5555z - Irish Dance Tunes by Sylvia Woods

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Best book for traditional Irish music Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon

Nov 23, 2017  |  Posted By Sandra Fromm from Sacramento, CA United States

This is one of the best books for learning traditional Irish music. Like the reviewer above, I too have purchased a lot of harp music, but all of Sylvia Woods' books are the best. They offer easy and intermediate level accompaniments, and chording so that you can add additional notes. This particular book has fast become one of my favorites; it offers a good variety of traditional Irish music, information on traditional music sessions, and fingering. The fingering for traditional Irish music is slightly different than for other harp music because it is played very quickly, so the fingering included in this book is very helpful when learning to play the songs. I also appreciate the companion CD for those songs that I am not familiar with. Highly recommend this book and CD!! (Review originally submitted 6/8/2010.)

Great book Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon

Nov 23, 2017  |  Posted By Lydia Sander from Lancaster, OH United States

Great book for Irish intermediate players! Some of my favorites are "Merrily Kiss the Quaker","Parting Glass", and "The Rocky Road to Dublin". Good Irish book for Novice players. (Review originally submitted 11/3/2010.)

Book and CD make these beautiful songs accessible Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon

Nov 23, 2017  |  Posted By Kimberly Crick from Beaverton, OR United States

I'm a beginner and many of these songs are out of my skill level. But don't let the quick pace of these songs turn you away! You can play them slowly and they still sound wonderful. The CD that goes along with this book is an incredible learning tool. The songs are played slower than usual, granting me a greater understanding of how the piece sounds bit by bit. It's so much easier to play a song when you have just heard it, and if you get stuck in a spot just skip to that part on the cd and listen to it again. It's also a great way to pick out your favorite songs before you learn the sheet music. My love for these beautiful songs keeps me motivated in practicing the harp. I initially purchased it for Brian Boru's March, but there are other extremely beautiful songs on here like King Of The Faries, Morrison's Jig, and Rights Of Man. True crowd pleasers that really give the feeling of old times in Ireland." (Review originally submitted 5/10/2011.)