Make an Irish & Bluegrass Session Tune Book
Build a printed tune book for sessions and jams. Reels, jigs, hornpipes, breakdowns — organized by type, key, or set so you can flip to the right tune in seconds.
Why Print a Session Tune Book?
Phones kill the session vibe
Nothing breaks a session faster than five people staring at screens. A printed book sits on the music stand — open, ready, no distractions.
Find tunes instantly
When someone calls a tune, flip to it by chapter or table of contents. No scrolling, no searching, no "hang on, let me find it."
Your repertoire in one place
Stop collecting loose printouts and dog-eared photocopies. One book with everything you play at sessions, organized your way.
Perfect For
Whether you play in a pub session or a bluegrass jam circle.
Pub session players
Build your session repertoire into a book you bring every week. Organized by tune type so when someone starts a set, you can join in.
Bluegrass jam circles
Fiddle tunes, breakdowns, and standards. Keep your jam repertoire in a spiral-bound book that lays flat on a music stand or knee.
Students learning tunes
Build a book as you learn. Start with easy tunes, add chapters as you progress. A physical book is easier to annotate with fingerings and bowing marks.
Session organizers & teachers
Print copies for everyone at a slow session or workshop. Everyone plays from the same book — same key, same arrangement, no confusion.
Chapter Ideas for a Session Tune Book
The best organization depends on how you use it at sessions. Here are proven approaches.
By tune type
Most commonReels, Jigs, Slip Jigs, Hornpipes, Polkas, Slides, Waltzes, Airs. The classic way — matches how tunes are called at sessions.
By key
Set buildingD Major, G Major, A Minor, E Minor, A Major. Group tunes by key so sets flow naturally without awkward key changes.
By tradition
Multi-traditionIrish Trad, Old-Time, Bluegrass, Scottish, Cape Breton. Useful if you play in sessions that cross traditions.
By set
Ready to playPre-build your favorite sets as chapters: "The Silver Spear / Cooley's Reel / Farewell to Ireland." Flip to a set and go.
By difficulty
LearningSession Starters (easy), Core Repertoire (intermediate), Challenge Tunes (advanced). Great for learners building up.
By speed / energy
Session flowSlow Airs & Waltzes, Medium-Tempo Jigs, Fast Reels & Breakdowns. Matches the natural arc of a session evening.
Where to Find Session Tunes
Free and paid sources for Irish, bluegrass, and old-time sheet music.
The Session (thesession.org)
FreeThe definitive Irish trad tune database. Thousands of tunes with ABC notation and sheet music. Print directly or download as PDFs. Community-sourced settings and variations.
ABC Notation archives
FreeHundreds of tune collections in ABC format. Convert to PDF using ABC tools, then import into MakeMySongBook. Search for "session tunes ABC" to find archives.
Fiddler's Companion / TuneArch
FreeEncyclopedic references of fiddle tunes from Irish, Scottish, and American traditions. Great for finding tune histories and alternative names.
Bluegrass Fakebook collections
Free / PaidSearch for "bluegrass fakebook PDF" or "old-time fiddle tunes PDF." Many community-shared collections of breakdowns, reels, and standards.
MuseScore
Free / PremiumLarge community library with Irish and bluegrass arrangements. Download as PDF. Filter by instrument — fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, flute, whistle.
Build Your Session Book in 5 Steps
From scattered tunes to a single book you bring to every session.
- 1
Collect your tunes as PDFs
Download sheet music from The Session, MuseScore, or ABC converters. Export from notation apps (MuseScore, ABC Explorer). Scan handwritten tune sheets. Aim for one tune per page for easy reading at sessions.
- 2
Upload to MakeMySongBook
Drag and drop all your tune PDFs into the builder. Multi-page tunes (like variations or medleys) are handled automatically — they'll always start on a left page so both pages are visible at once.
- 3
Organize into chapters
Create chapters by tune type: Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, Polkas, Breakdowns, Waltzes, Airs. Or group by key if you prefer building sets quickly. Drag tunes between chapters and reorder within each.
- 4
Add a cover and descriptions
Name it something like "Session Tunes 2026" or "[Your Town] Session Book." Add chapter descriptions: "D Major Reels — the bread and butter of any session." This helps you navigate at a glance.
- 5
Print and bind
Generate the PDF and print it. Spiral binding is the go-to for session books — it lays completely flat on a music stand. Use heavier paper (100gsm+) so pages don't flop over mid-tune.
Printing & binding guide →
Tips for a Great Session Tune Book
- One tune per page. At a session you need to read the whole tune at a glance — cramming two tunes on a page saves paper but costs you time.
- Include the key in the title or header of each tune (e.g. "Cooley's Reel — Em"). When someone suggests a set in D, you can scan the headers instantly.
- Use spiral or coil binding. This is non-negotiable for music stands — the book must lay completely flat without holding it open.
- Print in black and white. Tunes are notation, not art. Save money and ink by skipping color. The only exception: mark common session tunes with a small dot so beginners know which ones to learn first.
- Add an index by key at the back. A second table of contents sorted by key (all D tunes, all G tunes, etc.) is gold for building sets on the fly.
- Leave the bottom margin generous. If you use a music stand clip, tight bottom margins mean the clip covers the last line of notation.
- Start with ~50 core session tunes. A 200-tune monster book is impressive but overwhelming. Build a focused book of tunes you actually play, then print a Volume 2 later.
- Print a few extra copies. Other session players will ask where you got it — hand them one. It's the best way to grow a session's shared repertoire.
Ready to Build Your Session Tune Book?
Upload your tunes, organize by type or key, and print a book you’ll bring to every session. Free, no account needed.
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