☘️ Session Etiquette

The sessions in Valencia are friendly and welcoming—and we love to see new faces!

If you’re joining for the first time, it’s always a good idea to listen for a while and get a feel for how things are done. When you’re ready, just ease yourself in—everyone’s there to enjoy the music together, and it won’t take long to find your place.  And the videos at the bottom of the page are useful.

🎻 New to Irish music? How Sessions Work 

  • Regular players build up a shared bank of tunes over time. 
  • To get an idea of the tunes frequently played in Valencia sessions, , then a great place to begin with is the tune lists on the Slow Session webpage and the Trad Sessions webpage (scroll down to entry for Max Max bar)
  • Tunes are usually led by a melody player e.g. tin whistle, flute, fiddle, banjo, concertina and uileann pipes.
  • Tunes are usually played three times each, and in sets of two or three.
  • The most common session tune keys are D, G, Em and Am.
  • You’ll hear a wide mix of reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, barndances, airs and more.
  • You might hear someone call “hup!”—that signals a change from one tune to the next within a set. If the leader is on flute or whistle, expect a nod or glance instead.
  • Sessions are fully acoustic— amplification not needed and generally frowned on. An exception might be the session host / lead melody player.

🎶 Joining a Session for the first time?

  • If you’d like to start a tune or sing a song, just ask—or wait to be invited in. We’re a friendly bunch, we’ll never refuse you!
  • Keep an eye (and ear) on the person leading and follow their tempo. Resist the urge to speed up, it’s discourteous. When your turn comes to lead, you can set the tempo!
  • If you don’t know the tune, you’re very welcome to play along—but keep it quiet and find your way in.
  • If you start a tune and others aren’t joining, it’s best to wrap it up and move on.
  • Please consider your level of ability. If you have never played or accompanied Irish tunes before, a good place to start is the weekly Slow Session. There are also tons of videos on YouTube that teach the differences between reels, jigs, polkas and other tune types, and where you can learn to play or accompany common session tunes.
  • When a person sings, please give them your attention, it’s a tradition! And if you’re heading to the bar, best wait until the song is finished 😉

🪕Guitarists, bodhran players and other accompanists!

  • We love accompaniment! -it adds great depth and ‘lift’ to a session
  • HOWEVER! where two or more bodhran, guitar, bouzouki players etc are in a session, it’s appreciated that accompanists make the effort to compliment each other rather than ‘doing their own thing’ (or alternatively take turns playing their guitar, bodhran etc).  
  • Melody players vs Accompanists – look around and note  how many melody players are in the session at any given time and adjust your volume accordingly.  Remember, without melody players, there would be no session!!  A good accompanist listens closely to the person leading the tune and matches their tempo, volume and rhythm as much as possible.

🤝 Good Session Manners

  • Be courteous and aware of those around you.
  • Don’t make negative comments about anyone’s playing
  • Please don’t clap along.
  • If there isn’t space, it’s best to sit nearby and listen.
  • If someone steps away briefly, don’t take their seat!
  • Let others have a chance to lead on tunes—don’t dominate the session.
  • And do tune up beforehand—sessions can be noisy, and fellow musicians will gladly lend you a tuner.
  • It’s perfectly fine to ask tune names or record audio for learning.
  • Videos are a mixed bag—some mind, some don’t—so use a bit of judgement.
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❤️ At the Heart of It

Listen well, be sound with the people around you, and enjoy the music.
That’s what makes a proper session—and sure the rest will follow. 

Some useful videos!