There is a sociologically-oriented book by an English writer on the
contemporary British session scene where he defines a folk session
as a regular meeting of mostly amateur musicians who get together
to play tunes with 8-bar structures. I thought, youch, that last
bit sure hit the spot.
What exceptions are there? I can think of:
- the "irregular" piobaireachd, which are often *very* irregular
and certainly not session material (try "Grain in Hides and
Corn in Sacks", I dare you). And isn't always clear whether
a piobaireachd is in 8+8 or 6+6+4.
- some possibly-piobaireachd-related old harp pieces, most of
the surviving ones being Irish, of which the only popular one
is "Give me your hand".
- tunes with tailpieces derived from a song refrain, like "The
Black Jock".
- the ballad air "Lord Gregory", which is in 7-bar phrases.
- a few rather obscure songs like "Fee him, father, fee him".
- a few arty pieces from the early-to-mid-18th century, the
only one commonly played nowadays being (Carolan's?) "The
Princess Royal".
Are there many more? Do we need to start a Movement for the
Preservation of Scottish Tunes In Funny Sizes?
Other places have many more - French songs come in all sorts of
odd forms, and the English broadsides of D'Urfey's time were
equally heterogeneous, though it's not clear how far they were
reflecting folk tradition in this.
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