The Instruments of Irish Folk Music

Irish Music is the music of Ireland. It has been influenced by many factors including the history, geography, and people of the island. Irish folk music is the traditional music of the people of Ireland.

The Fiddle

The fiddle is the most commonly played instrument in Irish folk music. It is a violin with four strings, tuned in perfect fifths. The fiddle is held under the chin and played with a bow. The strings are plucked with the fingers to create a more percussive sound. The music of the fiddle is generally very fast and lively.

The history of the fiddle in Ireland is a long and complex one. There are many different theories about where the instrument came from, but the most likely explanation is that it was brought to Ireland by English or Scottish immigrants during the 16th or 17th centuries. Irish migrants who went to America also took the fiddle with them, and it became an important part of American folk music as well.

The Fiddle is particularly associated with the music of County Cork in southern Ireland, where it was brought by English settlers in the 17th century. It quickly became popular among the Irish people living there, and has remained an important part of Cork’s musical culture ever since.

The Bodhran

The bodhran (pronounced “BOE-rown”) is a Celtic frame drum used extensively in Irish folk music. It is usually played with a wooden beater, or “tipper”, in the right hand, and the left hand may be used to help produce different sounds by Dead Weight pressure on the skin. The size of the drum varies, but it is generally between 18 and 28 inches in diameter and 3 to 5 inches deep. Though it has been known in Ireland for centuries, the bodhran only became widely known outside of Ireland in the late 20th century.

The Uilleann Pipes

The Uilleann pipes are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. They are also known as Union pipes and occasionally as Irish pipes. The name Uilleann is derived from the Irish word for elbow, i.e. that the player must “make them sound” by using one arm to pump a small set of bellows while the other arm manipulates a complex system of valves and keys.

While most types of bagpipes have a single drone, the Uilleann pipes have two tenor drones and one bass drone, all three tuned to different pitches and all three capable of being shut off independently by means of stoppers. In addition, the Uilleann pipes have a chanter with a sustain schedule that allows for an ornamented legato style of playing, unusual for a fipple flute. The Uilleann pipes are considered by many to be the most complex and challenging type of bagpipe to play; however, their popularity has been growing in recent years, with more people taking up the instrument than ever before.

The Flute

The flute is one of the most popular instruments in Irish traditional music. It is a wooden or metal tube with holes in it that are covered by the player’s fingers. The flute produces a clear, high-pitched sound that can be heard over the other instruments in a folk band. The most common type of flute used in Irish music is the simple-system flute, which has six holes and no keys.

The flute was originally developed in medieval Europe and was brought to Ireland by the English during the Elizabethan era. It quickly became popular among the Irish, who began to develop their own style of playing. The Donegal fiddler Michael Coleman was one of the first musicians to bring Irish flute playing to America, and his style influenced many subsequent players.

Today, the flute is an essential part of any folk band, and many famous musicians have made it their signature instrument, including Matt Molloy of The Chieftains and James Galway, one of the world’s most celebrated classical flutists.

The Tin Whistle

The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple yet versatile instrument that is commonly associated with Irish folk music. The tin whistle is a type of fipple flute, which means that it has a plug (or fipple) inserted into the mouthpiece that directs the player’s breath across an sharp edge, causing the air to vibrate and produce sound.

The tin whistle is easy to learn and play, and can produce a wide range of sounds and pitches depending on how the player blows into it. The most common range for a tin whistle is two octaves, but some players are able to reach three octaves. The Irish tin whistle is usually made of metal (hence its name), but can also be made out of wood or plastic.

The instrument first gained popularity in England and Scotland in the early 19th century before eventually making its way to Ireland, where it became a staple in traditional Irish music. Folk musicians often play the tin whistle as part of a band or ensemble, but it can also be played as a solo instrument.

The Harp

The Harp is one of the most iconic and well-known instruments of Irish folk music. It is a beautiful sounding instrument that has been used in Irish music for centuries. The harp has a very distinctive sound that can be easily recognized in any Irish folk song. The harp is a very popular instrument in Ireland and is often used in Irish dancing as well.

The Accordion

The accordion is a portable, reed-based musical instrument. An accordion consists of bellows, two wooden cases (right hand manual and left hand manual), each housing reeds that are activated by buttons or keys, and a keyboard for the left hand. The accordion is played by compressing or expanding the bellows while pressing one or more of the instrument’s keys, causing the reeds to vibrate. Theconcertina and bandoneón are related instruments that work on the same principle as the accordion.

The origins of the accordion are disputed: some say it was invented in China in theHan Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), while others claim it was first seen in Europe in the early 1800s. The first documented use of an Accordion in Irish music was by Jane McKenna (no date given) but it became more widely used after 1900. Popularity peaked around WWII but fell away sharply thereafter. A few pockets of usage persisted however and it never totally died out as an instrument particularly suitable for traditional Irish music due to its portability and versatility.

The Concertina

The concertina is a free-reed musical instrument played by moving the fingers across the ends of TWO sets of buttons. Each set of buttons contains half of the chromatic scale, and when the Instrument is held like an accordion, the buttons on BOTH sides can be played together.

The first person to build a concertina is unclear, but it is known that Charles Wheatstone invented and patented a similar Instrument in 1829. The first Wheatstone concertinas were called English Concertinas and they had a hexagonal shape. In 1834, Uhlig began producing German concertinas, which had a rectangular shape.

During the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, many Irish immigrants came to America and brought their music with them. The concertina became popular in America because it was smaller and less expensive than the piano, and it could be played easily in dance halls and other social gatherings.

There are many different types of concertinas, but the most common are: Anglo-German, English, Irish Button Accordion, treasury Of Ireland, American, British Isles/Celtic, Swedish Diatonic, Russian Bayan accordion, French Accordion

The Bouzouki

The bouzouki is a Greek instrument that was adopted by the Irish in the 1960s, and has since become one of the most popular instruments in Irish folk music. It is a long-necked, mandolin-like instrument with three or four pairs of metal strings. The bouzouki is played with a pick and is known for its distinctive, bright sound.