The Fiddler's Tune Book: Recorder Part(s)

Kennedy's selection and arrangement respect the melodic integrity of each tune while making them idiomatically suited to recorder. The sheer variety within these 100 pieces means you can build a program that moves seamlessly between dance forms, giving students exposure to rhythmic and structural diversity that feels organic rather than pedagogically forced.

These tunes carry the energy of village dances and hearth music, with melodies that feel both familiar and fresh. Whether you're playing a spirited reel that practically dances itself or a tender air that rewards careful phrasing, the collection invites you into a living musical tradition rather than a museum piece.

Intermediate to advanced soprano or tenor recorder players who want to build fluency with folk idioms and gain experience across multiple dance forms and tune types. This book works equally well for ensemble players exploring traditional music and for soloists building a recital repertoire rooted in authentic folk sources.

• Lean into the rhythmic character of each dance form. Hornpipes need a sharp, lilting articulation; reels demand crisp rhythmic clarity; waltzes benefit from legato phrasing that lets the three-beat meter breathe.
• Use ornamentation sparingly and listen to traditional recordings of these airs to understand where grace notes and slides naturally occur in the folk tradition.
• Balance tone clarity with warmth across the full range of your instrument. Soprano recorder playing high passages demands control that doesn't sound pinched; tenor recorder benefits from a relaxed approach in the lower register.

Pair individual selections with contemporary or classical repertoire to create programs that highlight the recorder's range of expression across centuries and genres. You might open a recital with a set of related reels and hornpipes, then shift to art song or Renaissance polyphony to show the instrument's versatility. These tunes also work beautifully as encores or as thematic programming around a folk music concert.

• Ornamentation in folk idioms (grace notes, slides, triplet figures)
• Rhythmic precision across dance meters (duple, triple, mixed)
• Stylistic differentiation between tune types (airs, reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, waltzes)
• Extended melodic phrasing over longer harmonic spans
• Tonal control across the full instrument range