This past weekend I played for a ceili dance – my first paying gig! I have to say that I recommend playing for ceilis. I know many people think that it cramps personal style and it’s boring – and there is that element. You can’t go off on crazy variations of a tune, and you often do a tune 10 or more times through. However, it does a great job of reinforcing steady rhythm – one of the hardest things in ITM – as well as challenging you to keep bounce and lift in your music at a fast tempo.
Plus, I think many of us lose sight of the connection between music and dance and sense of community. (sound the schmaltzy nostalgic music here) But what do you all think?
Hi Zoe,
Am pleased you are enjoying your music,
playing at a good tempo for dancers is both challenging and rewarding, it takes your playing to a different level of concentration, lots of factors involved, including the ability of the dancers present. That lift you talk of is so important, it give character to the tune, To me this is what the music is all about, it must suit the night, sometimes that can change with venue, personalities and ability, but as always if the music is good , sound and uplifting, the night will still rock for all those involved.
i am hearing your excitement,
Its a great feeling to see the faces of people having fun,
its what i live for
Keep it up
Regards
David
I think it also makes the definative answer to how fast tunes should be played. Jigs, reels and hornpipes are dance tunes and should be played at a speed the dancers can dance to. If a session goes faster than that, it is just showing off by the players and in my opinion misses the whole point of the music.
Realise most sessions here move at a slower pace than most modern setdancers want the tunes. I think I have quoted Jackie Daly before who came back from playing in Knocknagree complaining the dancers there wanted the polka set so fast he played reels instead of polkas for some figures of the set.
Our sessions are also generally slower than dance tempo. At the ceili, I had to sit out some of the reel sets, as they were way too fast for what I was used to.
We also just had Billy McComiskey play with us for a ceili last month, but the dancers had to ask him to slow down his polkas!