Hello all. I will soon be joining up for regular sessions, and I was wondering if there are any little tidbits of advice anyone could offer. I will be learning 5 songs from each major “style” of song (air, jig, etc), and making sure to memorise them, and play them with ornamentation, not just being technicially proficient with them. I’ll be brushing up on ornamentation techiques, and I’ll ask my teacher what techniques I should learn for the songs they’ll likely be playing.
Whistlerroberto 
Hi there. I love this sort of question. First off, don’t bother with the slow airs. Stuff like Star of the County Down you can probably just pick up on the fly.
The jigs, reels, and hornpipes are tunes, not songs.
Listen before you join in. I assume you’ve met the musicians. Wait to start a set until asked (chances are they will ask you to start a set, so have one ready; don’t just play one tune and stop). Doesn’t matter if you play very little first few times.
One last thing: Don’t bring a loud whistle, esp. not a Susato. Oak or Generation if you can handle it, Sindt or Humphrey if you have it, Burke narrow bore is ok also. (just suggeestions, of course.)
Have fun.
Don’t bring a loud whistle, esp. not a Susato.
Wouldn’t that depend on the session, especially the size? When I first started coming to my session, I was using my trusty Oak…almost no one could hear me…especially as the session grew beyond all bounds (sometime nearly 20 people…and one lone whistler against a slew of fiddlers, guitars, and of course a bodhran player? No luck…the people sitting next to me could barely hear me…I could barely hear me!)…I got a Susato and everyone’s been really happy with it (myself included).
Most important? Enjoy yourself…be relaxed and have a great time!
~Crysania
Michael Eskin has tips on session etiquette and some suggested songs to learn. The rules are for one particular session, but first time session goers would do well to read them. You seem to know a good deal going in, but others reading along may appreciate the following info.
from
http://members.cox.net/eskin/acoustic_expressions.html
THE MUSIC
We will be playing tunes in traditional Irish dance styles such as reels, jigs, slip jigs, slides, hornpipes, and polkas. Other styles, such as bluegrass, old-time, and Scottish are discouraged.
Traditional Irish dance style means that tunes are played in unison, with no melodic improvisation other than ornaments. Prospective players are encouraged to seek out and listen to groups like Altan or the Bothy Band for examples of seisiun style playing.
INSTRUMENTS
The early seisiun is intended for traditional Irish melody instruments only.
These instruments include: Fiddle, flute, pennywhistle, low whistle, Uilleann pipes, button or piano accordion, concertina, guitar (melody flatpicking), mandolin, bouzouki/octave mandolin, and tenor banjo.
Non-traditional instruments (such as saxophone, recorder, or trumpet) are not allowed.
There will be no guitar or bouzouki backup or bodhran allowed in the early seisiun without special invitation from the seisiun leader.
TOUCHING INSTRUMENTS
Please do not touch or play other player’s instruments without their permission. Musicians can be very protective of their instruments and some are easily damaged.
TUNING
All players are expected to tune their instruments before the seisiun and to keep them in tune. If you need to retune, please do during the breaks between tune sets, and get help if you need it. Be sure to tune to any fixed pitch instruments such as pipes or accordion. Most mass-produced pennywhistles have tuning issues. Whistle players are strongly encouraged to have a tunable whistle before they start playing in seisiuns.
STARTING A TUNE
Seisiun leaders will start most of the tune sets. If you’d like to request a particular set of tunes, or would like to start a set, please ask the seisiun leader.
NO ‘NOODLING’
If you don’t know the tune, either very quietly work it out while staying in time with the music or you are unable to do so, just sit the tune out. A simple guideline is to play the tunes you know and don’t play the tunes you don’t know. Do your practicing at home, not at the seisiun.
USING WRITTEN MUSIC IN SEISIUN
While useful for initially learning tunes at home, the use of music books or sheet music during the seisiun is not allowed. Irish music is primarily an aural tradition.
TEMPO
As a courtesy to the other players, please play the tunes at the speed started originally, don’t speed up or slow down. This is extremely important for an enjoyable seisiun.
RECORDING
Players are encouraged to record the seisiun and use the recordings to learn the tunes! Recordings made at the seisiun are for your own personal use only.
CHILDREN
Children are welcome and encouraged to actively participating in the seisiun or listen to the music. Any families with unsupervised children will be asked to leave.
RESPECT OTHER PLAYERS
Please don’t carry on conversations while others are playing. If you need to talk to someone, go to another part of the room.
Always be courteous to the people around you.
Most important of all - have fun playing, and enjoy the music!
GOOD TUNES TO LEARN
REELS
Merry Blacksmith
Cooley’s
Cup of Tea
Tom Billy’s
Hunter’s Purse
Gravel Walk
JIGS
Banish Misfortune
Lark in the Morning
The Kesh
Morrison’s
SLIP JIGS
Kid on the Mountain
Snowy Path
While some of that is good, please do consider that not every session is quite so strict. Ours certainly isn’t…we’ve had nontraditional instruments there; some people bring music (though those that do are not obtrusive about it), we break into bluegrass, Old Time, or American tunes sometimes; we have songs; backup players are quite welcome; people do “noodle” around a little bit (though it’s usually quietly and rather unobtrusive).
In other words go to YOUR session and learn what is acceptable and what is not at YOUR session. If after a time you decide to go to another session (or visit another one), find out what’s acceptable there. Each session is different. Some are more strict, some less so. You just have to figure out where the people at YOUR session are on the spectrum.
~Crysania
Yours is perhaps the best approach, to go and find out and perhaps just listen first time or two. However, first time session goers would do well to read and consider the guidelines for Michael Eskin’s local session. Being old school traditional will not get a newbie tossed, while crossing the line at a traditional session will have many regulars wanting to do so, even if no one has the nerve.