The Irish fiddle is one of the most important instruments in the traditional repertoire of Irish music. The fiddle itself is identical to the violin, however it is played differently in widely varying regional styles. In the era of sound recording some regional styles have been transmitted more widely while others have become more uncommon.
The fiddle has ancient roots in Ireland, the first report of bowed instruments similar to the violin being in the Book of Leinster. The modern violin was ubiquitous in Ireland by the early 1700s.
Style
Compared to classical violin, Irish fiddler tend to make little use of vibrato except for slow airs, and even then it is used relatively sparingly. Like the rest of Irish traditional music tradition, melodies are embellished through forms of ornamentation, such as rolls, trebles, and cuts. Irish fiddlers also use a vocabulary of bow slurs different from other fiddle traditions, at least in proportion of usage. Most notably, fiddlers often slur into the beat to produce a certain lilt, not unlike the Newcastle hornpipe style of bowing in England and Scotland, though the technique in Ireland is not restricted to hornpipes. They may also slur over beats in such a pattern as to create a natural back-beat in reels. Numerous Irish Reels are performed by The Dubliners, one of the pioneers of traditional Irish Music. Slow airs are occasionally played upon the fiddle, but the style is best known for fast, snappy reels and jigs. Strathspeys, popular in Scottish Fiddle are seldom played, as such, but there are some tunes which amply utilized dotted rhythm. Some tunes are:
Examples include the Sliabh Luachra and Donegal fiddle traditions. In Irish fiddling there are few known composers, as many tunes have been taught by ear and passed down from one generation to another. Also, many players adjusted tunes to suit their style and taste, so there can be many variations for a particular tune.
a b Fintan Vallely. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. New York University Press..
a b Between the Jigs and the Reels: The Donegal Fiddle Tradition C Mac Aoidh - 1994 - Drumlin Publications
Donegal and Shetland Fiddle Music D McLaughlin, Irish Traditional Music Society - 1992 - Irish Traditional Music Society, University College, Cork
a b c Changing cultural landscapes: the co-existence of musical genres in Irish culture and education. M McCarthy - Irish Studies Review, 2004 - Taylor & Francis
a b c McCarthy, M.. Changing cultural landscapes: the co-existence of musical genres in Irish culture and education. Irish Studies Review. p. 134
a b Michael Robinson. "The Fiddle Music of Donegal". The Standing Stones.
Ken Perlman. "Sean McGuire: Master of The Irish Violin". The Irish Fiddle.
a b c MacAoidh, C.. Between the Jigs and the Reels: The Donegal Fiddle Tradition. Drumlin Publications. p. 125
