Chiff and Fipple Forums

Just curious to know how many tunes do you know on the uilleann pipes? And where or how did you learn them?

I recall some of you saying around 500 to 800, although I do understand that you may mean other instruments as well. I also remember reading on another thread that Tom Busby knew about 150 or so tunes, so it seems it varies quite a bit!

I know so many tunes I've never played the same one twice .

RORY

I know so many tunes there are some I haven't even played once yet.

It seems that session musicians often know hundreds of tunes. I've never been much of a session musician, always playing in performing bands, but I'm working on building my repertoire. At the moment I'm currently at around 90 tunes on the pipes. Keep in mind I've only been playing the pipes for a few years, and last Fall was when I transitioned officially to performing on the pipes as opposed to my other instruments. I'm aiming to get around 200 tunes as a base for traveling to sessions. It's hard though because different sessions often play different tunes, but at the very least there will be some cross over in the form of more common tunes.

dyersituations wrote:It seems that session musicians often know hundreds of tunes. I've never been much of a session musician, always playing in performing bands, but I'm working on building my repertoire. At the moment I'm currently at around 90 tunes on the pipes. Keep in mind I've only been playing the pipes for a few years, and last Fall was when I transitioned officially to performing on the pipes as opposed to my other instruments. I'm aiming to get around 200 tunes as a base for traveling to sessions. It's hard though because different sessions often play different tunes, but at the very least there will be some cross over in the form of more common tunes.

Yes, it must depend how many sessions you go to, and how experienced you are at listening and picking up tunes.

Same here though, I am not a session player, Alberta is kind of a desert on that regard. However I'm looking to get a few tunebooks.

bensdad wrote:I know so many tunes there are some I haven't even played once yet.

Don't really know, I haven't counted in a long time, but not very many - something over 100 I would guess.

I don't play in sessions, hence I mostly just learn tunes I like. At my age, I have a hard time remembering ones that I learned years ago, if I don't play them often, so my tune base is something of a revolving door.

About 30 tunes that I know by name;
about 150 that I can only name as 'Goes like this...'
and an unknown number that I only seem to be able to play once others at a session start them up...

I think I probably know roughly 600 tunes. I would imagine that session players who can play almost anything you throw at them must have a great many more.

I "know" about 120 tunes but I could only play 30 or 40 right now. Maybe another 30 or 40 that I could play reasonably well, if someone else starts. I have another bunch which I used to play but which would require a little practice before I could bring them back to life.

I have learned about 700 tunes (give or take) which comes in handy when playing sessions. However, I certainly wouldn't refer to that many tunes as "my repertoire". Far too difficult to remember how to start them all - let alone actually trying to sound good playing them.

I now keep a much shorter list of tunes and a few good sets that I really like to play and make an effort to keep somewhat practiced on just those ones. So out of hundreds of tunes, fewer than 10% (if that) would I consider as my "repertoire".

Kind of a personal question, isn't it?. Oh wait........repertoire. Never mind

Which is more important , quantity or quality ?

RORY

Never had any complaints about the size of my repertoire - although I am a firm believer that the quality of your performance is always more important than size.

john wrote:I think I probably know roughly 600 tunes. I would imagine that session players who can play almost anything you throw at them must have a great many more.

I am correct to assume you play multiple instruments?