Music Tuition

Preston Comhaltas branch supports a “slow and steady” workshop/session series every Thursday (except August) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Moorbrook Inn, North Road (A6), Preston, parking is available behind the Inn, in the B & Q parking lot...

Through participation and sharing music we hope to help those who would like to take part in regular Irish music sessions. We will do this through the music, the tunes, including discussion of the ways and etiquette of playing in a session. In this situation we'll be taking it nice and slow... 

Our little gathering will also give you a friendly and forgiving atmosphere in which to learn and grow with the music. Some extra focus will be available for wind instruments, for example the whistle, and percussion, the bodhran. Anyone interested in percussion will also be expected to also learn at least the whistle, to get some idea of what the music is about they hope to accompany, and instrumentalists will be getting some introduction to the rhythms through simple work on the bodhran. Tunes will be selected in the main from the repertoire currently played in our two sessions, the 2nd Sunday and 4th Thursday of the month. 
 
Anyone with a serious interest, whatever their age, is welcome, but children would need to be accompanied by an adult. While we can and do cater for beginners, you would benefit best with at least a basic understanding of your instrument. As previously mentioned, we will also be doing some work on basic rhythms, including through the bodhran and dance. We charge £3 per session...
 
To date we've learned and worked on the following tunes, and you can find ABCs notation, sheet music (the dots) and midis for these by following the links given below to The Session website http://www.thesession.org

Please contact us if you've any questions and if you'd like to join us and have us add you to our mailing list.
 
Slip Jigs:
"Top it Off"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2608
"The Pendle Witches"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8179
"The Butterfly"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10  
"Hardiman the Fiddler"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/48
"The Arra Mountains" C: Paddy O'Brien
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1901
“The Foxhunters” ~ 2 & 4-part
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/482
 
Jigs:
"The Rakes of Kildare"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/84
"The Blackthorn Stick"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/702
"The Haunted House" C: Vincent Broderick
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1098  
"A Night at the Fair"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7294
"Jim Ward's"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/793
"Close to the Floor" = "Father Tom's Wager"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2956
 “Saddle the Pony”                                             http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/307
 “Sixpenny Money”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/387
 “Willie Coleman’s”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/476
 “Out on the Ocean”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/108
 
Laments:
"Captain O'Kane" = "The Wounded Hussar"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/858
"Hector the Hero"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1292
 
Airs/Waltzes:
"The South Wind"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/601
 
 
Mazurkas:
"Sonny Broghan's"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5476
 "The Glenties"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1332

Varsoviennes:
“Shoe the Donkey” 
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2320
"Shoo the Donkey"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9499
 
Marches / Waltzes ~ 4/4 & 3/4
"The Mourne Shore" = "Down By the Sally Gardens"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1314
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9596
"The Foggy Dew"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2516
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9488
"The Star of the County Down"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4320
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9747
 
Waltzes:

"Waltz of the Little Girls"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6192
 "The South Wind"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/601
"Níl sé ina Lá”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9567

Hornpipes / Clogs:
"The Banks"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/922
"The Great Western 'Lancashire' Clog" (= "Sweep's" = "The Belfast")
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4
 “The Golden Eagle”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/974
http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/goldeneagle.html
 
Barndances:
"The Curlew Hills"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/670
"The Hills of Tara"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2998
 
Set Dances:
"The King of the Fairies"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/475
 
Highland Flings / Strathspeys:
“The Braes of Marr” = “Love Will You Marry Me” = “Some Say the Devil is Dead”
 http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1990
 “The Keel Row”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3637
 “Garrai Na Saileog”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/624
 “Rolling in the Ryegrass”
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/87

Reels:
"Poor But Happy at 53" ~ slow reel
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/314
 “Rolling in the Ryegrass” ~ single reel
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/87
 
& more yet to come, including ~ slides, polkas etc…