Traditional Irish Music for Sets and Sessions Blue Book

Irish Set Dance and Session Tunes from the Famous Blue Book Collection

Traditional Irish Music for Sets and Sessions – Blue Book is one of the best-known collections of Irish set dance and session repertoire, bringing together 101 carefully arranged traditional tunes transcribed from the celebrated Na Píobairí Uilleann recordings.

Produced in association with Brooks Academy during the late 1980s, these recordings captured outstanding Irish traditional musicians performing many of the tunes that continue to form the backbone of Irish set dancing and session playing today.

The tunes in this collection have been accurately arranged with chords and set out specifically for Irish set dancing, with each track presented at the correct length for the figures. At the same time, the repertoire works beautifully in regular Irish music sessions, making this a highly practical tune collection for traditional musicians.

Key Features:

• 101 Traditional Irish Tunes: Core repertoire regularly heard in Irish set dancing and traditional sessions.
• Transcribed from Historic Recordings: Based on the renowned Na Píobairí Uilleann set dance recordings.
• Accurately Arranged for Set Dancing: Tracks presented at the correct lengths for dance figures.
• Chords Included: Helpful for accompanists and session players.
• Authentic Irish Dance Repertoire: Includes polkas, slides, jigs, reels and hornpipes.

Why We Recommend This Book

At Squeezebox Marketplace, we highly recommend the Blue Book because it captures the heart of Irish set dance repertoire while also serving as an excellent session tune resource.

Many of these tunes appear regularly in real Irish sessions, particularly among musicians connected to the Irish set dancing tradition. The combination of authentic source material, practical arrangements and strong core repertoire makes this one of the most important modern collections of Irish set dance repertoire.

Who This Book Is For

• Accordion and melodeon players interested in Irish set dancing
• Session musicians expanding traditional Irish repertoire
• Players learning authentic Irish dance tunes
• Traditional musicians wanting session-friendly arrangements
• Accompanists looking for chorded Irish repertoire
• Developing and experienced Irish traditional musicians

Tunes Included

Specifications

• Title: Traditional Irish Music for Sets and Sessions – Blue Book
• Style: Irish traditional music and set dance repertoire
• Suitable for: Accordion, melodeon, fiddle, flute, whistle and other melody instruments
• Level: Developing to experienced players
• Number of Tunes: 101
• Set Dances: 9 set dances included
• Tune Types: 21 polkas, 14 slides, 25 double jigs, 3 single jigs, 3 slip jigs, 28 reels, 1 single reel and 6 hornpipes
• Additional Content: 16 photographs included
• Special Feature: Tunes accurately arranged from the Na Píobairí Uilleann recordings with chords
• Format Options: Book only

Compare with Other Traditional Tune Collections

If you are looking for broader Irish session repertoire, titles such as 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes, 100 Evergreen Irish Session Tunes and 100 Enduring Irish Session Tunes may also be of interest. The Blue Book is particularly valuable for players interested in Irish set dancing and authentic dance-session repertoire.

Explore More

Browse our complete range of accordion and melodeon books and learning resources, together with our selection of melodeons and accordions.

Included

• Book only: Printed collection of Irish set dance and session tunes with chords and photographs.