Applause

A delight to the session musicians heart. Not as much, though, as a free meal and a free beer.

Bar

The deskless office of the session musician. Flexible schedule are usually from 19:00 up to the time when no one around is in any condition to listen to anything. Mostly the football fans.

Bodhrán

A kind of vertical drum which the player keeps on his/her lap. It very much resembles the Lappish drum.

Bouzouki

Extra-long mandola.

Free pint

Not necessarily a pint or even beer, but always free. A glass of water, a cup of coffee is a free pint. Well, sort of.

Free drink

The main source of income for the irish session musician. Some call it the musicians tax-free gig petrol. Some don't drink alcohol but most do. Oh lala!

Hat

Passing the hat around is a way to round up the musicians meager tax-free bonus. Buttons and smiles are not to be considered as substantial a bonus as many coins and banknotes. Credit cards not accepted.

Irish festival

Yearly holy pilgrimage trip for the session musician that he/she would not miss. Helsinki musicians go to Oulu, and Oulu musicians er... stay in Oulu.

Jam session

Free music event where anyone can freely participate, as a listener or as a musician, singer, etc... The main difference with a gig, is that sessions are very relaxed and laidback events, with no pressure of any sort. The idea is to enjoy oneself. However, you'll hear mostly instrumentals rather than songs during sessions. But again, who knows what's going to happen?

Languages

In the Helsinki session you can hear and talk many languages like Gaelic, Welsh, French, Swedish, Russian, English of course and, well... Finnish. Come down and try!

Last piece

Always the second last piece. Often Auld Lang Syne, Whiskey in the Jar, or The Fields of Athenry. Never ever It's a Long Way to Tipperary.

Light signal

The occasion for the session musician to play one more piece and then one more again, and then a few more. The name of each piece is then always the last piece.

Mandola

Big mandolin.

Mandolin

Er... short mandola.

Name of the last piece

The last piece is quite often called gan ainm. In Gaelic, that means that no one remembers its name. We've all forgotten the name, but we all enjoy the show.

Pause

Word unknown to the session musician, though every one has to go for a short lawfully authorized walk toward the bar. Just for a walk.

Public request

At any time during the session, anybody is free to politely ask the musician to play his/her favorite piece. The session musician is then free to say he/she does not know the piece or that he/she cannot play it. The session musician is free as well to cheekily lie through his/her teeth and at will.

Practice

Experienced musicians don't practice. They just play. The session musicians are very, very experienced.

Salary

Cf. free drink.

Session

Cf jam session.

Talk

Irish session musicians don't easily talk. But they play, and a lot. Nobody is perfect.

Uilleann pipes

The Irish bagpipes. How it works is not obvious to anyone, except probably to the piper himself, although he never speaks about them. He just plays them. Don't bother asking him. Come down to the session and have a look yourself!