I cut my musical teeth on these way back in the 1980s playing with the Glenfarg Elastic Band. Basically, a music session is when a group of musicians get together, usually in a bar, usually without any music and they simply play each others favourite tunes.
They are a fantastic opportunity for players to learn new tunes in a friendly atmosphere, and most importantly, learn to play with others.
The music is often traditional Scots or Irish but extends to many other genres. A typical session might include tunes such as these below. Note that these keys may not be the ones chosen by the lead players! Mandola players tend to choose different keys to fiddlers and mandolinists:
Three fantastic sites where most of these music scores come from are The Session : The Tunebook and Nigel Gatherer. I recommend them all.
Hornpipes
The Boys of Bluehill / Harvest Home
Trumpet Hornpipe / Sailor's Hornpipe
Galway Hornpipe / Off to California
O'Carolan
Southwind / Lord Inchiquin / Planxty Irwin / Fanny Power
Reels
Drunken Piper / Rakes of Mallow
Mason's Apron / Fairy Dance / Staten island
Flowers Of Edinburgh / Pu'in Bracken
St. Anne's Reel / Drowsy Maggie / The Ale is Dear
Maid Behind the Bar / Father Kelly's Jig
Polkas
John Ryan's Polka / Dennis Murphy's Polka
Marches
72nd Farewell to Aberdeen / Barren Rocks Of Aden /
Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle / Earl Of Mansfield
Jigs
The Jig O' Slurs / Banjo Breakdown / Stool Of Repentence
Blackthorn Stick / Roaring Jelly(Smash the Windows) / Rakes of Kildare
Kesh Jig / Morrison's Jig / Scare O' Tatties
Tripping Up the Stairs / Maid on the Green / Going to the Well for Water
3/4
Miss Rowan Davies -Phil Cunningham
Margaret's Waltz / Midnight on the Water
Others
Stirling Castle (Strathspey)
The Hut on Staffin Island -Phil Cunningham
and a good selection of songs too. See elsewhere on this site for a list of songs and tunes in order of popularity.
Current sessions in Fife are held in:
| weeknight | where | frequency | time | contact | comments |
| Monday | |||||
| Tuesday | Sands Hotel Burntisland | last each month | 20:00 | solo spot sessions | |
| Wednesday | Stag Inn Falkland | every week | 21:30 | ||
| Wednesday | The Burns Tavern: Leslie | every week | 20:30 | Geo. Fisher 07813 987519 | |
| Thursday | Staghead Hotel, Largoward | 1st and 3rd | Tom Hall 01333 330092 | ||
| Friday | The Plough Inn: Star of Markinch | every 2nd | 21:30 | ||
| Saturday | |||||
| Sunday |
Leave a comment or a new session or a set of tunes you play!!
Sands Burntisland - last Tuesday each month
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