Learn to Play Irish Fiddle is a book and two CD set that introduces the absolute beginner to the great traditional fiddle music of Ireland, going right from the basics of how to hold and make the first sounds on the instrument - through specially composed, manageable tunes in the Irish style - right up to playing traditional reels, jigs and other dance tunes from the traditional repertoire (the specially composed tunes bridge the gap between the basics and the traditional music). Embellishments and techniques that make good Irish fiddle playing so infectious, such as rolls, cuts, triplets and slides are gradually introduced. the student will also become familiar with some of the more advanced ideas concerning playing Irish traditional music such as variations and dynamics - subjects which are covered in greater detail in "Irish Fiddle Playing: A Guide for the Serious Player" book/CD sets by the same author. Useful appendices and a cross-referenced glossary are also included.The accompanying CDs contain all the tunes in the book (played at a slow tempo) plus many exercises.There is NO NEED FOR ANY PRIOR MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE in order to use this book. Each aspect of playing and theory is covered in an accessible and manageable way.
In his preface, the author reminds the reader that this is not a book for the absolute beginner. Even the experienced player may not get it on first reading a given tune, but You can expect to enjoy the process of learning... [and experience] the joy of recreating a traditional tune, of making it your own. This is the teacher/ student pact in effect throughout this marvelous book, written for the literary as much as the musical connoisseur. Although no classical violin experience is needed, you will need to know how to hold the fiddle and bow, and be able to play at least simple tunes in the first position. Having the ability to read music will enable you to follow the bowing patterns and left-hand techniques which the author feels are crucial in grasping the playing style.
(Waltons Irish Music Books). Everything you need to know about the Irish fiddle, from playing your first notes and tunes to advanced solos and ornamentation. This book includes special chapters for beginners, "key points" highlighting essential aspects of fiddle technique, a comprehensive guide to traditional ornamentation and over 80 carefully chosen tunes. One of Ireland's most exciting fiddle players, Paul McNevin has had an equally influential career as a teacher. During his long association with Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, he won the All Ireland Slogadh and Plearacha competitions and received his Comhaltas teaching diplomas in 1991. Paul has toured throughout Europe with the Donal Lunny Band, Damien Quinn and Speranza, among others and has been a regular guest with Stockton's Wing and the Riverdance dancers.
An exciting collection of 29 traditional tunes from Ireland, arranged for easy fiddle. All tunes are written clearly in standard notation with bow directions. an accompanying CD contains all the tunes, played at a manageable speed, with guitar accompaniment.The collection contains airs, well known songs, polkas, slip jigs, slides, double jigs, hornpipes and reels, all of which are specially arranged by the author with the beginning/intermediate fiddle player in mind. on the CD, the tunes are played 2 or 3 times, so you can really get into the feel of the tune, when playing along. the speed of the tunes is quite slow, but not so slow as to take away from the essential feel of the music.Irish music is rightly popular all over the world. the haunting beauty of the slow airs and infectious foot-tapping rhythms of jigs and reels are here to be discovered in this selection of great traditional music.
This book is a follow-up to "Irish Fiddle Playing: A Guide for the Serious Player" (MB99402BCD). the student will gain a deeper knowledge of fiddle playing and improve their overall playing and musical understanding. Subjects include:•
A fun-to-play collection of 62 favorite fiddle and Irish tunes arranged in notation and tablature for mandolin solo. Ideal music for intermediate level technical study in sight reading. the CD is in split-track format, thus allowing the mandolin student to play along with the mandolin solo, lively guitar accompaniment, or both. Due to time constraints, the CD contains only 18 songs from the book.
This book contains 15 Irish airs arranged as fiddle (violin) duets and trios from melodies composed by Turlough O'Carolan. Carolan was a blind Irish poet, composer, and traveling harper who lived from 1670 - 1738. Each song has a melody and two melodic harmonies to choose from. The songs can be played as duets repeated using the different harmonies, or all parts can be played at the same time to form a violin trio. The tunes are airs, and are therefore played at a slower tempo than a lot of traditional Irish fiddle music. All of these arrangements can be played in 1st position, making it an approachable book for beginner and intermediate violin players. The difficulty level varies for the different pieces. This book is great for musicians performing with a friend or small group. The arrangements are appropriate for weddings and formal acoustic performances. The harmonies can even be used by a soloist with a looper pedal. It is also helpful for teachers who want to accompany their students. Those who study classical violin repertoire, and are interested in Irish folk music, may notice some of these songs have a "Baroque" spirit to them. This book promotes listening closely to other players while performing a part, and learning how melodic harmonies can fit with a melody line. Happy Fiddling! CONTENTS: Introduction: - A Summary of Irish History that Influenced Carolan and His Music - A Brief Biography of Turlough O'Carolan Sheet Music: - Captain O'Kane - Fanny Power - Carolan's Welcome - Carolan's Receipt (Dr. John Stafford) - Colonel John Irwin - Morgan Megan - Eleanor Plunkett - Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady - Sir Charles Coote - Si Bheag Si Mhor - George Brabazon's 2nd Air - Princess Royal (Miss MacDermott) - Planxty Hewlett - Denis O'Conor - Carolan's Concerto. If a song requires page turns using the book's primary note size, a second version is included using smaller notes so the song fits entirely on 2 pages. The lower harmony, "Harmony 2," was arranged keeping the common registers of the violin and viola in mind. All three parts are written in treble clef, but the second harmony only briefly goes onto the violin's "e-string" for two songs. The arrangements use familiar key signatures that have one or two sharps. Occasionally, a d-sharp is used as an accidental for e-harmonic minor songs. About the Arranger: Katy Adelson is an American fiddle player, composer, and arranger residing in Colorado. She has released digital music albums and singles, and has posted many free online fiddle tune sheet music arrangements on her website. She has created online fiddle lessons and music videos on YouTube. This book is published by Golden Aspen Music.
This book is for someone who can already play the silver flute to some extent. I hope to show you some of the techniques to engage with the sounds of traditional wooden flute, as well as teach you a few tunes along the way. There are lots of my own tunes included which are particularly suited to the silver flute and a few traditional tunes to help illustrate the techniques."a wealth of information for silver flute players who wish their instrument to sound more like a traditional wooden flute...deeply thought through and gives really useful practical advice. ...It really is an impressive book...both entertaining and really useful." - Living Tradition Magazine"hugely important book...Philippe is a master of those techniques...Irish Music Magazine's John Brophy's comment is quoted in the book; "I've heard nobody else who can make the Boehm flute sound like the true traditional thing, who can mould tone to the tune so nicely, the sheer musicality is exceptionally impressive."...This is an invaluable resource for Silver flute players and is a great teaching aid; it should be in every secondary school music room in the country." - Seán Laffey, IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE"This book serves as an ideal introduction for any Boehm flute players who are interested in exploring the traditional language of Irish Music. One of the most important elements in idiomatic Irish flute playing is the execution of a wide range of ornaments, and they are clearly explaned her and backed up with examples from the repertoire. Barnes stresses the difference between classical ornamentation (which is essentially melodic) and Irish ornamentatin where the focus is on rhythm. He disusses differences in hand position and an appropriate approach to vibrato, and covers techniques such as feathering, cuts, rolls, cranns, bounces and slides. Each technique is clearly explaned in straigntforward language, and there is plenty of repertoire included to help skills develop in each area. Recommended." Carla Rees, British Flute Society Magazine
