Irish Traditional Music: Instruments, Modes, Sessions, and Therapeutic Practice

Irish Traditional Music

Music lies at the heart of the Irish experience. Traditional music as it is practiced in Ireland possesses distinctive qualities in instrumentation, style, and methods of transmission. It remains a living tradition, continuously evolving as old material falls away, neglected pieces are revived, new compositions emerge, and established repertoire undergoes variation in performance (ITMA, 1991).

“There are three ways of telling every story, but a thousand ways of singing every song” — Irish proverb (in Carson, 1986)

This report outlines the principal characteristics of Irish traditional music, followed by clinical reflections from music therapists working in Ireland on how the Irish musical tradition shapes their musical identities and therapeutic practice.

What is Irish Traditional Music?

The phrase "traditional music" in Ireland generally refers to older dance music and song. It is a broad category covering various types of vocal and instrumental music from many periods, performed by Irish people in Ireland, members of the Irish diaspora, and occasionally by musicians of other nationalities (Vallely, 2011d). Although precise definition proves challenging (Ó Canainn, 1993; Vallely, 2011d; Williams, 2009), certain features of rhythm, style, structure, and phrasing make it instantly recognizable to the ear (Ó Canainn, 1993). The tradition is essentially oral: music is created and passed on through performance, preserved in memory rather than on the page (Vallely, 2011d). This gives the music a fluid quality, as versions of songs and tunes multiply through variations and ornaments introduced by skilled performers (ITMA, 1991). These changes occur slowly, held in check by the tradition's conservative character (ITMA, 1991; Ó Canainn, 1993). Regional repertoires and styles vary, but processes of diffusion and communication media spread them more broadly (ITMA, 1991).

Solo performance of tunes and songs forms the heart of the tradition. Group playing is also common, with instruments typically playing in unison (Williams, 2009). Counterpoint is not characteristic of Irish traditional tunes, and harmonic accompaniment, when used, is generally simple (ITMA, 1991). Written words and music notation are not employed during performance; they serve only as an aid to memory at best (ITMA, 1991).

A central feature of Irish traditional music is the "trad session." This is an informal gathering of musicians who meet, most often in a pub (Hamilton, 2011, p.610), to play Irish dance music along with solo pieces or songs. Sessions may be impromptu or planned, involving amateur musicians without a fixed set list. Nevertheless, unspoken rules govern how sessions proceed, the relative status of attending musicians, and the behaviour of listeners.

Instrumental Traditional Music

Instrumental Irish music is typically fast and isometric, accompanying dances such as jigs, reels, and hornpipes (ITMA, 1991). Steady tempo and clarity are therefore emphasized (Williams, 2009). Slow instrumental pieces intended for listening — song airs or composed pieces — are less common.

Instruments

The uilleann pipes and the fiddle are regarded as the two most important instruments in Irish music (Ó Canainn, 1993). Free reed instruments such as accordions and concertinas, along with wind instruments like whistles and flutes, are also widely used (ITMA, 1991). Plucked instruments including guitars, banjos, mandolins, and bouzoukis feature in group sessions, as do percussion instruments like the bodhrán and the bones.

• Uilleann pipes: Similar to Scottish bagpipes, these are powered by an elbow-operated bellows ("uilleann" is the Irish word for elbow). They feature a double-reed chanter with a two-octave range and a row of regulators — keyed pipes played by the wrist and heel of the right hand to produce sustained or rhythmic harmonic accompaniment.
• Fiddle: The term used for a standard classical violin when played in traditional music (Williams, 2009). While there is no standard way of holding or playing the fiddle, a particular emphasis on resonance gives Irish fiddle playing a distinctive sound (Ó Canainn, 1993; Williams, 2009).
• Irish traditional flute: The Irish transverse flute differs from the silver classical flute in being made of wood, with six to eight holes, sometimes with additional keys for accidentals (Carson, 1986). This instrument is more associated with the north-western parts of Ireland (Williams, 2009).
• Bodhrán: A frame drum consisting of goatskin stretched over a round wooden frame, struck with a single two-headed stick called a 'tipper'. It is an old instrument that became very popular in community music making during the latter half of the twentieth century (Williams, 2009).

Features of Irish Tunes

Irish melodies typically span two octaves and feature one or two sharps. Tunes in the Ionian, Aeolian, Dorian, and Mixolydian modes are common, lending Irish music its characteristic sound (Williams, 2009). Tunes usually consist of an A section and a B section, each of eight measures, repeated twice (AA/BB) for a total of 32 measures (Williams, 2009). Musicians commonly combine two or three related tunes into "sets" that are conventional among groups (Williams, 2009). Common tune types include jigs, reels, and hornpipes, each with associated dance steps.

Airs are a slower type of Irish tune performed in free metre. They may be based on Irish sean-nós songs, specifically composed on pipes or fiddle, or drawn from harp compositions such as those by O'Carolan (Williams, 2009). Airs are performed with a breathing rhythm and are notoriously difficult to notate, as each rendition varies according to the expressiveness, musicality, and experience of the performer (Williams, 2009; Ó Canainn, 1993).

The challenge for an Irish traditional musician is to improvise and innovate within these basic structures, as defined by the community of taste that exists between composer, performer, and audience (ITMA, 1991), especially when performing the freer airs (Ó Canainn, 1993).

Irish Traditional Song

Ireland boasts a rich and diverse song tradition, with songs sung in Irish, English, or both (known as 'macaronic' or 'Hiberno-English' songs). Many types of songs exist, reflecting various circumstances and concerns of Irish experience, yet they share a core accent or singing style derived from Irish-language performance practice (McGettrick, 2011). Themes include love, war, hardship, dispossession, revenge, praise, sentimentality, nostalgia, hope, despair, sport, local history, emigration, and social upheaval (McGettrick, 2011). Songs may take the form of laments, exhortations, satires, or lullabies (McGettrick, 2011).

Song in Irish

'Sean-nós' (pronounced 'shan-nose' with a hard 's') is the Irish term for 'old way' or 'old tradition'. It refers to a highly complex and highly personal style of unaccompanied solo singing (Williams, 2009; Ó Canainn, 1993). These songs are sung in Irish in free metre, giving the performer freedom for expression and ornamentation. Singers often maintain a small repertoire carefully chosen for particular occasions; in a session, typically only one such song is performed.

In performing a sean-nós song, words and music are equally vital. Performers frequently vary the rhythm and melody from verse to verse and between performances themselves, heightening the poetic and expressive qualities of the song and incorporating their own experiences and musicality (Hennigan, 2011). This connection extends to instrumental performances of sean-nós melodies: instrumentalists must know the lyrics of a tune before performing the air. Airs based on sean-nós songs are played in a style influenced by the implications of the Irish language (Ó Canainn, 1993). Sean-nós is considered the essential core of Irish traditional music (Williams, 2009).

Other types of songs in Irish include children's songs, lilting songs, tongue twisters, and lúibíní (semi-improvised duets). These tend to be lighter or more humorous than sean-nós (Williams, 2009).

Songs in English

Irish ballads are the most common and best-known songs in English. More urban in origin than sean-nós songs (McGettrick, 2011), they are generally considered "good old familiar songs to sing" (Vallely, 2011a). Although sung in English, they typically continue the thematic and melodic features of older songs in Irish (McGettrick, 2011). They are frequently narrative, drawing on mythology, folklore, or other fictional material, or appear as "broadsides" offering commentaries on contemporary people and events (Williams, 2009). The printing and dissemination of ballad lyrics to popular tunes provided a way for politics to reach urban and rural lower classes (Vallely, 2011a). These songs are well known throughout Ireland and are typically learned through passive transmission rather than explicit teaching. Singers' sessions — analogous to sessions for instrumental musicians — are common around Ireland as a way of sharing well-known songs informally. Artists like the Clancy Brothers brought Irish music to international attention during the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s in the UK and USA (Curtis, 1994).

Regional Styles

Because Irish music is predominantly an oral tradition, its transmission between musicians means that different areas of Ireland have developed distinctive playing styles and tune types (Moran, 2011). This applies to instrumental music, sean-nós songs, and ballads. The distinction is most clearly defined on the fiddle: Donegal, Sligo, East Galway, West Clare, and Sliabh Luachra each have a recognized style (Moran, 2011). Although these styles are linked to the historical, cultural, and linguistic particularities of their respective areas (Williams, 2009), the boundaries are not fixed (Moran, 2011). Processes of diffusion and communications media spread these styles widely (ITMA, 1991).

Transmission

Transmission is the process by which musical style and repertoire are passed between peers, either during a player's lifetime or across generations separated by time or place (Vallely, 2011e). Irish traditional music continues to be handed down more by example than by formal teaching (ITMA, 1991). Oral and aural transmission through "performance learning" with experienced players is common, in both formal and informal contexts. Although notation may be used in teaching traditional music, it is usually insufficient to convey the blas, or feel, of the music (Williams, 2009). Songs spread through a community by passive osmosis as well as by conscious learning "at the singer's knee" (McGettrick, 2011). Traditional music is also studied at secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, most notably at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick (Vallely, 2011b).

Clinical Reflections

Clinical Reflection #1 — Lorraine Ní Bhriain

As an Irish traditional musician, I bring many of the musical skills and qualities associated with this music into my work as a music therapist. Traditional Irish music is most often played in an informal social setting, typically a bar, by a group of musicians drawing from a vast repertoire of tunes. Playing it demands flexibility in tempo, keys, variations, and tune versions, which may differ from the version originally learned. As a result, I am accustomed to fitting in with other musicians. This might involve slightly changing my version of a tune's melody to align with another musician's version, or playing at the tempo and key chosen by those I am playing with. All of this is done by ear, with little or no spoken agreement about how the tune will be played. This ability to follow music closely, to hold back, listen, attune, and complement another person's music, forms an important skill in my music therapy practice. There is no reliance on sheet music or a written score — it is direct person-to-person communication, being with others and relating by making music together. In an Irish session, musicians may never have met one another before. This opportunity for pure musical communication and relationship-building often surprises audiences unfamiliar with Irish traditional music.

During a session, musicians must be aware of cues, gestures, and signals — when a tune will change or who will lead the group into the next piece. This is most often communicated through a nod, eye contact, or calling out a key to an accompanist. This ability to watch for reactions, responses, and signals is a key part of relating to clients during music therapy sessions.

In my family, there is great respect and appreciation for Irish traditional music. My father is a singer with a passion for collecting and learning songs. He has a deep interest in Irish history, the stories associated with places in Ireland, events, tragedies, immigration, people, and folklore — the songs themselves teach us these stories. In my work with older adults, I actively seek out songs from the area where a client grew up, or songs that tell stories about particular interests they may have, such as songs about a sport they enjoyed or a historical event they lived through.

As a child, I recall visiting hospitals, residential homes, and day care centres for older adults. I became aware of the therapeutic effects of music at a young age, witnessing people become deeply emotional in response to music. I listened as they reminisced, discussed memories and associations with songs, recalled relatives and friends who played or sang, and observed how content and relaxed they could become while listening. Music crosses the boundaries of age. In Irish sessions, children and adults of all ages play together in a natural way. As a very young musician, I played in sessions with much older musicians as well as those my own age. In my music therapy work, I work with people across the lifespan. I describe my therapeutic approach as flexible and adaptable — two of the qualities I value most as an Irish traditional musician.

Clinical Reflection #2 — Josie Nugent

My music therapy group sessions with dementia patients in Derry, Northern Ireland, provide an opportunity for patients to engage with one another by singing old familiar songs, despite aphasia and memory loss. Some of the songs chosen or recalled come from a great tradition in Derry and across Northern Ireland, where families and friends gathered to share experiences and singing was a central part of these gatherings. The songs sung at such gatherings included a mixture of local ballads, emigration songs, love songs, and rebel songs. Music therapy sessions with dementia patients from Derry thus include local songs such as Mary from Dungloe and Boys from the County Armagh; emigration songs such as Galway Bay and It's a Long Way to Tipperary; love songs like The Rose of Tralee and Molly Malone; and well-known ballads popularized by the Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners — for example, Will You Go, Lassie, Go, The Wild Rover, and The Gypsy Rover — which have stimulating choruses that the patients sing with great joy and spirit while tapping their chosen percussion instruments. These observations suggest that group singing of familiar Irish songs as a clinical intervention can improve awareness and uplift and enliven a patient's mood and spirit.

The fiddle — one of Ireland's oldest traditional instruments — and the octave violin play many roles in music therapy sessions with dementia patients. Playing either instrument in close proximity to a patient can bring them to a more alert state, enabling social interactive communication. Both instruments are also ideal for encouraging dancing and movement, an activity known to greatly enhance the well-being of dementia patients. For instance, many Derry-based dementia patients learned Irish dancing in their youth and will immediately begin dancing in their seats to those never-forgotten dances when they hear tunes like St. Patrick's Day and King of the Fairies, or will lilt along to specific dance tunes. Sessions for Derry-based dementia patients also include waltz-like melodies such as After the Ball and In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree, to which some patients dance or reminisce about the dance hall days of their youth. It is my opinion that the therapeutic activities of Irish dancing and singing old familiar Irish songs can greatly enhance the well-being of dementia patients from Irish backgrounds.

Clinical Reflection #3 — Oonagh McMahon

Musical enculturation has always interested me. The music that...

Most of my clinical work has involved school children aged five to nineteen. In reflecting on my use of Irish traditional and folk music, I focus on this population.

Children’s songs and various popular music genres—pop, rock, R&B, rap—featured prominently in my repertoire when working with young people. Yet Irish traditional and folk music also had a place. Reflecting further, I employed folk songs more often than traditional dance tunes or instrumental slow airs.

I would introduce Irish folk songs into sessions when I learned that a client’s home included this music. Sometimes a child’s most-loved piece is one a parent, grandparent, or sibling plays or sings at home, not whatever tops the charts. I learned how valuable it is to discern musical preferences and interests as a way of connecting, especially during initial sessions.

Many children and teenagers I worked with had physical disabilities. Movement to music helped promote coordination and self-awareness. Usually I played Irish traditional and folk music live so the tempo could match each client’s movement abilities. Songs I used for this include The Fields of Athenry, Phil the Fluter’s Ball, Oh Danny Boy, and The Voyage.

A song with a strong steady beat often motivated clients. Using a bodhrán or similar hand drum gives clients an accessible way to join the music making. For this I used songs such as Dirty Old Town, The Star of the County Down, and The Galway Girl. I also used the Soundbeam alongside recordings of traditional music—one piece that comes to mind is Ah, Sweet Dancer by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. The Soundbeam was set to a D minor mode so any movement through the beam produced sounds that complemented the music.

Using folk songs with teenage groups often helps cohesion, especially when members differ in musical tastes. Folk music can be accepted by everyone. The Galway Girl, Ride On, and Black is the Colour are songs I have turned to in such contexts.

Clinical Reflection #4 – Jason Noone

Music runs deep in Irish culture, and even as a “non-traditional” musician, the cultural norms of Irish music have significantly influenced my music therapy practice. Pine (1998) suggests the Irish are an inherently musical race, that music flows naturally from the Irish spirit—whether in celebration, dejection, or defiance. Connections between common Irish musical practices and processes within a music therapy session are not hard to find. In other words, traditional Irish music offers useful templates that I believe support therapy and client engagement.

The concept of passive transmission—learning Irish songs and tunes within the community through osmosis and exposure rather than formal teaching—means a vast shared repertoire of songs with diverse themes and moods exists, songs that can be readily accessed and used in music therapy sessions. The forms and conventions for sharing songs in a group therapy setting strongly resemble typical Irish music sessions, so group music making can feel familiar and non-threatening.

In my work with adults who have developmental disabilities, although I cover many genres, Irish traditional songs often become a “go-to” choice for bonding, raising energy, or closing a session. Some Irish music sessions follow a “one voice rule” for contributors, and music therapy groups often mirror this: members sing solos while the rest listen attentively, sometimes joining for the refrains. Group members may each have a small number of especially meaningful songs that only they sing—another common feature of Irish sessions. As part of a music therapy programme centred on person centredness, resource building, and empowerment (Noone, 2008), the communal nature of music in Ireland, along with its forms and conventions, lends itself well to developing strong musical identities and relationships in both group and individual sessions.

As for the more popular Irish traditional songs—ballads especially—their widespread familiarity, simple melodies, and frequent repetition make them ideal for therapeutic songwriting as the basis for parody. Again this matches the culture of traditional music in Ireland, where different songs often share the same melody (Vallely, 2011a). Adapting Irish songs therapeutically can happen spontaneously, when narrative elements are replaced with details from a client’s life or other personal material. In groups, this improvisational approach to therapeutic songwriting can be highly motivating and effective for promoting self-expression and relationship building.

Although I am not an experienced traditional musician, I have used slow airs—such as My Lagan Love or She Moved Through the Fair—within sessions to encourage relaxation. These forms are naturally suited: they are “free metre” and use a “breathing” rhythm that enhances expressiveness (Williams, 2009). This works well when linked to a client’s breathing in a relaxation protocol. The familiarity of the melody connects with the client’s breathing and, potentially, can be varied using the iso-principle.

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