Have you ever found yourself mustering up the courage to go to a session only to find yourself frustrated because you don’t know any of the tunes? You’re not alone. It has happened to us all at one time or another. There are about a bazillion tunes out there and most session musicians have thousands of them in their repertoire. So how cold you possibly know which ones to play?
Though each session has a different set of core tunes, there are a few tunes that if you have in your quiver you’ll be able to play at pretty much any session. Here are some that I have heard played in almost every Irish session I’ve gone to:
- Silver Spear
- Mason’s Apron
- Star of Munster
- Congress Reel
- Bucks of Oranmore
- Lark in the Morning
- Cannaughtman’s Rambles
- Cliffs of Moher
- Pipe on the Hob
- Goat on the Green
What are your favorites?
Session Obsession 
Hi Katrina,
I was wondering if there are any common additional tunes that you may have noticed being played at Vermont sessions. I’m trying to bolster my repertoire.
Thanks,
Michael
I recommend you just go to sessions and record them. Here is another list of popular tunes: https://sessionobsession.org/2011/03/10/calling-all-musicians/
Thank you. This is exactly what I am looking for!