How to slow an Irish tune down and learn it by ear

Hear the tune before reading the numbers

Choose Out on the Ocean as a first jig example, or use a tune you already recognise. Listen through both parts and notice where each phrase returns. Hum the opening before reaching for the instrument.

TradTab’s player sounds the written notes. A trusted recording or a teacher can add the phrasing, lift and ornaments you want to copy. Learn one setting at a time so that differences between versions do not interrupt the first pass.

Lower Speed until you can hear the phrase

Open the tune, press Play and lower the Speed control. Pitch stays the same as the notes become further apart. Stop when you can follow the opening phrase; an extremely slow setting can make the pulse harder to hear.

Tap a written note to start playback from that point, or press Stop and Play to replay the opening. Work on one or two bars, then pause and sing the phrase back. Replay the phrase manually, pausing when you reach its end.

Find the notes, then check the tab

Find the first note on your instrument and pick out the next few notes from memory. If you lose the phrase, listen again before guessing further.

Check the notation or tab after your attempt. Correct one missed note or rhythm at a time. For the opening jig phrase, count “1 and a 2 and a” to keep two groups of three. Leave the written held notes their full space.

Join phrases without losing the beat

Play the first phrase, then the second, then connect them. Practise the join itself when it catches you out. Keep the ending of the first phrase steady so the next one arrives on time.

Try the joined passage twice without looking at the tab. If you repeatedly stop at the same place, return to that short passage. This checkpoint is a practice suggestion; different phrases take different amounts of work.

Increase speed when the melody is secure

Raise Speed a little and repeat the same passage. If notes become rushed or your picking hand tightens, go back to the previous setting. Add ornaments after you can keep the plain melody and pulse together.

Use the metronome to practise holding time without the melody playing beside you. The tempo guide explains which beat unit to count for each tune type.

Test recall away from the player

Pause playback and play the first part from memory. Leave the instrument aside, hum the tune, then return and see whether you can find the opening again.

On your next practice, try the tune before opening the page. Note the phrase that needs another listen and work on that passage. The five-tune learning sequence gives you another setting when you are ready.

For a reel, follow the short tenor-banjo practice routine, including a picking exercise and a task to carry into the next session.