Teampall An Ghleantáin

Here's a reel I learned off of Caoimhin O' Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien's first album, Kitty Lie Over. The fiddle is tune down a major third.

The Frieze Britches

Here's a long jig I learned off of Ronan Browne and Peter O'Loughin's album The South West Wind. They play a version with 6 parts, although there seems to be many different version floating around with 4, 5, or 7 parts as well.

Bonnie Kate

Here's an old tune. I learned it from the playing of Tommy Reck, and I've tuned the fiddle down a major third in order to play along with him.

Kitty's Rambles

Here's a jig I learned off of a Bobby Casey album. I've tuned my fiddle to Bobby's tuning, down a half-step.

An Buailteoir Aerach

Here's a reel from the same set as the last tune I learned (The Enchanted Lady) on Caoimhìn Ò Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien's album Deadly Buzz. I dropped the strings down a major third to play along with the recording.

The Enchanted Lady

Here's a tune off of Caoimhìn Ò Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien's latest album, Deadly Buzz. Many of their tunes are played with the fiddle tuned down a major third, and this is one of them. (So G is tuned down to Eb, D to Bb, etc.)

Rambling Pitchfork

Today I returned to an old favorite source of tunes - Caoimhìn Ò Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien's album, Kitty Lie Over.  I've tuned my fiddle down to their tuning - down a major third from standard.

The Banks of the Lough Gowna

Today I returned to Ronan Browne and Peter O'Loughlin's recording A South West Wind to learn a tune. That CD is pure gold. This is jig on the album.

Munster Buttermilk

Today I learned a beautiful jig from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien's first collaboration, Kitty Lie Over.  They call this tune Munster Buttermilk but it doesn't resemble the tune many people know by that name.  It could have a different name.  I hunted around but couldn't find any information.  Either way, it's a lovely tune.  The fiddle is tuned down to Eb, and the tune is played as though it's in D, but it comes out in Bb.

Jenny Picking Cockles

So many tunes about Jenny!  What's with that?

The Drunken Gauger

I learned this from a CD of traditional tunes County Clare that arrived in the mail this week, "The South West Wind," by Peter O'Loughlin and Ronan Browne.  The liner notes say, "This is an unusual tune that is associated with Paddy Barron, the dancing master who first travelled around Clare over sixty years ago.  The O'Loughlin household in Kilmaley always extended a welcome to him."

The Crooked Road

I just joined an online community of Irish trad musicians called TradConnect.  One member suggested the other day that I learn this tune, so I did.  He actually gave me a link of Ronan Browne and Peter O'Laughlin playing it with the reel "The Morning Thrush," which I think I'll learn pretty soon, too.  It's been nice meeting and socializing with other trad musicians since starting this project.  I started it for my own personal development but it really has been a great way to meet other people from all over the world.  If you're a trad enthusiast, consider joining TradConnect, too!

La Bétaille

I'm sure this word means something, but I'm not sure what.  The full name of this tune is "La Bétaille dans le 'tit arbre" (the ---- in the little tree.)  What the ---- is I'm not sure.

Piney Ridge

Another old-time tune?  Why, yes!  I think it'd be easier to do a new Irish tune everyday since that's the genre I'm most fluent in.  But I started this project to stretch myself, after all.  So as flawed as my approach to Old-time may be, I'm going to push myself and learn lots of those kinds of tunes.

Wade's Waltz

Confession: I watch Discovery's Swamp People.  It's about alligator fishermen in Louisiana and Florida.  It's everything you want it to be: alligators, drama, danger, that smooth Cajun accent (ça c'est bon!), and lots of gumbo and fried frogs.  But there's one big problem that drives me crazy in every episode.  The opening and closing credits are backed by a fiddler who's playing KENTUCKY old-time style.  Oooh, it makes my blood boil. *