Banjo Hangout Top 100 Fiddle/celtic/irish Songs

Clawhammer take on trad 3 part dance tune. Supposed to be in D, but I'm in C. Wildwood.

Clawhammer take on a Reel from the Shetland Islands written by Ian Burns. G tuning but way low.

With guest appearance by Travis Wright

Whiskey Before Breakfast TOTW 11/8/13. G tuning but tuned way low: d#A#D#GA#

This haunting melody was written by Jay Ungar in 1982 and used in the Ken Burns documentary on the Civil War. It is done on a Bacon Flat-top plectrum. It was written as a goodnight waltz at the annual Ashokan fiddle and dance camps held by Ungar

When I originally learned this I used clawhammer tuned to double D. Then I learned it in open G 3-finger picking style. Now I'm trying it again with clawhammer after more than 30 years. It's coming back to me and I still think it's amongst the prettiest tunes ever written. The story goes that Sheebeg, Sheemore was the blind harpist's first composition in 1691. It's meaning is "Little Mountain, Big Mountain" and was named for a location where a battle between fairy peoples allegedly took place.

The Hotpoint Stringband, with Hilarie on banjo

Two Celtic tunes to begin Spring break.

A nice brooding set of hornpipes I learned from the album 'If the Cap Fits' by the wonderful Irish fiddler Kevin Burke. The first is in G Minor, the second in A Minor. (Caislean an Oir is the Irish for 'The Golden Castle')

Trad Reel in A. CH.

A little song I learned by the name of Mummer's Jig. Banjo, Guitar, and Fiddle

Learned from Dave Hum, it's my farewell piece for him. He's missed on BHO.

Trad barndance. CH in regular G tuning. Clawing pretty softly around the 12th fret.

Here's a tune I learned off the Transatlantic Sessions by a piper/flute player by the name of Fred Morrsion I believe. I got the chord changes from Donal Lunny's wonderful bouzouki playing on the piece. Jerry Douglas plays some mean dobro on it as well!

A Medley of two lovely haunting Irish Tunes. The first is played an octave up using bass notes on the third and fourth strings in imitation of a harp, and the second tune is played down the neck in 'melodic' style. Played on a Deering Crossfire.

By researching this song I've learned about the history of the Irish people. I've known the song since the 70's, but didn't know then I'd be living on the land of Irish immigrants. They came to California seeking to escape harsh conditions and ended up working hard in the mines and on farms, just like in my once-thriving community of Smartsville. For more information about this happy, hopeful tune see this week's Tune of the Week .

An 8th century Irish hymn. The English translation is beautiful.

An Irish waltz included in the early 1800's harp collections of Edward Bunting, who also collected many of O'Carolan's pieces.