Irish traditional repertoire class workshops - scroll down for the latest tunes
Learn the repertoire of Mike Rafferty and old East Galway, phrase by phrase and tune by tune, in class along with your fellow students.
Open to all traditional instruments and others too:
Fiddle, modern flute, Irish flute, tin whistle, harp, guitar (melody), mandolin, banjo, piano keyboard (melody), concertina, accordion, Uilleann pipes, lap and hammered dulcimers, lilters (singing the melody without words) - all welcome.
We play in the keys of D and G and their relatives. If you have another instrument that does not easily play in these keys, sign up for a separate workshop.
Requirements:
1-2 years experience on your own instrument (must be able to tune it and find single notes).
Bring a recording device which you know how to operate, to take the tune home for practice.
Most of the repertoire is contained in the Rafferty tune books, which are available for purchase should you wish to have your own. BUT - we do not use them in any class or session. The books are for reference only.
Fiddle, modern flute, Irish flute, tin whistle, harp, guitar (melody), mandolin, banjo, piano keyboard (melody), concertina, accordion, Uilleann pipes, lap and hammered dulcimers, lilters (singing the melody without words) - all welcome.
We play in the keys of D and G and their relatives. If you have another instrument that does not easily play in these keys, sign up for a separate workshop.
Requirements:
1-2 years experience on your own instrument (must be able to tune it and find single notes).
Bring a recording device which you know how to operate, to take the tune home for practice.
Most of the repertoire is contained in the Rafferty tune books, which are available for purchase should you wish to have your own. BUT - we do not use them in any class or session. The books are for reference only.
Class sizes are limited.
45 minutes class per week. Payable weekly before class. Contact Lesl for rates, further information, and to be placed on the waiting list. This format is also available for public workshops with an unspecified number of attendees. |
What happens:First I play the tune everyone's going to learn. Then we will go through the tune slowly, phrase by phrase until we can all play each phrase. We'll string it all together gradually and play it over a few times until everyone is playing the whole tune well. I'll play it again for all students to record, for take-home practice during the week. We talk about the history of the tune, too.
Bonus for age 14 and under: there may be individual quizzes on sections of the tunes at any time! |
Anyone needing assistance is encouraged to schedule a private lesson!
All Tunes of Old East Galway workshop tunes and their notation can be
downloaded at my box.com storage.
Click this link to see all tunes in one folder and download whichever ones you like.
2015
The Glenside polka #1 - The Grand old dame (The Half Door polka) - The Old Cliffs of Moher
2016
The Primrose Lass - If there weren't any men in the World
2017
The Lakes of Sligo - The Keel Row
2018 trailside tunes
The Rattling Bog - Lucy Farr's Barndance - The Kilfenora jig #2
2018 regular workshop tunes
The Dawning of the Day - The Killaturley polka
2019
Charlie Harris' polka - McKenna's Ballroom Favourite #1
2021
Jer O'Connell's polka - Bright Eilli O'Carroll air
2022
Boolavogue song air - notation
Suo-Gân lullaby song air - notation
2023
Pretty Peg (song air and polka)
Glen Swilly (song air and waltz)
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