About Irish Music

logo_jpg_45x50The term Irish traditional music can encompass a lot of different styles, but the most widely known and most widespread is Irish traditional instrumental music, dance music and song airs. There is an enormous repertoire of Irish melodies, of which dance music, the repertoire of “tunes”, is by large the most important. The Irish traditional repertoire is made up of different types of dance tunes: Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, Polkas, Slides, Marches and others; there are tens of thousands of tunes in all!

Learn more on my page Irish Traditional Music – A Comprehensive Guide

The Instruments of Irish Music

logo_jpg_45x50 The major instruments for melody playing in Irish music include the fiddle, flute, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, accordion, concertina, melodeon, banjo, and harp. The mandolin and harmonica, though less popular now, were more visible up to the 1970s. For accompaniment, the guitar, bouzouki, piano, keyboards, mandola, and cittern are commonly used, along with synthesizers in many recordings. In terms of percussion, drum kits and wood blocks are used in dance bands, while the bodhrán, bones, or spoons are used in other contexts.

Read more: The Instruments of Irish Traditional Music

About Irish Music

The Instruments of Irish Traditional Music

Introduction In this article you will find a guide to the principal instruments used in [...]

Tune Types in Irish Traditional Music

In Irish traditional music, a tune refers to a self-contained melody with distinct rhythmic and [...]

Irish Musical Instruments

The Tin Whistle – A Comprehensive Introduction and Resource Guide

Introduction to the Tin Whistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is [...]

Discovering the Tin Whistle: A Spotify Playlist

This Spotify playlist offers a selection of tin whistle music, encompassing both traditional and modern [...]

Related resource

Tin Whistle Fingering Chart

Fingering chart for D tin whistle with examples and tabs for some easy songs.

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Irish Music Books

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Special offer pack : Tin Whistle Tutor + 400 Tunes Book, with audio

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Book + FREE AUDIO DOWNLOAD. 90 children’s songs from the Whistle for Kids collection

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Book with free audio download - 90 well-loved Irish and Scottish songs, chosen for beginners.

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400 classic Irish session tunes

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Book with downloadable audio

Easy Irish Tunes

We Three Kings – Christmas Carol – Tin Whistle

We Three Kings – Christmas Carol on Tin Whistle from the book Tin Whistle for [...]

Jingle Bells – Christmas Song – Tin Whistle

Jingle Bells – Christmas Song on Tin Whistle from the book Tin Whistle for Children [...]

My Own Dear Galway Bay (Song) – Tin Whistle

My Own Dear Galway Bay, Irish Song on Tin Whistle. From the book Tin Whistle [...]

Musicians

Patsy Hanly – Irish Flute Player

Patsy Hanly is an Irish flute player from Kilrooskey, County Roscommon. He is an influential [...]

Ronan Browne & Peadar O’Loughlin – Jigs

Ronan Browne (uilleann pipes) & Peadar O’Loughlin (fiddle) play 2 slip jigs : Taim in [...]

Paddy Killoran

Paddy Killoran (1904-65) was an Irish fiddler, born near Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland. He is [...]

Kitty Hayes

Kitty Hayes (born Smith) was an Irish concertina player from Fahanlunaghta, not far from Lahinch, [...]

Kitty Hayes – The Concert Reel, The Hare’s Paw

Kitty Hayes (concertina, Co Clare) plays 2 reels: The Concert & The Hare’s Paw. From [...]