Virtual Sessions

Brian Boru · Post by **Brian Boru** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:01 pm

I came across this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/

It seems like a nice idea. Has anyone in this group tried it already? If so what do you think about it? Do they play Irish music with an English accent?

Il Friscaletto · Post by **Il Friscaletto** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:18 am

I've played along to it in the past. They seem to play pretty faithfully. Good for someone who can't get to a session. I like the little flash animations.

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:52 am

I like that site a lot. The tunes are played as they are in my session which makes it handy. I do wish they'd expand it as I've learned most of the tunes I want to know from there...

Eric

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:17 am

-I like it because I'm too lazy to relearn note reading, and this serves as reference for ear learning. Consulting it helps keep tunes accurate, especially "B" parts remembered incorrectly & played with liberties of horrific degree, error building upon error until the tune is something else entirely.

I've never played a wrong note, and this helps preserve that tradition.

dyersituations · Post by **dyersituations** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:06 pm

That looks pretty good. Seems to be a good place to find a few tunes. Also, it's fun to listen as well.

-Casey

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:09 am

I actually dislike the site and don't recommend it much as the music is played in a rather nondescript and bland way.

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:46 pm

Bland or not -it provides the basic tune. Its not the equal of some recordings nor is it trying to be. I won't play it blandly nor complain if my chops someday approach those of Michael McGoldrick.

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:42 pm

Just because a "celebrity" musician like Mike McGoldrick contributed to that hardly means its of much standard in terms of musicality (gasp!) or educational value. What I can see it doing is contributing to the upbringing of musicians with nondescript and similarly bland playing. At the end of the day you are what you listen to.

In the musicians' defence they probably just did the "virtual session" for kicks without caring too much or thinking that it would be such a cited source. It had an aspect of novelty to it after all.

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:56 pm

It's a wee bit pretentious to assume you know why anyone else did anything, isn't it?

And it seems like your implying it's OK to slavishly copy the way a musician you consider to be great plays (or the way they play a certain tune)...but in the end aren't you just copying someone else's style, too?

I agree with Brian completely here - it provides the bones of the tune...what you do with it after you know the bones is entirely up to you. I could care less if anyone can play a tune just like (insert your favorite player here) - mimicry, no matter how technically proficient, rarely gives the tune any life of it's own.

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:35 pm

I reread my posts back and forth and I still cannot see where it is implied that I condone slavish copying of musicians. I don't know where you're reading that from.

The "bones of the tune" argument is bollocks in practice, especially when you're talking about anyone who does not already have a fairly deep understanding of the music. This is the majority of the forum demographic as well as just about every patron of the site I have encountered. People who are under this level aren't capable enough to flesh out a tune effectively after they learnt from a nondescript source, simply because they are still learning the idioms of the music. Supporting the learning of tunes from playing that is meh, has unengaging rhythm and suffers from a lack of character will not result in any better in the learners' playing because this is a time where they are not just learning the tunes, they are learning the music. Otherwise people would be advised to go learn from midi files and sheet music a lot more now.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:07 pm

Eldarion wrote:The "bones of the tune" argument is bollocks in practice, especially when you're talking about anyone who does not already have a deep understanding of the music.

You have a very keen and erudite understanding of ITM for somebody so isolated from it but I think you are pushing it here, Eldarion.

For one, Session playing is probably not the context for the most expressive playing. In a good one the players are firing ideas back and forth but to the listener, that may not always be audible. And really, how many of us get to those kinds of sessions or have the chops to play in one? But the majority of sessions are just people playing tunes together.

Is the music on the BBC Virtual Session wrong? Are the phrases off the mark? Is the rhythm unsteady? Sure, the experience may not be quite the same as hearing how Mike Rafferty might treat the tunes but it's reliable. What McGoldrick may do with a tune on his own is by no means any kind of divine proclamation but he knows the ropes of ITM and knows his tunes frontwards and backwards.

Gaining this "deep understanding" of which you speak has to start somewhere and playing tunes is as good a place as any. There are countless worse places than the BBC Virtual Session. I wouldn't suggest a person rely solely on that one resource but few people would make any such suggestion unless that one resource was a great player him/herself.

The BBC Virtual Session is just a resource to get a few basic tools in playing ITM. It's not best by any means but one could do far worse. At the end of the day, you learn music by playing it. Listening with an analytical ear will help you make informed choices but if you can't put a few tunes together it doesn't really do any practical good. The Virtual Session helps a player put a few tunes together. Musing on "deep understanding" does not.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:44 pm

One of my faves. I've gotten up to speed on a couple there.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:55 pm

Eldarion wrote:... that hardly means its of much standard in terms of musicality (gasp!) or educational value. ...

Anyone who knows more than I do can teach me a thing or two... now, whether that thing or two mactches *your* estimation of what's worthy or not, is something else all togther, as has been argued incessantly here before... It's a good place for most folks to make some progress towards learning to play the music. Those who seek absolute purity in the tradition will certainly seek other options. That doesn't negate the value of the place. Not everyone has their sights set on the same goal you have.

At worst (and I don't think that resourse rates that lowly at all), playing the music in "mediocrity" beats not playing the music at all. As long as I don't settle for one source, I will be learning, progressing, and getting closer to my own goal.