Slowplayers.org is an on-line tutor for the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Galicia, England, and beyond.  Originally dance music, when played well it will make you want to dance.  To get the right lift you have to begin by playing the tunes slowly. Thus, Slowplayers!  As community music, its natural habitat is a group of musicians. So, if you can learn the tunes in a group setting, all the better. Still, however you learn the music, to get the most out of the tunes you learn you’ll eventually need a group of people, and a session.  That’s where the music comes alive!
Please Support this Project: This website is a labor or love. So, please consider supporting the work put into it with a paypal contribution — using the button in the upper-right side of the page. Â Also, please like us on Facebook. Â Thank You!
Support Your Music Community: If you love this music please take the time to support it in your community. Play the music whenever you can, and go see those who play it well! Â
The Kansas City Learning Sessions:
We have a learning session in Kansas City, MO, which was my inspiration for revamping the inimitable Michael Duffy’s original slowplayers.org website. For more general information about what we offer click here.   For the current learning session agenda, click here. For more information about The Kansas City School of Irish Music click here. For a brief history of the website Slowplayers.org click here.
 NOTE
I highly recommend that you learn from the MP3s provided, and NOT from the sheet music or ABCs. I decided not put up any midi renderings of the tunes as you can find them elsewhere, and you can get them from the ABC anyway with various free software programs.  As for sheet music and ABCs, they are only good for bare bones of the tunes, but you will not get close to anything like the real feel of Irish music from them.  You will need to do a considerable amount of listening to players ensconced in the tradition who play the tunes at full speed.  As you’ll sometime hear the same tune played in different settings, you’ll need to keep your ears on their toes!
Remember, despite the priority some untutored folks give to dots and sticks on lines, there’s no such thing as a definitive setting!  As Zina Lee has written, “The different settings are a large part of what keeps Irish traditional music so interesting and alive.”
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15 Comments
Thanks for this!
You might like our slow session page http://wellington.session.nz/slowsession/
Thanks Andy, it’s a great site.
So glad I found this site. Thank you from Nebraska!
Lovely site. Thank you for all the time and effort.
I am trying to learn this tune by ear.
Is there any chance you could play it super super slow ?
Which tune are you focused on Peter?
Is there a way that we could put recordings of us playing up on songs that don’t have mp3’s?
Eddie, you are helpful to us slowplayers at every turn and this website is another example. You give direction and resources that make it possible to step into Irish and get started. This site pulls it all together. You are incredibly dedicated to giving us the launch we need – thank you for all you do for us!!!
How very usefull. For learning tunes or having
a list of titles or sound files to help come up
with the next tune to play at a session. I am going
to learn “Christmas Eve” tonight.
Thanks for your inspiration and all your efforts! And thanks for your patience with us “newbies”. We’ll get there with your instruction.
Good job Eddie! Thanks for all the hard work.
This is a truly amazing site. All the stories are terrific. These are wonderfully clear recordings too! Many thanks for your hard work and attention to detail.
Nice job, sir. This feels inspiring by making play accessible.
Great resource! Thanks, 40-Coats!
I love this site!!! Full of great information! Thank you.