EVERY 1st & 3RD SUNDAY 5PM – 7PM
Come join us for the Muso Irish Session. A spinoff from the Madison Slow Irish Session, this session is designed for beginners to intermediate level players, but anyone is welcome to join us! There’s no pressure at this session. Feel free to use music and to make mistakes. It’s all part of learning! This is a great session to try out a new instrument or to try Irish tunes if you’ve always wanted to but felt shy about it.
The following tune list is by no means inclusive or exclusive – but it includes a bunch of tunes that we play fairly often:
Polkas (2/4):
Ballydesmonds 1 & 3
Britches Full of Stitches (A)
Dennis Murphy’s (D)
John Ryan’s (D)
Maggie in the Woods (G)
The Newmarket (G)
Peg Ryan’s (D)
Salmon Tails up the Water (G)
Reels (4/4):
The Banshee (G)
The Big Ship (G)
Drowsy Maggie (E Dorian)
Far From Home (G)
Father Kelly’s (G)
The Maid Behind the Bar (D)
Red Haired Boy (A)
Saint Anne’s Reel (D)
The Silver Spear (D)
Sligo Maid (Am/G)
Soldier’s Joy (D)
Whiskey Before Breakfast (D)
Wind that Shakes the Barley (D)
Slides (12/8):
When the Cock Crows it is Day (G)
One Hundred Pipers (G)
Old Favourite (G)
Road to Lisdoonvarna (Em)
Hornpipes (4/4):
The Fairy’s Hornpipe (G)
Off To California (G)*
The Galway (D)
Harvest Home (D)
The Boys of Bluehill (D)
Rights of Man (Em)
Jigs (6/8):
Banish Misfortune (D)
Connaughtman’s Rambles (D)
Blarney Pilgrim (G)
Gerry Owen’s (D)
Irish Washerwoman (G)
The Kesh (G)
Lilting Banshee (Am)
Out on the Ocean (G)
Swallowtail Jig (Em)
The Partners (Dm/D)
Tripping Up the Stairs (D)
Slip Jigs (9/8):
The Butterfly (E modal – slip jig)
Kid on the Mountain
Waltzes (3/4):
Ashokan Farewell (D)
Crested Hens (Em)
Josefin’s Waltz (G)
Si Beag Si Mhor (D)
The Skye Boat Song (G)
Inisheer (D)
Slane / Be Thou my Vision (D)
Give Me Your Hand (G)
Irish Dance Tunes:
King of the Fairies (Em)
Songs
Leaving of Liverpool (D)
Wild Mountain Thyme (G)
Star of the County Down (Em)
Madison SLow Irish Session Sets
Slow Irish Session Sets
These are some sets we’re going to start working on putting together as of fall 2025:
Polkas:
G: Ballydesmonds 1 & 3
John Ryan’s – Dennis Murphy’s Polka- Peg Ryan’s
Newmarket – Maggie in the woods – Britches Full of Stitches
Reels:
D: Maid behind the bar – Silver Spear – Last Night’s Fun
G: Father Kelly’s – The Big Ship – The Banshee
G: Sligo Maid – Sally Garden – Far from home
E: Dorian: Drowsy Maggie – Ships are Sailing
G: Cooley’s reel – Over the Moor to Maggie
D: Merry Blacksmith – St. Anne’s Reel – Patsy Touey
Slides:
G: When the cock crows it is day – One Hundred Pipers – The Old Favorite
Em: Dennis Murphy’s Slide – Road to Lisdoonvarna – Star above the garter
Merrily kissed the Quaker’s wife – O’Keefe’s – Brosna slide (The lonely road to dingle)
Hornpipes:
D: Boys of Bluehill – Harvest Home- Galway
EM: Rights of man – D; Chief O’Neil’s favorite
Em: King of the Fairies – G: Off to CA
Plains of Boyle – Cronin’s
Home ruler – Kitty’s wedding
Jigs:
G: Drops of drink – Irish washerwoman – D Tripping up the stairs
G: Morrisons – Kesh – Out on the Ocean
D mix: Banish Misfortune – D maj: Connaughtman’s Rambles – Gerry Owen’s
Am: Lilting Banshee – Swallowtail
D: I buried my wife – Blarney Pilgrim, Health to the Ladies
G: Saddle the Pony – Humours of Glendart e dorian Ten Penny Bit
A dor: Cliffs of Moher
slipjigs
Kid on the Mountain – Butterfly
Na Ceannabhain Bhana – Fig for a Kiss
Aires
Si Beag Si Mhor
Inisheer
Slane/be though my vision/lord of all hopefulness
Give Me Your Hand
Ashokan Farewell
Crested Hen
Josefin’s Waltz
Songs
Skye boat song
Leaving of Liverpool
Wild Mountain Thyme
Star of the County Down
Cliffs of Deneen.
