Tune And Tempo Suggestions for a Feis/Traditional Irish Dance Festival
Don’t worry very much about learning these if they are new to you; it’s better to choose tunes you know and are comfortable with playing at a steady beat. (Tempo is the most important part of playing at a feis.) Simpler, catchy tunes are best, at least for lower levels. That said, we do have a few favorites that seem to keep popping up. Also look at other feis musicians’ CDs and MP3s for suggestions, such as those by Pat King, Mike Shaffer, Sean O’Brien, and Dean Crouch.
Reels
Reels: 112–116
- Jenny’s Chickens
- Chicago Reel
- Congress Reel
- Rakes of Mallow
- Walls of Limerick
Light/Double Jigs
Jigs: 112–116
- Swallowtail Jig
- Rakes of Kildare
- My Darling Asleep
- Apples in Winter
- Siege of Ennis
Slip Jigs
Jigs: 112–116
- The Butterfly
- Kid on the Mountain
- Foxhunter’s Jig
- Boys of Balisadare
Single Jigs
Jigs: 112–116
Advanced Beginner Treble Jig: 92
Oireachtas Treble Jig: 72–76
- Haste to the Wedding
- Kesh Jig
- Merrily Kiss the Quaker
Hornpipes
Traditional Hornpipe: 138–144
Oireachtas Hornpipe: 112–116
- The Rights of Man
- Pigeon on the Gate
- Rolling Down the Hill
- The Boys of Blue Hill