Ask the person who knows a lot about Irish traditional music.

Cafe Society
21

How do you get traditional Irish music out of your head? :smiley:

(I’ve been listening to Gaelic Storm ever since this thread started, and it starts with this insidious little toe-tap, and then the whole leg’s moving and soon I’m bouncing in my computer chair and typing in time to the music. When the music stops, I don’t even notice, 'cause it’s still playing in my blood!)

Thanks, Spoons, I’ll check them out. Not because it really matters if women play or men play, but because I haven’t heard Cape Breton music before.

22

Modern is good.

Vocals are a must, but not automatically vocals alone.

23

Tried Susan McKeown? She has a more rocky band as well but her latest Sweet Liberty is a lovely modern take on traditional Irish songs IMO.

She is a friend of mine, but I’m not bringing Helen Roche up because of that. Her album is lovely in a much more low key understated way then Susan’s.

If you prefer male vocals and a more arranged glossy sound, try Cran who are much more polished than their website I have to say.

24

We were very lucky. Sometime in the twentieth century, a couple of folklorists decided to track down all the old folk songs that they could. They went around to the various towns and villages (and some were pretty remote) of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and found the people who could still remember the old songs. They recorded these songs, and transcribed them later. Musicians today still refer to such books as Canada’s Story in Song by Edith Fowke et. al., and Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia by Helen Creighton and Doreen H. Senior when they are learning these tunes.

As you note, some come directly from Scotland or Ireland, but others are strictly from the Atlantic provinces, Still, even in these “domestic” ones, you can definitely hear the influences of Scotland and Ireland in the music, and in the instruments used to play it.

Now, to keep this thread from digressing into a discussion of similar-but-not-quite-what-the-OP-was-looking-for, I have a question for Pookah: Do people in Ireland still play the spoons, and regard them as appropriate (or at least fitting) in a pub session?

I ask because, as you may have guessed, I play the spoons. I play a few other instruments as well (tin whistle, recorder, flute), but it is spoons that I am most often asked to play. I’ve always had a warm reception in places like Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and many people remember (for example) Grandfather playing them, but very few seem to be able to do it themselves. Am I one of the few practicing a dying art, or are there fellow spoon players acriss the sea, in the land where they originally came from?

25

I don’t mind the digressing at all. This is my particularly geek corner and I thought your post was very interesting.

As for the spoons. Yes, you still see them occasionally but, like the drum, they suffer from image problems because people who can’t play them insist on playing them anyway, thereby ruining it for the genuine musicians. To be quite honest with you, if you walked into an Irish session and took out your spoons people would wince and be extremely sceptical.

Having said that, if you proved yourself to be good and sensitive to the music a lot of musicians would probably warm to you soon enough, though there are some who will never get along with spoons and say they do not belong in a session ever. This doesn’t seem to stop people from playing them though, so yes you see them over here though played with wildly varying degrees of expertise. Reception varies accordingly.

26

There’s a semi-local (Northwestern US) band called Finnegan’s Ridge I’ve seen a few times, and their bodhran player is female (I’d have to dig up the CD to remember her name). She’s primarily vocals, though.

Which brings me to another question. One of their songs I particularly like is about a fair maid who lives on the shore, and is abducted by a sea captain. She sings the captain and crew to sleep, robs them, and then rows back to the shore using the Captain’s silver as an oar. It sounds like the story has roots in some traditional myth or legend; do you know any more about what the source would be?

27

One more question for you tin whistle experts: do they only come in one particular key, like harmonicas and recorders? Does that mean to truly be effective, one would need a utility belt or bandolier strap with 12 whistles, one in each key, or do you just try to play songs in the same key to make do with one?

28

Good to hear that people are still playing them, although I do understand and have encountered the reluctance from the musicians. The spoons look deceptively easy to play, but when people have asked if they can try mine, they find out just how difficult it can be. Add in the beers they have likely had, and these people end up “bashing” the spoons; they are most certainly not playing. But I seem to be able to prove myself in such sessions, and am often invited to play with the musicians. (He said modestly. :)) It was a Cape Breton Islander who taught me to play many years ago, by the way–I have to give credit where credit is due.

My “everyday” spoons are teakwood–a nice inoffensive sound, but loud enough to be heard. I also have a few sets of silverplate (a ringing sound) and stainless steel (a metallic clunking sound). Different shapes too: dessert spoons and soup spoons mostly. But all have a purpose; the music dictates which I will use. They’re fun, but I don’t plan to give up my day job anytime soon.

29

Whistles come in different sizes (and different materials) I’ve seen a people who have a few dozen different whistles.

They were stored thusly:
Think of a cloth band about 1 foot by 2.5 feet with lots of pockets (parallel to the 1 foot side). The whole thing is rolled up into a cylander.

Brian

30

The song is called “Maid on the Shore” and I believe it was written by Stan Rogers. Googling doesn’t bring up any other authors on the first two pages.

31

Just wanted to pop in and recommend an excellent Celtic band…from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Henri’s Notions

32

Yes, they’re basically in ‘keys’ (although the term is slightly alien to the music). But you certainly wouldn’t need twelve: the vast bulk of the music is based on D, G or A. Plus, being instruments with narrow bore and wide holes, they’re capable of any intonation by half-closing holes…it just takes practice (and a good ear!) (And BTW, recorders aren’t ‘keyed’ in any way, at least as far as modern instruments are concerned)

33

I’d be most grateful if you could elucidate for me the differences between:

  1. jigs, slides, and double slides,
  2. strathspeys and reels.

Thanks!

34

While I like my Celtic music more trad, the hardest-rocking Irish music I have is by Boiled In Lead and Tempest. Check 'em out!

Canadians Great Big Sea emphasize maritime themes; among their countrymen we may the find world-Celtic stylings of The Paperboys.

35

Cathy Jordan of Dervish, while primarily the group’s vocalist, also is featured on bodhran, and bones.

She is also a “hottie.”

36

Hope PookahMacPhellimey doesn’t mind me jumping in here.

The differences mainly relate to the time signatures, as explained on Steve MacLeod’s Bagpipe Questions:

In highland piping, one of the standard features in competitions is the March-Strathspey-Reel, or MSR. The band plays a medley, always in the order of March, Strathspey, then Reel. (A march is usually in 2/4, 4/4 or 6/8 time signatures.)

37

Another whistle player joining in…

I highly recommend anyone who’s interested to just pick up a whistle and have fun. The Irish whistle is a great starter instrument for several reasons: First, it’s easy to play. The fingerings are simple, and it’s quite easy to get a good tone. But best of all, the whistles are very inexpensive. And the cheap $10 whistles are not just ‘beginner’ instruments or toys. I believe Mary Bergin, who is a very famous whistle player, plays a $10 Generation tin whistle.

Of course, you can spend more if you want, and collecting whistles can become a bit addictive. I just got a Sweetheart whistle for Christmas. It’s got a tunable body, and it’s carved out of wood. A whistle like that is worth a couple of hundred bucks. But really, the cheap ones play just as well.

If you want to pick up a whistle, I recommend Clarke or Generation whistles. The traditional Clarke whistle has a gorgeous tone. It’s got a wood insert in the mouthpiece, and has a soft, breathy tone that’s great for slow airs. It’s also reasonably quiet so you can play it at home without bothering people.

The Generation whistles are also good. Another common whistle you might find are feadog whistles, and in my experience they are a little uneven in quality. Some play great, others not so much. But hell, for $7 or whatever they go for, it can’t hurt to try, and for a beginner you might not notice the difference.

There are some excellent web sites for whistle players, with lots of tutorials, free music, and MIDI and recorded samples you can play to hear exactly how the music should sound. Great learning resource.

There are also ‘starter kits’ you can get, with a whistle, an introductory tutorial book, and a CD with all the music recorded so you can hear what it should sound like, all for about $20. Best bargain in music.

As for keys, the most common whistle key is D. So that should be your first whistle, if you can find one. The next most common are high G, C, and B flat.

Some whistle resources:

Chiff and Fipple Message Board - a very popular board with whistle reviews, music, discussions of playing technique, etc.

Brother Steve’s Tin Whistle Pages - an excellent tutorial site with samples.

Slow Airs Page - if you like slow airs (think “Danny Boy”), this page has music, MIDI, and recordings of many.

Wild Dismay Tunes - tons of music for whistle players.

38

You guys have talked me into it. I will get a whistle at my next opportunity. I’ve been playing saxophone for many years and I also have a Hohner melodica, so I might as well become the king of non-flute, non-clarinet wind instruments!

39

I played the Alto Sax for years before I picked up the whistle. It’s an easy transition.

40

Great!

And yes, if you play sax it should be really easy.

I also thought of another band that might fit you requirements this morning:

Four men and a Dog.