His/her other hand will hold a tipper, a short wooden stick used to beat the bodhrán in a fluid, shaking sort of motion. The interior will sometimes have a wooden cross bar for the musician to hold onto. It usually measures around 35 – 45cm in diameter with goatskin stretched across to make up the drumming surface. Traditional Musical Instrumentsįrom there, other instruments joined the fray, most of which are earlier versions of present day traditional instruments, which are.īodhrán (pronounced bow-rawn): The bodhrán is a simple handheld drum, used – obviously – as a percussion instrument. Anyone proficient in the harp could earn themselves a very nice living playing in the courts of the chieftains, as the harp and harpists were held in very high regard along with poets and other artistically inclined people. While not a whole lot is known about how exactly the Celts used music or expressed themselves through it, we do know that it had already become an important part of life by the Middle Ages. This was the most dominant sound in Ireland long after the Celts had made way to the Vikings and the modern era, enjoying popularity from the 10 th right up until the 17 th centuries. In particular, they had one significant instrument the harp. Having spread from central Europe all the way to the shores of the Atlantic, they picked up a few skills along the way, and using musical instruments was one of them. Like most other aspects of Irish culture and traditions, the beginning of Irish music as we know it today can be traced back to the arrival of the Celts. Both are cast bronze horns that are around 3000 years old, from the west and north of Ireland respectively. Two other prime examples are the Dord Iseal and the Dord Ard. Made from yew wood and resembling a larger set of pan pipes, they are said to resemble similar objects found in Scandinavia around the same time period. Among other instruments, a set of six hand-carved cylindrical wooden pipes dating from around 2000 BC have been found in Wicklow. Over time as these people became more skilled, the instruments became more complex as well as more durable although whether they became more tuneful or not is anyone's guess. Rather than being used to make melodies or as a form of art, instead they were most likely used as signallers, to warn others of danger or to summon people from an area for whatever reason. The first inhabitants of the island used very primitive forms of musical instruments, mostly pipes and horns. Music has been in Ireland for thousands of years. It's still equally as fun and spirited an affair, however in fact, it may even be more rowdy now than it was then! Origins of Irish music Basically, it's the modern version of the villagers crowding around the fireplace listening to the local musicians. This usually involves a handful of musicians all playing old folk songs on native instruments, ranging from slow, melancholy singing to the energetic and very fast paced type of music that most people around the world know to be 'Irish'. It started a tradition that has been kept alive since then, as music is still a very important part of life in Ireland.Ī quintessential experience for any visitor to the Emerald Isle, particularly rural Ireland or anywhere along the west coast, is participating in what is locally known as a 'trad sesh', or a session of traditional Irish music in a local pub. On cold, dark evenings, villages would crowd together into their local pub to share a warm fire, hear stories and listen to music played by the local musicians (of course there was usually dancing too, which is where our traditional dancing originates from). In previous centuries, music and storytelling were the only forms of entertainment on an island that had no electricity and where only a small minority of the population were literate. Irish culture as a whole is very unique, complex, and of course, interesting! Although there are many aspects to Irish heritage, traditions and culture, music is a very important one.
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