Technique and style in Irish traditional music

Transcriptions of traditional players, with mp3 sound clips and comments

Updated: 2003-06-22

Contributors
Steve Jones (Montréal, Québec)
Teri Kessler (Seattle, Washington)
Peter Laban (Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare)
Sylvain Maillot (Montréal, Québec)

Index of tunes

Click on the title of the tune or article to view the document in a frameset. If your browser doesn't support frames, or if your screen resolution is too low to allow you to view the frameset document usefully, use the no-frames version (link at far right).

Player Tune Played on* Contributor    Posted  
Joe Bane Shandon bells D whistle PL 2002-08-11 (No frames)
  Untitled reel D whistle PL 2002-08-12 (No frames)
Margaret Barry Johnny Cope D whistle SM & SJ 2002-12-30 (No frames)
Mary Bergin Over the bridge E-flat whistle SJ 2002-11-27 (No frames)
Paddy Carty Ril gan ainm Flute PL 2003-01-06 (No frames)
Willie Clancy An introduction (article)   PL 2002-07-27  
  The maid on the green D whistle PL 2002-07-27 (No frames)
  The floggin' reel F whistle SJ 2002-08-22 (No frames)
  Banish misfortune D whistle PL 2002-10-01 (No frames)
Kieran Collins Rolling in the ryegrass B-flat whistle PL 2002-07-23 (No frames)
  The Boyne hunt B-flat whistle PL 2002-11-26 (No frames)
  Last night's fun C whistle PL 2002-11-26 (No frames)
  The maid behind the bar C whistle PL 2002-11-26 (No frames)
Jim Donaghue Miss McLeod's reel C whistle SJ 2002-07-23 (No frames)
Brid Donohue The green linnet (air) E-flat whistle TK 2002-12-04 (No frames)
  The steampacket E-flat whistle PL 2003-01-16 (No frames)
  Ambrose Moloney's E-flat whistle PL 2003-01-16 (No frames)
Packie Duignan The Traveller Flute PL 2002-12-17 (No frames)
Patsy Hanly The Killavil jig Flute PL 2002-11-28 (No frames)
Tommy McCarthy The first month of summer B-flat whistle SJ 2002-08-09 (No frames)
Eddie Moloney Christmas Eve Flute PL 2002-12-08 (No frames)
Donncha O Briain The golden eagle D whistle PL 2002-12-26 (No frames)
  The blackbird D whistle PL 2002-12-26 (No frames)
Micho Russell Sporting Nell E-flat whistle PL 2003-01-09 (No frames)
  Home brew E-flat whistle PL 2002-09-04 (No frames)
  Rolling in the ryegrass E-flat whistle SM & SJ 2002-12-19 (No frames)
  Scotch Mary E-flat whistle PL 2003-01-04 (No frames)
  Fermoy lasses E-flat flute PL 2003-01-05 (No frames)
  Reel with the birl E-flat flute PL 2003-01-06 (No frames)
  The Clare slide E-flat whistle PL 2003-01-08 (No frames)
Joe Skelton The locomotive B-flat whistle SM 2003-02-15 (No frames)
  The acrobat B-flat whistle SM 2003-06-22 (No frames)

* All tunes are transcribed as if played on a "D" whistle or flute.

Notes. We don't recommend learning tunes from written music - unless you are already an experienced player of Irish music. Notation is provided here to make it easier to follow the commentary, and to give visual clues to help interpret what you hear in the sound clips.

Nor do we recommend attempting to reproduce the playing of another player exactly, except as an exercise, to develop your style and experiment with different ways of approaching tunes and phrases. In making these transcriptions available we have no wish to add to the well-established trend of young players who sound like "clones" of this or that recording artist.