If you’d like to take part in Ceilidh Experience but want to know a bit more about what you’d be doing and playing, how it works and what you might need to do to be ready for it, here’s some tips.

The two most useful things you can do in advance of the course are:

Go to a ceilidh
Listen to some ceilidh dance tunes

Go to a Ceilidh

We know not everyone will have the chance, but if you can go to a ceilidh somewhere before the course starts, you’ll get an idea of what you’ll be playing for. There’s usually some on around the region and check some web listing to find out where. Around our region you could try www.unicornfolk.uk/shall-we-dance/.

If you can’t get to a ceilidh before ethe course starts you’ll still be able to get a lot out of the course as there will still a good introduction to what playing for dance is all about.

Listen to some tunes

To listen to some tunes, visit www.thesession.org Although the site says it covers Irish Tunes it does in fact cover a lot more and is a really good resource for starting to look at tunes. Later on, you can use it to look for tunes that you might want to play for the ceilidh – the only criteria is that it is suitable for dance.

A dance set may include more than one tune, but played to the same beat or rhythm, so the dance continues even if the tune changes. That means you have chance to play more tunes!

Here’s some useful examples of the types of dances and their tunes that you can look at and listen to. Just search for the tune on tehsession.org

These tunes are just examples – to get familiar with the types of tunes, and not to learn in advance of the course. Don’t worry amount music notation – just listen to the tunes. The notation is just extra information if you want it and if it helps you understand the tune.

Dance/rhythm type and tune

Jig - Irish Washerwoman
Hornpipe - Off to California
Polka – Jenny Lind - second setting, or Egan’s Polka
Reel – Wind that shook the Barley
Slip Jig – Peacock follow the Hen
48 bar Jig – Cook in the Kitchen
Waltz – The Water of Tyne

These versions of the tunes are just the way one person chose to play them. There can be a lot of other ways. The most important thing is to just to listen and get a feel for that type of tune and dance.

You’re not expected to learn any of them before the course starts. They could be used on the course if a group chooses them, but there will be others to choose from thesession.org or the tutors’ suggestions.

How the course works

The first session is an introduction to very basic dance/movement, because as a player you need to get the feel of what you are playing for. Don’t worry about being a dancer - it very simple moving to the beat and phrases, to help with your understanding of what and how to play for dancers.

You’ll then split into two groups – a melody section and a ‘rhythm section’, and explore one tune that everybody can play, in small groups or as one ‘big band’ of everyone on the course.

In later sessions you’ll be in small bands, choosing tunes and practicing playing as a dance band. Each band includes tune players and accompanying/rhythm section players.

Playing the tunes and accompanying

Dance music is all about Rhythm – in a sense the notes don’t matter. If you can familiarise yourself with the tune types it will give you a deeper understanding of playing for dancing.
Basic tempo for Jigs, Reels, Polka, Hornpipe typically at 100bpm (beats per minute).
Tune players don’t necessarily need to play tune all the time.
Tunes can be adapted to a player’s standard.
The band and the tutors can also create harmony parts to add interest or to simplify the accompaniment.
Simple parts still make a huge contribution to the overall sound and rhythmic drive.
We are not expecting anyone to do solos.

If you have any further questions, please email education@stables.org

Ceilidh Experience: Further Advice for Participants