The Boys of Ballysimon
(traditional)
We're bringing you another Irish tune you might want to learn for St. Patrick's Day. This is a hornpipe that should be played in a spirited manner. Even though the notes are written as even eighths, they are played as tied triplets to move the rhythm along. The first note of each pair is the length of two triplets and the second note is the length of one triplet. Here is a sample measure, as written, and as played:
You can also listen to the demo soundfile to get the hang of the style.
Each section is played twice, first time plain and second with embellishments. Part of the challenge of playing Irish music is to change the embellishments each time through. We've added trills and turns the second time through each phrase but you should experiment. The demo soundfile has other suggestions for trills and turns, as well.