Newbie's Guide to Joining Sessions

Trad Irish Music
1

I thought I might compile a list of do’s and don’ts for joining/enjoying local sessions. This list is based on my experience plus comments I have heard on this group. If other wish to add items or ideas please do so. I meant this to be funny so if there is anything offensive let me know, and I will remove it.

So you’re interested in learning more about Irish Traditional Music? Wonderful! You are already half-way to being a star player! Well actually not, but I didn’t want to discourage you right away. Learning ITM is much like learning a language. You will need to learn many things, practice as much as you can, and try to get as much interaction with local experts as you can, so you learn the accent.

Or perhaps you already play an instrument, watched some Irish Rovers (or equivalent) as a kid. You have heard some of the tunes and have marvelled at how simple they sound. So now it’s time to find a local group of ITM musicians and impress the socks off of them. After all, the tunes sound really easy right?

Either way, you may decide you want to join a session. But before you rush off and take the plunge you may want to consider the following points that may make your time with the session more rewarding and fun.

  1. If you are shy it may help if you know someone who can introduce you to the group? Perhaps you have a colleague who plays a strange looking set of bagpipes, and likes to sit rather than march around? Or someone who seems to favour a six-finger grip with their pen? They may be aware of a local ITM session (They may even be a member…) If so they may be able to smooth the transition for you.

  2. If you know of a local session, you may want to just go and listen to them play. Do they seem friendly? Is this the music you would like to play? Is the price of beer at the local pub where they play suitable to your pocketbook?

  3. So you take the plunge and walk up to the group, instrument in hand, and ask if you can “sit-in”. It is best to do this before the session begins so you are not interrupting, and everyone gets a chance to become acquainted. It is also a good time to ask the group what kind of music they play. Some are strictly ITM, while others might tolerate or even enjoy other kinds of music. Imagine if you made the faux pas of playing “The Boxer” with a group that strictly did Sean Nos? Not only would the song not fit in their genre they would be offended you even thought Paul Simon was Irish–not a pretty position to be in. It’s better to ask ahead of time.

  4. Look around the group. Most groups have a few natural leaders who have gained the respect of the group, either by their ability to play, or by their devotion and willingness to sit on various commitees and organize social functions. If you have just joined this group chances are extremely high you are not a member of this elite–no matter how well you play and what your ego may tell you. You are best off waiting for the others to realize how good you are. You may want to play quietly at first, just in case you are not as good as you thought.

  5. Irish tunes are simple–deceptively so. This means there must be a catch, otherwise people would not devote their lifetimes to learning how to play ITM. One factor is speed. Jigs and Reels sound slow, but usually it is just the skill of the musicians that makes the tune sound easy. Try tapping your foot to the notes (not the beat that the bohdran player is making but each note). Include the ornamentation in your tapping. Changes are your foot will get tired really quickly. I know mine does.

  6. Ornamentation is negotiable, wrong notes usually are forgiven, but be very cautious about messing up the beat. Are you a classically trained musician whose repetoire went heavy on Brahms or some of the other Romantics? You may have lost the ability to keep a rock-solid beat. You will need to work on this–or go into Sean Nos.

  7. Saying that ornamentation is negotiable means you need to negotiate it with the group. This usually means hearing how the group likes to play a tune and fitting in. You could suggest variations, but this might best wait until ofter the session when you might get a change to chat with a few of the other players. They may either adopt your suggestion, or they may point out some aspect of a particular tune that you might not have considered. Or they might just say that ornamentation is a matter of personal taste and leave it at that.

Any comments/suggestions or other points to add?

Brian.

2

I would add that, unless you’re an experienced session player, it’s best to watch/listen a few different times before asking to join in. Not only will you have a better idea of the session dynamics, but chances are the players will have noticed you there and thus be more willing to say yes.

Redwolf

3

I assume you meant “Chances are…” :wink:

I would maybe think about addressing the issue of the number of musicians in the session playing the same instrument as Johnny Newcomer. If I walked into a session and saw that there were already two other whistle players I may try to introduce myself to them as well and ask if they mind me playing along. Some groups have a thing about too many of one instrument playing at the same time… some don’t. The last thing you want is to start playing a tune and have another whistler shooting lasers through your head with his/her eyes… I’ve also seen the whole group just stop and put their instruments down in disgust if too many are playing. This goes quadruple for bodhran players… if you come to a session with a bodhran and expect to play then you better get to know the other bodhran player(s) and work out something so that you aren’t playing at the same time.

4

How can there be too many whistles (unless some are out of tune)? :boggle: I was in a large jam at the GMHG once and 50 whistles played “She Begged for More”. It sounded great!

Add bones to the bodhran comment.

Don’t even think of playing spoons!

5

In our area, we are VERY fortunate to have two “slow” sessions a month.

These are the perfect place for beginners.

In this case, the “slow” sessions take a tune and play the different sections (“A” “B” C") and go over them several times until people start to feel comfortable, then they go through the entire tune several times at a gradually increasing pace.

I’ve told the couple that leads these events that they deserve a place in music heaven. Their response was that their motives were completely selfish because it means that the quality of the playing at the regular session every month is a LOT better…

6

We have those as well. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann sponsors both a strictly slow-play, beginners’ session (at which tunebooks may even be used) in a non-public venue and a moderate session at a local pub (first half hour strictly slow play, after which whoever calls the tune may set the pace, with respect for beginners encouraged). Tunebooks are discouraged at the pub. Both sessions are very welcoming to newbies.

That’s another good bit of advice…if you’re new to an area and don’t know where the sessions might be, check and see if there’s a branch of CCÉ in your area.

Redwolf

7

In the case that I came across it was a matter of ego. There was a whistle player who used to play around here who refused to play along with another whistler because it made all of his ornaments and such sound “murky” if someone else was playing straight notes over him. He wanted control of that range. I doubt these types are very common but, I guess it’s always good to play it safe… I’m sure some of you though would like to just tell him where to put his whistle but I’m not one for making enemies if I can avoid it… they guy would have to be quite the virtuoso though to get away with that kind of attitude, he better be bringing a lot to the table.

Spoons aren’t horrible if they’re brought out once in a long while (same with bones). They do have their place but unfortunately it’s another one of those things that people pick up and think “any idiot can do this” and they do it poorly because they have no respect for what it can do when done properly… they also just get annoying if used constantly IMO. I wouldn’t say “never” though.

8

Oops! One of my favorite saying is “never say never”! :blush:

9

Stay out of sessions unless you’re confident you can participate without screwing up the rest of the group

Don’t use sessions as your opportunity to play all of your tunes; the session may be a weekly occurrence and you risk irritating the regulars.

Go to a session more than once in a blue moon and you might actually learn some of its repertoire.

If asked to start a tune, try to play something most people are likely to know; leave the complicated 7 part reels in G minor at home.

don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of your good manners.

10

Stay out of sessions unless you’re confident you can participate without screwing up the rest of the group

Don’t use sessions as your opportunity to play all of your tunes; the session may be a weekly occurrence and you risk irritating the regulars.

Go to a session more than once in a blue moon and you might actually learn some of its repertoire.

If asked to start a tune, try to play something most people are likely to know; leave the complicated 7 part reels in G minor at home.

don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of your good manners.

11

Don’t talk a lot in-between tunes. We have this one feller who shows up occasionally and he insists on mindless chit-chat in between every tune. It’s one thing to be friendly or compliment a player or a new tune but this guy insists on talking about why he likes or dislikes EVERY tune after we play it… or about how that tune reminds him of this tune… or about where he was or what he was doing when he first heard this tune… or about how he likes it better in this or that key… you get the idea. Nothing he says really adds anything to the group, just gives him the pleasure of hearing himself talk and makes for less playing time.
Also, if asked about a tune that you played which others may not have known, don’t embelish or go on a rant as if you learned the tune from Seamus Ennis himself, just keep it relevant and don’t show off because you’re not fooling anyone… don’t try and make up stuff about what a tune “means” either. We had an out of town visitor who stopped in and played Off To California (poorly) on his mandolin and then proceeded to tell the group “you see, this ‘song’ was written when the Irish immigrants were on the road to California to be a part of the gold rush and the first part of the tune has a somber feel to it because many lost family members on the harsh journey and then the B part of the song is upbeat and happy to signify them making it to CA and starting a new life”. I’ve not heard such a load of crap in my life… and I don’t know what his idea of “somber” is but the tune Off To California is anything but. I don’t know how our group kept a straight face through the whole bit… I think everyone was too embarassed for him to tell him what an ass he was.

12

These are great, especially the last one.

Caj

13

I think of it like this. If you’re at a bar and you see six or seven people you don’t know at a table absorbed in really intense conversation, you don’t just go barging in and loudly declare your opinion, do you? But if the conversation is interesting to you and you want to join in, you can do it more politely and respectfully. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing what you said just now about thermohaline circulation. I’m interested in physical oceanography myself, and …”

A session is kind of like that. It’s a social outing, and the people taking part probably all know each other. It’s not necessarily cliquish or elitist (though it may be), but if you act like a clueless, intrusive jerk, you should expect to be treated like one. Just use your social skills and be polite, and you’ll probably be just fine.

14

Don’t talk a lot in-between tunes.

See, now, my favorite sessions are the ones that are about half conversation. Those are generally more relaxed and mellow and (important!) friendly to newcomers. I don’t much care for scenes where there’s no downtime between the tunes, and everybody’s scrambling to start the next set.

15

A session is kind of like that. It’s a social outing, and the people taking part probably all know each other. It’s not necessarily cliquish or elitist (though it may be), but if you act like a clueless, intrusive jerk, you should expect to be treated like one. Just use your social skills and be polite, and you’ll probably be just fine.

I hate it when complete strangers out of the blue descent on you and join in, I would never do that myself. Mind you, sometimes things work out brilliantly but unfortunately that’s the exception.

Not all sessions are like that, a lot of them are a big free for all so it’s probably best to let your common sense (and experience as you gather it) be a guide to your behaviour.

Also remember what Harry Bradley said here at some point: if your presence is going to bring down the standard of music played, you’re a fool if you expect to be welcomed with open arms at all times.

16

I find it helpful, since I travel a decent amount for work, to make contact via email/the mustard board/here with someone at the session in advance - see if it’s truly open and if they welcome folks passing through. Even if they say jump right in when you’re in town, I make a point of finding the person I’d communicated with, listening for a while (to make sure I won’t bring the music down), and only then slipping in to play, on the periphery, quietly. You’ll know with time if you’re fitting in and won’t be obtrusive this way.

I’ve had a lot of fun playing at sessions in other cities, and we’ve had some great folks pass through our session…the key issue always seems to come down to people skills and common sense.

Eric

17

Rob, you need to mellow out, dude, and quit bringing your work home with you. But if you must, you know I’ve always wondered about thermohaline circulation myself, but with my busy lifestyle I can never seem to find the time to get into it. Could you maybe put together a brief executive summary and bring it to the session on Sunday? Four or five Powerpoint slides, max, would do it. Thanks, man. I’ll owe you one…

18

Dude, you do realize that if I do that, you’re going to have to read it, right?

19

I agree, conversation is great. One person constatly running their mouth (as in my example), and not noticing the obvious signs that nobody is really interested in his opinions is different. The best thing to do would be to feed off the vibe of the group.

20

Some good stuff has been said here. It’s important to find out if you can what the general standard of playing is at the session. On one hand, I think the majority of people at sessions are willing to let beginners come in and play a tune or two as long as they know not to play what they don’t know. If you’re a beginner and the sessions in your area are hopelessly out of your depth, that doesn’t mean that you should necessarily stay away (unless you’re a social pariah and the people at the session want you to stay away), but consider it an opportunity to listen, watch, and learn. When I lived in Dingle, I had just been at the pipes for a few months and although I could play some tunes, I wouldn’t have dared take them to a session. Instead, I just watched the three excellent pipers that happened to live in town play as much as I could and occasionally I’d ask them for advice on how they did certain things that I was observing. I found that to be very helpful. If there is someone who plays your instrument well at a session and could be recommended by at least a couple of other people, you might consider hitting him/her up for lessons if you have the means. The important thing to remember is that if you can’t play at as high a standard as the other musicians, don’t fool yourself and play along ignorantly and then get in a big huff when someone tells you that you’re disrupting the session and being impolite.

In beginner/intermediate situations, the “circle” idea seems to work well. Everyone gets a chance to start some tunes and nobody hogs the session.
At any session, there should be some sort of protocol about how the session operates. Some people like to have standard sets of tunes that they play; others just pause for a fraction of a second at the end of a tune and whoever jumps in first determines what tune gets played next. Find out what the regulars do and then go along with it.

A few other things:

For settings, defer to whatever the people at the session seem to be playing. If they’re all playing C natural but the version you know has C sharps, then congratulations, you get to learn a new version of the tune. You might mention afterwards, “That’s interesting. I usually play it like this…” and who knows, maybe everyone will like your version better and switch, but avoid any unnecessary dissonance. That’s what the accordion players are for.

No session, whatever the skill level, should have more than one bodhran player playing at any one time. If more than one shows up, work out a rotation system. If you’re thinking to yourself “Hey, my session has more than one bodhran player and it sounds fine!”, then you might want to consider attending some better sessions…A couple of guitars and bouzoukis is okay, but they should try and pay attention to one another and if you’ve got two melody players and five guitarists, forget about it.

The best way to deal with some prick that can’t play or only plays weird, highly personalized interpretations of the tunes that nobody else knows is to not even try to play along at all. Just sit there. Don’t say anything. An icy stare may be appropriate in some circumstances. If the person gets the message, then they’ll stop; if they don’t, then politely ask that person to stop. If that doesn’t work, call big Uncle Luca and da boys up in Philly…