Liz Knowleshas performed with Riverdance, played the soundtrack for the film “Michael Collins”, and more.
Learn the Irish jig “Goat on the Green”, both the basic tune and variations, with bowing/ornaments.
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(8 credits, 30 days)
Katie McNally“the new face of Scottish fiddling in the USA” (Living Tradition).
Learn two tunes, a Scottish/Cape Breton jig (“Rose Wood”) and a pipe reel (“The Rejected Lover”).
Audio Sample:
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(12 credits, 30 days)
Alden Robinsonstudied traditional music in County Cork in Ireland and plays with the band Press Gang.
Learn the traditional Irish jig “I Was Born For Sport”).
Audio Sample:
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(8 credits, 30 days)
Andrea Beatongrew up in a musical family in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her father, Kinnon, and her mother, Betty, are well known as fiddler and pianist. She has made 6 solo CDs and published 2 books of tunes. Andrea tours and teaches widely.
Learn Andrea’s reel “Radio Edit”
Audio Sample:
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(8 credits, 30 days)
Jenna Moynihanspecializes in Scottish and Appalachian fiddling, playing with Scottish harpist, Mairi Chaimbeul, with Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Darol Anger & The Furies, and has performed with Old Blind Dogs, Bruce Molsky, Kimberley Fraser, Phil Cunningham, and as a soloist with the Boston Pops.
Learn “Booth Shot Lincoln”
Audio Sample:
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(8 credits, 30 days)
Tunes of Ireland
Old Irish air “Sliabh na Mban” (Mountain of the Women), “Tobin’s Favorite” jig, “Honeysuckle” hornpipe, and the jig “I Was Born For Sport” with guest instructor
Pipe reel “The Clumsy Lover”, Burns song “Ae Fond Kiss”, old jig “Joy Gae Wi’ My Love”, plus the pipe reel “The Rejected Lover” with guest instructor Katie McNally
Audio Intro and samples:
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(15 credits, 30 days)
Tunes of Winter
American tunes “Cold Frosty Morning”, “8th of January”, “28th of January”, an old Scottish air/waltz “A Cold Frosty Morning”, and of course, the antidote – “Warm and Snug”.
Audio Intro and samples:
Click to work on the tunes:
(15 credits, 30 days)
Great Scale Tunes
Four classic tunes built on scales and arpeggios (good in conjunction with Technique Video Group 4): Reel de Montreal (G & D), Miss Shepherd (Am), Spootiskerry (G pentatonic), Auld Lang Syne original version (G pentatonic)
Audio intro & samples:
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(15 credits, 30 days)
Gaelic Melodies
Beautiful, simple, unpredictable –
a slow air (Lachlann Dubh), strathspey (Boys Be Happy), and reel (Reel of Blackcocks).
Audio intro & samples:
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(15 credits, 30 days)
Learning by Ear
Tunes with clear structures allow you to grasp a few phrases and assemble the tune. Even if you “know” these tunes, working this way will help you think in a fresh way.
Spoiler alert! (Don’t look them up!) – Scottish reel (Brolum), Irish jig (Behind the Haystack), and American waltz (Midnight on the Water).
Audio intro & samples:
Click to work on the tunes:
(15 credits, 30 days)
Modern Shetland
4 tunes written between 1960 and 2011. Two reels (“Inside Oot Fish Eater”, “Zorro da Crow”), waltz/air (“Margaret Ann Robertson”), and jig (“Jim Anderson’s Delight”).
Audio intro & samples:
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(15 credits, 30 days)
Hornpipes
Tunes to help learn hornpipe technique: “Nancy”, “Crossing the Minch (MacNab’s)”, and “Staten Island”. Tune videos, a technique video on birls/triplets, sheet music, audio by tune and by phrase, link to a performance.
Audio intro & samples:
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(15 credits, 30 days)
Tunes of O’Carolan
Three tunes by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738), central to Irish fiddle repertoire: Carolan’s Draught, Planxty Irwin, and Carolan’s Concerto, with videos, tunelearning pages, audio of whole tune and by phrase, sheet music, and links to harp and fiddle performances.
Audio intro & samples:
Click to work on the tunes:
(15 credits, 30 days)
Ornamentation
4 tunes plus exercises helping you learn the Irish roll, and slow and quick grace notes. Slow airs “Dargai”, “Cluny Castle”; “Kesh Jig”, “Peter Davidson” reel.
Audio intro & samples:
Click to work on the tunes:
(15 credits, 30 days)
Strathspey → Reel
Six tunes pairing up strathspey & reel – Burn o’Cairney / Miss Wedderburn; Laird o’ Drumblair / Angus Campbell; King George IV (Cape Breton & Scottish versions) / King’s Reel.
During our summer break, check out any of the past classes (links above)! If you used the materials before, you’ll get 1/3 off. Or try the Tune Groups (click “Technique/Tunes” in top menu), or troubleshoot your playing using the summer blog articles and the corresponding Technique Videos. Have a great musical summer and join us here at the end of August to find out about our
fall live workshops with Ed Pearlman and guest instructors.
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