Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

  1. #1

    Default Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

    We've got a traditional Irish/Celtic learning session going on once a month in Sacramento, CA.

    Anyone of any level is welcome, but we ARE a learning session/slow session, so advanced players, please be patient. We are also getting familiar with the re-emerging sessions in the area, and our goal is to be a "bridge" session to the other local sessions, and learn various of the area session tunes and expectations and prepare people to participate in positive ways.

    We'd also like to coordinate with those sessions as well, so players in those sessions can recommend us to help support new players at their sessions. It's been slow-going (, with COVID and all the surges that set us back once we get going, but we are forging ahead and accumulating a core group and tune list.

    I kept the tune list fairly short, currently, to allow participants/learners the opportunity to suggest and lead tunes. I want new tunes to be driven by participants as much as possible, so the session serves learners needs.

    Thanks all for the resource! Mandolin Cafe rocks!





    https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-ir...nts/284747480/

  2. The following members say thank you to PhillipeTaylor for this post:


  3. #2
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peace and Love
    Posts
    2,418

    Default Re: Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

    Good job, well done!
    I’d add that there is a number of different right hand and left hand patterns that often occur when playing.
    Tunes will appear difficult when they have many unfamiliar movements. So there are certain tunes that are sort of gateway tunes to many more- though they may be tunes that require more work than other simpler or repetitive ones.
    I found choosing tunes at the beginning was not easy!
    Good luck.

  4. The following members say thank you to Simon DS for this post:


  5. #3

    Default Re: Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

    Thank you! This is great information, and I'd love to hear your knowledge of such "gateway" tunes. The way I've been running it is to let participants guide our direction and facilitate that direction for people. I would love to bring knowledge of these tunes to the group and discuss how to bring these into our repertoire.

    Thank you for your encouragement!

    Phillip

  6. #4
    Registered User DougC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    1,875
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

    Back in the 1990's here in St. Paul Minnesota, we started just like you. A 'learning group'. Later when we were too large a group to meet in someone's house, and after moving from a few cafe locations, we went to O'Gara's Pub and learned that we were called a 'slow sessiun' by the experts. The players kindly taught us tunes before their sessiun began.

    From that experience, over the years I became a researcher of Irish tunes and compiled a book of tunes called the St. Paul Slow Session Traditional Irish tune book or the O'Gara's Slow Sessiun tune book. (by Doug Cole). There are others far more experienced and expert but my point is that we developed in a similar way as others and most of the common tunes are in everyone's list.

    Some others have done the same thing. Michael D. Long published the King Street Sessiun Book. Phil Rubenzer published the Midwestern Irish Session Tunes book.

    The internet has tons of stuff nowadays. The best resource IMHO is www.Irishtune.info and many people love thesession.org

    And youtube is another world of information. Shannon and Matt Heaton do a 'live' slow sessiun' (flute and guitar with guest fiddlers and box players), every Saturday.

    Here's a list from a guy named Dow. (And sorry for so much info at once, it's my favorite topic).


    Dow’s 50 (Actually 60) Essential Tunes
    Reels
    1 − Banshee, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 7)
    2 − Bird In The Bush, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 177)
    3 − Bucks Of Oranmore, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 28)
    4 − Concertina, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 94)
    5 − Congress, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 35)
    6 − Cooley’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 4)
    7 − Cup Of Tea, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 36)
    8 − Drowsy Maggie (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 1)
    9 − Farewell To Erin (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 52)
    10 − Father Kelly’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 221)
    11 − Foxhunter, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 55)
    12 − Gravel Walk, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 13)
    13 − High, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 103)
    14 − Humours Of Tulla, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 136)
    15 − Maid Behind The Bar, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 9)
    16 − Man Of The House, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 77)
    17 − Merry Blacksmith, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 32)
    18 − Miss McLeod’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 38)
    19 − Mountain Road, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 25)
    20 − Pigeon On The Gate, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 39)
    21 − Rolling In The Ryegrass (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 71)
    22 − Saint Anne’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 22)
    23 − Sally Gardens, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 21)
    24 − Silver Spear, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 6)
    25 − Star Of Munster, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 24)
    26 − Wise Maid, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 42)
    Jigs
    27 − Banish Misfortune (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 8)
    28 − Blackthorn Stick, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 56)
    29 − Blarney Pilgrim, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 20)
    30 − Cliffs Of Moher, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 33)
    31 − Connaughtman’s Rambles, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 11)
    32 − Donnybrook Fair (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 84)
    33 − Irish Washerwoman, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 40)
    34 − Kesh, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 2)
    35 − Lanigan’s Ball (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 264)
    36 − Lark In The Morning, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 30)
    37 − Lilting Banshee, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 43)
    38 − Morrison’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 5)
    39 − My Darling Asleep (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 47)
    40 − Out On The Ocean (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 19)
    41 − Pipe On The Hob, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 162)
    42 − Rakes Of Kildare, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 130)
    43 − Tripping Up The Stairs (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 48)
    Hornpipes
    44 − Boys Of Blue Hill, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 27)
    45 − Harvest Home, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 18)
    46 − King Of The Faeries (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 23)
    47 − Off To California (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 37)
    48 − Rights Of Man, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 12)
    Slip Jig
    49 − An Phis Fhliuch (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 166)
    50 − Drops Of Brandy, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 123)
    51 − Fox Hunter’s, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 91)
    52 − Kid On The Mountain, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 17)
    53 − Butterfly, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 3)
    54 − Rocky Road To Dublin, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 64)
    Slides
    55 − Merrily Kissed The Quaker (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 46)
    56 − Road To Lisdoonvarna, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 49)
    Polkas
    57 − Dennis Murphy’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 116)
    58 − Egan’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 89)
    59 − Ryan’s (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 50)
    60 − Rakes Of Mallow, The (thesession.org Tunebook Rank: 167)
    Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to DougC For This Useful Post:


  8. #5

    Default Re: Sacramento Traditional Irish Learning Session

    Wow, Doug! This is so awesome! Thank you so much!

    Unfortunately, I haven't found the tune book you cite. I would love to buy one as a reference for our group.

    I hope to grow even a portion of the size and expertise you've developed there!

    This list is phenomenal, and I'm going to link this page to our site. Thank you, again so much!

    We are currently focusing on 8 tunes as a group, and have more tunes in our file, but are trying to grow at a pace that allow us to develop expertise. We will be creating some sets soon (crossing fingers), and now have a new location in a local music store (yay!). So, the growth is happening, and thank you again for your encouragement!

    Phillip
    Last edited by PhillipeTaylor; Apr-29-2022 at 2:47pm.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •