Which annoying reel should I learn next?

[caedmon]

I struck a chord when I previously Irish Washerwoman for a jig. Well, that is coming along just dandy, I tell ya. I need to keep the tune queue up. Is there a reel that is considered "no longer acceptable" for long-time Irish players due to it being so popular and overplayed?

[crookedtune]

'The Silver Spear' and 'The Banshee' are both getting there. But the old story applies: they're overplayed because they're great tunes. Learn 'em!

[Pyroh]

I think it makes little sense at best to do that - pick a tune you like from your favourite recording...

[fearfaoin]

Weird. I can't think of a reel that conjures the
same ire as some other tunes. Nor a hornpipe
(though you might get a few snickers if you
start Sailor's Hornpipe, it's just because people
are fond of Popeye and his delicious fried chicken).

Drowsy Maggie is the only one I can think of
that frequently gets pulled up if someone who
doesn't know much ITM wants to talk about the
Irish in a documentary. But I've never seen
anyone turn their nose up at it. It's a good one
to learn because, to me at least, it's easy to
distinguish between the on and off beats.

[NicoMoreno]

Agreed with Pyroh. Learn tunes you've listened to that make you want to learn them, not tunes from some list or other, and especially not tunes that are considered "no longer acceptable"!!

Silver Spear, Banshee (aka MacMahon's), Cooley's, Mrs McLeod's are all some, but I actually like all four, and I know other people that do, too.

For hornpipes you'd do well to avoid (or if you don't want any musical friends, play) Off to California, Harvest Home and the Boys of Bluehill, although as above I actually like the last one. But not the first!

There are loads of tunes that are really common and all of them will find themselves unplayed by different people in different areas. Basically, it's not usually the tune itself, but rather the players that decide whether it's "one of those tunes".

[caedmon]

I think it makes little sense at best to do that - pick a tune you like from your favourite recording...

I don't have an F whistle to play that one, yet.

[caedmon]

I'm just having some fun with ya'z.

I found a quaint little tune named Ailiu Eanai that for the last week I have been trying. Drowsy Maggie is next on the pile now. Another one that caught my attention was Morning Dew.

[Nanohedron]

...Sailor's Hornpipe...

Is that the one in O'Neill's titled as Jack's the Lad?

[Dain]

What the hell?
Why would anyone starting to learn the whistle avoid any tune?

Especially Harvest Home. It is one of the prettiest hornpipes, and i don't give a flying f... if some old f*rt out there would frown upon it.

[pancelticpiper]

There are quite a few reels that the serious players at the local session never start. Therefore the only time they're played is when a newbie starts them.

A few have been mentioned already

Morning Dew
Drowsy Maggie
McLeod's Reel
The Banshee
The Silver Spear
Rakish Paddy
Monaghan's
Cameronian
Star of Munster
The High Reel
Merry Blacksmith

I'm sure there are many many more... I just can't think now. But I've never heard any of the Irish-born-and-raised great session players start any of these. Though as mentioned above, I don't think that these people would actually get up and find something else to do if someone else started one of these reels, as they would do if someone started Danny Boy, Irish Washerwoman, Irish Eyes Are Smilin', etc.

[fearfaoin]

Is that the one in O'Neill's titled as Jack's the Lad?

So it would appear. I was not aware of that.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2168/

[NicoMoreno]

What the hell?
Why would anyone starting to learn the whistle avoid any tune?

Especially Harvest Home. It is one of the prettiest hornpipes, and i don't give a flying f... if some old f*rt out there would frown upon it.

Love the vitriol, really quite attractive. To answer your second question, someone avoiding a tune would do so because: 1) They don't like the tune, 2) It's too difficult of a tune for a beginner, 3) Nobody near them knows the tune (if they want to learn tunes to play with other people), 4) Nobody near them will play the tune (if they want to learn tunes to play with other people), 5) They don't have a good recording of the tune to learn from... etc etc

In short, there are a variety of reasons to avoid a tune.

Regarding your last comment, you should be aware that people will often have a different opinion from you on many different subjects. This will likely come as a shock, as you no doubt think that your opinion is the only correct one. However, I am neither an "old f*rt" nor do I think Harvest Home is "one of the prettiest hornpipes".

There are quite a few reels that the serious players at the local session never start. Therefore the only time they're played is when a newbie starts them.

You should clarify that this is only at your session, not all local sessions. And the bit about "irish-born and raised" is again only your experience and at any rate is a bit of a red herring.

My experience is that great players will often play quite a few of the tunes you've listed. You might have missed the concert with Mick O'Brien and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh in your neck of the woods a while back, but they played The Silver Spear and Rakish Paddy. I've heard all of those reels in Ireland and played by irish people in North America. In addition, I've heard all of them from non-irish, and excellent musicians. But let me say again that it doesn't particularly matter whether someone is irish or not in regards to whether they play certain tunes or not. As I said above, it's simply a personal matter. Some people have gotten sick of certain tunes that others may still like!

[drbald1]

Careful, there NicoMoreno....you're throwing wisdom and restraint on a volatile issue. It's bound to blow up now!

[Dain]

Love the vitriol, really quite attractive. To answer your second question, someone avoiding a tune would do so because: 1) They don't like the tune, 2) It's too difficult of a tune for a beginner, 3) Nobody near them knows the tune (if they want to learn tunes to play with other people), 4) Nobody near them will play the tune (if they want to learn tunes to play with other people), 5) They don't have a good recording of the tune to learn from... etc etc

In short, there are a variety of reasons to avoid a tune.

Regarding your last comment, you should be aware that people will often have a different opinion from you on many different subjects. This will likely come as a shock, as you no doubt think that your opinion is the only correct one. However, I am neither an "old f*rt" nor do I think Harvest Home is "one of the prettiest hornpipes".

Neither have i said you were an old f*rt.

I have maybe overreacted, but i really loathe elitism of any kind, especially in music. Unfortunately i see hints of that every day here and it bugs me bit by bit.
I know there are reasons to avoid a tune, but don't see reasons to avoid mainstream tunes when you are a beginner. Nobody started playing a piano with Chopin, but with "Mary had a little lamb". I myself am an almost total beginner with no chance of having a tutor or visiting a session, so i have to look&listen on the Web. Mostly on Youtube. And the tunes that are there are all (so to say) mainstream tunes, like the cursed aforementioned Harvest Home or Boys of Bluehill...so i learn them. And like them as well. I'm trying to build my knowledge base, and i have to start with something. Just as all the others beginners.

And hearing that i'll be mocked or looked down upon if i try to play common tune is not very motivational, you know. Hence the vitriol and other compounds.

[NicoMoreno]

I have maybe overreacted, but i really loathe elitism of any kind, especially in music.

Music is by it's very nature elitist and hardly any are moreso than irish traditional music. Only the people that have put the time in to become good are, wait for it, good. It takes effort, time, dedication, and loads of practice to be considered an irish traditional musician, at least by other musicians. In other words, to be part of the group, or "the elite", isn't an automatic thing when you by a whistle. So in that sense, yes, there is elitism. I suggest you don't try to learn irish music if that bothers you.

Unfortunately i see hints of that every day here and it bugs me bit by bit.

When you have people that love something, they naturally will promote what they love and at the same time protect it. Whether you like it or not, there is right and wrong in irish music and so you get people trying to explain this. I can see how that would come across as elitist, but you should really make an effort to understand the intent behind it.

I know there are reasons to avoid a tune, but don't see reasons to avoid mainstream tunes when you are a beginner. Nobody started playing a piano with Chopin, but with "Mary had a little lamb".

I don't see how "mainstream" equals "beginner". Many, if not most, of the tunes listed are ones learned by beginners, but that does not mean they are "beginner" tunes in the sense that they are easier to learn. Most of them are in fact fairly challenging, and will take a lot of the stuff listed above to learn.

I myself am an almost total beginner with no chance of having a tutor or visiting a session, so i have to look&listen on the Web. Mostly on Youtube. And the tunes that are there are all (so to say) mainstream tunes, like the cursed aforementioned Harvest Home or Boys of Bluehill...so i learn them. And like them as well. I'm trying to build my knowledge base, and i have to start with something. Just as all the others beginners.

Like I said first thing, learn the tunes you like, not ones from a list.

And hearing that i'll be mocked or looked down upon if i try to play common tune is not very motivational, you know. Hence the vitriol and other compounds.

That's specious reasoning. Would you rather not be warned that you'll be mocked or looked down on? Would you rather show up a session and have your favourite (and probably only) tunes ignored or dismissed with no warning?

I for one always recognize someone who has no clue about irish music when they launch into the irish washer woman or a horribly mangled version of harvest home.