Traditional Irish Music Essay

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There is not one single definition for traditional Irish music. Traditional Irish music is made up of different types of music and song, played by Irish people both in and outside of Ireland. It is a living tradition, today heard at “social gatherings, pub sessions, dances, concerts, and festivals in various urban settings”. Much of Irish music is rooted in dance, ranging sean nos, meaning old style, ceili, or set dancingThe most common dance tunes include reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, mazourkas, and highlands, played on wind, string, and free-reed instruments. Traditional Irish music was indeed established in the past, the generic forms and structural characteristics developed in the mid and late 18th century. While Irish music always maintains a set structure, as Irish culture itself changes, so does the way that traditional Irish songs are adapted and performed. In addition to the structure, another constant is the type of instruments that musicians use to make up the distinct sound of Irish music. Among these instruments are the accordion, fiddle, and uilleann pipes, which though their construction, sound and style, have contributed to the distinct sound that is traditional Irish music.
Before looking at what role the accordion, fiddle, and uilleann pipes play in traditional Irish music, it is first important to understand each instrument’s construction and how it is played. Accordions, described as being “conceived for a mass market of amateur musicians,” can be defined as “bellows-operated, free-reed, diatonic instruments.” The player uses his or her right hand to operate buttons or keys, which creates the melody, and his or her left hand to operate the bass notes. When the player opens and closes the bellows, the pressu...

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...e all contribute to the musical identity of Ireland. There are numerous opportunites to hear traditional Irish music being played. Every summer, Clare has the Doolin Folk Festival, and in Dublin, the Frank Harte Festival. Today, there is an increase in the imagination, innocvation, and collaboration of musicians. For example, The Gloaming is an Irish music group founded by fiddler Martin Hays and singer and musician Iarla O Lionaird. While The Gloaming play traditional Irish music, keeping in tune with the sound and structure of it, the band brings in a fresh sound and makes music out of poems. The connected world has led to an increase opportunities for traidititional Irish music, and it is the continuous playing of the accordion, uilleann pipes, fiddler, the collaboration of musicians, and the heart of the players that allows traditional Irish music to stay alive.

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