Irish Session Etiquette

[Gretchen Priest-May]

From
http://groups.msn.com/TraditionalIrishMusic/sessionsetiquette.msnw

What is a "Session"?
An Irish "session" is a gathering of musicians (often taking place in a public venue) for the purpose of playing music together.

Playing in a good session can be fun, invaluable playing experience, and a great chance to improve your music--all at the same time. Good sessions can produce some of the best Irish music in the world, and they can do so for hours on end--under the right circumstances.

There is a popular misconception that "The Irish session" is meant to be an open forum, where anybody who can come in off the street is welcome to participate and learn to make music at the same time. In reality, while some sessions may be such open forums, this characteristic is not intrinsic to "the session" itself, and it can be a big mistake to incorrectly assume that it is.

In reality, Irish sessions are much more like other casual social gatherings than they are like open forums. Often, sessions are groups of friends getting together for a few tunes, and not as an open invitation to everyone to come and play. People who come in off the street will usually be welcomed, but they may be met with a certain amount of circumspection until they demonstrate their ability to "play well with others".

Here are some of the bigger mistakes that will alienate your fellow musicians at a typical session (in no particular order):

* Playing a percussive instrument poorly, out of turn, too loudly, or generally outside the taste of the other musicians. A good rule of thumb here is: "one bodhrán and/or guitar/bouzouki at a time". More than one will often clash, irritating the melody players. In Irish music, the melody is FAR more important than the backing, and backers who assume otherwise can quickly become session-pariahs.

* Joining a group of unfamiliar musicians without asking, or without being invited. This is especially important if you think your presence might change the existing dynamic in a way that the musicians don't want it changed. The quality of the music is often what determines how much fun people have. If you ruin their music, you are probably ruining their fun too.

* Playing when you don't really know the tune. It's usually ok to do so very quietly, but... be careful! Your wrong notes may distract, and irritate, the person sitting next to you.

* Starting too many tunes without consulting the other musicians. It's generally a good idea (especially at an unfamiliar session) to ask the other musicians if they'd like to play a tune before you launch into it. This helps you make sure that you won't be doing something antisocial by starting a tune that the other musicians don't know or don't want to play.

When someone does one of these things at a session, it makes everybody feel uncomfortable. While it might be nice (especially for beginners) if the other musicians would politely inform you, this is difficult to do tactfully, so this isn't usually what happens. Instead, the other musicians are more likely to simply feel irritated and leave it at that.

In general, remember this: If you're not organizing the session, you are a GUEST, and all the same social guidelines apply to your "visit" that would if you walked into someone else's party. Just as you can alienate people by crashing a party and being rude, so too can you alienate them by crashing their session and being rude.

For a more extensive (and unapologetic!) look at the typical Irish session, see Barry Foy's book: Field Guide to the Irish Music Session.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570982414/o/qid=939668103/s...

George Keith

--End Quote


Additions from Franko:


Additions that I might have for the more advanced session:

* waiting on people to hunt for sheet music. This also goes for playing backup from sheet music if you don't already know the tune. A quick peek might be OK, but staring at the changes on a page, erm, no. Especially if another chorder might already have the changes down pat- but be too polite to start in. Irish trad is fine without chords and percussion at all. It is not a lacking to be bodhran/chord free. It is purely melodious!

* going around in a circle. I know that there may be times when it is done to keep down incidents of "Starting too many tunes without consulting the other musicians." But I'd rather have the session more organic.

* bodhranists/ chordal players might need to be reminded that other players will often wait until player A stops playing chords before starting up on their own. Knowing glances from current player to prospective player also work. Sort of a "come hither look" "ya wanna take a turn?"

* as this is primarily for our own enjoyment (ain't no paid gig), if we digress into a conversation now and then, that is OK. I just hope it stays somehow relavant- either about someone we know, upcoming shows, a recent trip to Ireland, your latest musical acquisition, etc. On the other hand, politics and American football are not probably not OK.

[Gretchen Priest-May]

From Julie Mavity-Hudson

"Gretchen has asked me to post the following Monday "Advanced" (or maybe
"not beginner" is a better term) Sessions at the Fiddle and Pick at
7:30. Of course everyone can come and listen, and jump in on tunes they
know well. Rhythm instruments take turns, only one bhodran plays at a
time, stuff like that. You might hear some new tunes to learn. (these
are the 2nd and 4th Mondays in case you can't figure that out : )

February 23
March 9, 23
April 13, 27
May 11
Closed Memorial Day Weekend
June TBA

The Saturday sessions will continue on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 4
p.m.
"