O gosh, you all are so earnest about this! What's all this "practice, practice, practice" stuff? Just put on some tapes and "play, play, play!"

And if you came to a session at my house and "didn't know the basics" nobody would be mean to you. We are all capable of counting to 3 (jigs) or 4 (reels) and ignoring a stray sound. Same way we would ignore a radiator or car going by.

Find some friends and have fun, for heavens sake.