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.

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

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.

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

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 fingerstyle guitar collection features 20 engaging lyrical tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales plus three original pieces by accomplished guitarist, trumpeter and composer William A. Bay, president, and editor-in-chief at Mel Bay Publications. Tasked with writing intermediate-level arrangements in either standard or dropped-D tuning, guitarist/arranger Raymond Gonzalez displays uncommon music rethinking skills while preserving the plaintive and lilting nature of these enduring melodies. Unique to these settings, you will find sparse, open-chord harmonies accentuated by double hammer-ons and pull-offs, and the odd harmonic mixed with normal tones within a melodic line— all reminiscent of gentle waves washing up against a rocky island shore. Conceived to be played on either steel or nylon-string guitar, these pieces are written in both standard notation and tablature. Includes online access to the author’s own audio recordings.

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.

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 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.

Fifty new tunes of Irish dance music composed by Tomás O Canainn, suitable for all traditional players. Many of the tunes in this book have already entered the repertoire of musicians in Ireland and further afield.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.