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[Alison Scott]

Fantastic thread. My current goals:

1. A. Definitely want to be able to play scales in A so naturally that when these bloody irritating fiddlers drop into A I can just cheerfully join in.

2. Triplets. I'm just bloody lazy. I know what I need to do, which is start alternating fingers on triplets so I can attack them with power and speed. Current target: the Trumpet Hornpipe; doing it as an ornament can follow when I've got the hang of just playing the thing.

3. Right hand harmonies; at the moment all I can manage is to occasionally play a third below or the odd octave. More to do here.

4. Dealing with the Awful Ploddy Boring Basses thing that I do.

5. Actually learn all the Chingford tunes in case I have to be a melodeon on my own at some point.

And as for playing tunes that work for children, I find the little ones love melodeon and love tunes that you can already play, like The Wheels on the Bus and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Though I got my comeuppance when I asked one sweet little moppet what tune she'd like me to play next, and she said 'High School Musical'.

[Theo]

I can play tunes i dont like. But the ones i want to play are too difficult. Its not fair.

I know exactly what you mean.   

For me it works like this:

I can play lots of tunes, and once I've learned them they become 'easy'  because I no longer have to think about playing them.  Then I hear a fascinating new tune  that whispers "play me!" into my ear.  I try and fail because I've not put the work in to learn it, so my inner voice then tells me its a hard tune.  So I work away at the new fascinating tune and low and behold it becomes easier but at the same time it seems to get less interesting.   That process can take a week or two or longer, but then after a much longer time I start to enjoy the tune again. I don't know why but its seems to be something that happens after the initial few weeks or months of learning to play the tune eg the notes/chords/rythyms/dynamics/variations etc.  Then something completely different develops over time, hard to explain but the nearest words I can find are that you get inside the tune, or the tune becomes part of you. Deep, deep...

Now back to the usual banter please.

[xgx]

...  Then something completely different develops over time, hard to explain but the nearest words I can find are that you get inside the tune, or the tune becomes part of you. Deep, deep...

I reckon it's something going on in the 'back room' of the brain... at some point the change from just playing to feeling happens...

some things defy quantification, personally I reckon it's best to accept and enjoy

[joe]

I can play lots of tunes, and once I've learned them they become 'easy'  because I no longer have to think about playing them.  Then I hear a fascinating new tune  that whispers "play me!" into my ear.  I try and fail because I've not put the work in to learn it, so my inner voice then tells me its a hard tune.  So I work away at the new fascinating tune and low and behold it becomes easier but at the same time it seems to get less interesting.   That process can take a week or two or longer, but then after a much longer time I start to enjoy the tune again. I don't know why but its seems to be something that happens after the initial few weeks or months of learning to play the tune eg the notes/chords/rythyms/dynamics/variations etc.  Then something completely different develops over time, hard to explain but the nearest words I can find are that you get inside the tune, or the tune becomes part of you. Deep, deep...

Same for me, you crave that feeling of being able to play that tune, but the craving is never fulfilled, just moves on to a new tune. But it pays off in the future, when you have a great set of 'difficult' tunes under your belt that you can hammer out in a session.

5. Actually learn all the Chingford tunes in case I have to be a melodeon on my own at some point.

It will happen when you least expect it and are least prepared! Did so with me several times, once at Whitsun when one of the musicians had to go home ill at midday, so I was one of the two remaining musicians, and had to dance the ones I didnt play ... was such a great feeling at the end of the day, leading the playing of 'speed the plough' though. Nowt like it.

Although now  that I am confident playing for the team, there are always plenty of musicians around.

[ganderbox]

But it pays off in the future, when you have a great set of 'difficult' tunes under your belt that you can hammer out in a session.

There you go again, Joe!
I want some of the beer you drink, without having to drive home afterwards!

[melod-ian]

[Theo]

But it pays off in the future, when you have a great set of 'difficult' tunes under your belt that you can hammer out in a session.

Actually hammering out tunes is a long way from what I was thinking.

[Chris Ryall]

On my list too, different keyboard. What is the 'standard' session key for this please?
Jeffes scores it in C,   and someone here in Wirral plays it in D
I have distant recollection of Sharron Shannon being in Eb 

Or is it such a bugger that no one else will join in - so do your own thing?  

btw - I actually did find a harmonium - had the score on it just inside front door of previous house.

[joe]

'bring' out? or just 'play'? In retrospect hammering isnt really what i meant either.

[Bob Ellis]

My goals:
1.  To live long enough to learn all the tunes I hear that I like (a thousand years should just about do it   );
2.  To play as well when starting a tune in a session as I can when following someone else;
3.  To learn to play Cajun, Zydeco and Conjunto styles properly;
4.  To get to the point where I can put right-hand chords into my playing instinctively instead of having to plan where they go in advance;
5.  To achieve some of my goals but not all of them, because half the fun of playing is striving towards new goals;
6.  To win the lottery so that I can afford a Cajun box and afford to go to more festivals, sessions and workshops.

[tiny]

'Have a Nagila' three times. Have a .. have two .. have three Nagilas


At the risk of looking foolish what is a Nagila?  is it some sort of tune or drink?

[Sandy]

mmm...good question !!

This has to be a wish rather than a goal. I would like to experience more live performances of great players. I realised at Towersey, after seeing some wonderful playing, that 'me hitting the right buttons' is a long way from playing the tune well. Think I need to learn so much more about the feel of the instrument and it's capabilities. Have never seen Tony Hall play so I shall make that a definite goal.

cheers

Sandy
 

[melod-ian]

On my list too, different keyboard. What is the 'standard' session key for this please?
Jeffes scores it in C,   and someone here in Wirral plays it in D
I have distant recollection of Sharron Shannon being in Eb 

Or is it such a bugger that no one else will join in - so do your own thing?  

btw - I actually did find a harmonium - had the score on it just inside front door of previous house.

i dont know anyone who plays it chris,

i was just going by the The Penguin Cafe version.. that's in C.  i used to have the Sharon Shannon version on CD but cant remember what key that was either.
theres a few midi versions of this tune, i'll let you know what i can find.

[jb]

thesession.org has it in D. I first heard it as recorded (also in D) by Patrick Street.

[melod-ian]

ahh yes just found the Patrick Street version on Spotify ..in D
and the ABC from thesession.org
parts 5 and 6 look a bit tricky on a standard D/G .. wish i had a 2 and a half row

[Andy Simpson]

You probably know it. Every Bar Mitzvah scene in the history of film and television has had it playing in the background. 

[ladydetemps]

my longterm goal is to learn to play by ear. 

[HallelujahAl]

my longterm goal is to learn to play by ear.

It hurts your head less if you use your fingers

[ladydetemps]

my longterm goal is to learn to play by ear.

It hurts your head less if you use your fingers

how much sugar have you consumed? lol!

[HallelujahAl]

my longterm goal is to learn to play by ear.
It hurts your head less if you use your fingers

how much sugar have you consumed? lol!

Ay - way too much coffee today
AL