LFIM Overview:

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First Songs is a book of mostly Irish children's songs and common melodies. It begins with Twinkle, and students spend time learning the foundations leading up to Twinkle using the Wee Irish! and Wee Violin materials.  An important distinction for Irish music is the difference between 'Songs', which have lyrics, and 'Tunes', which do not. 

 

In Next Tunes, we have mostly tune melodies, although some of those have had lyrics created over the years.  The skills are introduced in pieces to give students lots of practice and build confidence to produce a bow-driven style of playing. 

 

The Third Set has common Irish tunes in pairs or 'sets' - for example, two jigs, two hornpipes, or two reels.  Students who have already learned to play the instrument and are new to Irish music will start with Third Set.  Students practice the skills presented while learning the pair of tunes and enhancing them with ornamentation and variation as they become more advanced.  Since most Irish 'sets' include three tunes, I encourage students who are nearly completed with this level to find a third tune for each set.  This not only completes the set, but gets the student listening to different resources, and will ensure they have a unique set of tunes they can share with the community.  

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The Bridge Book is supplemental material, and can be used near the end of Next Tunes or any time during Third Set. These tunes contrast the popular dance tune types found in Third Set, and give the student a more well-rounded repertoire. 

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Currently, the LFIM materials are only available to my students and the students of teachers I've trained.  I am working on a release for the materials outside of my studio - stay tuned!