Examples for Learning
In an effort to teach lilting to my students and make it as accessible as possible, I have developed some settings of tunes in which I try to present a consistent use of syllables. For group instruction it is important that everyone use the same syllables. I have chosen syllables that seem to flow easily when singing the tunes but that, of course, is a matter of individual preference. Since ranges of Irish tunes can sometimes span two octaves, I have also tried to select tunes with limited ranges.
Feel free to use any or all of these examples for your own purposes. I would also encourage you to develop your own arrangements.
Polkas are among the easiest of Irish tunes to learn since they are generally short with fewer notes and have straight-forward rhythms.
Hornpipes, although more involved than polkas, are generally performed at a slower tempo. The more advanced the dancer, the slower the tempo to allow for more elaborate dance steps. Even though hornpipes are typically notated in even eighth-note rhythms, in performance these rhythms are performed as dotted-eight and sixteenth notes in a triplet feel.
Jigs are lively dances in compound meter. A regular or single jig is in 6/8 and a slip jig is in 9/8. Lilting ornamentation typically involves substituting two sixteenth notes for one eight note.
Reels are lively dances in 4/4 with continuos eighth-note movement, and because of this they can be difficult to learn. Below is a link to an adaptation of one of the transcription examples for two voices. Below that is a link to download an SATB choral arrangement with bodhrán accompaniment.