TYPES OF SONGS:

Theme Features Example

Laments Song of loss Anach Cuain
Love songs Very expressive and
often sad
Una Bhan
Drinking songs Lively rhythm Whiskey in the Jar
Working songs Fast rhythms Ding Dong Dedero
Lullabies Gentle rocking rhythm Deirin De
Dandling songs Bouncy rhythm and
repetition of words and
melody
Dilin O Deamhas
Religious songs/carols Slow Wexford Carol
Humorous songs Light-hearted with a
lively rhythm
The Holy Ground
Patriotic songs The Aisling Vision or
dream song
Four Green Fields
Macaronic Lines, phrases or verses
which alternate between
Irish and English
Siuil a Ruin

REIGIONAL DIFFERENCES:

Donegal Connemara Munster
Regular rhythm Nasal tone Vibrato, more
pronounced nasal tone
Restrained melodic
ornamentation
A lot of orn. (very
melismatic)
Rhythmic variation
Scottish influence Narrow range Wider range in songs
Lillis O Laoire Roisin Elsafty Seamus Begley

INSTRUMENTS:

Traditional Non-traditional
Fiddle Guitar
Flute Bouzouki
Tin Whistle Mandolin
Uilleann pipes Piano
Harp Harpsichord
Traditional features of Irish
Music
Non-traditional features
Solo Group performances
No harmony, apart from drones Use of harmony
Uses traditional instruments Use of non-traditional instruments
Uses ornamentation No ornamentation
Monophonic texture Homophonic/polyphonic texture
Does not use dynamics or
expressive effects
Use of dynamics
Harmonica Synthesiser
Bodhran Drum-kit


Melody inst. Harmony inst. Rhythmic inst.
Fiddle Guitar Drum-kit
Flute Bass guitar Bodgran
Whistle Plucked fiddle Spoons
Uilleann pipes Piano Bones
Banjo Bouzouki Ethnic percussion
Harp Harp
PIano Uillean pipes

TERMINOLOGY USED IN TRADITIONAL MUSIC:

Air Describes a song melody often played as an instrumental piece.

Aisling A vision poem or song, which originated in the 18
th
century. The poet
sees a vision of a young girl who represents Ireland.

Caoineadh Irish for lament. There are several types in the Irish song
tradition.

Set dancing Traditional group dancing common in Ireland in the early
1800s.

Dandling song A childrens play song.

Lilting A form of singing using nonsense words, often used to provide music
for dancing. Often referred to as mouth music.

Low whistle An instrument similar to a large tin whistle pitched a full octave
lower.

Sean-nos dancing Describes the old style solo step dancing.

Session (seisiun) A group of traditional musicians who play together
informally for pleasure, usually in a pub or other social centers.

Set A group of 3 or 4 dance tunes which are played continuously as a single
piece.

Set dance A solo dance which is danced to a particular tune of the same
name, e.g. St Patricks Day. The second part is usually longer than the first
part.