Thanks for the explanation, Susan, I understand a bit better now the way your song circles work.

I think one big difference is that guitars seem to be used much more for communal singing in the US than in the UK. Over here, song circles are mostly unaccompanied, or if there's an instrument it's just as likely to be some sort of squeezebox, or a fiddle, or a mandolin. So there really isn't a habit of sharing song accompaniments. And in most cases the accompaniment a personal one, designed to accompany a solo performance.

At music sessions, there are occasional songs that are accompanied, but there's not much attempt to co-ordinate the accompaniment, any more than there is with the tunes.

Words and tunes do get passed around and shared sometimes, but usually after the session or in the breaks, not as part of the singing. People also bring tape-recorders or mini-discs along sometimes too - I don't mind this but I prefer not to see them!