Multiple opportunities to play or just listen to Traditional Irish Music in Central Mississippi.
The tradition in Irish music is aural which is to learn by ear. Budding musicians would learn by listening, watching and being present with experienced players. You should find a recording of a tune before you ever attempt to play it. If you can hum it you’ll have a much easier time learning it and once you’ve learned a few tunes you’ll notice patterns which then makes it easier to learn more tunes. At a session, tunes are typically played in sets of three.
Music stands and sheet music are not used at Irish sessions. In a pinch, digital devices can be used to look up a tune and play along (e.g. using the Folk Friend app or thesession.org). If you don’t know a tune at a session, feel free to record it on your phone so you can learn it later. Practice listening carefully, and you might be able to pick it up by ear after hearing it a few times! It’s very common, even for advanced players, to not know some of the tunes played at a session, so don’t feel bad if you can’t always play along. A session isn’t just about playing, it’s also about the craic — the good times. The cadence (and soul!) of Irish tunes doesn’t come through in the sheet music so it’s imperative to LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN!
Regular Weekly Irish Session (lively tempo) will take place on Mondays at 7pm at DULING HALL in Fondren. Duling Hall is located in a gorgeous 1920’s building complex which used to be an elementary school. it is attached by an interior hallway to Saltine Restaurant where you can order food and beverages to go to bring down to the space. there is ample parking on the street and in the lot behind the buildings.
Free Irish Group Dancing with Jackson Irish Dancers is also on Mondays at 6pm at Duling Hall– before the session
The Last Saturday of the Month Session at The Bean in Fondren is at 11am in the back room and is geared for moderate tempo learners.
A Super Slow Session will follow at 12.00pm just for true Beginners. We’ll publish a tune that will be taught at the super slow session every month. The tune for November 29th is Britches Full of Stitches in the key of G.
RESOURCES
OUR NEW FAVOURITE!! FolkFriend.APP
This is a web app that allows you to record a tune as it’s being played to identify it and then will bring up the sheet music on your device.
The Session.org
The Session has an archive of tunes, sets and audio, with sheet music in standard and ABC notation. There are electronic audio recordings of most tunes which includes a slider to adjust the tempo. There are also listings of active sessions around the world for when you’re traveling!
Our friend Melissa from Mind the Dresser has created some tune sets on the site- you can access them HERE
Tune Supply/ Session Tunes – Started during the pandemic when all musicians lost their livelihoods overnight. Trad musicians based in New York Caitlin Warbelow and Chris Ranney created Tune Supply as a way to help other musicians via online concerts & teaching and started a virtual session on Youtube with some of the best Trad musicians! Check out their website, which has a fantastic searchable database of tunes played on youtube during those sessions.
The Academy is a great way to start to learn tunes and pick up tips for various instruments.
YouTube: No introduction needed – seek and ye will find. Be selective!
Irish Traditional Music Archive ITMA
A hugely important source of tunes and collections
Comhaltas promote traditional Irish Music and culture across the world. They sell tune sets books that are nearly mandatory learning!
(Many of their sets can be found on YouTube. Don’t forget- you can turn the speed down on YouTube)
