I recently started playing whistle, and was wondering if people here could recommend some of the best session tunes to start with (basically, the ones that come up most often when you are playing at a session). So far, I have started with “Drowsy Maggie”, and would like to learn “Toss The Feathers” next. What other tunes would be best for beginners to learn?
Hi and welcome.
I’ve moved your thread here from the ITM forum. Because even though you’re looking for “generic” session tunes, the fact that you’re learning them on whistle can make a difference. For example, the two you’ve mentioned so far - Drowsy Maggie and Toss the Feathers - are not especially beginner-friendly in terms of either fingering or the kinds of ornamentation needed to play them authentically, and I wouldn’t normally recommend either one to start.
For generic tunes, you can look at the “Popular Tunes” list at The Session, based on the tunes most added to members’ tunebooks there. And the first few pages are definitely all session standards.
http://thesession.org/tunes/popular
Another good source are the Fionn Seisiún books/pages from Comhaltas:
http://comhaltas.ie/shop/detail/foinn_seisiun_book_volume_1/
http://comhaltas.ie/shop/detail/foinn_seisiun_book_volume_2/
I always feel it’s not right to approach tunes like there’s some codified, fenced off territory of ‘session tunes’. You play the tunes you like when socialising with friends. There may be a body of tunes you have in common, given a shared background and age-profile, but they would more likely be tunes popular when you were all learning.
Commercial publications of ‘session tunes’ or ‘beginner tunes’ may give you a different impression but if you look at them really, they were originally filled with popular tunes that were lifted off new and popular recordings at the time of publication (or simple tunes you would have learned at school). Tunes everybody would know to hear in other words. From the 1970s on, new publications just recycled a large portions of the tunes published in earlier publications and so created a reservation of tunes that were popular from the 1970s onward, with a large body still stuck decades ago.
The result of this approach is that there is now a body of good tunes that are fenced into the ‘beginner’s’ enclosure and have become tunes so often mistreated. I would argue it’s a much healthier approach to learn tunes you like, tunes that catch your attention, lift them from your favourite record or where ever you find them and enjoy them. After all, at this point nobody is going to thank you for starting Drowsy Maggie in the expectation the company will happily join in.
Wise words from all the above.
It’s also worth mentioning/bearing in mind that there is not one ‘session repertoire’ - even if it is a focussed ITM session you’re looking to get into there is a wide variety of what are considered the standards.
Add to that the unfortunate fact that some sessions attract a proportion of people who will passive-aggressively make it quite plain that a ‘standard’ or well-known tune is far too common to be worth their while even listening to, rather than condescending to play … With the result that it becomes a series of flashy performances, rather than a session, but that’s another well-worn discussion for another thread/time/beer.
If there’s a particular session you want to get into, go along, sit at the back, and have a listen - pick up what tunes that session has as its core repertoire, and don’t be embarrassed to discreetly ask ‘what that last one’ was (and if you’ve unfortunately picked one of the aforementioned passive-aggressive types, ask someone else next time). Then learn a couple of them in time for the next session, and hope they come round again. And whilst waiting for the ones you know to come round, pick up another couple.
If you know (or can get to know) players who’d be happy to get together in between times to go through some tunes at a gentler pace and repeating them more often, grab that opportunity with both hands; not only will you get extra practice playing with other people (which is very very very different from playing at home on your own), you might well also make an ally who will deliberately start that tune you’ve been learning in the next session.
Thanks for all the advice! 
I know there is no specific session repertoire, so that is why I wanted to ask what tunes other musicians have seen come up more often. I love to play with other musicians, so I wanted to get a few tunes down that would be most likely to be known by musicians at a session. There is a pub that is a short walk from my house and they have sessions there on Thursdays, and I’d like to join them when I’m confident enough in my playing.
I chose “Drowsy Maggie” and “Toss The Feathers” to start because those are my two favorite instrumentals. I’ll look for some better starter tunes from the links provided. Any other recommendations or advice are welcome!
The best advice I think you’ll get is to go down to your pub on Thursday nights, and just listen. Maybe record, if they’re amenable. Then you can choose to learn tunes you like that you know will be getting play in your session. Don’t rush it — just enjoy the journey!
As a beginner myself, I had been perusing the tunes on the BBC Virtual Session, trying to learn those that I like the sound of. But it looks like they just took down the website. Arg!
It’s still up, but archived. Here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/
Can you get in, though? Nothing happens when I click “Click Here to Join.” I just made sure my Flash player is up to date, and it is.
Ah … Sadly, you’re right. Sorry.
But please see my PM to you (to follow).
Try this link, It works for m.e
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/swf/02.html
Ah, that’s close, Stu. What you really want is the main menu:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/swf/folkmenu.html
Good find.
Yeah I think that was the last tune I was playing along with, 
it has a small range of tunes but some quick tempo ones likeFoxhunters and slower tunes like Fanny Poer which are ideal for learners. Another great resource apart from the Fionn Seisiun books which MTGuru mentioned, are the mp3 downloads http://www.amazon.co.uk/Foinn-Seisiún-Traditional-Irish-Session/dp/B002HXA4JK. I often find myself playing along at home to these. I have two volumes and highly recommend them.
Jeez, Peter… you couldn’t have read my mind better if you’d tried!
Thanks Stu and MTGuru!
I credit learning tunes that captured my interest with how quickly I’ve grown my skill level on the flute and whistle. I may sit out most of the tunes in a session, but honestly I’d rather play “Farewell to Erin” well than struggle through crap like the Kesh jig or the Butterfly.
I’d rather play “Farewell to Erin” well than struggle through crap like the Kesh jig or the Butterfly.
The ‘session’ or ‘beginner’ tunes that have been worn down are worn down because we have so often heard them murdered by not (yet) very competent players. In the right hands they still have the quality that made them popular in the first place. They’re good tunes when treated properly. And as such there’s nothing against playing them, even though I think they should be taken out of the beginner’s enclosure for a while and maybe be allowed a bit of recovery time. I would also suggest Farewell to Ireland, or any other tune, is just about as tedious when rolled off like a string of notes without much nuance put on them.
Sometimes it’s good, and a nice challenge, to go back and see if you can put life back in the most tired of tunes: Drowsy Maggie
I started frequenting my local session scene about 4 years ago. After attending almost every week, listening by ear week after week, I’ve managed to learn maybe 80% of our session repitoire, some confidently, others are a mere noodle. It will take time to learn what’s in your local area, but with patience and persistence you’ll know what gets played.
Definitely take the Session.orgs most popular as a hint of things that most sessioners will know, but not play often due to preferences and boredom (doesn’t mean that they aren’t great tunes though!) also, as a general reference, the Comhaltas recordings on their Fionn Seisuin albums have a lot of popular tunes played in a session-like way. You can find that on iTunes, at least that’s how I found it! It might be difficult to learn at first since every instrument is blended together, but I’m sure you’ll find a version out there of a tune you might like and learn that version instead
PS: I have my own “master tunes list” that I just add through the years that I can PM you if interested. I won’t subject other chiffers to the wall of text!
Some people seem not to have noticed that when …
… he was giving links to pages from which the tunes can be downloaded without payment.
And thank you Mr Gumby. I have just got round to learning that tune.