Slightly OT: Developing your ear - the Aha! moment

Whistle
1

Had an “Aha!” moment last night.

I’d just received the “Wooden Flute Obsession” set and was giving it a first listen-through, when I heard a tune that sounded familiar.

“Hmm,” I said to myself “That sounds like Joanie Madden playing.” I picked up the the liner notes, and sure enough, Track 5 of CD 2 was taken from Joannie’s A Whistle in the Wind.

I’ve a long ways to go with this, but it appears my ear is improving - it wasn’t the tune itself as the way it was played (and wasn’t Joannie playing this one on a silver flute?) that stuck in my head.

I’ve far still to go - but this was a very encouraging milestone on the road.

Anyone else have a similar “Aha!” experience?

2

Well I certainly surprised myself when I was able to pick off the tune from the beginning of “Castle in the Sky” from the DVD. It’s not a complicated tune, but at least I now know I’m not tone deaf. :laughing:

3

I have joked about this on other threads. I would like to get beyond the Aha, of recognizing the tune and getting the dang name in my head beyond “Oh, its the one that goes like…”

There can be so much variance tho in the way a tune is played. A good example is Drunken landlady. I have heard Liam OFlynn play it as this very upbeat reel with a basic tonality of G Major at its heart. Other bands play it as a much more minor tune. If you could turn off all harmony and effects, they would probably sound very similar, tho.

I guess this is where the session would come in most handy in the sense that you could live without playing the first few times then come in when your fingers and brain came around to the realization that you did know the tune after all, even though it sounded so different.

4

I have name issues too. It’s really embarrassing when I play something; someone asks what it’s called; and I have to do the “er…em…well…I dunno” thing.

Just the other day, I was listening to a “Celtic Christmas” CD (yes, I know it’s way too early, but I’m trying to learn a particular hornpipe, and that’s the CD it’s on) and heard a jig that I’ve played a jillion times…but couldn’t remember the name of. The jewel case and liner notes for that CD have long since been lost , and it was driving me crazy, so I finally pulled out tune books and played through every jig I know until I discovered the “culprit” (it was “Saddle the Pony”).

Redwolf

5

Saddle the Pony. . .close your eyes and think of the first phrase (ba-da-da-da-DAH) and picture a guy hefting a big saddle up and onto the pony’s back. the next phrase (ba-deedle-dee-deedle-dee) has the pony capering about, objecting to the saddling…

Its one of the tunes that I have so clear a picture in my mind that I can’t seperate the tune and the name…another is Maid Behind the Bar. . .I can see her with her rag frantically wiping down the bar, pouring drinks, etc.

6

I’ve decided that it’d be nice to know the names of tunes, but since I learn most tunes entirely by ear and never write the notes down, BUT can only learn the name if I see it written with the notes, it’s just too much trouble. I look wise and nod knowingly when others say the name, though… :smiley:

7

For LESSER KNOWN tunes, reels: When in doubt, say “It’s Tommy People’s Reel” If they disagree, say, “Its Sean Ryan’s Reel.”
if its in A minor, says “Its the Knot in the twisted knotted Haycord” (they might catch on if you say Bank of Ireland.)

For slides, always say “Dennis Murphy’s” If they disagree say, Oh, its “O’Keefe’s” If yer really desparate. say, Its Julia Clifford’s.

For Hornpipes, say Oh Boys of Bluehill. If not that say, Murphy’s. if that doesnt work, say, Oh its one of the Sailors Hornpipes.

Polkas: Knockabout, Knocaboul, Knockabowl with infinite # designations. Or, say Dennis Murphy’s again.

For slip jigs, you can always at least try “Give Me a Drink of Water.” I coutned three of em last time I checked, except one was The Swaggerin Jig. Yeah, right!

Not sure for jigs tho. They seem to actually have specific names. It’s shocking. :laughing: Oh, except there are at least three “Clare Jigs”

If you think I’m making this up, check the indexes to Breathnach’s books, the part where he put English names amidst the Gaelic. I think the gaelic might have said, "Considered a variant of ------ " Well, you know, Tommy People’s Reel. [/b][/u]

8

Joannie’s playing her Miyazawa silver flute. Noel Rice is also playing a silver Boehm flute, but you’ll probably have more trouble picking that out. No other trick questions on the CD, though. There’ll be some wooden Boehm flutes on WFO volume 2 ( http://www.worldtrad.org/WFO2_CD2.htm )


Kevin Krell

9

I’ve had a number of Aha! experiences. About nine years ago, I remember listening to a song on CD at the local Borders store, and humming it all the way home so I could try and replicate it. The song was “The Southwind,” on a Joanie Madden CD. Unfortunately, the melody I pieced together is not the one most people play, but my version is beautiful, and I still call it “The Southwind” :slight_smile:.

My current Aha! experience is learning ABC notation. Melodies come to me, wafting in. ABC is a good way to capture the essence very quickly, without fussing with the microphone and trying to get the levels right to record. I can also do ABC at the beach or other places. My songwriting is moving to a new level because of it, I can feel it.