -- I think I’m the only one who knows (and loves!) the whole thing -- whereas (sad to say) I’d expect some groans if you started it at the better sessions a few hours drive away.
Fiddle teacher taught me Lannigan’s Ball followed by the Kesh Jig yesterday - it sounded really nice as a set. The switch is something like E Dorian to G, which felt like a nice progression.
Lanigans ball followed by Banish misfortune is pretty good
A couple of ideas: (1) The Silver Spear and Maid Behind The Bar and (2) Copperplate Set (New then Old) and (3) Off To California and The Rights of Man. These are four reels most people know. The Copperplates stand traditionally together like the Tarbolton Set. The hornpipes are pretty well-known, as well. I learned the Copperplate Set at Goderich this summer in a session class taught by the group Téada and the hornpipes in pub sessions there during the evenings.
Unless a given tune is part of a classic set, any two or three tunes from the top 100/200/500 tunes (or Dr Dow’s list - https://thesession.org/discussions/13056#comment268197 ) will make up a decent set.
Well I added tripping up the stairs to my road to lisdoonvarna and swallowtail set. That is really cool. Tripping up the stairs is a tune that I’ve heard a few times and loved but never for around to learning it until yesterday.
No I didn’t ask what they played, that would’ve been the smart thing to do but I didn’t think about it. After the first time I go I will have a better idea of course, but there’s lots of good recommendations here to have me set (pun intended) for the first session
You can’t take it with you, you know. Play it now 🙂