09:49 Cliffs of Moher

@@erikm8372 thank you!!! added it :)

It sounds like there was an entire coach party from the local chronic bronchitis sanatorium in there, rearranging all the furniture in the background at the same time! Such a lack of respect for such a wonderful musician and his beautiful playing.

Well, as I am a fiddler (since 2000), and also bilingual, I can safely say Irish music is definitely a "language". Really, any folk or "trad" musical style is a living language and form of social expression. It’s just "spoken" musically rather than with the human voice, except for the many trad songs with lyrics. The tunes are the stories being told. It’s a slightly different approach than with classical music, written on sheet music with every dynamic, inflection or crescendo dictated to you. Irish & other folk music largely involves a ton of ear training. It becomes your best friend…your ear! Ha, it’s to the point now where I can hear an Irish fiddler, or Scottish, etc., and know exactly what notes are being played just by the sound. I may not get the tune immediately, but that comes with time. Basically, I know where the fingers are on the instrument. I guess that comes with playing any stringed instrument long enough? 🤔 As far as learning tuhes by ear, there’s a great app called Amazing Slow a downer, I fully recommend it for changing keys of recordings and slowing the speed down. It really helps practice. And some musicians also record in unconventional sharp or flat tunings, or on flat-pitched instruments (Bb flutes, C whistles, etc), so it helps for that, too. But, long story short, it’s imperative to listen to it nearly constantly, especially in the beginning few years! What Irish musicians besides Martin Hayes do you like? You should check out the Kane sisters, or Liz and Yvonne Kane. They have a bunch of stuff on RU-vid. They’re from Galway, which is just an hour or so north of where Martin is from in County Clare. Very similar repertoire, steadier pace, slower and more deliberate playing. Longer bow strokes and long phrases, lots of flat keys and G minor tunes. As opposed to other regions where the repertoire may be different, such as the northern counties having more Scottish influence, and playing mainly in the keys of D, A, A/E Dorian, B minor, etc. They also play quicker with one-note bow strokes, compared to the fluid, almost legato styles on the central west coast (like Martin Hayes). Fiddlers "down south", in Counties Cork, Limerick or Kerry, often play more polkas (2/4) and slides (12/8) in their repertoire, and have their own bowing patterns, as well. That’s in addition to all the local, regional reels (4/4), jigs (6/8) and hornpipes (swung 4/4), which you’ll find everywhere, and local variations on old standards. Hence why it’s a language! Dialects! 😆 I am a naturally obsessive person, I suppose, if you haven’t realized that yet.. but the fiddle is one obsession that I haven’t gotten over in 25 years almost. So that says something! 👏🏽 But you should just always be finding which artists, bands, tunes and compositions you like and what calls to you! There’s a veritable rabbit-hole one can go down with each individual musician, where they’re from, not to mention each tune, composition, composer, etc., and everything associated with this tradition. At the end of the day, it is a language and the more immersed you are, the more frequently you immerse yourself, the more fluent you become. If you want to talk more you can email me seanamhach@yahoo.com Erik 😊

@@erikm8372 Erik…thanks so much for such a carefully considered reply., and so much information. I sometimes feel like I need another lifetime to learn all this stuff! We went to a fab session in Stroud last night, and the Irish fiddling was stunningly good. They must have reeled off (pun not intended) around 25 jigs in a row in one set, all from memory and not a note dropped anywhere. My main pre-occupation at the moment is with authentic folk bowing, and trying not to be a prissy orchestral player, the LH work is not so difficult.

Thanks so much John! It was a true honor to be able to work with Martin and witness such a concert

Thanks si much for your words Mathew, we are so glad you could watch this

Muchas gracias! sí, es una maravilla!

Too un luxu pa nós poder disfrutar de la so música! 🥰

Una nueche pal recuerdu! 😄