Has anyone started a Ceilidh Band

[Nanohedron]

I play in a small céilí band. We don't use sheet music. We do have prearranged tune sets, though. All we do is do a bit of calculating and decide how many times to play through a tune until we go to the next. Works for us.

[Ben Shaffer]

Hey Henke,
I can rest easier knowing you approve and won't be coming over to North Carolina to whip our asses! Just kidding!
I will be standing at the door to make sure no one sneeks any of that contraband written Music into the Pub!
Henke , don't think we can't get to you up there in Sweden to check and make sure you yourself are not sneeking the Dots into a session!....we have are ways
Fondly,
Ben
PS, seriously Henke, send me a 3 tune set you guys play and we'll add it in your honor!
PPS, my son plays Guitar in a Swedish style Death Metal Band. called Bile Nephrosis, did you guys have to do that to us!

[lesl]

Here's a nice small ceili band - the Tulla Quartet - see how they do it.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OFi1SIzjNTA

[MarkP]

when I first started to play Irish Music I started a Band with several other guys from my Fife and drum Corp,

mmmm... so you played simultaneously in a Fife and Drum Corp and a Ceili Band? How postmodern... People have been killed for less

[Jack Bradshaw]

Here's a nice small ceili band - the Tulla Quartet - see how they do it.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OFi1SIzjNTA

Now that's fun !

A lot like some sessions when impromptu dancing has broken out........

Thanks Lesl !

[Ben Shaffer]

LesL, I've actually got the Tulla Ceili CD, if its the same group, I had totally forgotten about the CD, and will have a listen. I picked up the "Peacocks Feathers" from that CD, which we now play in the W/S session
BenS

[Henke]

PPS, my son plays Guitar in a Swedish style Death Metal Band. called Bile Nephrosis, did you guys have to do that to us!

What is "Swedish style Death Metal"? Never heard of it.

[MarkP]

Here's a nice small ceili band - the Tulla Quartet - see how they do it.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OFi1SIzjNTA

very nice... but not surprising given that the Tulla band would be about the best example you could think of... then if you look carefully at who's playing on the clip you might work out why? Some guys called Martin Hayes and Andrew MacNamara, whoever they are...

PS. surprise ending to the set there... comis-chef in the kitchen?

[dow]

Here's a nice small ceili band - the Tulla Quartet - see how they do it.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OFi1SIzjNTA

And here's how they used to do it
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=9RBUY-Nwz0g

[MarkP]

[lesl]

... I've been thinking it would be nice to have a Band that gets together say twice a month. ... this group could use the great Comhaltas Foinn Seisin Tunebooks with the sets. ... given that you'd just read the music as you go along, anyone that could sight read would be able to join in on every set thats played. ... A group like this could play for dances, events or just play for their own enjoyment.
Has anyone done anything like this? ...
BenS

Now that there've been some examples - the closest thing I can think of to what Ben's asking is an open "ceili session" that we used to attend down here. Anyone could come and play, and it always included several sets for dancers. Haymaker's, 4 hand reel, etc. The musical director usually played the same tunes for the dancers every week. We didn't know the tunes when we first started as newbies to the music so we just followed along (by ear) best we could till we knew them.

There were no notation sheets. I've never seen anyone use notation in a group setting.

I have seen, in performance groups for a step dance troupe, some use of sheets on stands for the musicians. I don't know what was on the sheets though - likely set lists say with first few notes of each tune to remind them of what was coming next.

If you look closely near the end of the Tulla Quartet video you can see what they did there to know what tune to change to. The box player called out the Kesh before they launched into it.

I can't imagine a seasoned player using notation to play a set of tunes.

I think if you try to use books of notation in a performance setting and make that known, you will get players showing up who need that, and if so, I would be concerned that any possible nyah of your ceili band would go out the window unless there are enough strong players to override the resulting frequent rhythm problem of players who can't yet play the music the traditional way.

I would instead make a cheat sheet with first few notes, to use for practicing, before the event, until you have the changeovers between tunes down in memory.

(Since its possibly kind of obvious that I compiled a tune book, I'll just say that my own use for notation is to help commit a learned-by-ear-tune into my heart by transcribing, and also to study for reference how a great player approaches a tune. I personally do not use notation to learn or play a tune. I will pull a book off the shelf to check on how O'Neill, say, ended this or that tune, etc.)

Hope that's helpful!

[MarkP]

If you look closely near the end of the Tulla Quartet video you can see what they did there to know what tune to change to. The box player called out the Kesh before they launched into it

...if that's what he said then they didn't take much notice of him, sounds like three times round Battering Ram (three parts), only twice round Tatterjack Walsh (two parts), then the nod goes into the first part only of Cook in Kitchen isn't it? Choas abounds.

[lesl]

first part only of Cook in Kitchen isn't it?

aha! shucks, never get those titles right unless I write em down. Cook, Kesh,...

[colomon]

There were no notation sheets. I've never seen anyone use notation in a group setting.

I have seen it once, at a small Ohio Celtic festival a few years ago. It was quite dire.

We did use limited notation to help rehearse our ceili band this spring -- I wrote out all the odd bits, pre-planned variations, and transitions from our sets to help get everyone on the same page musically. But it was always after the fact -- we'd work up the stuff in rehearsal, then I'd go home, work out what we were playing, and write down the tricky bits. I think less than half the band actually used the music, but as lesl says, writing it out was useful for me.

[Brian]

Hello,
Paddy O'Brien (Offaly) leads The "Doon Ceili Band" here in Mpls/St. Paul.
You might check out their "Around the world for sport" recording.

Brian