All About Irish Traditional Music

To start with, Ireland has always been associated with rural living more than urban sophistry. Hence the folk elements form a major part of their culture and they allude to nature and her elements. In earlier time, ten musical instruments were very much in vogue out of which the harp and the tabor were very important. The harp was used in all state presentations and functions of importance. A smaller harp called the cruit and the bigger harp called clairesearch, which had 30 strings were widely used in public performances. Then there was the cuiselenna which is actually a bagpipe, but different in some technical aspects from the Scottish or Russian counterparts. The stoc and sturgan were used to create dramatic effect, much like the clarions and trumpets that we have today. Most importantly, there was the fiddle and there were entire pieces which just evolved around it. There is evidence that it was used as early as in the 8th century. Then there were the buinne and the tin whistle. The 18th century was thus filled with the melodiousness of these instruments which were mostly made from wood.
Compared to the music, the songs have evolved much later and most of the Irish folk songs that one gets to hear today have evolved in less than 200 years. But then again, the nature of the songs is very similar to the poems that we have from the Old English period. There are the lament songs called Caoineadh Songs and they were mostly sung in funerals. Again, for the happier times, there are songs and music which are played at weddings and births. These musical pieces have the predominance of hornpipes, reels and jigs.