I've been having group lessons for about 6 months. We have learned a few tunes ... Sallygardens, Dawning of the Day, Irish Soldier Boy, Lough Swilly, Shebeg Shemor ... any other tunes I could be looking at suitable for beginners?
One member, Dow, actually stuck his neck out and proposed a list of core tunes. Lots of disagreements about specific tunes but I think most folks agree it’s a pretty good basic repertoire.
It’s been revised a couple times but here’s one version:
Dow’s List of Core Tunes:
REELS
The Banshee [James McMahon]
The Bird In The Bush
The Bucks Of Oranmore
The Concertina Reel
The Congress
Cooley’s (Luttrell’s Pass)
The Cup Of Tea
Drowsy Maggie
Farewell To Ireland
Father Kelly’s (Rossmore Jetty)
The Foxhunter’s
The Gravel Walks
The Maid Behind The Bar
The Merry Blacksmith
Miss McLeod’s
The Mountain Road [Michael Gorman]
Rolling In The Ryegrass (The Shannon Breeze)
Saint Anne’s
The Sally Gardens
The Silver Spear
The Star Of Munster
The Wise Maid (All Around The World)
JIGS
The Blackthorn Stick
The Blarney Pilgrim
The Cliffs Of Moher
The Connaughtman’s Rambles
Donnybrook Fair (The Joy Of My Life)
The Irish Washerwoman
The Kesh
The Lark In The Morning
The Lilting Banshee
Morrison’s
My Darling Asleep
Out On The Ocean
The Rakes Of Kildare
Tripping Up The Stairs
HORNPIPES & SET DANCES
The Boys Of Bluehill
Harvest Home
King Of The Fairies
Off To California
The Rights Of Man
SLIP JIGS
The Foxhunter's
The Kid On The Mountain
HOP JIGS
The Butterfly
The Rocky Road To Dublin
SLIDES
Merrily Kissed The Quaker’s Wife
The Road To Lisdoonvarna
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
The two greatest tunes for a beginner....
The Kerry polka and Harvest home...
Two great fun tunes that are quite easy to learn.
in my humble opinion anyway
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
One of the first tunes I learned was the Road to Lisdoonvarna, which somehow managed to sound halfway decent even back when I had no idea what I was doing with my instrument.
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
I've just downloaded a few of those tunes, so many thanks, this site is a great resource.
Just one more question though. On the ABC what do the numbers relate to? eg E2B B2A B2c d2A
I hate a scoot thro the links page but couldn't see anything that explained.
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
The E2 means an E note played twice as long as the B
The B2 is twice as long as the A etc.
But you'd probably make better use of your time trying to find recordings or real live players and listening for tunes that you like - keeping in mind you want simple sounding yet beautiful tunes, don't be seduced by speed and fancy pyrotechnics (well, not yet anyway ). Don't just learn tunes off the notation.
Road to Lisdoonvarna, Leitrim Jig or Leitrim Fancy, Harvest Home, My Darling Asleep are good, I think.
Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Hi
I've been having group lessons for about 6 months. We have learned a few tunes ... Sallygardens, Dawning of the Day, Irish Soldier Boy, Lough Swilly, Shebeg Shemor ... any other tunes I could be looking at suitable for beginners?
Thanks
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by sallygardens
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Check out this discussion on must-know tunes.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/13056
One member, Dow, actually stuck his neck out and proposed a list of core tunes. Lots of disagreements about specific tunes but I think most folks agree it’s a pretty good basic repertoire.
It’s been revised a couple times but here’s one version:
Dow’s List of Core Tunes:
REELS
The Banshee [James McMahon]
The Bird In The Bush
The Bucks Of Oranmore
The Concertina Reel
The Congress
Cooley’s (Luttrell’s Pass)
The Cup Of Tea
Drowsy Maggie
Farewell To Ireland
Father Kelly’s (Rossmore Jetty)
The Foxhunter’s
The Gravel Walks
The Maid Behind The Bar
The Merry Blacksmith
Miss McLeod’s
The Mountain Road [Michael Gorman]
Rolling In The Ryegrass (The Shannon Breeze)
Saint Anne’s
The Sally Gardens
The Silver Spear
The Star Of Munster
The Wise Maid (All Around The World)
JIGS
The Blackthorn Stick
The Blarney Pilgrim
The Cliffs Of Moher
The Connaughtman’s Rambles
Donnybrook Fair (The Joy Of My Life)
The Irish Washerwoman
The Kesh
The Lark In The Morning
The Lilting Banshee
Morrison’s
My Darling Asleep
Out On The Ocean
The Rakes Of Kildare
Tripping Up The Stairs
HORNPIPES & SET DANCES
The Boys Of Bluehill
Harvest Home
King Of The Fairies
Off To California
The Rights Of Man
SLIP JIGS
The Foxhunter's
The Kid On The Mountain
HOP JIGS
The Butterfly
The Rocky Road To Dublin
SLIDES
Merrily Kissed The Quaker’s Wife
The Road To Lisdoonvarna
POLKAS
Denis Murphy’s
Egan’s
John Ryan’s (The Keadue)
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by fidkid
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Anything for jon joe.
Concertina reel.
Wild Irishman
Humours of Tulla
Clare jig,
Banish Misfortune
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by piobagusfidil
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Seeing as you're from Leitrim, why not try the Leitrim Fancy?
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/467
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by kennedy
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
The two greatest tunes for a beginner....
The Kerry polka and Harvest home...
Two great fun tunes that are quite easy to learn.
in my humble opinion anyway
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by session savage
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
One of the first tunes I learned was the Road to Lisdoonvarna, which somehow managed to sound halfway decent even back when I had no idea what I was doing with my instrument.
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Many thanks everyone, I'll look up the sheet music for some have a go, Thanks also for the Leitrim themed tune!
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by sallygardens
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
I've just downloaded a few of those tunes, so many thanks, this site is a great resource.
Just one more question though. On the ABC what do the numbers relate to? eg E2B B2A B2c d2A
I hate a scoot thro the links page but couldn't see anything that explained.
Thanks again
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by sallygardens
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
The E2 means an E note played twice as long as the B
). Don't just learn tunes off the notation.
The B2 is twice as long as the A etc.
But you'd probably make better use of your time trying to find recordings or real live players and listening for tunes that you like - keeping in mind you want simple sounding yet beautiful tunes, don't be seduced by speed and fancy pyrotechnics (well, not yet anyway
Road to Lisdoonvarna, Leitrim Jig or Leitrim Fancy, Harvest Home, My Darling Asleep are good, I think.
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by fidkid
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
The default note length is indicated by the L header line. E2 means an E note twice the default length.
http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm
# Posted on January 2nd 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Newbie Fiddler Player - some good learner tunes?
Session Savage has listed my entire collection of mandolin tunes!
Apart from airs, naturally.
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by bodhran bliss