Irish Hornpipe in G Aeolian

Here’s an intermediate lesson on how to play this haunting Irish hornpipe. I learned it from a Martin Hayes recording called “Under The Moon”.

This tune is recommended for students in Module 2.6 or higher. It’s a good way to practice the G Aeolian scale, Low Fourth Finger and the swing feel.



Unlock all the content on this page for free!

Full content for this lesson (all learning chunks, video loops, sheet music, audio and supplemental video) is available with a paid subscription. But you can use it NOW with a Free Two-week Trial Subscription.

Sign up here 🎻


Learning chunks 

I’ve made some “Learning Chunks” to help you learn more easily. These focused exercises contain sheet music, tabs and mp3 snippets to guide you on your fiddle journey.

Preparation

Review and practice these lessons:

Low Fourth Finger

B Flat Major Scale (Upper Octave) Exercises


Play D3 with a G drone. Allow your breath, body, and mind to relax. Listen to the blend of your fiddle with the drone, and enjoy the sound.

G drone

Then practice the G aeolian scale:

G Aeolian: D3-A0-L1-L2-3-L4-EL1-L2 | E3-L4

 

A part, first quarter

A part, second quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

A part, third quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

A part, fourth quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

B part, first quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

B part, second quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

B part, third quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

B part, fourth quarter

This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏

Other Versions

Martin Hayes versions

Here’s the recording that I based this lesson on.

Here’s a lesson from Martin on the tune…

Full Tabs, Audio & Sheet Music

A part

first quarter: (D3-A0)-L1-0-L1-L2-3-L2-3-EL1 | L2-L1-L2-3-L2-3-L4-L2

second quarter: EL1-A3-EL4-L2-1-A3-L2-3 | L1-0-D3-L2-3-L2-0-L2

third quarter: D3-A0-L1-D3 | L2-3-A0-D3-L2-0

fourth quarter: D3-A0-L1-L2-3-L2-0-L2-L1-D3-3

B part

first quarter: EL2-L1-A3-EL1-L2-3-L4-3-L2-L1-A3-L4-3-L1-D3-A0

second quarter: AL1-L2-3-E0-L1-AL2-3-L1-0-D3-L2-A0

third quarter: AL1-DL2-A3-L1-0-DL2-AL2-0-AL1-DL2-A3-L1-0-DL2-AL4-L2

fourth quarter: A3-EL1-L2-3-L4-3-L2-L1-A3-EL2-L2

Galway Bay Hornpipe_learning

After you’ve learned and memorized the melody, use the “performance version” to figure out bowing and practice note-reading (there are no fingerings notated in this version).

Galway Bay Hornpipe_performance

 

Sheet music video

Those of you who are learning to read sheet music can follow long with this video. It’s a way to intuitively learn this. Learn more here: Intuitive Note-Reading.



Return to top of Irish Fiddle Journeys >>


Leave a Reply

2 responses to “Galway Bay Hornpipe

  1. Whoah! This is a hard tune to learn! But it’s “Desirable Difficulty” – and (for me anyway) is a great example of how repeating each tricky phrase over and over and over again before stitching them together REALLY works.
    The next challenge is to try and remember it . . .