Irish Folk Music

Last updated almost 5 years ago

10 questions

Note from the author:

A brief overview of Traditional Irish folk music and instruments.  Finishes with a comparison of Percy Graingers "Molly on the Shore"

Irish traditional music began as an oral tradition, passed on from generation to generation by listening, learning by ear, and without formally writing the tunes on paper. This is a practice that is still encouraged today and students of traditional music are encouraged to pick up tunes they hear from others or to learn as they listen.  For this reason, traditional Irish music consists of a large number of short folk songs that have been passed down and evolved over the centuries.

What does "oral tradition" mean in regards to traditional Irish Music?

The history of Irish music dates back over 2,000 years, but it wasn’t until 1762 that tunes were officially written down for the first time and collectors began to travel the country compiling music that can still be viewed today.

When were traditional Irish tunes first written down?

There are many different types of tunes played in Irish Traditional Music, but by far the most popular are jigs and reels.  You can tell them apart because reels are tunes in 4/4 time (a 2 feel) and jigs are in 6/8 time (a 3 feel).  There are many other tune types played in traditional music , including hornpipes, barndances, schottisches and flings.  Other popular tune types are polkas , slides , slip jigs, and waltzes.  Traditionally these can be accompanied by a specific type of Irish dance.  A common thread in these tune types are that they are played in constant tempo and motion with limited use of rests or tempo changes.  This allows the people to dance at any point in the song.  As you listen to the different instrument demonstrations below, note how they all are playing a quick, consistant tempo.

What are the 2 most common Irish tune types?

The "session" is the mainstay of traditional Irish music playing.  Sessions would occur most frequently in people’s houses when friends and neighbours would gather at the end of the working day or week and bring their instruments for an evening of music, song and dance.  In these sessions, there would be no written music as the songs had been passed down in the oral tradition.  Musicians in a town or village would all have learned the same tunes.  Someone would call out the name of a tune and the members of the group would all know how to play it.  Hearning the tunes in a session is another way that the music was able to be passed down from generation to generation.

Here is a video of a "Street Session" which is an impromptu gathering of musicians.  Again note that they don't have music!  These are tunes that they have all learned and can play from memory.  Pay close attention around the 2:00 mark.  The leader changes which tune they are playing and they all hear it and switch too!

Write a description of an "Irish Session" including how the music is learned.

Where could you go if you wanted to learn some Irish tunes?   Here is a website where you can search popular reels and jigs and see the sheet music! https://thesession.org/tunes

Let's learn about traditional Irish instruments!! Please note- This is NOT a complete list of traditional Irish instruments, only a small snapshot of instruments that play traditional Irish music.

THE IRISH HARP- 
The instrument with the most history in Ireland is the Irish Harp, also known as the Celtic Harp or the Gaelic Harp.  Throughout Irish history, harp players were held in high esteem and were very popular.  Known for it's beautiful sound, the harp has become a national symbol of Ireland, appearing on it's coins and most government documents. 

Which is NOT another name for an Irish Harp

THE UILLEANN PIPES-
The uilleann pipes are the official bagpipes of Ireland.  While most bagpipes are played by blowing into the instrument to inflate the bag, the uilleann pipes are inflated by squeezing bellows under the musicians elbow.  That is actually how the instrument get it's name as Uilleann derives from the Irish work for "elbow".  Unlike the loud traditional Scottish Highland Bagpipes that we commonly see at outdoor events like parades and festivals, the uilleann pipes are known for having a softer sound and are primarly played indoors.  This instrument takes a lot of training to play as you must build the coordiation to inflate the bag with your elbow while playing correct fingerings with both hands.  Accomplished players are often able to play and sing the folk songs at the same time.

What are 2 main differences between Traditional Bagpipes and Uilleann Pipes? (Check 2)

THE IRISH TIN WHISTLE-
The tin whistle is, in physical terms, one of the simplest of instruments. The mouthpiece has a narrow windway, an opening or “window” cut in to the side of the instrument, and a sharp edge over which the player’s breath passes. The instrument has six front fingerholes and no thumbhole, distinguishing it from the recorder.  Different notes are played with a variety of finger combinations and changing the speed of the player's air.

What is different between a Tin Whistle and a Recorder?

THE FIDDLE-
The construction of a fiddle is identical to that of a violin.  The differences between the violin and fiddle are how the instruments are played.  Violin's traditionally are played in a formal fashion with long, even bow strokes and beautiful open tones.  The fiddle on the other hand is played with short,  aggressive bow strokes.  Fiddle songs and techniques vary depending on the region of Ireland the musician is from.

THE IRISH FLUTE-
The Irish flute is very similar to the modern concert flute with two main differences.  The Irish flute is made out of wood, instead of metal and there are fewer keys on a traditional Irish flute than the modern flute.  These differences give the Irish flute a dark, warm sound, but limits the range of notes it can play.

Which words best describe the sound of an Irish flute?

THE CONCERTINA- 
The concertina is a member of the squeezebox family, similar to an accordian.  The concertina is smaller than a traditional accordian which makes it much more portable.  The smaller size also produces a more gentle sound, which makes it ideal for playing in small spaces.  When playing tradtional Irish music, players often play the 30  key Anglo Concertina which features 15 buttons or "keys" for each hand to play.  The musician changes their fingers to change the notes and moves their hands in and out to inflate and deflate the bellows of the instrument.

How do concertina players change notes?

THE BODHRAN-
The Bodhran is known as the core and heartbeat of traditional Irish music. It’s a large drum which is covered in stretched animal skin or a synthetic material.  It provides a pulsating beat and produces a nice sound.  The drum is struck using a 2 sided mallet, which can come in different shapes/sizes depending on the sound that the musician wants.  The player keeps their other hand inside the drum and they move their hand to change the tone of the drum itself.  

A Bodhran is struck using a 2 sided mallet

Let's put some of these instruments together into a traditional Irish music ensemble! (The guitar-like instrument you see in this video is called a bouzouki) 

Traditional Irish tunes have also entered more modern mainstream music in Ireland.  Take a listen to the basic tin whistle tune and then a modern version of the same tune that combines traditional and modern instruments!

One of the most famous band composers of all time, Percy Grainger, often used Irish folk tunes as the melodies in his songs.  One example is a song titled "Molly on the Shore"  In this piece, Grainger takes two tunes from the Irish county of Cork and puts them together in a great band work!  Check it out!

Here are the two Irish folk tunes- "Molly on the Shore" and "Temple Hill"

Now see if you can identify the two folk tunes in the full band piece "Molly on the Shore"