Aodhan - Posted - 10/17/2008:  08:40:44

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Ornamentation is a lot of what makes Irish music sound Irish, apart from the phrasing. This is coming from a flute perspective, but can be applied (I think!) to the fiddle as well. (I'm referring to a six hole "simple system" flute, rather than a boehm/modern concert flute. Generally looks like a side blown pennywhistle).

Tap - A very brief touch of the next hole down, producing the lower note for a split second. So, if you are playing G, you'd briefly touch your finger down to sound F#, and then back to G.

Cut - Same as a tap, but to the note above. So from G you'd go to A and back to G.

Roll - A tap and a cut together. So a roll on the note F# would be F#/G/F#/E/F#

Cran - Similar to a roll, but done with several higher notes. Generally used when you are on the lowest D (Irish flutes are generally keyed in D), and can't tap a lower note.

Tonguing and glottal stops - Breaks up the air flow to break up a note, I'm sure there is a similar bowing technique that I haven't learned yet. :D

A great resource is thesession.org, it has tune sheet music for download and a lot of good recordings so you can get the sound of it.

John

ChickenMan - Posted - 10/17/2008:  16:12:13

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The Session. One of my favorite sites. History of tunes, discussions, ABC files, sheet music, alternate titles. Nearly everything you need to have your own session!

______________________________________
"Fiddling makes you forget" - my wife

ladymuse - Posted - 11/16/2008:  14:42:21

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you should also check out the thread further down -
there is some great data there -
We finally got a celtic jam started here in Reno! Yay!

http://www.fiddlehangout.com/forum/...OPIC_ID=5538

Also, get a load of this!
here's the irish site - each tune played 3 times thru with all repeats, notation right up there, and NOT at breakneck speed

- found a fun 'Virtual Session' with notation and backing tracks you can play along with. It's at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/sessions/

... Great if you don't have anyone to jam with and want to learn some Irish fiddle tunes. (random Lil's topic)

jen!

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Edited by - ladymuse on 11/16/2008 14:57:55

TomGlos - Posted - 11/17/2008:  01:53:28

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Just backing up ladymuse's post, there's some nice stuff for download and sale on the Comhaltas website.
An extensive list of good, well-known, tunes played at steady, but not patronising speeds. The cd's make good "in car" listening both for their own sake and so one's got tunes half-way or more in the subconscious for when they pop up in the sesssion.
http://comhaltas.ie/shop/detail/foi...ok_volume_1/

Tom

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"Before you criticise anyone, you should walk a mile in their moccasins."
This is wise because (a) you''re a mile away when you start criticising, and (b) you''ve got their moccasins....

ladymuse - Posted - 11/17/2008:  02:18:17

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Hey Cool, Tom!
Also, Apdhan - thank you for the current whistle/flute verbage/names -
and yes, you can do it all on the fiddle!

jen!

Fidla - Posted - 11/17/2008:  09:16:12

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One of my favorite sites is JC's ABC Tunefinder, a google for celtic music junkies: http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

I use it almost daily for teaching and during rehearsals

Adam R Sweet
www.adamrsweet.com

Got a Facebook or Myspace profile? Add me to your friends list with my email celticagent@gmail.com

TomGlos - Posted - 11/17/2008:  15:32:54

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quote:

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Originally posted by celticagent

One of my favorite sites is JC's ABC Tunefinder, a google for celtic music junkies: http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

I use it almost daily for teaching and during rehearsals

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Good site Adam, thank you.

I'm intrigued, what do you use it for in rehearsals?

Tom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Before you criticise anyone, you should walk a mile in their moccasins."
This is wise because (a) you''re a mile away when you start criticising, and (b) you''ve got their moccasins....