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- Clairseach (Celtic Harp) One of the most iconic Irish instruments is the Celtic harp which is a triangle-shaped string instrument whose first true representation dates to the late 11 century.
- Fife. Next, we have the Fife which is a high-pitched wind instrument similar to the Piccolo. The instrument’s body is filled with sound holes to produce notes when the finger is lifted to let the vibrating sounds escape.
- Uilleann Pipes. The Uilleann Pipes are a type of bagpipe and are a popular instrument in Irish culture. It was originally an instrument used in war, with the earliest Irish mention dating back to the 12 century, especially in Henry VIII’s siege of Boulogne.
- Fiddle. The fiddle, also called the violin, has strong historical roots in Ireland with some references even dating back as far as the 7 century when O’curry first mentioned it.
- The Bodhrán
- The Fiddle
- The Harp
- Flute and Whistle
- The Uilleann Pipes
- Accordion and Concertina
- The Banjo
- Mandolin
- The Bouzouki
- Harmonica
The Bodhrán Drum has been around for centuries and is one of the most popular Irish percussion instruments. Measuring between 25 and 65cm diameter and played in an upright position, it is covered with animal skin (usually goatskin) on one side and on the other side the hand controls the pitch and timbre. Popular in Irish rebel songs, the deep tone ...
Few Irish musical instruments bring a traditional music session alive like the fiddle and you’ll find it played in pubs across the country. Now, if you’re looking at this and thinking, ‘Isn’t that a violin?!, you’d be correct. There are no physical differences between the two – the separation comes down to the type of music it’s used to play. A vio...
You can’t talk about Celtic instruments without mentioning the harp. According to Irish mythology, the first harp was owned by the Dagda from Tuatha dé Danann. Apparently, he could make his audience weep, smile or even been lulled to sleep depending on his style. The original Irish harp was smaller, carved out of bogwood and did not have a foot ped...
The flute and whistle are two of the more popular Irish instruments for playing Irish traditional music. The Flute, Tin Whistle and Low Whistle are all from the woodwind family. However, while each requires similar finger placement techniques, they all produce a different tone. Dating back to the 12th century, the tin whistle or Penny Whistle sound...
One of the lesser-known Irish instruments for playing Irish traditional music, the Uilleann Pipes, similar to Scottish bagpipes, are Ireland’s national pipes. ‘Uilleann’ means ‘Pipes of the elbow’ as the bag is inflated using bellows strapped around the player’s waist and pumped using the arm. It saves all that puffing and blowing as with bagpipes ...
The accordion and the concertina are popular Irish musical instruments commonly used for impromptu music session and accompanying sing-alongs. Nicknamed a ‘Squeezebox’ the accordion hangs from the shoulders by straps. It has bellows operated by pulling and squeezing the box while the left-hand plays bass notes on buttons and the right-hand plays th...
The banjo is a key feature in many of the tunes in our guide to the best Irish drinking songs. Popular with many Irish bands, the stringed banjo has a round box cavity and a neck with five strings which are tuned and adjusted by nuts. The tenor banjo is a relative newcomer to Irish folk music, as pre-1960 it rarely featured, but things move on. Ban...
The mandolin is another popular traditional Irish music instruments. The Celtic mandolin is a beautiful instrument shaped like an onion with a solid wood back (usually rosewood or mahogany) which is flat or gently curved. Smaller than a guitar, Celtic mandolins may have round or oval sound holes and the four double sets of strings are played with a...
The Bouzouki is another of the lesser-known Irish music instruments and it was adapted from the Greek bouzouki. It was introduced to the Irish music scene by Johnny Moynihan (Sweeney’s men) in the mid-1960s. In the early 70s, Irish musician Dónal Lunny replaced two-octave strings with unison strings and later commissioned the first bouzouki with th...
The harmonica is a type of mouth organ that has 10 holes and requires practice in breath control and lip training to tame it! The user must direct the air either in or out one or more holes along the instrument. Although it looks like it’d be easy to master quickly, skill is required. This isn’t one of the traditional Irish instruments, but it’s a ...
Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In A History of Irish Music (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there were at least ten instruments in general use.
- The Irish fiddle – everyone loves the Irish fiddle player at the trad session. Find Your Dream Hotel in Ireland. On the hunt for the ultimate hotel for your Irish adventure?
- Bodhrán – a frame drum known for its deep tone. The bodhrán is a hand-held, framed drum instrument that originated in Ireland. This lightweight effective instrument is commonly seen today in traditional Irish music groups.
- Celtic harp – one of the most important instruments in Irish music. The Celtic harp is an ancient instrument associated with Ireland. So much so, that the Celtic harp is a cultural heritage symbol synonymous with the country.
- Uilleann pipes – Ireland’s ancient pipes. Uilleann pipes are warmly known as “the Bagpipes of Ireland.” Similar to Scottish bagpipes, this instrument first gained traction in the Irish music scene between the 18th and 19th centuries.
Oct 3, 2024 · This includes both the musical pieces themselves, and the instruments the music is played on. In this article, we take a look at five distinctly Irish musical instruments, digging into their origins, their design, and their role in the world of music today.
Jan 23, 2023 · From the percussion to strings, to the wind instruments, these eight Irish musical instruments create one sound loved by multiple cultures across the globe. We're sure this detailed read has enlightened you on the rudiments of the evergreen traditional Irish musical instruments.
May 12, 2024 · Traditional Instruments of Irish Folk Music. The unique sound of Irish folk music comes from various traditional instruments, each contributing its distinct voice to the ensemble. The Tin Whistle. A simple yet expressive instrument, the tin whistle is essential to Irish folk music.
