Irish Music and Dance

      There are twenty-six different counties (or states) in Ireland, and each county has its own style of music. Music was very traditionally a solo activity, but this changed during the 1960s. During this time, soloists became groups in order to play together. This also led to the creation of new instruments. Many Irish instruments include the bodhran, Irish bouzouki,  Irish flute, concertina, fiddle, and the button accordion. Another famous Irish instrument is the uilleann pipes (uilleann means elbow), which are not the same thing as Scottish bagpipes. These pipes are played sitting down, and they are much quieter. They are controlled by the bellows using your elbow, hence its name. With people playing together, the music also became more complicated. Irish music started to sound similar to American music because they incorporated more chords and melodies into their songs.

     A very popular thing to come across in Ireland is a music session. This is where people will have a jam session around a table, have some pints of beer, and play traditional music. Many people will dance during jam sessions, usually by wearing tap shoes to dance with the rhythm of the song.