Irish Music Books

Learn To Play 'Irish Tenor Banjo' one of the best and simplest Irish tenor banjo tutor books ever written...by all Ireland champion Owen Hackett.

Musick’s Delight on the Modern Cittern is intended for the beginner seeking a collection of simple yet attractive tunes that are enjoyable to play; the more intermediate player desirous of widening their repertoire; and any player in want of a collection of tunes upon which they can build further. All tunes are presented in both notation and tablature, together with chords for an accompaniment, in GDGDG for cittern and GDAE for mandolin and octave mandola, plus two hundred and fifty chords each for GDGDG and GDAE. Bouzouki and tenor mandola players can also play these tunes via the tablature. From the age of knights, castles and courtly love; from the palaces and gardens of Renaissance Europe; and from the assemblies, playhouses and noisy streets of seventeenth and eighteenth-century London: Musick’s Delight on the Modern Cittern presents a repertoire spanning 600 years – as delightfully playable and addictive now as it was then.

A collection of irish jogs in melodic style for the 5 string banjo by Ron Hughes

Contains what are arguably the hundred most often played and widely known Irish jigs and reels.

The Hal Leonard Irish Bouzouki Method is designed for anyone just learning to play the Irish bouzouki. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner's guide focuses on teaching the basics of the instrument as well as accompaniment techniques for a variety of Irish song forms. The accompanying audio includes demonstrations of all the examples in the book and can be accessed online via streaming or download. Includes: purchasing an instrument; playing position; tuning; picking and strumming patterns; learning the fretboard; accompaniment styles; double jigs, slip jigs, and reels; drones; counterpoint; arpeggios; playing with a capo; traditional Irish songs; basic music reading; standard notation and tablature. Online audio is accessed at halleonard.com/mylibrary.

This book provides an easy to follow approach to playing Irish traditional music on the piano, both solo and accompaniment. The tunes are carefully selected and progress from simple to more advanced tunes. Complete with rare photos and a selection of tunes. Soundtrack available.

A collection of the dance music of Ireland: jigs, reels, hornpipes, long dances and marches. An introduction on the history of Irish music. Tips on playing with an authentic feeling. New settings from the playing of Michael Coleman and the Sligo fiddle masters.

61 new Irish traditional compositions with chord arrangemnts by renowned tin whistle player L. E. McCullough, suitable for all instruments. In 1976 McCullough's original Irish folk compositions won first place in the All Ireland New Dance Tune Competition. Soundtrack available.

This new edition contains all of the original sections on The Life of Carolan, with all 213 tunes, the annotations to the tunes, The Memoirs of Arthur O'Neill, complete indexes and an important new appendix which featues additional tunes and facts which have been unearthed since the original publication first appeared.

These tunes form the very corner stone of Irish music sessions.They crop up with such regularity that it's vital that you are able to play them.

This collection presents 55 tunes by the great Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan arranged for guitar, keyboard, or instrumental duet. The basic layout for each tune is an easy to intermediate guitar version in standard notation only, designed to also be usable for keyboard, instrumental duet or larger groups. The chord names above the music give simplified accompaniments that can be played instead of or in addition to the full bass lines. The chords can be used for second guitar parts, for keyboar

Rob MacKillop presents 20 wonderful fingerstyle blues arrangements and compositions in DADGAD tuning. The styles covered in this book include country blues, boogie woogie left-hand piano blues, early jazz blues, gut-bucket blues and modal blues. Great traditional songs are included such as St. James Infirmary Blues, St. Louis Blues, C. C. Rider and more, alongside 15 full-length studies. The book begins with easy arrangements, progressing to intermediate and more advanced ones - in short, these blues studies will improve your technique through playable 12-bar tunes. A wide array of chord and scale fingerings are also provided, including pentatonic minor and major scales, bluesscales, diminished arpeggios and scales, 7th chords, whole-tone scales and the super Locrian mode and much more! All the tunes presented have accompanying audio recorded by Rob MacKillop and are available to download.

Musick’s Delight on the Modern Cittern is intended for the beginner seeking a collection of simple yet attractive tunes that are enjoyable to play; the more intermediate player desirous of widening their repertoire; and any player in want of a collection of tunes upon which they can build further. 

All tunes are presented in both notation and tablature, together with chords for an accompaniment, in GDGDG for cittern and GDAE for mandolin and octave mandola, plus two hundred and fifty chords each for GDGDG and GDAE. Bouzouki and tenor mandola players can also play these tunes via the tablature. 

From the age of knights, castles and courtly love; from the palaces and gardens of Renaissance Europe; and from the assemblies, playhouses and noisy streets of seventeenth and eighteenth-century London: Musick’s Delight on the Modern Cittern presents a repertoire spanning 600 years – as delightfully playable and addictive now as it was then.

Although the cittern has a history spanning 500 years and several countries, like its cousin the Irish bouzouki, it is a relative newcomer to contemporary traditional music. Doc Rossi, a well-known citternist in both traditional and early music, has created this book for intermediate to advanced players who want to improve their technique, develop ideas and learn new repertoire. Guitarists can play all of the tunes in this book on the guitar by tuning C F C G C F, low to high, and putting a capo at the second fret. The lowest line in the tablature then corresponds to the fifth string. The CD features all the tunes played at a medium tempo.

It's now over 30 years since Shaskeen first formed and are still going strong. Over the years they have made many albums; more session tunes from 2 of them can be found in this book. With chords, photographs, copious notes etc..

Twenty one of your favourite Irish songs, arranged by Gary Meisner for accordion.

This book is the ideal primer for anyone wishing to participate in an "Irish session". This musical gathering is apparently quite different than a blues, jazz or bluegrass jam session in that it is customary at Irish sessions to play in tight unison with the other musicians, adapting appropriate tempos, rhythms, and ornaments in an attempt to fit in with the "groove". The "Irish Session Tune Book" features 300 reels, hornpipes, polkas, slides, and slip-jigs written without chord symbols for the

Accurate and extremely clear guitar transcriptions, comprehensively notated in tablature from ex-Albion Band guitarist Keith Hinchliffe, taken from his album of 19 tracks of tunes by the renowned Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan. Soundtrack available.

The Whistle and Sing! handbooks were designed by the author, Eamon Jordan, with a dual purpose; to offer modern arrangements of the more tuneful songs, airs and dance music of Ireland and to write these down from actual players in a simple setting which beginners could approach with confidence, and the more experienced players would elaborate upon.

A treasury of 100 airs and dance tunes suitable for all instruments selected on sheer melodic strength. All forms of Irish music are represented here in roughly equal proportions - a reflection of the fact that most musicians will want to try their hand at any Irish piece and most performances will usually include a mix of dance music, ballads, slow airs, Carolan tunes etc..

A further selection of 100 airs and dance tunes suitable for all instruments selected on sheer melodic strength.

25 of the very best Irish songs and dance tunes including Sheebeg and Sheemore, Danny Boy and Slievenamon arranged for easy piano, keyboards, harp, accordion and most melody instruments.

110 of the best tunes in any tin whistle player's repertoire, specially chosen and arranged by Claire McKenna, one of Ireland's top players and teachers. Graded by difficulty for everyone from beginner to advanced. Soundtrack available.

110 classic tunes attributed to the legendary Irish harper and composer, Turlough O'Carolan. A must for every traditional musician's repertoire. Suitable for all melody instruments.