What do you play at a session? Poll

[Cayden]

Eld is right of course! I'll never forget that night in Clare when the six of us pilled into a cab to go listen to Kitty Hayes and Peter Laban play. The music was great!..... for about 15 minutes and then a box player showed up and sat in front on the MIC! So we quickly got tired of listening to the box and gave up.... when we got outside it was evident that even the cows 200 yards away were tired of the box as well! They drown out other instruments and highjack the sound. They don't blend and complement other instruments

That was purely a matter of having loads of people play and only three mikes at hand. I was on the stage playing the whistle, the accordeonplayer was Conor Keane and he is certainly most wonderful to play with, on the stage I could hear everybody else on stage[though not those joining from the sides and sitting below], not a bother. You have to take into account this was the Willie Clancy week, a full house and scores of dancers wanting to dance a set, we really needed some sort of aplification. On a quiet night we usually don't use the mikes or like last sunday when it was just Jackie Daly, Mick Moloney and myself, accordeon banjo and whistle [yes I know it sounds terrifying] but each their own mike and quite a different mix from the night Murphystout was there.

[susnfx]

I've only heard a box player at a session here once - and he wasn't any more overpowering than the pipes. Of course, that was a long time ago and I listen to things differently now - at the time it was just nice to have a sound different from the ever-present whistles, flutes, and bodhrans.

I agree completely with Peter about the fiddle: if I could listen to or play along with only one other instrument, I'd choose the fiddle any day.

Susan

[Jack Macleod]

Right now the Bodhran count is at 1, exactly where it should be

No, that's too many.

All joking aside, what is the big hang up against bodhran? Is it just experiences with bad drummers who thump through every tune? Or is it that most of you just don't think bodhran has a place in Itrad music?

Personally I love hearing a decent, RESTRAINED bodhran player, perhaps sitting next to guitar or some other rhythm instrument. For the record, I play whistle, flute, Highland pipes, and yes, BODHRAN!

[energy]

Right now the Bodhran count is at 1, exactly where it should be

No, that's too many.

All joking aside, what is the big hang up against bodhran? Is it just experiences with bad drummers who thump through every tune? Or is it that most of you just don't think bodhran has a place in Itrad music?

Personally I love hearing a decent, RESTRAINED bodhran player, perhaps sitting next to guitar or some other rhythm instrument. For the record, I play whistle, flute, Highland pipes, and yes, BODHRAN!

Well, part of this is actually me poking fun at myself, Jack, because I play the skin myself; I gig on it tolerably frequently.

Another factor is that yes, there are a lot of unmusical people who think you don't have to be musical to play the bodhran. It's easy, right?

And last but not least, I really don't think the bodhran has much to offer. Thumpy playing that emphasizes the beat is repititive and disruptive, I think, and generally a subtly played bodhran doesn't really add anything. John Joe Kelly is the only bodhtran player I can think of who adds something rhythmically crucial to his group's sound; however, that is only made possible by the unique rhythmic approach of Flook.

And oh yes; it's simply one of those instruments that are just so easy and fun to pick on...[/i]

[Nanohedron]

One thing I love is to play a set on flute accompanied solely by a good bodhrán. It's a classic combination. What I don't look for at such times is that busy melodic style that's so popular now. It has its place, but I have mucho respect for a bodhránaí who uses his/her ears and has sensitivity for the best overall effect. I think a subtle approach at such times often does give a better result.

[LeeMarsh]

I selected other.

I generally play a 12 string guitar, but on reflection, its what I don't play that is often as important as what I do. I don't play every tune. I don't play every beat, I usually don't play if someone else is already playing a guitar.

If my play can add to the tune, great, I'll add; but if not, well it becomes a lovely time to just listen up close. A good sessiong for me is where I get to play: guitar on maybe a third of the sets; whistle a couple of tunes; and, maybe a slow air or two on my Overton Low-d as the night mellows at the end.

As for box playing, I agree with those that say it depends on the player, I've enjoyed a number of sessions where the play melds with the music and the other players; then, the box is a wonder. I've also sat in on a small crowded session where a piano accordian made every tune sound like a polka. In that case, the owner of the pub eventually explained to the fella that he had too much instrument for the venue.

[Martin Milner]

Ben & Beth came over from Dublin to visit me this weekend, and we had our own little mini-session last night, with me on fiddle, Beth on whistle/concertina, Ben on mandolin/guitar. We had a blast, and it was a shame I had to retire to bed to come to work today, or we might still be playing.

I agree with the comment about fiddle being able to get away with "half-playing" a tune, more so than a whistle. Where I could only half-remember a tune, I dropped the volume & felt my way back in, then came back strong when I (thought I) had the notes sorted. Not sure I got away with it everytime, but I always found it harder to do that on the whistle.

Beth's concertina playing continues to develop. Ben & I were completely lost on an instrument that plays different notes on the push and pull, except when it doesn't. She's also great at picking up a new melody, so I was able to inflict my old mandolin tunes on her & she was joining in before long.

On Saturday evening we saw Paddy Glackin playing at the Hammersmith Irish Centre, great listening & watching for me, and Ben greatly enjoyed the accompanyist on the guitar. We bumped into Damien (Mahoney, Maloney?), a young button accordionist I met at Willie Week, who was doing the support act for the night. He also plays the melodeon, and is getting a 'zook made up for November. Great player, his favourite tune is The Kylebrack Ramblers which is one of the few tunes I ever heard played on accordion that I wanted to learn.

[Caj]

Another factor is that yes, there are a lot of unmusical people who think you don't have to be musical to play the bodhran. It's easy, right?

That's fascinating. I wonder how many bad bodhranists are bad because they just don't perceive the thing as a musical instrument, which requires the development of musical skills through practice.

It would be interesting to know if bad bodhran players tend not to play other musical instruments, beyond the "dabbling" level. Or if they view playing the drum as this thing one doesn't have to practice any more than clapping one's hands.

Caj

[Steampacket]

"I'll never forget that night in Clare when the six of us pilled into a cab to go listen to Kitty Hayes and Peter Laban play. The music was great!..... for about 15 minutes and then a box player showed up and sat in front on the MIC! So we quickly got tired of listening to the box and gave up...." MurphyStout.

We were also there that night at Gleason's. The music was there for the dancers, and Conor Keane on box was leading the music, and also calling the tunes from what I understood. As Peter Laban, and later fiddler Kevin Crehan told us, Gleason's is one of the few places in Clare where the music and dance go hand in hand. I'm not fond of loud dominating instruments, but in this case the music was functioning for the dancers not for the listeners. We were sat at the side near the bar, playing when we knew the tunes. We could still hear the other instruments and ourselves even though the box was miked.

[Martin Milner]

"I'll never forget that night in Clare when the six of us pilled into a cab to go listen to Kitty Hayes and Peter Laban play. The music was great!..... for about 15 minutes and then a box player showed up and sat in front on the MIC! So we quickly got tired of listening to the box and gave up...." MurphyStout.

We were also there that night at Gleason's. The music was there for the dancers, and Conor Keane on box was leading the music, and also calling the tunes from what I understood. As Peter Laban, and later fiddler Kevin Crehan told us, Gleason's is one of the few places in Clare where the music and dance go hand in hand. I'm not fond of loud dominating instruments, but in this case the music was functioning for the dancers not for the listeners. We were sat at the side near the bar, playing when we knew the tunes. We could still hear the other instruments and ourselves even though the box was miked.

Someday someone'll write a tune "That Night at Gleason's" for box and, well, it won't matter what else plays.

I appreciate Peter's comments about the need for microphones, and that Steampacket could hear from the bar what we couldn't sat in line with the speakers, but it still seems an odd decision to put the mike right on the loudest instrument in the band. If everything except the box had been miked I think the level would have been about right. As we were in line with the band and the dancers, presumably the dancers heard what we heard - the box with occasional notes sneaking through from other instruments.

On Monday I'm restarting the ITM course with Brendan Mulkere that I did a term of about 3-4 years ago when learning Mandolin. This time I'm playing fiddle. Brendan has a tendancy to play a tune through for us the first time on fiddle, then switch to banjo or box when we all start playing together. Unfortunately several class members also like to play box, which tends to drown out quieter things like Mandos. Hopefully I'll be able to hear myself play this time

[Nanohedron]

Another factor is that yes, there are a lot of unmusical people who think you don't have to be musical to play the bodhran. It's easy, right?

That's fascinating. I wonder how many bad bodhranists are bad because they just don't perceive the thing as a musical instrument, which requires the development of musical skills through practice.

It would be interesting to know if bad bodhran players tend not to play other musical instruments, beyond the "dabbling" level. Or if they view playing the drum as this thing one doesn't have to practice any more than clapping one's hands.

Caj

You know, if I were Supreme Poobah or somesuch, I would make a decree that anyone considering the bodhrán must spend prior time on whistle at least, under tutelage, and for a minimum of two years or until such time as one's peers feel safe. Exceptions? None.

A former-dancer-now-with-bodhrán has been terrorizing my community of late. Nice lady, but has all the rhythmic skills of a napkin...how on Earth could she dance at all? In my experience, dancers are usually acutely aware of the beat.

[LeeMarsh]

A couple of months ago, I showed up at a session, after an hours drive, and realized my guitar was sitting by the door, still waiting to be loaded in the car. However, it worked out for the best, because only a dozen folks were there and Zan Mcleod stopped in and played for a couple of hours. I learned as much watching him play guitar for fun than I could have learned in a dozen lessons or 40 hours of practice.

The most remarkable thing was what he did with his eyes. He watched all the other players' fingers. I had alway listened for the beat, he listened and looked for it in the hands of other players. It was a cool connection. He followed the tempo of the lead melody players, and kept pace which each turn of beat, each flurish. He listened and looked. I was thinking, "this is the way to accompany irish music". So fellow guitar, bouzouki, or bodhran players, watch the melody players hands and let them set the tempo, while we simply re-enforce that beat.

Having endured simular bodhran players to those mentioned in the above posts, I'd love to give them this hint: It's as simple as "follow the leader". Let the eye fortell what the ear will hear from your hands as well as the fiddler's and in doing so ...

[Baglady]

Uuummmmm

I play music at a session.

BL

[illuminatus99]

at our biggest our instrumentation is about like this:

whislte/flute/piano
whistle
flute/concertina
whistle/bodhran
fiddle
mandolin
banjo/bouzouki
guitar/whistle/flute
bodhran
mandolin/guitar
pipes/whistle

we've got lots of multi-instrumentalists

[illuminatus99]

The most remarkable thing was what he did with his eyes. He watched all the other players' fingers. I had alway listened for the beat, he listened and looked for it in the hands of other players. It was a cool connection. He followed the tempo of the lead melody players, and kept pace which each turn of beat, each flurish. He listened and looked. I was thinking, "this is the way to accompany irish music". So fellow guitar, bouzouki, or bodhran players, watch the melody players hands and let them set the tempo, while we simply re-enforce that beat.

Having endured simular bodhran players to those mentioned in the above posts, I'd love to give them this hint: It's as simple as "follow the leader". Let the eye fortell what the ear will hear from your hands as well as the fiddler's and in doing so ...

weird, that's something I've always done but I always kind of though that it was because I was subconciously looking for fingerings since I play whistle too, sometimes I'll figure out what key we're in by watching the fingerings and seeing what notes are being played, if I can catch a few of them I can usually figure out what the key is.