Irish Songs forever

Patrick Steinbach, son of an Irish mother and a German jazz musician, works as a music teacher and leads various folklore ensembles. Before he published his comprehensive and personal collection of 250 Irish tunes with “Irish Real Book” (AMA No. 610307) with AMA Verlag, he wrote two playing books dedicated to Irish music.

In “Traditional Irish Songs“ (AMA No. 610129) he has chosen 20 pieces of traditional Irish folk music which allows the interested guitarist a simple and informative entry into Irish music. The pieces are designed with good playability in mind and are suitable for ensemble playing (2 guitarists and a melody instrument in C, like the flute, violin, banjo or mandolin). The pieces are notated in tablature as well as classical notation. So that musicians are able to understand the mentality of Irish pieces even better, the first chapter places Irish music in its historical context from the 16th century up until the first half of the 19th century and for every piece there is a short musical/historical context. The second part of the book is dedicated to the harp player Turlough O’Carolan, whose compositions have become a fixed component of Irish folk music.

In “Irish Songs Forever“, which is available in both German and English, you will find further drinking and love songs from the green island, songs about emigration, famine, war and songs which sing of free life and rambling around. The songs chosen by Steinbach come from the 18th and 19th century when English as the official language was being enforced more and more and which were first recorded by being sung.

All of the pieces are categorized according to their historical development and the author gives numerous tips about accompaniment techniques, patterns and performing. A chord chart and a general strumming patterns at the beginning give beginners a basic framework which allows them to grasp new pieces quickly. At the beginning, the author also gives tips for ensemble playing, in which the chosen instruments can be put together individually.

All the pieces in this book are printed in two versions. The first verse is made up of melody and chords and the second includes a notated accompaniment (classical notation and tablature), which can then be played by ensemble members.