100 Irish Polkas Book

Irish Polka Tune Book for Melodeon, Accordion and Traditional Musicians

100 Irish Polkas by Dave Mallinson is a lively collection of Irish traditional polkas for melodeon, accordion, fiddle, whistle and other melody instruments. As the title suggests, it is packed with 100 polkas, giving players a rich source of session-friendly Irish repertoire and Irish session tunes.

This book is ideal for musicians who enjoy Irish traditional music and want a refreshing alternative to the usual reels and jigs. With good rhythm and phrasing, these polkas have energy, lift and plenty of musical character.

Quick Overview

• Author: Dave Mallinson
• Instrument focus: Melodeon, accordion, fiddle, whistle and other melody instruments
• Level: Beginner to intermediate traditional players
• Format options: Book only, soundtrack CD only, or book and soundtrack CD together
• Musical focus: Irish traditional polkas
• Includes: 100 polkas with chords, classified index and alphabetical index

What This Book Teaches

This is a repertoire book rather than a full step-by-step tutor. It gives players a carefully compiled collection of Irish polkas that can be used to build tune knowledge, rhythm, phrasing and session confidence.

The settings are designed to be session friendly, meaning players can learn the tunes as written and have a practical, acceptable version for traditional music sessions.

Musical Style and Focus

The book focuses entirely on Irish polkas, including familiar tunes and many less commonly encountered examples. Polkas are sometimes unfairly overlooked beside reels and jigs, but this collection shows how strong, rhythmic and satisfying they can be.

The repertoire is particularly useful for players interested in Irish music, Sliabh Luachra style, folk sessions, ceilidh playing and dance music.

Difficulty Level

100 Irish Polkas is suitable for players who already have basic control of their instrument and want to expand their Irish traditional repertoire. Some tunes can be approached by confident beginners, while others will suit improving and intermediate players.

Who This Is For

• Melodeon players looking for Irish polka repertoire
• Accordion players wanting traditional Irish dance tunes
• Fiddle, whistle and other melody-instrument players
• Musicians building a session-friendly tune collection
• Players wanting a break from reels and jigs
• Teachers looking for a focused Irish polka resource

Why We Recommend It

At Squeezebox Marketplace, we recommend this book for players who want to broaden their Irish traditional repertoire in a practical and enjoyable way. Polkas are rhythmically direct, rewarding to play and very useful in sessions and dance music.

For D/G melodeon players, the book has particular character because Dave Mallinson notes that the settings are influenced by the instrument he plays. That gives the collection a strong musical identity while remaining useful across other melody instruments.

Key Features

• Compiled by respected traditional music author Dave Mallinson
• 100 Irish polkas in one focused collection
• Includes chords for accompaniment
• Session-friendly tune settings
• Classified and alphabetical indexes
• Includes alternative tune titles where relevant
• Bibliography and discography included
• Available as book only, soundtrack CD only, or book and soundtrack CD together

Specifications

• Title: 100 Irish Polkas
• Author: Dave Mallinson
• Instrument type: Melody instruments
• Level: Beginner to intermediate traditional players
• Number of tunes: 100
• Includes chords: Yes
• Available variants: Book only, soundtrack CD only, book and soundtrack CD together

Tunes Included

Related Learning Resources

This book is a strong choice for players who already enjoy traditional tune books and want a focused Irish collection. It sits well alongside broader beginner repertoire books such as Easy Peasy Tunes, and more specialist Irish or Scottish tune collections as your playing develops.

Players interested in folk sessions, ceilidhs and traditional dance music may also wish to explore other tune books to build a wider working repertoire.

Explore More

Browse our full range of accordion and melodeon books, tunes and learning resources, or explore our D/G melodeons and beginner melodeons if you are choosing an instrument to learn on.

Included

This listing is available in three variants:

• Book only: The printed collection of 100 Irish polkas.
• Soundtrack CD only: The audio companion for players who already own the book.
• Book and soundtrack CD together: Our recommended option for players who want both written music and audio support.