Immerse yourself in Ireland's rich musical heritage through Alison's free online music lessons, featuring renowned Traditional Irish musicians. Our accomplished tutors, including all-Ireland champions and members of prestigious bands like Danú and Hermitage Green, are led by Doireann Ní Ghlacáin.
As the face of TG4's live music bro...…Read More Immerse yourself in Ireland's rich musical heritage through Alison's free online music lessons, featuring renowned Traditional Irish musicians. Our accomplished tutors, including all-Ireland champions and members of prestigious bands like Danú and Hermitage Green, are led by Doireann Ní Ghlacáin.
As the face of TG4's live music broadcasting and the granddaughter of the legendary Seán Ó Riada, a key figure in the revival of traditional Irish music, Doireann brings a wealth of expertise to our courses.
Choose from certified courses at Beginner 1, Beginner 2, and Intermediate levels across eight instruments: fiddle, guitar, bodhrán, flute, tin whistle, concertina, button accordion, and sean-nós voice. Each course, expertly filmed by musician Liam O’Brien, starts with fundamental skills and progresses to full tunes.
Embark on your musical journey today. Register for your Alison account, enrol in your chosen course, and seize the day, or as the Irish would say - 'Tapaigh an deis'! Read Less
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Featured Traditional Irish Music Course
Traditional Irish Sean-nós Singing | Intermediate
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Absorb the authentic sounds of Sean-nós Singing in English with Nell Ní Chróinín from Danú in this free online course.
Purchase a digital certificate or diploma for your friends and family so when they finish any of Alison’s 5,500+ courses, their certificate will be free for them. Perfect for any occasion, you can inspire others to pursue their passions and enhance their lives through education.
Learn to sing traditional Irish or sean-nós style with one of Ireland’s top performers, Nell Ní Chróinín! Through our free online Irish singing courses, this multi-award winning vocalist and Danú frontwoman will teach you how to perform songs in Irish and English. You don’t need ... Read More
Learn to sing traditional Irish or sean-nós style with one of Ireland’s top performers, Nell Ní Chróinín! Through our free online Irish singing courses, this multi-award winning vocalist and Danú frontwoman will teach you how to perform songs in Irish and English. You don’t need to be able to speak Irish to benefit from the courses either as Nell, a native Irish speaker from Cork’s Muskerry Gaeltacht, will help you write the lyrics phonetically on the pdf that accompanies the courses, where required.
The Beginner 1 course includes traditional, sean-nós which means ‘old-style’ songs in Irish and English, the Beginner 2 course focuses on sean-nós songs in the Irish language and the Intermediate course is entirely made up of sean-nós songs in English. Along with the songs, which range from laments to humorous songs to party pieces, you will learn how to add that all-important ornamentation to your singing. And who better to learn it from than a TG4 Gradam Ceoil Singer of the Year?... Read Less
Top Guitar Courses
Do you want to be able to pick up a guitar and play along to Irish music? Can you play guitar but want to master Drop D tuning? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, our free online guitar courses are what you’ve been looking for. Your tutor is guitar virtuoso Micha... Read More
Do you want to be able to pick up a guitar and play along to Irish music? Can you play guitar but want to master Drop D tuning? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, our free online guitar courses are what you’ve been looking for. Your tutor is guitar virtuoso Michael McCague, who has performed and recorded with many of Ireland’s top musicians, including Matt Molloy, while Nollaig Casey is among the stars who have performed his original material. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced guitarist, there is something for you in these three courses from Beginner 1 to Intermediate level.
You will learn to play using the ‘Drop D’ tuning system, popular in both Irish and rock music, where the bass E string is dropped to a D to add depth and richness to the sound. Through the course of these lessons, with accompanying notes, Michael will teach you the main chords and rhythms used in Irish music, along with popular tunes including reels, hornpipes, jigs and polkas. Irish TV presenter and fiddle player Doireann Ní Ghlacáin joins in many of the lessons. With courses at Beginner, Beginner 1 and Intermediate Level, you will be able to play along to the most popular seisiún tunes in no time!... Read Less
Explore the soulful world of Irish music through Alison's free online fiddle classes, led by the talented performer and TV presenter, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, Doireann extends a warm 'failte' (welcome).
Beginner 1 Course:... Read More
Explore the soulful world of Irish music through Alison's free online fiddle classes, led by the talented performer and TV presenter, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, Doireann extends a warm 'failte' (welcome).
Beginner 1 Course: Perfect for those who've never touched a bow, this course teaches fundamental techniques crucial for keeping up with lively reels. Lay a strong foundation from the start.
Beginner 2 Course: If you can play a basic polka, advance your skills with lessons on jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Let Doireann guide you on your musical journey.
Intermediate Course: Add colour to your playing with intricate ornamentations that define the distinctive charm of Irish music. Elevate your fiddling prowess to new heights.
Whether you're a complete novice or have struggled with the fiddle in the past, these easy-to-follow lessons - with downloadable course notes - promise to transform you into a 'fidil' master in no time. Tune in and embrace the enchanting world of Irish music!... Read Less
Discover how dynamic the traditional Irish drum can be with Alison’s free online bodhrán [pronounced bow-ron] courses. You’ll be learning from Dermot Sheedy, the award-winning drummer with top Irish band Hermitage Green. Apart from performing percussion with the band, Dermot has ... Read More
Discover how dynamic the traditional Irish drum can be with Alison’s free online bodhrán [pronounced bow-ron] courses. You’ll be learning from Dermot Sheedy, the award-winning drummer with top Irish band Hermitage Green. Apart from performing percussion with the band, Dermot has played with high-profile artists such as Donal Lunny, The Irish Harp Orchestra and Celtic Legends.
In our Beginner 1 course, he will teach you the fundamental techniques for striking the bodhrán cleanly, before enhancing your playing with backbeats, rundowns and a basic reel rhythm that sounds anything but basic. If you are adept at the reel rhythm, enrol for the Beginner 2 course which picks up the beat with reel, jig and hornpipe rhythms. Dermot will teach you how to create different sounds, often accompanying TV presenter and performer Doireann Ní Ghlacáin on fiddle. The Intermediate course delves deeper into enhancing the sound and Dermot will teach you new jig and reel rhythms with added swing. Enroll for one of the courses and get tips and techniques that will elevate your drumming, whether you are interested in Irish music or sounds from the jungle.... Read Less
If you have a button accordion, the chances are you are in need of lessons to help you figure out how to play it. Why pay when you can learn from one of Ireland’s best performers in our free online accordion courses. Former national TG4 Young Musician of the Year Conor Connolly w... Read More
If you have a button accordion, the chances are you are in need of lessons to help you figure out how to play it. Why pay when you can learn from one of Ireland’s best performers in our free online accordion courses. Former national TG4 Young Musician of the Year Conor Connolly will remove the mystery surrounding all those buttons in these easy-to-follow lessons. You will learn how to play the treble notes with your right hand while the left hand works the bellows. The chances are your accordion or ‘box’ will be tuned to the B/C system which is most commonly used and is the one Conor is using here. An experienced teacher and an all-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil champion, Conor gradually builds on the basics and provides notes you can download to help you.
You can progress through the three courses, learning how to play polkas, jigs and barn dances as well as how to add ‘ornamentation’ to the tunes, to achieve that authentic Traditional Irish sound. It’s easy to begin, once you have your instrument. Simply register for your Alison account, enrol on your chosen course and you will be performing Irish dancing tunes in no time.... Read Less
Would you like to play the smallest squeezebox of them all? Enrol for our free Traditional Irish Concertina lessons taught by top player Conor O’Loughlin. A national Fleadh Cheoil champion, he has also won the prestigious Siansa Gael Linn competition with the group Dúchas. Having... Read More
Would you like to play the smallest squeezebox of them all? Enrol for our free Traditional Irish Concertina lessons taught by top player Conor O’Loughlin. A national Fleadh Cheoil champion, he has also won the prestigious Siansa Gael Linn competition with the group Dúchas. Having graduated with a degree in Irish music from the University of Limerick, Conor now tours and records with the band The Conifers. He will teach you many of the techniques he has learned over the years, using the most popular concertina tuned to the key of C/G. If you are new to the instrument, take our Beginner 1 course to learn easy scales and tunes along with your first polka. In the Beginner 2 course, you will learn how to play in the higher octave and will master more polkas and a slip-jig.
Sign up for the Intermediate course when you are ready to learn jigs, hornpipes and reels complete with the ‘cuts’ and ‘triplets’ which lend Irish music its distinctive ‘lilting’ sound, along with some chords. You can take each course as many times as you like and the self-paced videos make learning the concertina a breeze.... Read Less
Do you struggle to get a clear sound out of your flute? Do you have a flute but no idea how to play it? Are you a competent player who would like to master the Irish style of playing? In these free online flute courses, Brian O’Loughlin, a member of the triple all-Ireland winning... Read More
Do you struggle to get a clear sound out of your flute? Do you have a flute but no idea how to play it? Are you a competent player who would like to master the Irish style of playing? In these free online flute courses, Brian O’Loughlin, a member of the triple all-Ireland winning Shandrum Céilí Band, will guide you through the basic techniques for playing this complex instrument.
If you are new to the flute, he will teach you how to put the instrument together properly, how to blow into it and how to play easy tunes in the Beginner 1 course. If you have those basics down, the Beginner 2 course will teach you lots of new tunes along with techniques for improving your playing. By the end of this series of courses, you will be able to perform a wide range of tunes, from a beautiful waltz to stirring polkas and uplifting reels, jigs and hornpipes. As for those enigmatic ‘cuts’ and ‘rolls’ that give Irish flute playing its distinctive sound? They’ll be a mystery no more! It’s so simple to begin, too. Simply register for your Alison account, select the course you want to enrol in and you’ll soon know your embouchure from your elbow. ... Read Less
If you are new to playing music, the tin or penny whistle is the ideal gateway instrument and has been for countless musicians, not least our tutor, champion flute player and performer Brian O’Loughlin. The whistle is the perfect beginner’s instrument as it is cheap, accessible, ... Read More
If you are new to playing music, the tin or penny whistle is the ideal gateway instrument and has been for countless musicians, not least our tutor, champion flute player and performer Brian O’Loughlin. The whistle is the perfect beginner’s instrument as it is cheap, accessible, easy to carry, easy to learn and it will train your ear for music.
Our free online tin whistle courses start with the basics which are perfect if you are new to music. You will learn how to play the notes and some easy tunes, like The Kerry Polka. The Beginner 2 course will expand your repertoire with a well-known ballad, The Foggy Dew, followed by popular tunes to accompany Irish dancing. As a member of one of Ireland’s top céilí bands, Shandrum Céilí Band, and a winner of many all-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil awards as a soloist, in duets and groups, Brian knows all about getting toes tapping. The Intermediate course is the one for you if you want to learn those ornamentations like cuts and taps, as well as jigs and reels, played in the County Clare style, with set dancing in mind.... Read Less
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The first step to learning Irish music is to choose your instrument. This can depend on your personal taste, your budget and the availability of the instrument. It’s easier to find a guitar than a button accordion. Do you want to carry a bulky instrument around or would a neat little concertina, a flute or a tin whistle that fits in your pocket be better? Once you’ve decided on your instrument, simply enroll on Alison’s Beginner 1 course and you will soon have the basic skills and techniques down and be ready to learn some tunes!
How do you play an Irish session?
Impromptu and organised trad sessions orseisiúns [pronounced seshoons] often crop up in the corner of a bar. They’re friendly gatherings and one of the best places to hear amazing musicians in action and to learn new tunes. Unless you are competent and can keep up, it’s better to enjoy the sounds rather than try to join in. If you are fortunate enough to have found a session for learners, you'll find them great fun and informal. Someone will suggest or begin a tune and if you know it, you can play along.
What is the easiest Irish instrument to play?
A basic rule of thumb is that the tin whistle is the easiest instrument to learn and the perfect gateway to harder ones like the flute. If you don’t have a particularly musical ear but have a good sense of rhythm, the bodhrán is the one for you. It’s quite easy to master basic rhythms and is an enthralling instrument in the hands of a master like Alison’s tutor Dermot Sheedy, of Hermitage Green.
What are typical Irish instruments?
The most popular instruments you’ll hear are the fiddle, tin whistle, guitar, bodhrán, flute, button accordion and concertina - precisely those covered in Alison’s Traditional Irish music courses. Other wonderful instruments which are not quite as common include the harp, uilleann pipes and the bouzouki.
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