Instruments that 'irk' you?

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:56 pm

We had this character show up several times with a "TRIANGLE" to play along with. He was serious about using it, we were serious to, we left the pub and found another place to play. He finally got the hint.

MarkB

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:31 pm

MarkB wrote:We had this character show up several times with a "TRIANGLE" to play along with.
MarkB

Thanks for the hint, Mark. Now I know what to bring with me the next time I come down to Windsor. You'd probably like my washboard playing too.

Steve

NicoMoreno · Post by **NicoMoreno** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:26 pm

There's a guy who plays fiddle (absolutely amazing... been at it a very long time I guess), who will also play a (full-size) piano accordian.

The thing is that it too is really good. Not too loud, not too much chords.

The thing that makes me appreciate it the most is that I played with another chracter who we nicknamed the polka king. He was brutal. Loud, not an amazing rhythm, and very bossy.

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 4:28 pm

Nanohedron wrote:I've heard complaints voiced about the inegalitarian tyrrany of groups wanting ITM sessions to remain ITM sessions. Imagine that! :roll:

I don't get it, either, nano. I'm an elitist because I refuse to let an irish session become a venue for compulsive attention seeking behavior that has nothing to do with ITM?

Post by **Nanohedron** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 5:01 pm

YES.

Up the elitists!!!

feadogin · Post by **feadogin** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 5:29 pm

The Sporting Pitchfork wrote:Hmm...was that at a session around the Bay Area by any chance?

No...God, is there more than one!!??

Justine

feadogin · Post by **feadogin** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 5:33 pm

Nanohedron wrote:YES.

Up the elitists!!!

YEAH!!

J.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 6:24 pm

Steve if you show up with a washboard and I will set you up with a fiddler who plays Old Timey music who also plays off key and misses a lot of notes

MarkB

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:20 am

A very good bodhran player (yes they do exist!) and prankster I know was once poking around a local music shop when who should walk in but John Williams, the famous concertina, accordion, flute, and whistle player formerly of Solas. John leads a big session at an Evanston IL pub called Tommy Nevins on Sunday afternoons. Well, this friend of mine dabbles in some other percussion traditions and was eyeballing one of those djembe things, when he recognizes John and says, "Hi John, I'm here looking at djembes. If you give me a dollar I won't bring it to Nevin's next Sunday!"

meemtp · Post by **meemtp** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:14 am

Every now and again there's a Banjo player who shows up, and if he doesn't know the tune plonks away with chords. Even worse, he plays a 5 string with finger picks. Half the time you have no idea what you are playing because it's so loud. There's another guy, Bodhran player, who occaisionally shows up with a Dijeridoo (sp?) One time, an old timer who occaisionally comes nastily informed the dij player, without even missing a beat while he was fiddling, that he would take the dijeridoo away and use it for firewood! Got a little tense there for a sec.

Caj · Post by **Caj** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:24 am

Nanohedron wrote:Some days I hate flutes.

Some days, flutes hate people.

The session near me is a lovely counter-example to the unwritten rules. We have a full-blown 120-bass piano accordion, and the guy uses the bass buttons and everything. We usually have more than one bodhran. One fellow has a ukelele, a washboard and a pair of spoons. There's always at least three guitars. Melody instruments are usually outnumbered by accompaniment.

But, all these people are really good musicians, and the whole thing sounds great. Goes to show you, etc

Caj

Caj · Post by **Caj** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:30 am

Pat Cannady wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:I've heard complaints voiced about the inegalitarian tyrrany of groups wanting ITM sessions to remain ITM sessions. Imagine that! :roll:
I don't get it, either, nano. I'm an elitist because I refuse to let an irish session become a venue for compulsive attention seeking behavior that has nothing to do with ITM?

That's not elitism. Even if you had a session that was an utter free-for-all with no rules about genre etc, you'd still have problems with the random guy showing up with a new instrument, no listening skills, a midlife crisis, and a desperate need for validation.

Elitism is a different thing; that's when you fly into a rage because someone playfully ends a set with "shave and a haircut."

Caj

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:26 pm

Caj wrote:Elitism is a different thing; that's when you fly into a rage because someone playfully ends a set with "shave and a haircut."

You might be a bit taken aback with how we end Rakish Paddy: ending on the Cnat, and slowly sliding it up to the middle D, and with vibrato! It's the piper's fault. He started it. Impossible for me to do it seamlessly on the flute, BTW. I'll sometimes keep noodling upward from there. It's quite the flourish.

energy · Post by **energy** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:46 pm

Didgeridoos. I hate them! Yes, 100% total dislike! All didgeridoos should burn! Away with all didgeridoos! They do not belong in Irish music! They don't belong in music period! They aren't musical! Destroy all didgeridoos(however it's spelled...)!

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 2:50 pm

hold on there, energy. Don't confuse the instrument with the kind of attention-seeking idiot who would bring one to an ITM session.

The didge is great in the right contexts - aboriginal traditional song accompaniment, for instance. Or a studio recording situation, although it mystifies me why anyone buys such claptrap. I'll take field recordings of aboriginal people just practicing their traditional songs any day.