Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children

Subject: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Andrez
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 08:14 AM

HI folks,

After 18 months of learning piano, my 11 year old daughter Tasha has recently added fiddle lessons to her musical repertoire. This was at her request and who was I to refuse?The fact that the house has 2 banjos, 2 guitars, a mandolin, an appalachian dulcimer, a concertina and several whistles and lots of Irish, bluegrass and australian music passing through the house has probably had no influence on her whatsoever .............. :-)

Anyway I'm looking for online sources of traditional Irish/American tunes and songs that have been notated at a basic level for children so that I can make up a small collection of material for her to explore and practice with.

I did some googling and found some bits and pieces to print out amongst more adult tune collections but many of the links seem to lead to commercial sites whereas much if not all of the repertoire we are looking at is in the public domain.

Any help or links would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Tinker
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 12:23 PM

Try this Mitchell's Irish Session Tunes   Since this a session repetoire there should be a few pieces you can use at this site. The individual songs print out easily.

Tinker

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Brían
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 03:34 PM

I don't know what level ypu 11 year old is at musically but of those tunes, I would say BRITCHES FULL OF STITCHES is usually a beginner's tune for the fiddle. I wouls add that some of those tunes are fairly advanced, but I have seen some darn good 11 year olds.

Brían

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Brían
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 08:15 PM

Other beginner's tunes are the hornpipe SOLDIER'S JOY and the KESH JIG, ROAD TO LISDOONVARNA and THE OLD FAVORITE. They can be found online at JC's Tunefinder.

Brían

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: belfast
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 04:19 AM

Most beginners at classes for traditional Irish music would be given the tunes for songs, The Dawning of the Day, The Foggy Dew, The Shan Van Vocht. Stuff like that. There are thousands of them

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 05:00 AM

the Armagh Pipers Club, which runs music classes for children, published a number of tune books. Most are for the tin whistle, but the transcriptions are suitable for fiddlers (unless you are looking for directions for bowing) and most of the tunes are in D.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 10:09 AM

I think she's old enough to listen to the tunes at Taylor's Traditional Tunebook and find ones that she loves. When I was her age all I had was a piano book of world music - and I dogeared all the pages with Irish tunes. If I had had the Internet...who knows...

Once she finds tunes she loves, you can find notation, recordings, history, etc. all over the net. She would probably also enjoy jamming with the adults. Eleven really is an impressionable age - strike while the iron's hot!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: radriano
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 06:48 PM

I'm not sure presenting "simplified" tunes is the way to go with children. If you want to stick with notation, just get a basic book of session tunes. For the most part a notation of an Irish tune will only be a guideline anyway. I'd advise you to let her show you what she can do rather than telling her what her level is.

I'm reminded of the first lesson my daughter had in Irish step-dancing when she was only three and a half. The teacher made no preparatory remarks. She demonstrated a dancing step and asked my daughter to copy it.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Andrez
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 08:08 AM

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your various thoughts and replies. I finally managed to get past the dreaded Catters curse otherwise known as the site is up, the site is down that seems to have been plagueing access for the past month or so.

The links are new to me and useful for the current exercise. I guess I was thinking about the simpler tunes as I was looking through my own tune collections and thinking that at her current level of reading and technical ability many tune settings are a bit advanced for the moment.

For example I browsed through the Oak Collection the Fiddlers Fake book and just thought that just about all of the settings of the tunes are too advanced for the moment. Give 'er another 6-12 months and she'll be away no problems and will be able to pick and choose from most collections. I see sImpler settings of tunes and songs as just a stepping stone to the standard repertoire and her own interpretation of that in due course.

What comes to mind actually is that I should just go through the Bluegrass and old timey repertoire for the material I am looking for because of their simpler settings and tune structures.

Thansk again for the links Tinker and Mary of Kentucky (& for the understanding of what 11 is all about) and for the individual tune suggestions from Brian. I'll keep the Armagh pipers books in mind to add to our collection too.

Any other links to kid friendly tune sites or references would still be appreciated.

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Brían
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 03:43 PM

Andrez,

The tunes I mentioned are not only the first tunes I played, but are ones that I continue to play at home and at sessions and dances. I think that what others are saying is to find opportunities to expose her to live traditional music, not concerts but informal sessions and picking parties where she will be exposed to good music. In time she will select tunes. The great thing about Irish tunes is that they are played over and over, all over and in the strangest places.

Brían

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 09:24 PM

I had another thought. How about slow waltzes and airs. They seem to be simple to play, and she could play along with a tin whistle player, etc.

Just a few: (this site has simple notation that could be copied easily)

Red is the Rose
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiREDROSE2;ttREDROSE.html

Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/ttDANNYBOY.html

Cockles and Mussels (Molly Malone)
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiMOLLYMAL;ttMOLLYMAL.html

The Dark Island
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiDARKISLE;ttDARKISLE.html

Sally Gardens (Down By the Salley Gardens)
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiSALLYGRD;ttSALLYGRD.html

Shule Aroon
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiSHULARN1;ttSHULARN1.html

South Wind
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiSOUTHWND;ttSOUTHWND.html

Star of the County Down
http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiSTARDOWN;ttSTARDOWN.html



Are you sure you don't want some Scottish tunes...
Ye Banks and Braes (my favorite)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Andrez
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 09:41 AM

Hi,

Scotts is fine as are waltzes. Thanks for the suggestion. I was going thru Midnight on the water last night and thinking yes thats one to add to the list as well.

Brian I have no problem with what you say. I came from that kind of background myself and do know what you are talking about.... thats how I got into the music in the first place. My present context is living in a very remote town in Australia with no, zero, other traditional musicians known to me living within hundreds of kilometres from us. So no options there for the present. At the end of the year we will be moving to Melbourne from Broome (check out a map of Australia) so Tash can go to High school and at that point we have access to the sessions, festivals and all the other opportunities for getting into the music. I know I miss the sessions too.

I am really just on about trying to nurture an interest and love of the tradition in our current circumstances and trying to do it in an easy way and not as a pushy parent. I want her to access the music and then to love it through playing it. Anything that is consistent with fostering that outome is fine by me. Hope that clarifies things a little.

Cheeers,

Andre

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Irish Tunes for Children
From: Brían
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 10:55 AM

After looking at the map of Australia I can see that you are making quite a move. I understand what you are saying about nurturing interest rather than pushing it. I have a friend whose son took up an interest in Gaelic. She was afraid to appear concerned with his interest for fear of spoiling it for him. When kids are exposed to rich, interesting situations they learn naturally without having it drummed into them.

My niece is a champion step dancer. To my dismay, no traditional Irish music is played in their home although they claim to be proud of their heritage. Her father doesn't know the difference between a jig, a reel or a hornpipe. When we visit I make sure to bring my flute or whistle and ask her to dance to my accompaniment. She is more than glad to dance. Believe me, when I'm around, the neices and nephews put down their DVDs and Game boys for a while.

Brían