Séamus Ó Riain
Fiddle player from East Clare, playing for the best part of thirty years. I teach a few evenings a week and play out with Cnoc na Sí.
My playing leans to the older, less ornamented style — the tune first, the decoration second.
Instruments
fiddle G3 D4 A4 E5A 1930s German trade fiddle, nothing precious, set up with a flatter bridge for cleaner double stops.
concertina A Lachenal Anglo in C/G, thirty buttons. Kept for the sessions where a fiddle would only get in the way.
- flute
Simple-system keyless flute in D. More of a winter instrument — it takes the damp better than the fiddle does.
Bands & Courses
Bands
Cnoc na SíCnoc na Sí
A traditional Irish session band based in Brittany, playing together since 2019. The name means “hill of the fairies”, after the tune we opened our very first session with and never got around to changing.
What we play
Mostly Irish and Breton: reels, jigs and hornpipes, a few slow airs, and whatever somebody brings back from a festival. Six of us — fiddles, flute and whistle, tenor banjo, bodhrán and DADGAD guitar.
Come and play
- Open session, first Sunday of every month, back room at Le Ker Bleu, from 8pm. All instruments, all levels, no sign-up.
- Tunes are called round the table. If you know it, join in; if you do not, listen once and come in on the repeat.
- We play festivals and dances through the summer, including the Festival Interceltique.
Come and dance — that is what the tunes are for.
Ask for us at the bar, or get in touch.
Courses
- Fiddle — Advanced
Fiddle — Advanced
For players who hold their own in a session and want to go further into the older East Clare way of playing.
What we work on
- Variation across repeats — the same tune, never twice the same.
- Phrasing and the long bow, rather than more ornament.
- The old recordings: taking one idea from a player, not the whole style.
Repertoire is chosen by the group. Bring something you want to play and we will take it apart together — including tunes you have been getting wrong for years, which are usually the interesting ones.
Practical
- Small group, one evening a week during term.
- You should be comfortable at session pace and learning tunes by ear.
- Come with a tune, not with a request.
Knowing when to leave a note out is most of it.
- Fiddle — Beginner
Fiddle — Beginner
For players in their first year or so, including complete beginners who have never held a bow. No reading required, and no theory.
How it works
We learn by ear, slowly, one phrase at a time — the tune before the ornament. Everything is recorded in the lesson so you can take it home.
What you will play by the end
- the D and G major scales, and the tunes that live in them
- three polkas and two simple jigs, learned properly rather than four learned badly
- enough of a hold on the bow to play for an hour without aching
Practical
- Small group, one evening a week during term.
- Bring the fiddle and something to record on. A rosin and a spare E string will save you an evening sooner or later.
- No instrument yet? Ask before buying one — I would rather advise first.
If you can hum a tune, you can learn to play it.
- Fiddle — Intermediate
Fiddle — Intermediate
For players who have a handful of tunes and want them to sound like tunes. If you can get through a jig at a steady pace but it comes out flat, this is the right room.
What we work on
- The roll, the cut and the tap — added sparingly, and only where the tune asks for one.
- Bowing patterns for reels and for jigs, which are not the same thing.
- Playing with someone else without either of you speeding up.
We learn two tunes a month and keep them. A tune you can play at home and lose by Thursday was never learned.
Practical
- One evening a week during term, small group.
- You should already be able to play a few tunes from memory.
- Bring a recorder. Listening back is where most of the progress happens.
Lift comes from the bow, not from the fingers.