Tune Explorer Learning and Slow Session

Are you wishing for . . .

An Irish tune session in the Portland, Oregon area that is slower than the regular public session and that includes some tune teaching and learning? Tune Explorer Sessions are weekly slow & learning sessions for musicians who are just starting to build repertoire and skill, or are building proficiency on an instrument.

This session is focused on playing traditional Irish tunes on melody instruments (not rhythm instruments or percussion).

Maybe you . . .

  • Are a beginner with only a few tunes in hand

  • Are exploring a second (or third, or fourth!) instrument and aren’t comfortable playing it yet at a zippier session

  • Want to learn tunes in a group to be sure the version you learn is the one that is played locally

  • Want to be better at learning tunes by ear and playing from memory

About the Tune Explorer Sessions

  • What: learn traditional Irish tunes and how to play them in a "session" setting

  • When: 1st & 3rd Saturdays each month, 1-3 p.m. (Arrive a few minutes early to allow time for tuning and setup.)

  • Where: 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month: Waverly Church of Christ, 3300 SE Woodward St Portland, OR 97202. The sessions are held in Hyde Hall, on the parking lot side of the building. There is an ADA-compliant lift available. These sessions include tune teaching and a slow session.

  • Who: Sessions are led by seasoned musicians including Brenda Scearcy, Jim Lowenherz, Mary Carey, Julie Zamudio, Therese Vogel, Jonathan Lay, and Karen Dale. Founded by Karen Dale in partnership with TrailJams, the sessions are now managed by Mary Carey and sponsored by Comhaltas Oregon.

  • You: have a basic ability to play your instrument and a desire to learn traditional Irish tunes and how to play in an Irish session. You do not need to be able to read sheet music. You do not need to be a "master" of your instrument, but these sessions will generally not teach you how to play your instrument.

  • Materials: All session materials including sheet music, recordings, the Tune Explorer Tunebook, and session schedule are provided. Click the link to the shared folder (below) to access them.

  • Cost: Your donation of $5 per session is requested. Pay with cash or card. (We are able to set this low price thanks to a generous grant from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.)

  • Learning by Ear - Part of the Irish music tradition is to play tunes together without sheet music, and to be able to learn tunes by ear. With that in mind, tune teaching in the sessions will be done by ear, and you are encouraged to build your skills at learning tunes by ear and playing them from memory. You may also use sheet music, especially the Tune Explorer Tunebook. Outside the sessions, you are very welcome to use sheet music for your personal study and review.

  • Tune Sources – The focus in these sessions is to learn and play traditional Irish tunes. The primary resource will be the Tune Explorer Tunebook, which has sheet music as well as links to audio recordings. Most of the tunes in the Tunebook also link to web pages on the TrailJams.org website, where there are more learning resources. The Tune Explorer Tunebook is available for free for you to download. You can view the PDF file on your device, or print it out if you wish to. (See the top of the page for the link to the shared folder that contains the PDF file.)

  • Audio Recorder - You may bring an audio recorder to capture part of the lesson to play along with later. A smartphone will work just fine. The session leader will tell you when it is OK to record.

Current Season Details & Mailing List