Most common session tunes

[LKtz]

Hi everyone, I was wondering what people think are the most common tunes played in a session. I know there are probley many opinons to this questions but I am still going to chance to ask

[TonyHiggins]

The safest answer, and maybe the most useful, is to get L.E.McCullough's "121 Favorite Irish Session Tunes." It's printed music with 4 cd's of all the tunes played twice, first, at a moderate pace w/ no ornamentation, then slightly faster w/ ornamentation. His stereo separation allows you to hear only the whistle or only the accompanying guitar or piano, so you can karaoke the whistle part. In the intro, he states that he discussed with another session veteran, a list of tunes to be included based upon visiting sessions in many places. He does mention that regions of the country and abroad have different favorites. You truly can't go wrong, however, starting with this collection. Many of the tunes are good beginner tunes, easy to learn. The book is available over the web at a few sources. I got mine through Elderly Music for about $43 a couple of years ago. Hope that helps.
Tony

[rich]

<i>The</i> most useful answer, assuming there's a session or two you want to play at, is "the ones that your local sessions play". And it's different session to session and area to area.

Failing that, a handy place to start for free is John Walsh's collection available in PDF via <a href="http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/">the tunes section at Ceolas</a>. But with those and with McCulloghs, don't be surprised if the version your session plays differs from the version written down!
<ul>-Rich</ul>

[Wandering_Whistler]

On 2001-07-29 15:07, TonyHiggins wrote:
first, at a moderate pace w/ no ornamentation, then slightly faster w/ ornamentation.

Tony:
I've seen this piece of information passed around a bit. I've got the set, and absolutely swear by it...but I must point that I've heard the occasional ornament in the first tune of a set..usually the occasional cut or slide. But the first set is definitely bare-bones...I only mention it to alleviate any potential frustration a newbie may have when he goes "ok, that's not noted in the sheet music!"

[Blaine McArthur]

On 2001-07-29 15:07, TonyHiggins wrote:
The safest answer, and maybe the most useful, is to get L.E.McCullough's "121 Favorite Irish Session Tunes." I got mine through Elderly Music for about $43 a couple of years ago. Hope that helps.
Tony

Elderly music still has it for $34, but you can also find it on sale right now at the publisher's (Homespun) web site for $34.95.

http://www.homespuntapes.com/item.cfm?o ... ms=&from=a

blaine

[Blaine McArthur]

Quick correction: Elderly still has it for $43, not $34.

The web address for Homespun should be one long continuous address, but I don't know how to paste it that way in the shortened message writing window. If you have problems with this go to the homespun site:

http://www.homespuntapes.com

go to "artist directory" link, and when that page comes up, just type in McCullough in the last name block.

You can also find his "Learn to Play Irish Tinwhistle" book at this site for $19.95

Blaine

[Guest]

If you've a good whack of playing already - then the tunes fall into Keys and Modes.

General preferences, E minor G major, D major and C major, D Minor and C major, C major.
A major and B minor. G major A minor.

Rarely G major and B minor, B minor and D major. Very rarely F maj Bb Maj.

Most tunes follow chords if you know what they are, and lots of tunes hide inside of variations upon chords.

Playing a square 8 into one var Emin Dmaj would and does yeild a whole bag of tunes, eg Cooley's Reel, Drunken Barmaid, Tarbolton etc.

Slightly harder Amin Gmaj eg Bag of Spuds - why because half the scales are in the upper register.