Three comments
Irish Fiddle Solos (Pete Cooper)
This CD accompanies Pete Cooper’s book “Irish Fiddle Solos” (Schott ED12734), a collection of 64 tunes representative of the 32 Counties of Ireland, and played by Pete Cooper himself on the fiddle. The CD doesn’t appear to be available separately from the book.
The book gives the “dots” for each tune, with detailed bowing and ornamentation, much as Mr Cooper would teach the tune himself. The book has a concise but detailed introduction to dance tune structures and types, ornamentation, bowing, the modes and key signatures, and chords. As such it is very useful to the beginner and intermediate player, and the advanced players also will find much herein to benefit them.
Each tune in the book is preceded by a brief history, and each, as is the Introduction, is usefully trilingual, in English, French, and German.
The only tune on the CD and in the book that is not of the “tradition” (but will surely become so in due course) is Mr Cooper’s own composition “Coming Home”, a slow air that he wrote in 1994 for a TV film of the same name.
Trevor
Irish fiddle solos
This book helped me immensely when I was beginning to learn to play the fiddle. Even though the tunes are played quickly, the history notes are interesting and the selection of tunes is great.
Pete Cooper’s other book ‘The Complete Irish fiddler’ is even better as the tunes are played slower. This book has been invaluable to my learning of trad. I’ve had this book from when I first began to learn the fiddle - six years ago- and i still refer to it regularly now. Thanks, Pete Cooper!
“Pete Cooper: Irish Fiddle Solos” ~ Book & CD - 64 tunes
http://www.petecooper.com/
http://www.petecooper.com/irishfiddlesolos.htm
Europe ~ English / French / German
Schott Music Ltd., London
http://www.schott-music.co.uk/
http://www.schott-music.co.uk/shop/1/show,140233.html
ISMN: 979-0-2201-2233-0
ISBN: 978-1-902455-41-9
North America ~
Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
http://www.melbay.com/
http://www.melbay.com/Products/20919BCD/irish-fiddle-solos.aspx
ISBN-10: 0786627891
ISBN-13: 978-0786627899
The same contents, different publishers and covers…