There is no bandleader at a proper Irish trad session, no set list, and often no fee. Musicians gather around a table, usually in a pub, and play tunes from a shared repertoire that runs into the thousands — jigs, reels, hornpipes and slow airs passed largely by ear rather than from sheet music. A newcomer might notice that the whole thing seems to run on unspoken rules, and it does. This is Guide № 009 in The Love Ireland Guide series.
In this guide
- What a Session Actually Is
- A Tradition Younger Than It Feels
- The Instruments You’ll Hear
- The Unwritten Etiquette
- Finding a Real One
- Myths Worth Retiring
- Frequently Asked Questions
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