Why is traditional Irish music all identical ?

turnikett1 · 16-01-2016 11:14AM

As a trad. fiddler and box player myself I can concede that a lot of it most definitely does sound the same. Given that the majority of trad. tunes are played in the same 4 keys (and their modal relations), played to the same sets of rhythms/dances (jigs, reels, polkas, hornpipes, slides), and that there are 1000s upon 1000s of different tunes, it's only a matter of time before all the different combinations of notes get played out.

There are some tunes for example where the difference between them might only be a few notes in various bars. But they are different. All of them. Some of them wholly different, some of them barely different. It's the little nuances and subtle differences in tunes that makes tunes great, and it's the personal expression and interpretation of that tune from a player that makes it even better.

If you listen to trad regularly you can easily pick out different tunes. But what you're saying can be said about any genre. I've heard people say all metal sounds the same, all pop sounds the same, all rap, etc. Anything can come across as "samey" if you're not familiar with it.

suicide_circus · 16-01-2016 11:34AM

Like jazz, trad takes effort to understand and get into if you didn't grow up with it. I didn't grow up with it and have put no effort into understanding it therefore I am not into it. Its highly repetitive but then many music styles are. That sort of trance like state you get from African tribal type rhythms or techno or that Indian style beats which lend themselves very well to modern dance music.

keeponhurling · 16-01-2016 12:09PM

Wonder if this is the first of a series.

Looking for the the "why does rock/pop/jazz/opera all sound identical?" threads

Stealthfins · 16-01-2016 01:02PM

Try listening to uillen pipe players,ok you have Davey Spillane,he's very freestyle and progressive.

Eugene Lamb would be more your classic traditional players.

I prefer the more classic sound rather than the modern sound.

16-01-2016 03:42PM

Herb Powell wrote: »

Martin Hayes is a genius, was lucky enough to be on sound desk duty for a performance of his at a local theatre. Wow is all I can say.

Couldn't agree more. Martin Hayes is world class by any standard. So, too, is Zoë Conway, even if she is much younger. Heard her a few years ago with the ineffably refreshing Iarla Ó Lionáird in the stunning acoustics of Dundalk's 13th-century 'Green church'. Watch that space.

Why is traditional Irish music all identical ?

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