I’m new here, and new to traditional Irish music as well, although I’m being introduced to it, trying to learn to play it, and love it!!
I was wondering if anyone could lead me to a good source of public domain traditional irish melodies, that I could work on writing from or with?? Trying to learn to write traditional-style Irish music, or what goes into it, and I think adding backup music to already existing melodies may be a good way to start wouldn’t mind some advice on that either. Books, or cds, etc???
Also I suggest just reading as much as you can here, to get a flavor for the tradition and how people feel about it, and what they argue about.
There are lots of tune transcriptions on the internet, but I am not going to point you to those. That is because I think if you want to find out about Irish Trad music you should do so by listening, not by reading. That may be a big difference compared to the music you’ve done before.
About your thought that “adding backup to already existing melodies” would be a good place to start: The amazing and fascinating thing about Irish Traditional Music is that it is originally and essentially single-line music. Meaning that melody, harmonic structure, rhythm, variation, everything is packed into the single melody line. For this reason many people believe that back-up never adds anything to Irish Trad music and often detracts from it. Others disagree. But the debate is undoubtedly an important part of the flavor of Irish Trad and you’d want to find out about it.
To understand it, I think you’d want to go back to older recordings (or recordings in the older style), and that means mostly unaccompanied fiddles, pipes, flutes, boxes.
What Bloomfield says about listening as opposed to reading is quite right, however I AM going to point you to a site. Listening is great if you are surrounded by music and musicians but if you are in reletive isolation then the dots are a blessing. Just remember they are only guide, and listen to lots of great players. Again the honourable Bloomfield is quite right to point you towards solo instrumentalists, they are more traditional and easier to learn from.
Didn’t realize that about everything being included in one line, very very interesting! I’ve always loved listening to a solo instrument anyway, so I will definately find this enjoyable.
I’ll check out all the links and threads…thanks
And, having some music to go by probably would be a helpful bonus, as I am in some isolation. But hopefully I’ll be able to find some good recordings, too; I’m wanting to work more on my ear anyway.
A little OT, but for an institution with the resources and history of Boston College, their ITM offerings are pretty pathetic. How difficult would it be in Boston to find someone willing to come teach pipes, accordion, singing, etc. ? They could have an ITM program that rivaled Cork or Limerick, if they chose. It doesnt seem like it would even cost that much, since you could use a couple of the PhD’s from the music faculty to oversee the program, and get local traditional players to provide the tuition for a nominal fee. Probably wouldn’t be that difficult to entice some teachers to visit from from Ireland as well. Oh well, I guess it’s just easier to have a GHB band and call it irish.
jd
JD, I only mentioned Boston College (and the only reason I’m aware of them) is because they do provide some of the services you mention, and released a 2 CD set of some of their shows, including Paddy Keenan, Robbie Hannan, Jerry O’Sullivan:
Boston College Irish Studies Program Celebrates Gaelic Roots, Kells Music KM-9514.
Huh? I’m not sure where you get off spouting this crap. True, the ITM program at BC doesn’t rival Cork or Limerick by any means, but all your examples of what they ought to be doing are things that they are already doing and have been doing for many years now. Local trad players providing tuition? Seamus Connolly and Laurel Martin (fiddle), Jimmy Noonan (flute/whistle) and perhaps others have been doing that for quite some time. Visiting teachers from Ireland? How about Micheal O Suilleabhain (pianist and composer) and Phil Coulter (okay, maybe not a great example there) who have been visiting professors in residence at BC for a semester or more, and student fellowship winners like Paidraigin Caesar (harp) who have been in residence for a year at a time. And that’s not even to mention the Gaelic Roots summer school program (sadly now ended), which for a decade brought over a dozen of Ireland’s best musicians to Boston College to teach for a week each June.
I guess all this news never made it out to you in marysville CA, j dasinger. But you shouldn’t be talking disparagingly about things you obviously know nothing about.
