Hi, Michael, I see your thread has traveled over from thesession.org to the Mudcat. My first response when you mention singing is that the tradition is SOLO UNACCOMPANIED singing, and I far prefer to hear someone sing without guitar accompaniment (or any accompaniment) at a session than with a guitar. That said, I do take a guitar to our session and have accompanied the tunes for about the last six years. There are those that play more percussively like they have heard on recordings, but my preference for the way I accompany is more harplike, softer (which fits the classical guitar sound) and is the way my grandmother played, so I feel I am carrying on a family tradition so to speak. I don't accompany myself singing at the session. I save that for performances with my small band. I also don't think that the final word on chords is that they should vary greatly. (Read an earlier thread here on Major 7th chords and those who hate them.) There are many who are opposed to added chords instead of just sticking to the basic chords, fewer the better. No kidding, that bias exists, too. I disgree that the bias against guitars is because they are from Spain. That's plain silly. Fiddles, accordions and mandolins are not Irish inventions, either. The bias is because the tunes played together in ensembles were played as a unison melody until someone started chording along on a guitar. The melody instruments playing together is the way some people prefer, not hearing anything "muddying up" the sound. The bias against hammered dulcimers in sessions comes from the same purist desire to not have the ringing sustain of the dulcimer interfering with the clear melody. My own opinion is the more the merrier as long as the melody is paramount and people are entertaining themselves with the music. I play the guitar along with the tunes yet much prefer that people would stop playing the guitar when they sing and learn how to sing unaccompanied (and to appreciate unaccompanied singing).

Alice Flynn