Meet Your Band

The Irish Trad Sessions in Bonn date back to the 1990s. Some of the founding musicians from that era still play regularly today. Thanks to prominent teachers in Bonn, such as uillean piper Tom Kannmacher and fiddler Sabrina Palm, there is a steady stream of new talent – some of the players have even stumbled upon Irish music by chance and ended up sticking with it. Because playing jigs and reels together is simply addictive! For many years now, sessions open to everyone have been held every Wednesday at the Fiddlers Pub in Endenich. There is also a monthly session at the James Joyce Pub in the city centre.

Music is played entirely from memory and by ear. This means that getting started requires a fair bit of practice. But once you’ve learnt a few tunes, you’ll make rapid progress. Typical instruments in Irish music include the fiddle (violin), flute (a wooden transverse flute), whistle (something like a metal recorder), uillean pipes (the Irish bagpipes), accordion and the small concertina, banjo and mandolin. Guitars, bouzoukis and the frame drum known as the bodhrán are commonly used for accompaniment. Irish songs are interspersed amongst the countless dance tunes in typical Irish rhythms.