The Modes and Scales of Irish Tunes

One thing I’ve noticed about Irish session tunes, at least those played at intermediate level sessions in both Oregon and Virginia, is that over 90% of the tunes use notes from either the D scale or the G scale, including the various modal variations of those scales (D mixolydian, E dorian, E aeolian, A dorian, A mixolydian). This means the the majority of the tunes require only the notes D E F# G A B plus either C or C#. I think this is because some of the common instruments used by hobbyists of Irish music, such as tin whistle, aren’t entirely chromatic and can only play certain notes, with the notes in the key of D being the most accessible.

This observation has me feeling empowered to make broad generalizations about the scales and modes commonly heard in Irish sessions! As categorized below.

D through D with a C#

This is your standard D major scale. D Ionian. The notes used are D E F# G A B C#. Tons of reels have this: Lady Anne Montgomery, Maid Behind the Bar, Merry Blacksmith, Silver Spear, Wind that Shakes the Barley, Wise Maid.

D through D with a C

This is what they call a “modal” scale, although it’s one with a major sound. It uses the same notes as the G major scale but with D as the tonal center. Also known as D Mixolydian. The notes used are D E F# G A B C. Common in jigs such as Banish Misfortune, Blarney Pilgrim and I Buried My Wife. 

G through G with a C

This is your standard G major scale. G Ionian. The notes used are G A B C D E F#. Examples include Father Kelly’s, Kesh Jig, and Miss Mcleod’s Reel. Sometimes these dip into a minor feel as heard in Temperance Reel or maybe even Out on the Ocean. E minor is the relative minor of G, after all!

A through A with a C

This is another modal scale but it has a minor sound. In Irish music, it’s often referred to as simply “A minor”, but to be more exact it’s usually A Dorian. The notes of that being A B C D E F# G, although sometimes the F# (or implied F natural?) is not present, which means it could pass for either A Dorian or A Aeolian since it omits the note which would distinguish it as one or the other. “A Minor” is a catch-all term that works either way. Check out Geese in the Bog, Lilting Banshee, Star of Munster, and so on. The Ballydesmond polkas as well.

A through A with a C#

You could easily mistake these types of tunes as being in D major because they use the same notes as the D major scale: D E F# G A B C#. However, they like to center around the note A of that scale so that with that tonal world in mind, the notes of the mode are A B C# D E F# G. Same notes, just starting at a different part of the clock or the wheel. This is called A mixolydian. You might hear it in reels such as Dinky’s, the High Reel, Monaghan Twig, and the jig Atholl Highlanders.

E through E with a C or E through E with a C#

Unlike A through A with a C and A through A with a C#, which sound very different, the two E through E scales used in Irish music both sound pretty similar. For one thing, they are always going to have an E-minor sound. Sometimes an E minor tune will eschew having either a C or a C# note, making the difference between E Dorian and E Aeolian open to interpretation. With the exception of E minor hornpipes which seem to have a C note, I tend to assume these are in E Dorian which would make the notes E F# G A B C# D. Although it could also be E F# G A B C D. There’s a long list of E minor tunes including Road to Lisdoonvarna, Cooley’s Reel, Drowsy Maggie, The Butterfly, A Fig for a Kiss, King of the Fairies, Jacky Tar and more.

Some other observations:

Some tunes could go either way. Star Above the Garter is one that I hear as having D as its tonal center, so I put it in the D through D with a C category, while others might say it’s just in the key of G.

On the rare occasion that a tune does have an F natural note built-in, it stands out. Like in Chief O’Neill’s hornpipe or the errant D-Dorian reel. It brings an F-chord or D-minor chord into the options.

In Virginia I would hear Irish tunes in A major sometimes as well, but I think this is because the instruments that could play in A major like fiddle and accordion were alpha in the session. Boys of Malin for example. I would call this A through A with a C# and a G# instead of a G.

Some tunes toggle between C and C#.

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