The
fiddle playing of Ireland stems from an oral tradition and can
be traced back for centuries. In the past and today alike, tunes
are passed down within families, from fiddler to fiddler at
the pub in a seisiun (pronounced session), and learned for dances.
Even
today with all of the technology in recording and the huge market
for printed music, people still learn tunes the old fashioned
way and go off to he pub for the tunes and the "craic". There
are thousands of tunes that exist in the repertoire, some of
which are recent "compositions" and others that are three hundred
years old, and each is given a particular character by the fiddler
who adds his or her style and ornamentation to the tune.
Originally the ornamentation primarily came from pipe playing
and was adapted to the fiddle as well as the accordion and flute.
Every region of Ireland has its own fiddle style and they are
remarkably distinct! It is possible to identify where a fiddler
came from in Ireland by how he plays a tune. Though it is a
small country, these stylistic differences are great and still
remain today.
