[Harp-L] "gussing" in an Irish Trad Session

["Aongus MacCana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Irish Trad sessions in Pubs and the like are fairly informal with maybe up
to ten guys on a variety of instruments banging away. Nonetheless joining in
without being invited can meet with a hostile reception. It is not unknown
for a bunch of players who play regularly together to tune their fiddles up
to a key that will mystify and discourage any would be "gussers"

As for knowing whether you are playing in the right key, you can't hear
yourself in a live session against fiddles and button boxes unless you put a
finger in one ear. I am sometimes nervous about doing this in case the most
adjacent musician may take it as an insult and hit me a clatter.

Beannachtai

Aongus Mac Cana