Irish traditional music etiquette

Join in how?

Join in the singing and or dancing ? Or trying to join the musicians?

Partaking in the singing and dancing would be fine. Trying to get "on stage" with the musicians not so much. Not unless you were invited.

You are there to enjoy the atmosphere and comraderie. Not show off.

Singing was all I meant. Yikes. It would be nice to be able to ask a question without getting one's head bitten off.

We were in a pub in Bundoran and one of the fiddlers was a tourist from France. Ask to join in, then enjoy the evening and the hot whiskeys.

Inbsig, I did not find the reply you got to be "biting your head off." You need a slightly thicker skin when you post on the internet. Not only does printed text lack affect, but anyone who replies cannot know things you did not detail (i.e. ... Getting up on stage.) A newsboard reply is not an evaluation of your worth as a human being.

Inbsig you asked a question. I answered it. Your interpretation of the reply is misguided as was my reply.

If you'd provide clarity on your part as in " is it okay to join in the singing while enjoying Irish trad," instead of a general emphasis on joining in my answer would have been a simple yes.

I haven't yet been to Ireland, and am trying to find out what a traditional music session is like, socially, and perhaps whether there are different kinds. If anyone would care to respond along those lines, I'd appreciate it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_TheGgFWI

You go, you listen, or you talk. Sing or dance. You enjoy a pint.

As a google search for "Irish session etiquette" shows, this is a complicated issue, and there's no cut-and-dried answer. (Which means it's not a silly question to ask!)

Basically, a true session (I've been to "sessions" that are actually performances by bands, and that's a different thing) is a social gathering of musicians who mostly know each other and who meet regularly. There is no "stage" - just people sitting around in a pub - but that doesn't necessarily mean that just anyone is welcome to join in. As with any other social groups, different sessions have different unspoken "rules" and dynamics, and different attitudes toward welcoming newcomers and outsiders. If you're not sure what you're dealing with, watch what the people around you are doing, and if you're still in doubt, ask someone - but don't assume that what goes for one session goes for all others.

THANK YOU, kh! That's exactly what I wanted to know.

Google is amazing. I use it all the time, very helpful for just about everything.

Some folks may have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today. We answer questions a lot that can be easily found by Googling. Heck, a lot of times Googling leads you to posts here.

I attended one session in which 20-30 musicians were performing in a big circle and others joined in or dropped out from song to song. There were a bunch of observers around the periphery. They all seemed local (I don't remember any instructions to newcomers or anything, but there may have been, it's been a few years). Also, this wasn't in a pub, but in the basement of some building in a residential-ish area. I haven't thought about this in ages. I think we found this through Rick's guidebook, back in 2002. It's the kind of thing you could happen up on back then, through the backdoor. Nowhere in Rick's guidebooks are off the beaten path like that anymore.

The people of Ireland are very friendly. If you felt you could add to the session, and you asked someone, I think they'd be happy to have you join. I wouldn't join if I wasn't sure what was they were doing or if you'd slow them down. It's amazing to watch. They seem to have intuition about what is coming next, even when riffing, but it's probably just years of experience.

This exact subject was covered in a March 2017 RS radio show. You can find it in the archives on this site.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio/programs/program-398a

celeste, I was actually trying to be helpful. A lot of people of my generation don't use Google, and since I started using it very often for so many things it has been really helpful to me. The other day I looked up Marie and Catherine de Medici because I was very confused about the two for decades... what I read was fascinating and I finally understood. I use Google all the time and thought it would be a helpful suggestion.

Perception is part of the problem when people label someone as grumpy, snarky, unfriendly... Don't assume negative intent when it isn't there.

Susan - I said the exact same thing in response to my post that got called snarky the other day, suggesting that the OP search using the grey search field at the top of the page. It's a thing that many new people miss, don't realize it's there, and I was really trying to be helpful. And I really wasn't trying to accuse you of snark, although I know that's how you read it. Sorry! I should have separated the comments as the first part was referencing an earlier post more than yours, really.

Thanks for the clarification celeste... : ) Re your post on another thread, way too many people on this forum accusing others of snark when it isn't. Your suggestion of the Search box is helpful imo, lots of people don't know it's there.

The issue with joining in on the sessions is that most of us tourists don't really know the songs no matter how good of musicians we (think we) are. :-)

I did experience one late session where the leader asked if anyone in the audience wanted to play a song or sing (after everyone had quite a lot to drink!). Three or four people raised their hands and each in turn was allowed to lead for one song with the rest of the musicians following along as best they could. It was a fun way to close out a session. But I have never encountered that anywhere else.

Good point, Mark. Thanks to all who described their own experiences. I will tread very carefully.

I was sitting near the circle at one informal neighborhood gathering in Cashel and got handed the bodhran (drum) at one point! That evening was one of the most memorable of my trip. But I didn't participate until I was invited.

When in doubt, I look around and do what most everyone is :)

Wow, Melissa! That must have been thrilling.