Hup!
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Looking to play in a session with some of the fine musicians, but still only learning your jigs from your reels?
The BBC website has a virtual session (click here) where you can play along with Michael McGolderick and friends; you can call the tunes, taking your pick from a choice of jigs, reels, hornpipes and waltzes.
It’s pretty basic actually (for example you can’t ask Michael to slow down a bit), but of course so was pong when it arrived. With some development, such a online application could provide a fantastic resource for those eager to get into the world of traditional music.
There is of course no doubt – playing in your slippers by your computer will never replace the live vibe of a session (not to mention that, for those inclined, a virtual pint of stout just don’t have the same appeal).
However what a virtual session can provide is access for those learning the basics, and such a facility may be of great interest to those in places where beginners sessions are not so readily accessible, whether they’re in certain parts of Ireland, or in the UK or US, where there is a growing interest in traditional Irish music.
Image courtesy of www.feilebelfast.com
