A great resource here hosted by a friend of mine in the S.E. Qld folk scene
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Thanks for posting this, Tony!
It looks interesting and is a good subject for many of us who still have to make this step! I know I have to in the upcoming weeks.
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Good stuff. I anonymously authored the post about music and mood quite some years ago now. It was very sad and poignant reading John Thompsons post about sessioning as he passed away a few years ago. He was an amazing person and is sorely missed by many.
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Now I have two posts already I will start with 
You say “Hope to jam with you soon around a campfire!”
Would be great! I’ll drill a hole right through to you on the other side! 
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From the sessioners post on social media…
We’ve had an influx of new people to the Brisbane Saturday Session, so I’m feeling inspired to write a new post for the first time in 5 years. During that period a lot’s changed in technology, social media and the lives of the core session group - but not much has changed about our session philosophy. So there may be some repetition here, but since I’m not expecting new sessioners to sift through old posts, I’ll try to make some key points in this one.
Sessions vary around the world, and the culture of any regular session is created by its members. The Brisbane Saturday Session is consciously inclusive and welcoming - we just want people to enjoy making music together.
The main question we’re asked is ‘How does it work?’ closely followed by ‘What are the rules?’ They’re kind of the same question. The guiding principle is respect. All the ‘rules’ spring from the idea of respecting one another and individually doing our best to ensure everyone has a good time. In the interests of succinctness and at the risk of sounding didactic, here are some dot-points to help with this:
· Keep chat for between songs. The session is mostly about connecting with other people by making music with them. It’s great to get to know your fellow-sessioners by having a chat, but if someone starts a song or tune, please press pause on the conversation. You’re very welcome to migrate away from the session table (to elsewhere in the bar, or wherever) and come back when you’ve finished your talk. Do bear in mind that if you have a seat at the table, other musicians and singers may be keen to fill it while you’re absent. If you intend taking a long break from the session, surrender your seat or invite someone else to keep it warm till you get back.
· Lead songs other people can join in. Not a hard-and-fast rule - the occasional party piece is fine - but it’s a session rather than a performance space. Popular choices include chorus songs, songs with refrains or call-and-response lines, songs everyone knows, or songs with simple chords that are easy to follow and/or improvise against. Think about arranging the song with one or more instrumental breaks, to give musos an opportunity for soloing.
· Take turns. Ours isn’t the kind of session that goes around the table with everyone
offered a turn – we rely on people to jump in and lead a song when it feels right. Sometimes many song leaders are champing at the bit for their turn, other times the song leaders are few. If you’re a confident song leader with a big repertoire you’re eager to share, it can be hard to hold back. It’s a good rule of thumb not to lead two songs in a row. Be observant – if you see someone else looking keen but timid, feel free to encourage them.
· Have a go. This point is for you if you’re the keen but timid one. We’re all friends here, and we all remember what it’s like to be an inexperienced sessioner bravely putting your song forward. We’ll help you out any way we can. Be definite about beginning your song, loud and clear. Stand up if it helps, or get people’s attention by speaking before you start playing your introduction. The same principles apply if you’re going to sing unaccompanied.
· Don’t noodle. We’re all looking and listening for signs of the next person wanting to begin a song. If you’re noodling around on your instrument, we’ll think that’s you, and wait politely for you to begin. It’s tempting to use the quiet space following a song to experiment with the riff from the last one, or just to get in some practice – but please don’t. That space is there to coax out the next song.
· Know what you’re doing and commit to it. If you’re going to sing from memory, that’s brilliant. If you’re going to use a songbook or your phone, make sure your ‘aide memoire’ has the words and/or chords you need. Set it up in a way that allows you to breathe and project, and doesn’t get between you and your audience. And commit to leading the whole song. The reason for this point is that often a newbie will excitedly throw themselves into leading a song with the help of their phone, then realise a. they don’t actually remember the tune, b. the words on their phone aren’t the words they know, c. the phone only has the first 2 verses of a 6-verse song, d. the chords on the internet aren’t ones they know how to play, e. etc. The whole thing collapses, energy dissipates and people feel let down. If you have a plan and commit to it, other sessioners will back you up no matter what goes wrong and you’ll win through. But if your attempt is half-baked, you won’t get the same support and it probably won’t be a good experience.
· Be kind. If someone does make the above mistake (or any other), be kind. People of all ages and abilities are welcome at our session, and for a range of reasons ideals of social judgement and respect may not always be met. Show grace and patience. If someone’s doing something really annoying or potentially dangerous, feel free to enlist the session captains in managing it. But that’s quite a rare event. As as general rule, ordinary courtesy, compassion and empathy are all that’s needed to make the session work for everyone.
And that’s it, really. There are plenty of posts on this blog about fine-grained issues like how to choose the right song for a particular moment, sensitive use of percussion, whether and how to memorise your repertoire, and so on. Sessioning is a craft - some would say, an art - and if you’re keen to improve your skills, do read more.
Also there’s nothing I welcome more on this blog than (respectful) comment and debate. You may like to compare the Brisbane Saturday Session with how sessions are run elsewhere, or reflect on your own experiences and techniques for participating in sessions. You may passionately disagree with a point being made in a post – for example a recent thread in The Ballad Tree on Facebook, about the desirability of memorising lyrics, ran to over 370 comments! So long as the tone remains thoughtful, respectful and constructive, this kind of discussion is thoroughly welcomed here.
And you are thoroughly welcome, to this blog and to the session. Enjoy!
Personally, I prefer jams where it goes around in a circle with every member being given a clear idea of when it’s their chance to lead a song.