Chiff and Fipple Forums

OK, first off, sorry I am posting on the Irish music board, but there is no Scottish one so I have no choice!

Hoping someone can recommend a nice handful of tunes (eg 10) I could safely turn up to a Scottish pub session knowing, so that I could actually join in on whistle.

Often I sort of half know a tune, can't name it and haven't learned it becasue I mostly play at home (can't get out just now).

I do know/play a few Irish ones, but I am specificially talking about the Scottish scene here.

Mr Hadden - any ideas????

Thanks, Lucy

Hi Lucy

There is a Scottish forum Footstompin

As to tune repertoir that would depend on the session, but Irish tunes would probably be ok and you will be able to pick up the Scottish ones that are played there and learn them.

David

here is a rather longer list of tunes from Christine Martin and Anne Hughes' Ho-ro-geallaidh Books of session tunes 1 & 2:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/4239
It includes also some Irish tunes.

~Hans

Hi Lucy – just noticed this. Hope you are well. Bearing in mind no 2 sessions are the same, I’d suggest the following, in no particular order :

Calum’s Road – The Hut On Staffin Island – The Trip To Pakistan – The Banks Of The Allan – The Curlew [ 4-part pipe jig ] – Tail Toddle – Scarce O’ Tatties –
Jenny Dang The Weaver – Brenda Stubbert’s – Sleep Soond I’da Moarnin –

Good luck, Kenny

Hi folks

Thanks all for the ideas.

I have the Horo books Hans, along with many others!

Will check out that Footstompin forum too.

The list is great, Kenny, thanks.

Part of the problem for me is there are so many fantastic tunes, Scottish, Irish and others, and I just don't know what people are playing in sessions these days. I have hundreds of tunes in the house which is mind-boggling for someone with limited whistle time.

I'd like to think I could turn up eventually, whistle in sweaty paw, to a session, in, say Edinburgh, Inverness or Aberdeen and be able to play along or - heaven forbid - actually kick off a tune or two!

Luckily I do know some of the tunes on your list Kenny, from my time in at Scat!

On that note, Kenny - what sets would you recommend? I should probably have asked that in the first place.

Cheers!

Lucy
ps, awaiting a Parks Every Walkabout whistle so I can carry it around (that's a wee one that goes into 3 bits made of plastic for those of you who don't know!).

I only know a few Scottish tunes myself - Jenny Nettles comes to mind - but, if Scottish sessions are anything like Irish ones, you'll have no way of knowing if the 10 tunes you learn beforehand are played at the session(s) you'll be attending. David is right - Best to play what you already know comfortably, even if it's Irish, and learn a few new Scottish ones while you're there for next time.

Bearing in mind that every session is different, and that there can't really be a definitive answer to the original question, I thought you may be interested in the following.

A few years ago I attempted to compile a list of common session tunes specifically for people who would ask, "What Scottish session tunes could I learn?" The lists were compiled in 2004 and was particular to Edinburgh, and included some tunes which are Irish, but were common in pub sessions. At least one (Johnny McIljohn's No.1) is in the list because I have introduced it to my sessions, and may not reflect a "normal" session.

The First Ten Tunes You Should Know
Short Coated Mary
Memories of Fr Angus MacDonnell
Calum's Road
The Hills of Glenorchy
Harvest Home Hornpipe
Morrison's Jig
Spootiskerry
Willafjord
Mrs MacLeod of Raasay
Atholl Highlanders

The Second Ten Tunes You Should Know
Soldier's Joy
Tail Toddle
High Road to Linton
The Butterfly
Boys of Blue Hill
Da Slockit Light
Johnny McIljohn's No.1
Burning of the Piper's Hut, The
Smith's a Gallant Fireman
Margaret's Waltz

The Third Ten Tunes You Should Know
Miss Rowan Davies
72nd's Farewell to Aberdeen
Corriechoille's
Barren Rocks of Aden
Eibhlin
Stool of Repentance
Trip to Pakistan
Far From Home
Jig o' Slurs, The
Midnight On the Water

Nigel: Thank you for that list. And it's nice to see you here on the Chiffboard.

Just in case you're still logging in here, and see this, Lucy, I started teaching a whistle class with SC&T again last night. 13 students registered for my class, and the other 3 classes have similar numbers, so whistle-playing is on the up again in Aberdeen. The class want to learn common session tunes, played up to session speed, so what did we start with ? "Spootaskerry" and the "Atholl Highlanders" - 2 of the tunes in Nigel's "top ten". Incidentally, I think "Spootaskerry" is a better whistle tune in "A", [ although the fiddlers might not appreciate it ], and although you can play it using "normal" fingering, we had a bit of fun when I showed them how to play it in "A" by moving your fingers up one finger-hole and still playing the "G" fingering. Try it - it works. Hope you are well, Kenny.

Hi Kenny. Thought I'd tell you that when I play Spootiskerry in a gig setting, I play it in A, but I didn't think anyone else would!

Hi there

Spootiskerry, even better when you start in G then move to A gives it a wee lift doing this!

pkev