Irish & Celtic Tune List

Irish & Celtic Tunes (Abstract background image with Celtic knotwork, leafy branches, white stags and owls.) Illustration copyright 2025 Jonathan Lay. trailjams.org
About the TrailJams Irish & Celtic Tunes List

This is a selected list of Irish and Celtic tunes we have played together at TrailJams trad Irish sessions. If you are coming to a TrailJams session, this will give you some idea of tunes the group is likely to know. If you are building your own Irish tune repertoire, or starting a new session, consider this as a suggestion list of tunes to start with. For the most part, the tunes here come from Irish traditions, with a few tunes from other Celtic lands.

TrailJams 52 Core Irish Tune List – If you are just getting started with Irish traditional tunes, or if you are starting up a new trad Irish session, consider working from a much shorter list of tunes. The TrailJams 52 Core Irish Tune List is a focused collection of tunes that are commonly played, and which will make a good foundation for you to build from.

“Tune of the Week” tunes are in bold — these are tunes that the TrailJams music community has given special attention to learning and playing. Click the link on a tune name to go to a page with recordings, sheet music, and other resources for learning the tune. Tunes marked with a star (⭐) are favorites, meaning we’ve played them many times.

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page
For most tunes in this list, there is a web page that has sheet music, play along tracks, and other learning materials. Clicking on the tune’s name (if it has a hyperlink) will take you to its web page.

TrailJams Tune Camp (image: sketch of fiddle) Learn it with Soundslice in TrailJams Tune Camp

For many of the tunes listed here there is a Soundslice tutorial in TrailJams Tune Camp. The tutorials let you loop on any part of a tune, adjust the tempo, see dynamic sheet music and tablature, and more. TrailJams Tune Camp is a subscription resource, and your subscription supports the TrailJams project. Learn more about TrailJams Tune Camp and Soundslice. In the tune list below, click Unlock to unlock the tutorial for a tune. (You only need to do that once). If you’ve already unlocked the tutorial, just click Learn to jump to the tutorial.

For a short list of core Irish session tunes, go to the TrailJams 52 Core Irish Tune List.

Reels

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Jigs

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Hornpipes 

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Polkas

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Marches & An Dros

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Slip Jigs & Hop Jigs 9/8

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Slides, 12/8

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Waltzes, 3/4

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

  • ⭐Ashokan Farewell, The (D, Jay Ungar) See: The Session #4
  • ⭐Crested Hens, The  (E Dorian, bouree) The Session #1
  • Fanny Power (G, by Turlough O’Carolan)
  • Hector the Hero (D, air, lament, by James Scott Skinner (1843-1927))
  • ⭐Inisheer Waltz (G, air, by Thomas Wash circa 1980)
  • ⭐Josefine’s Waltz (G)
  • Si Bheag Si Mhor (D, by Turlough O’Carolan) Unlock Learn
  • ⭐South Wind (G)

Mazurkas

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Barn Dances

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

Other Tunes

Click a tune’s name to go to its web page. Or use “Unlock” & “Learn” to go to its tutorial.

  • Flowers of Edinburgh, The (G)
  • George Brabazon, Planxty (G)