Beginning Irish Mandolin

The Congress Reel is a very popular session tune, played all over the world. The version I've presented here is quite standard. Additionally, you can hear a very nice version, close to this one but not identical, on the CD by Kieran Hanrahan titled Kieran Hanrahan Plays the Irish Tenor Banjo. It is the last of a set of three reels that he plays on Track 11. It is a really fine example of the interaction of dynamics and melody. If you love traditional Irish music then this album will absolutely appeal to you. For over ten years, Kieran has hosted a very popular radio program in Ireland called Ceili House. ("Ceili" is pronounced "KAY-lee" and refers to a kind of party or social gathering, usually with music and dancing as the main activity.) You can listen to archived programs for the last several years here:

There's a photo of Kieran on this webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find links to the archived weekly programs from the last 4-5 years. Be prepared for many hours of great listening.

As you learn The Congress, take advantage of the provided mp3's, playing slowly at first and VERY gradually increasing your speed. Before you attempt to speed up, be sure you have correctly followed the pick directions. I'm recommending the standard DOWN-UP, DOWN-UP picking pattern, commonly used for reels. In the February 2007 issue of this column you will find another great reel, The Merry Blacksmith, that can be played either before or after The Congress. My preference is to play the two in this order: The Congress/The Merry Blacksmith. I've mentioned before that in session situations, sets of two, three or more tunes are often played consecutively. Here's an opportunity for you to put together a couple of simple and nice-sounding reels.

Click to hear congress_slow.mp3.
Click to hear congress_faster.mp3

In our next issue, I hope to show you a few ways that you can add some basic ornamentation to both of these tunes. Before you attempt any ornaments, however, it's a good idea to have the basic tune down solid. So spend the next two months getting comfortable with The Congress and The Merry Blacksmith.

As usual, I welcome suggestions, requests and all comments. I can be reached at michael.gregory@und.edu

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