I have recently been accused of being insecure in my irishness. My friend Dave and I decided it would be a good opportunity to create a score based system to find out how “irish” you are in a session. I tried to sort the list from best score to worse. Best is playing a tune composed before 1920 and worse is playing an english tune with playing the recorder not far behind. You can have many “combos”, for example playing a set of three tunes, in three different keys, all composed before 1920, while drinking beer and smoking-while-you’re-playing, and tell your session mates who composed the tunes you just played could give you a total of 100 points, then if you just start a conversation you can add 3 points for a total of 103 points! Amazing no? Then just pick up a recorder, play three english tunes in the SAME key ALL composed after 2000 and you will lose 105 points!
When the word “tune” is specified, we assume it’s an irish tune. So, playing a 100 years old indian tune would actually make you lose 5 points.
Play until the sun rises (+100 one time bonus)
Play until after 4am (+50 one time bonus)
Play until after 2am (+50 one time bonus)
Play until after midnight (+25 one time bonus)
Start a tune composed before 1920: +30
Start a tune composed before 1940: +15
Tell your session mates who actually composed the tunes you just played: +10
Start a tune composed before 1960: +5
Drink pints of beer: +5 (one time bonus)
Smoke at the session : +5 (one time bonus)
Smoke while playing your instrument: +5 per tune
Play a set of three tunes: +5
Play a set of two tunes: +3
Start a conversation between two sets: +3
Not knowing the name of a tune that’s just been played: +2
Play two tunes in a row in the same key (unless it’s a known set): -1
Play a “set” of only one tune: -3
Switch from two different rhythms in same set (for example, from jig to reel): -3
Play harmonies for a tune: -5
Start a tune composed after 1990: -5
Play a tune double when it should be played single: -5
Play a tune single when it should be played double: -5
Play a non irish tune: -5
Play a scottish tune: -5 (means -10 including 23)
Start a tune composed after 2000: -10
Play the whistle only (bodhran doesnt count): -3
Play a non traditional instrument: -5
Play the recorder: -10 (means -15 including 27)
Play the tune from sheet music: -10
Play along someone who started a slow air as a solo: -10
Playing Music for a Found Harmonium: -10
Play the tune with a metronome: -15
Play an english tune: -15 (means -20 including 23)
Playing a set from a post 1990 album: -30 (ex. Lunasa’s Fleurs de Mandragore set)
Edited to update list with people’s suggestions[/i]
Sorry, Az, but I can’t help but notice that you left out one of the big ones:
Playing a set of 9 tunes on your zither that you composed yourself the evening before in a key that no one can recognize, while smoking a cuban cigar, drinking a can of Budweiser through a straw and talking to your broker on the cell phone, all at the session being held in the back room of your girl friend’s hair salon.
This is fun – requires research to figure out dates. (Do you lose points for needing to research, or gain them for enjoying it?)
So, tunes I can recall starting at the last session:
Tarbolton: +30 pre-1920 -5 Scottish
Longford Collector: +15 pre-1940
Sailor’s Bonnet: +15 pre-1940
+5 set of three tunes
total 60. (couldn’t find any proof that the second two tunes were pre-1920. Not penalizing Tarbolton as non-Irish, as it clearly has been adopted by Irish.)
My Love is in America: +30 pre-1920
Laurel Tree: +5 pre-1960
+3 set of two tunes
total 38. (Surely the Laurel Tree is older than that? But I couldn’t find any pre-1960s references with a quick search.)
Sunny Banks: +30 pre-1920
London Lasses: +30 pre-1920
+3 set of two
total 63. (can’t believe I scored better with this than with the Sligo National Anthem set! Fiddler’s Companion was a complete failure on Sunny Banks – oddly enough, they seem to confuse it with London Lasses. Did I accidentally discover one of those classic sets whose names got crossed?)
So there’s a total of 161 points for Sunday night. -3 for only playing whistle. Didn’t start any of my own tunes, so I think I’m safe on the starting post-2000 tunes front. Mostly a wash on the other things, I’d think.
I think #3 should have a counterpart: Tell your session mates who recorded the tune back in the 78 era. (Especially because this is a lot more likely than knowing who composed old tunes. Plus more interesting.)
Bonus for also knowing the other tunes in the set on the recording.
As for #11, I don’t think you should get any points for not knowing the name of a tune just played unless you were actually playing it. (And I might consider awarding points for knowing the name of the tune just played even though you don’t know how to play it.)
Just remembered I also started Pigeon on the Gate. On the one hand, it’s definitely pre-1940. On the other hand, due to everyone knowing different versions of it, and my not having played it in a while (usually I only start it by accident) it fell over dead in the B part. Not sure how that should score.
Hmmm… come to think of it, I started Speed the Plow, too. (The one on Molloy Brady Peoples.) Busy night!
Well, I’d say it’s still a Scottish tune, but then it depends on how long you’ve been staying in England. Also, if it’s been composed after 2000, you’re in deep trouble no matter what
Why I was asking was that my favourite hornpipe (the Rights of Man) falls into this category. It was written in Newcastle by James Hill (who came from Dundee) and is definately pre 1900.
so, I was just wondering…if I’m playing the AfroCelts’ version of The Dunmore Lassies followed by the theme to The Matrix soundtrack on the Trumpa Créde accompanied by a klezmer-style bass clarinetist at a session in a Norwegian tavern on Malta, how do I calculate my score?
Tony, if you call it Danny Boy, its -5.
Call it Londonderry Air… -10
Call it Derry Air should be a +3 (add’l points if you can name the person who penned it)
Well, let’s see…I bet I play lots of sets in the same key, and I usually only play whistle in sessions, AND I like to play some recently composed tunes, so I probably have a negative overall score. Of course, I don’t know the names of most of my tunes, so maybe I’d break even at the end of the night.
Start a tune composed before 1920, then tell your session mates who actually composed the tune, then tell your session mates about the time you and the composer played some tunes together: +1,000
