A Few Words About This Book

This is a beginning level Irish tunes book for fiddle that I put together for the many students that have requested such music.  The level of skill required to begin this book is approximately half way through the first Suzuki violin level. The student should be able to play easily on D,A, and E strings and have some use of G string. The students should also have the bow hold firmly established and be able to play basic rhythms quickly. Half way through this volume I've chosen tunes that use the low finger 2 position and there are a few tunes that utilize the high 3rd finger position towards the end of the book.  

In the accompanying recording, the tunes are played once slowly on the fiddle and then twice again at a faster tempo with guitar accompaniment.  The tunes are also played the first time through without any ornamentation, then some basic Irish ornamentation is used when the tune is repeated. I am accompanied on the recording by Phil Morrare who makes all these lovely Irish tunes sound even better.  With his gorgeous guitar playing he makes every tune come alive. I am very grateful to him for his talent and help on this project.

I also want to thank my husband, Gordy, for all the encouragement that he gave me to complete this project as I got bogged down along the way, and  Dave Hurst for making it all look good.

Finally, I must state that this volume and the accompanying recording is in no way a substitute for a good human teacher.  Understanding and translating Irish music with your fiddle can best be accomplished with the help of a competent fiddle player who can show you how its done.

Please ENJOY yourselves and have a wonderful time fiddling!!

Pamela Kather