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Author Topic: First Session  (Read 7935 times)

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Nick Hudis

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First Session
« on: October 08, 2008, 12:00:32 PM »

A few weeks back on the Melodeon !st or 2nd class Citizen thread, I expressed my reservations, as a new player about going to sessions.  Ptarmigan replied as follows:

Quote
So go for it Nick, you won't regret it ... & do come back & tell us how you got on.

So here's my report.  Encouraged by Theo, I took my self off to the Cumberland Arms "anything but Irish" session.  First time I took my wife rather than my box, she's quieter for a start, and a very discerning classical musician.  She was impressed!

It was a very friendly affair and I was delighted to find an old aquaintance who I hadn't seen in five years or so.  Little bamboozled by the tunes though.  With my patchy repetoire of southern english country dance tunes and few Playfords and hebredian tunes, I didn't recognize a single tune among the ?northumbrian and Swedish tunes being played. Couldn't even work out the keys half of the time.

Anyway, I brought a box to the next session, began to make a few friends and even managed to play a couple of tunes when someone thought it would be a joke to play Davey Nick Nack.  Getting better on the keys too.  Tip for beginners: if the fiddles are really singing and you can't work out the key- its probably A major.  A nice young man with a table full of harmonicas played my box for me most of the evening (one talented guy!)  and I just enjoyed listening.

Two things did strike me.  Firstly the amazing standard of playing.  I don't remember anything like this from my youth when I was more into the folk scene.  I was driven away from the folk scene in the early eighties by the inexorable encroachment of gormless folk rolk and angst ridden contempory songs on the traditional music that I loved.  I only came back to folk music a few  years ago, and there seem to have a been a bit of a revolution in playing standards in the last 20 years. (particularly fiddles) Great!!!!

The other thing was that it gladdens my heart to see so many younger people playing.  When I was a teenager in the late 70s I was considered a total weirdo for being into trad music.  all my friends listened to Genesis, Yes and Pink Floydd while I was hitching out to Suffolk pubs to try to hear a traditional singer or two.

I am still not sure that the double bass, guitar, cittern, piano and several melodeons were all playing the same chords!  But I can see myself bcoming a regular at the Cumberland.  Its a great pub too with good beer.

Nick
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Nick

Lester

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Re: First Session
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2008, 12:23:47 PM »

I am still not sure that the double bass, guitar, cittern, piano and several melodeons were all playing the same chords! 
They weren't  ;D

Theo

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Re: First Session
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2008, 12:27:14 PM »

Sound like a great session last night, I'm only sorry that some virus has me in its clutches and I was unable to be there.

The ABI session at the Cumberland is often as you describe, but it is a pretty exceptional session.  There are some astoundingly good young players who are regulars there who are also remarkably tolerant of my very ordinary playing ability.  Partly it is the result of the people who have been drawn to Tyneside for the folk degree course, but its not all students. 
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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pipives

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Re: First Session
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2008, 01:11:26 PM »

I'm on the folk degree and usually go to the ABI session. Missed it last night as I was booked at Stanley folk club. Sounds lik Will was there playing harmonicas then!

Being a Sussex boy myself, I've had to adapt to the tunes they play, but I always get a few well known southern tunes in that everyone knows too. So next time we're there I'll play some tunes like Davy Nick nack.

And no.... we never all play the same chords in there!
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Nick Hudis

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Re: First Session
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2008, 09:33:23 PM »

Quote
Being a Sussex boy myself, I've had to adapt to the tunes they play, but I always get a few well known southern tunes in that everyone knows too. So next time we're there I'll play some tunes like Davy Nick nack.

Pip, I'll introduce myself next time.  I'm the scrawny looking middleaged guy with a ponytail and a nice looking (and sounding) Verde box that he can't play.  I'd enjoy the odd well known tune.
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Nick

Theo

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Re: First Session
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2008, 09:45:29 PM »

I always thought of Davy Nick Nack as a Scottish tune.

That may start another thread drift
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Stiamh

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Re: First Session
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2008, 03:07:46 PM »

It can't be Scottish - it's crap!

Bill the Farmer

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Re: First Session
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2008, 03:29:36 PM »

It's in:

Rev.R.Harrison's MS,c1815,Cumbria,
George Spencer m/s, Leeds,1831,
CarlisleMS,Anon.c1812.

Which makes it English, probably  ;)
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pipives

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Re: First Session
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2008, 07:25:41 PM »

I always thought of Davy Nick Nack as a Scottish tune.

That may start another thread drift

I wasn't suggesting it was a sussex tune, so much as a well known one! IT's just the last time I was in the Cumberland many sussex tunes got played, which was nice. But I know them (I started them!) so all the other stuff needs to be played too, so I can learn it!
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Matt Quinn

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Re: First Session
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2008, 08:27:35 PM »

The reason so many Sussex tunes got played may have been due to the fact that i was there as well (me also being from Sussex and hence the old phrase (that i made up just now) 2 Sussex musicians in the north are braver than one).
I have only been to the Cumberland twice now, but i have found it to be a really nice friendly session and will gladly go again.

MQ
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EeeJay

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Re: First Session
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2008, 08:56:56 PM »

It can't be Scottish - it's crap!

I've always thought Davy Davy Nick Nack was as Scottish as Oor Wullie's bucket.

It's hackneyed to death for sure, but it ain't crap. It just depends what you do with a tune - e.g. what Blowzabella do with it - kicks in at 1:24 on this video...

Ed J
« Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 09:26:05 PM by EeeJay »
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Waltham

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Re: First Session
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2008, 09:35:03 PM »

To paraphrase Johnson, when a man is tired of Davy Davy Knick Knack he is tired of music.  Any fool can learn hard tunes with lots of notes in, but when you can play DDKK ten times through and make people want to dance all the way through then you're a real musician.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: First Session
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2008, 11:30:14 PM »

It's hackneyed to death for sure, but it ain't crap. It just depends what you do with a tune - e.g. what Blowzabella do with it - kicks in at 1:24 on this video...
Ah  - but that tune is known as 'New Road to Alston', but I hadn't realised before now that it is Davy Davy Knick Knack in a minor key.
And I do agree with Ed that DDKK is most certainly not crap. Even the best tunes (what ever they are?) can be made to sound dull and boring if the musicians play them that way.
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Stiamh

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Re: First Session
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2008, 04:46:59 AM »

Well if it's no crap it must be Scottish! ;)

Stiamh

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Re: First Session
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2008, 04:47:27 AM »

Looking for common ground here, Waltham... Is someone a real musician if they can play DDKK 10 times and make people want to dance all the way through - and still think it's, er, a less than stellar tune?

sCANdanADIAN

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Re: First Session
« Reply #15 on: October 10, 2008, 06:31:56 AM »

I was only able to listen to 30 seconds of DDKK(never heard of it before).Maybe I had to be there,dancing and enjoying that barrage of noise.

Chris
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Dazbo

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Re: First Session
« Reply #16 on: October 10, 2008, 12:52:18 PM »

... but that tune is known as 'New Road to Alston', but I hadn't realised before now that it is Davy Davy Knick Knack in a minor key.

Thanks Steve, bought the album this is on at Sidmouth and couldn't work out why it sounded so familiar.
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EeeJay

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Re: First Session
« Reply #17 on: October 10, 2008, 05:57:43 PM »

I was only able to listen to 30 seconds of DDKK(never heard of it before).

Sorry Chris - the sound balance on the YouTube clip is fairly dire. 'Tis a bit of a bloomin racket...

I just used it as a rough and ready example... DDKK isn't on the clip, it's New Road to Alston. DDKK is in a major key - see here...

...and still think it's, er, a less than stellar tune?

Going from the comments on thesession.org... if it affronts the cool of the trad-polizei, then it's a solid 24 carat tune IMHO. 8) As is the Bluebell Polka, or any other hoary hackneyed old pot-boiler... love 'em all! ;D

Ed J
« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 07:51:15 PM by EeeJay »
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: First Session
« Reply #18 on: October 10, 2008, 06:19:38 PM »

The Session.org is usually good for tunes (though I did have a job trying to find the abc's for such a very well-known session tune as "The Wrong Trousers"); it's only the Discussions which attract people who take themselves ever so seriously - and even then it's mostly (no insult intended to anyone here  :-[ ) Americans who like to think of themselves as Irish, rather than Irishpersons, who take things this far, bless them.

Chris-the-not-really-anonymous-at-all.

 ::)

 PS. I really enjoy playing pot-boilers - there's less chance of me hitting bum notes.

C.
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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.

sCANdanADIAN

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Re: First Session
« Reply #19 on: October 11, 2008, 02:35:31 AM »

No apologies necessary Ejay.Maybe I have to hear the tune properly to appreciate it.I do love the Bluebell polka though.

Chris
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