I have found that little kids don't recognize a lot of old kids' tunes.  But they love it if you play the Sesame Street theme.  

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Originally posted by Humbled by this instrument

​Try and play at least a few tunes which the banjo player likes.  Otherwise he can get real surly.

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Good point, Humbled.   There is nothing more frustrating than spending a lot of time learning a good crooked tune that is going to be jam buster and all of you regular jam buddies just sit and don't even try to play along.  Not only that, but after you play it at several jams, you realize that they have no intention of Ever playing along with it.  I know a few tunes like that and I've resigned myself to the fact that I should just enjoy it at home.  

The O-T folks I could jam with are really WAY beyond basic and well-known tunes. I may NEVER catch up unless a learn a "common" tune every day to get to where they are. They fall over their fingers trying to do Cajun, though, and I have maybe 130? 140? so it all works out.

​Okay here're my current "Must Learn" tunes.  A few of us have been hired to play a wedding and the bride wants these played

"Roxanna'a Waltz"  (I hit backspace to erase a mistake yet the whole part just goes up to the former line!!!!!!  i"m leaving it!!)

"I Will," by the Beatles

"Ripple," by the Grateful DeaD

And some classical sounding tune, somepin like "Taco Bell's Cannon Indeed," which has a great chord progression, very nice actually.

"Drowsy Maggie"--and what happened to my text size?

Anyhooooooo.  When you're hired, you play what your customer wants.  I like all these tunes, btw., so that helps.  "Roxanna's Waltz" rocks.

y\  ((I hit "I Will," bu

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Originally posted by fiddlepogo

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Originally posted by DeamhanFola

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Originally posted by fiddlepogo

any traditional tune in "Riverdance"
 

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That's a contradiction in terms, IMO. 

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Touche... after looking carefully, the tunes are about as traditional as the tunes in Fiddler on the Roof are traditional klezmer.... which is to say, NOT.  Probably for the same reason- more money to be made with copyrighted tunes.

Oh well, I had it comin' on that one... I was STRETCHING!

However, I still think if there is even ONE tune in there that's maybe of the quality of Ashokan Farewell, it could be performed... perhaps with a little patter about it not actually being traditional at all! Sort of like I do about Ashokan Farewell not being a Civil War song, in spite of having been in "The Civil War" soundtrack.

 

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With all due respect, there are loads of tunes played in Riverdance over the years that are legitimately from the traditional repertoire.  They are just played in Riverdance style.  Knowing which ones are the trad tunes is the trick. 

Back on topic, sorry, I don't play Old Time, but I can list a few Irish tunes.  Some of the most common are the best, IMO.

Tarbolton set (all 3)

Morrison's Jig

Knocknaboul Polkas

Miss McLeod's

Maid Behind the Bar

Wise Maid

Cooley's

Cup of Tea

Boys of Malin

Bonnie Kate

Jenny's Chicken's

Pride of Rathmore

Girls of Farranfore

Bucks of Oranmore

Maids of Mt. Cisco

Gravel Walks

The Old Favourite

Out on the Ocean

And there are some that transcend Genres so much that they are overplayed.  Like Jig of Slurs and Atholl Highlanders.  Still great choons though!

Edited by - amwildman on 07/15/2012 21:06:32