The first Irish song I learned was Roches Favourite, from the James Galway and the Cheiftains in Ireland album. I loved that song and wanted to learn it, so I listened to it a million times and worked out the song. Then I was able to learn more songs. I’d only pick songs that I really like to work on, because then it’s easy to focus and they stay in your head even after you practice. Try getting an Irish CD, pick a song you like and try to learn it without looking at music.
Believe it or not, I’d have agreed with Tyghress if I’d known my teacher would keep me away from tunes. The strange thing is, I actually enjoyed that period of doing exercises because I was stretched every time - each visit I got clobbered with another finger-twister! To be honest, we did work with one one tune in that period, but it was more an exercise thing to get my timing/rhythm/sight-reading working properly.
JB - the exercises were all the scales starting at low D (going up and down, tongueing or sliding, varying the speed), five note scales, arpeggios (D, E, F#, G, A, B). Again, tongueing/sliding, varying the speed. Then when I came to do a jig, I discovered that much of the tune I knew already as scales/arpeggios! It fell into place. I still need to work on my speed though
Nick
I’ve been playing for comming up on 15 years now. I began by getting lessons from a teacher after school when I was in Infants class. Still practice with the same man!!! Now he teaches me things and I teach him things. I don’t remember how long I was playing before I began putting ornanments or fancy bits into a tune. But I will tell you all this…Irish music has always been dance music. Rhythm is very very important. I wouldn’t sacrifice the beat of a tune to get some fiddeley bits in. Start by putting in grace notes to tunes you’re used to. Work up to the “longer” things.
Practice Practice and Practice
I believe that a good deal of ornamentation improves the ‘swing’ and rhythm. I don’t mean putting in a lot of ornamentation, I mean a lot of the ornamentation that comes out ‘naturally’ for me, like rolls in jigs and cutting or tonguing. If I play a tune straight legato you can pretty much count it sounding like it came out of a midi file.
On 2002-03-13 06:58, nickt wrote:
JB - the exercises were all the scales starting at low D (going up and down, tongueing or sliding, varying the speed), five note scales, arpeggios (D, E, F#, G, A, B). Again, tongueing/sliding, varying the speed. Then when I came to do a jig, I discovered that much of the tune I knew already as scales/arpeggios! It fell into place. I still need to work on my speed though
This seems interesting, from point of another complete beginner. There’s no way I would stop from trying to play tunes (working on quitar solo of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here now 
)… But is there any information on exercises like these on web? I would be most interested in arpeggios to try.