Unusual Session Instruments.
- ThomasNashJohnson
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Unusual Session Instruments.
Attended a Session in a nearby town last night, and a young lady turned up with a Djembe. First time I've ever encountered one of those. Has anyone else come across 'Unusual' instruments at a Session?
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- pancelticpiper
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
A djembe would be a bit much at an Irish session, but it works great with the Highland pipes! They're of a like volume.
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
Djimbes put off a bit of a counteractive vibe for this type of music, in my opinion. They just don't sound right in Irish trad. Good for other things, though.
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
I've seen a clarinet... Not a bad sound but a bit tough on the clarinettist as you have to add 2 sharps to everything (and most of our stuff is already in a sharp key). I have seen a djembe and thought it was OK if not played to loudly. The only problem with a djembe is that it doesn't really allow for all the nuances a bodhran can provide.
Pat
Pat
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
- ThomasNashJohnson
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
It was fairly unobtrusive last night, but the player insisted on playing the same accompaniment more or less to every tune.
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
I went to my very first session last night and there was a young woman playing a Ruan. I smiled at the international thoughts .. American with a Ruan playing Celtic music ..
- Nanohedron
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
We've had a Hurdy Gurdy player show up to our session once. Luckily hers was tuned to G and she was smart enough to stay out of the tunes she couldn't play. Another time we had a didgridoo(sp?) player....he scared off our piper!
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
You'd be hard pushed to beat Dan for "unusual instruments in Irish music". Sorry, the clip is quite quiet.
http://youtu.be/xVv4Z_mYi38
http://youtu.be/xVv4Z_mYi38
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
On a lot of german bal folk festivals there is a strikt ban of djembes in sessions and actually at the whole festival
But I had some sessions with people playing the melodica. In Eindhoven (NL) it was gipsy guitar, ukulele, whistle, melodica, ocarina, some percussion and a tea box bass
But I had some sessions with people playing the melodica. In Eindhoven (NL) it was gipsy guitar, ukulele, whistle, melodica, ocarina, some percussion and a tea box bass
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Kristof
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
@Kristof Where have you seen ocarina players? Besides myself and Jack Campin, I'm not aware of many serious trad ocarina players.
The ocarina is my main instrument, and I've been playing at a few sessions recently. It's very difficult to play irish music well. The pitch is highly unstable and is verry hard to control with the speed this music is typically played. The lack of range is also a big problem with the typical D to b range, a 10 hole in D gives you D to g, which works for some tunes, often with a lot of note substitution.
A pacchioni-system double, featuring note overlap in the chambers may be manageable, tuned in D would give the high A and B.
I see it being more suitable for other traditions with smaller note range, commonly bagpipe music from several traditions. A 1 hole G has almost the same range as 'swane style'/'english border'/french pipes. They will also fit all GHB music, though it's much easier if the C is tuned to c#, effectively swapping two holes.
The ocarina is my main instrument, and I've been playing at a few sessions recently. It's very difficult to play irish music well. The pitch is highly unstable and is verry hard to control with the speed this music is typically played. The lack of range is also a big problem with the typical D to b range, a 10 hole in D gives you D to g, which works for some tunes, often with a lot of note substitution.
A pacchioni-system double, featuring note overlap in the chambers may be manageable, tuned in D would give the high A and B.
I see it being more suitable for other traditions with smaller note range, commonly bagpipe music from several traditions. A 1 hole G has almost the same range as 'swane style'/'english border'/french pipes. They will also fit all GHB music, though it's much easier if the C is tuned to c#, effectively swapping two holes.
- Kristof
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
I don't know if he's trad., but Hans Houkes builds and plays them in The Netherlandsrobehickman wrote:@Kristof Where have you seen ocarina players? Besides myself and Jack Campin, I'm not aware of many serious trad ocarina players.
Here is a video of him building and playing one:
http://youtu.be/MkUdIJiutec
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
Someone turned up at a session I used to go to in England with a metal clarinet in G.....unusual version of an unusual session instrument
Ian
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
at one local session we have the melodica, what a strange sound, cheap reeds I would guess and the plastic body doesn't help much.
At another session we have dobro, rather two, though one hardly ever plays a note..
At another session we have dobro, rather two, though one hardly ever plays a note..
- stiofan
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Re: Unusual Session Instruments.
Ok, this isn't at a session, but definitely out of the ordinary for ITM...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEk-gj0douk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEk-gj0douk