Irish Instruments Revision
The Fiddle
♪This is the same instrument as the violin
♪It is held under the chin or against the
chest, shoulder or arm
♪Like the violin it is played with a bow
♪This has been used for dance music since
at least the 18th century
♪It is a very popular, widely used instrument
Famous player: Frankie Gavin
The Flute
♪There are many different types of flutes used.
♪This vary from the single-keyed to the modern
fully-keyed instruments.
♪The traditional flute is made from wood
♪It has a warm soft tone.
♪The flute is particularly adept at ornamentation
Famous player: Matt Molloy
The Tin Whistle
♪References to the whistle (feadan) go back
to ancient times.
♪Two types of whistle are most common
(though others are available)
♪These are the C and D whistle (The letters
refer to the key of the whistle)
♪Much traditional music is played in keys of
one or two sharps, thus the D whistle is
used for group playing.
Famous player: Mary Bergin
The Uilleann Pipes
♪The Irish pipes (distinct from the Scottish bagpipes)
♪emerged in the 18th century.
♪As the name suggests the uilleann pipes are plyed from the
elbow
♪One elbow pumps the bellow, pushing the air through a reed
at the top of the chanter producing the sound.
♪The melody is played on the chanter
♪Three regulators provide simple chordal accompaniment
♪Three drones sound a continuous unchanging
accompaniment
Famous player: Liam O’ Floinn