Irish Musical Instruments

The people of Ireland are sincere followers of their music. There are several musical instruments that have played a significant role in the development of Irish folk music. In fact, Ireland is known for the production of really beautiful acoustic instruments that have a soulful resonance. Irish musicians are also heavily influenced by Celtic musical instruments and their delightful melody. The following is a list of Irish and Celtic musical instruments that have shaped the music of Ireland. You will also notice that the Irish music instruments share a very close bond with the Celtic musical instruments.

List of Popular Irish Musical Instruments

Celtic Harp
The Celtic harp is a very famous instrument in Ireland. It is so popular that it is the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ireland and is also the logo of Guinness Stout, the most popular beverage of Ireland. The harp is a 4 feet tall instrument, with a tuning that has 34 or 47 strings. It is one of the oldest string instruments with a history that goes back 5,000 years, and is probably the most popular of all ancient Irish instruments. The melody of the harp has certainly stood the test of time. The harp was also an important tool of the ancient composers.

Accordion
Accordion? Hundred percent Irish. Among all the Irish music instruments, the accordion can be considered as a modern one. It is not a part of the traditional Irish music, that evolved after hundreds of decades, but is a modern development. The magical sound of the accordion has made its way into the hearts of Irish folk.

Great Irish Warpipes
The Great Irish Warpipes hold an extremely important role in the history of Ireland. These pipes are basically cousins of the highland pipes of Scotland. Irish musicians have developed an amazing style of playing the Warpipes. The Warpipes are often played in a combination with other stringed instruments.

Guitar
The guitar, for the people Ireland is a very, very soulful and sweet sounding instrument. The classical guitar in Irish folk music is usually played in a finger picking pattern. Many artists like David Howell Evans (better known as Edge) and Adam Clayton, have incorporated the gleeful melodies of guitars into Irish music.

Fiddle
When it comes to joyous and also sad melodies, the musicians of Ireland turn to the fiddle (violin). Breathtaking harmonies are created by fiddle players. Among the family of Irish music instruments, this one is derived form the string family of central Europe. Though the fiddle originated in nations like Germany, Hungary and Austria, it has made its second home in the hearts of the Irish people.

If you want to hear the beautiful melodies of the acoustic rock, that are created by musical instruments from Ireland, all you need to do is to step into an Irish pub. Musical culture thrives in the Irish society and within their hearts lies the love and affection for music.