Built from TheSession.org-derived data
Explore how traditional tunes connect, flow, and travel.
Identify remembered melodies, discover natural tune pairings, explore recorded pathways, compare repertoires, and find live traditional music through a growing set of interactive tools.
jig
The Kesh
common starting point
reel
Cooley's
recording pathway
set
Unexpected branch
less obvious route
54k+tunes
115k+sets
7,800+recordings
108k+musicians
Start with your question
What are you trying to do?
𝄞
I remember part of a tune
Find a tune from a melody fragment
Paste a short ABC phrase and search for matching melodic shapes, even across keys.
Melody Fragment Search → ⌕ I know the name, but not the tune Recall how a tune goesSearch names and aliases quickly, then see and play a short ABC preview.
Fast Tune Recall → ↝ I am building a set Find what flows nextExplore common and unexpected follow-on tunes found in real shared sets.
Set Follow-On Tree → ♬ I want recording examples Search recorded tune setsFind album recordings containing the tunes you are studying or playing.
Recording Set Search → ＋ I want to grow my repertoire Learn high-impact next tunesCompare tunebooks and discover which tunes unlock the most complete sets.
Compare and Complete Sets → ⌾ I want to find live music Discover sessions, events, and venuesBrowse upcoming traditional music activity and active venue directories.
Upcoming Sessions →
Guided paths
Useful ways through the toolkit
Build a session-ready set
Study recorded tradition
For repeat users
Open Tool Directory
Already know what you need?
Open the complete tool directory for every page, grouped by tune flow, tune exploration, member tools, collections, and live music discovery.
Pick your angle
Different tools for different musicians
Session players
Recall tunes quickly, find practical pairings, and build sets that feel natural to play.
Start with tune recall →Learners
Identify melodies, compare settings, and find recordings of tunes you are studying.
Start with melody search →Set builders
Explore transitions, tonal movement, common pairings, and more unusual pathways.
Start with set signatures →Researchers
Follow community patterns, recording pathways, artist routes, and collection-level structure.
Start with artist pathways →About Trad Tune Explorer
Trad Tune Explorer is a collection of interactive traditional music tools using data derived from The Session. The aim is not to prescribe how tunes should be played, but to make patterns easier to explore: common routes, rare branches, recordings, settings, tunebooks, and live music activity.