LesL, I’ve actually got the Tulla Ceili CD, if its the same group, I had totally forgotten about the CD, and will have a listen. I picked up the “Peacocks Feathers” from that CD, which we now play in the W/S session
BenS
What is “Swedish style Death Metal”? Never heard of it.
very nice… but not surprising given that the Tulla band would be about the best example you could think of… then if you look carefully at who’s playing on the clip you might work out why? Some guys called Martin Hayes and Andrew MacNamara, whoever they are… 
PS. surprise ending to the set there… comis-chef in the kitchen?
And here’s how they used to do it
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=9RBUY-Nwz0g
Now that there’ve been some examples 
- the closest thing I can think of to what Ben’s asking is an open “ceili session” that we used to attend down here. Anyone could come and play, and it always included several sets for dancers. Haymaker’s, 4 hand reel, etc. The musical director usually played the same tunes for the dancers every week. We didn’t know the tunes when we first started as newbies to the music so we just followed along (by ear) best we could till we knew them.
There were no notation sheets. I’ve never seen anyone use notation in a group setting.
I have seen, in performance groups for a step dance troupe, some use of sheets on stands for the musicians. I don’t know what was on the sheets though - likely set lists say with first few notes of each tune to remind them of what was coming next.
If you look closely near the end of the Tulla Quartet video you can see what they did there to know what tune to change to. The box player called out the Kesh before they launched into it.
I can’t imagine a seasoned player using notation to play a set of tunes.
I think if you try to use books of notation in a performance setting and make that known, you will get players showing up who need that, and if so, I would be concerned that any possible nyah of your ceili band would go out the window unless there are enough strong players to override the resulting frequent rhythm problem of players who can’t yet play the music the traditional way.
I would instead make a cheat sheet with first few notes, to use for practicing, before the event, until you have the changeovers between tunes down in memory.
(Since its possibly kind of obvious that I compiled a tune book, I’ll just say that my own use for notation is to help commit a learned-by-ear-tune into my heart by transcribing, and also to study for reference how a great player approaches a tune. I personally do not use notation to learn or play a tune. I will pull a book off the shelf to check on how O’Neill, say, ended this or that tune, etc.)
Hope that’s helpful!
If you look closely near the end of the Tulla Quartet video you can see what they did there to know what tune to change to. The box player called out the Kesh before they launched into it
…if that’s what he said then they didn’t take much notice of him, sounds like three times round Battering Ram (three parts), only twice round Tatterjack Walsh (two parts), then the nod goes into the first part only of Cook in Kitchen isn’t it? Choas abounds. 
first part only of Cook in Kitchen isn’t it?
aha! shucks, never get those titles right unless I write em down. Cook, Kesh,… 
I have seen it once, at a small Ohio Celtic festival a few years ago. It was quite dire.
We did use limited notation to help rehearse our ceili band this spring – I wrote out all the odd bits, pre-planned variations, and transitions from our sets to help get everyone on the same page musically. But it was always after the fact – we’d work up the stuff in rehearsal, then I’d go home, work out what we were playing, and write down the tricky bits. I think less than half the band actually used the music, but as lesl says, writing it out was useful for me.
Hello,
Paddy O’Brien (Offaly) leads The “Doon Ceili Band” here in Mpls/St. Paul.
You might check out their “Around the world for sport” recording.
Brian
The thing is you have to do what works for you.
I came a bit late to the Traditional Music scene and didn’t have a miss-spent youth to learn tons of tunes and I didn’t develop my ear learning skills over time. My sight reading skills are much more developed. I also have been struggling with pre-menopause for the last 2 years, and my brain is mush, so memorizing has become increasingly difficult. I have to use sheet music to start me off. Then I can launch into expression and variation on the fly.
Good musicains are not determined by weather you use dots or not. It’s about the sounds that come out and if you make the dancers or listeners happy.
There are many old piper’s tales about the choice between sounding good to yourself or to others but it is about feeling good in the end isn’t it?
I know that people try to limit the ‘bothersome no talent’ factor by applying certain restrictions like dots and singing and other stuff but I have seen many talented people put off by ‘Session Nazis’ imposing Draconian rules that in the end kill sessions.
A world class musician was overheard in a workshop saying “It’s ###### FOLK music just play it!”
Just to provide another perspective – I didn’t take up IRTrad until I was 29. Up to that point in my life, I was an ace sight-reader, memorized exactly one piece of music, and never learned anything by ear.
In the eight years since, I’ve developed a good enough ear I can frequently pick things up on the fly in sessions, and I’ve learned hundreds of tunes. Most of my friends who are serious about this music have similar tales; if anything, I am the slow one of the group.
I’m not going to tell anyone what’s right and what’s wrong in the music. But I can tell you that I’ve learned many tunes using both methods, and I’m so convinced that by ear (from a good performer) is wildly superior for me that my first step after finding a tune I like in a tunebook is to set aside the dots (permanently) and go looking for a good recording to learn it from.
great band, and great players. do look them up.
i also like the swallowtail ceili band. i am sure there is not one by the same name (mine is a copy on a tape), but i believe it is this album: http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CG_Swallowstail_Ceili_Band.html
speaking of paddy o’brien, the other, late, paddy o’brien arranged a tune book for his ceili band.
i have heard of other band leaders who led bands, but did not know the name of the notes, and when asked what a particular note in the tune was, could play it for you, but not tell you the name.
i can sight well. someone had music the other day, and i was able to play tunes i had never played before just by glancing over his shoulder. all in all, i would rather have just listened to the tunes i did not know.
it does not matter how you do it, but how you play. you better believe that a great ceili band, who can play by ear, will not play any worse if the tune is learnt off music.
i think that those who are learning irish music, and cannot learn tunes very well by ear should avoid touching sheet music as much as possible, as it can be a crutch. however, if you can learn avidly by ear, then sheet music becomes an asset.
the answer is not one, or the other, or both, but that it depends on the situation and the skills of the learner which should be used.
however, i would like to point out that learning how to play a tune is one thing, but i would never recommend to play ceili or session music with sheet music. i would go so far as to say the band members would be best served trying to learn the music at home with the sheet (if you want to use it, that is), but at practice, only use ear. if anyone has missing notes, spend the time to help them learn it.