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Author Topic: The Bag of Spuds  (Read 2289 times)

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mikesamwild

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The Bag of Spuds
« on: August 20, 2009, 11:56:41 AM »

I was harvesting my potatoes yesterday and found myself diddling The Bag of Spuds  which is on 'Open Hearth' by Andrew MacNamara (box) and sister Mary ( Anglo Conc) from Tulla, East Clare.


As it progressed I realised it had echoes of the old counting ditty we used as kids - 'One potato, 2 potato  etc...

Also like Shepherd's Hey but played faster and more staccato as for step dancing.  What I call 'The old 4 stroke'  which I use to get Irish and Scottish reels fixed in my mind before lengthening notes, adding twiddles and rests etc.  Two groups of 8th notes (quavers) per bar


Any other good mnemonics  for remembering tunes .  'Polly put the Kettle on' is another that may have given us a name


I know a lot of teachers give kids words like 'elephant' and 'crocodile' to define time signatures.

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Mike in Sheffield

If music be the food of love -who finds the time?

Stiamh

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Re: The Bag of Spuds
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2009, 01:57:13 PM »

I don't know about individual tunes, but (as jb says) people often use mnemonics for the rhythms of dance tunes - "bacon and sausages" for jigs, "black-and-decker black-and-decker" for reels, etc. (search on thesession.org for a mind-numbing array of them). While they may be useful for absolute beginners they strike me as encouraging a mechanical approach (and not just because of Black and Decker ;D )

Funny you mention the Bag of Spuds - I've always wondered whether that tune wasn't indeed the Shepherd's Hey after being (mercifully) hijacked by the Irish. Mind you I prefer Andrew Mac's version with Gerry (fiddle) O'Connor on the first Skylark album
« Last Edit: August 20, 2009, 01:58:46 PM by Steve Jones »
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: The Bag of Spuds
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2009, 04:25:15 PM »

I've often thought that the real reason for songs, is that they were for musicians who had difficulty remembering the tune!  ;D
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I'm a Yorkie!
My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

mikesamwild

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Re: The Bag of Spuds
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2009, 08:31:54 PM »

I don't know about individual tunes, but (as jb says) people often use mnemonics for the rhythms of dance tunes - "bacon and sausages" for jigs, "black-and-decker black-and-decker" for reels, etc. (search on thesession.org for a mind-numbing array of them). While they may be useful for absolute beginners they strike me as encouraging a mechanical approach (and not just because of Black and Decker ;D )

Funny you mention the Bag of Spuds - I've always wondered whether that tune wasn't indeed the Shepherd's Hey after being (mercifully) hijacked by the Irish. Mind you I prefer Andrew Mac's version with Gerry (fiddle) O'Connor on the first Skylark album


Thanks Steve, for that info on The Little Bag of Spuds  I didn't think it sounded like Coleman's tune!

Mike


PS Just found another tune in the Sussex Tune book 'Lolly Pops and Bulls Eyes'  the last bar or 'breakdown' as they called it goes
AGAB GG  which suggests the title.

According to Barry Callaghan's book it's also called Mc Donald's reel and goes back to 1760 at least . The tune reminds me of The Heather Breeze on The Russell Family  recording, again a nice simple tune but possessing lots of potential as a dance tune.

« Last Edit: August 20, 2009, 09:11:32 PM by mikesamwild »
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Mike in Sheffield

If music be the food of love -who finds the time?

mikesamwild

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Re: The Bag of Spuds
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2009, 12:18:50 PM »

Hi Steve
Just checked CRE 1.94.  That's the tune  (in G) which I like better than D.  He gives 'beag' = little to distinguish it.  Thanks for the lead.

I know a slide like it (6/8) too but can't remember the name.  It has echoes of 'The Clog' slide that Jackie Daly plays

I often find hornpipes go easily into jig or slide time.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2009, 12:22:01 PM by mikesamwild »
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Mike in Sheffield

If music be the food of love -who finds the time?

mikesamwild

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Re: The Bag of Spuds
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2009, 11:51:58 AM »


Funny you mention the Bag of Spuds - I've always wondered whether that tune wasn't indeed the Shepherd's Hey after being (mercifully) hijacked by the Irish. Mind you I prefer Andrew Mac's version with Gerry (fiddle) O'Connor on the first Skylark album. Somewhat less sedate than the treatment it gets with his sister!



Hi Steve
just been to a lot of sessions at Whitby , quite a few tunes seem to have the basic Shepherd's Hey theme elaborated eg Miss McLeod's Reel and its old timey relative Did you ever see the Devil Uncle Joe?.  Any more?
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Mike in Sheffield

If music be the food of love -who finds the time?
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