Melodic Tradition of Ireland

This is a major work, at once synthetic and analytical. The author has drawn on previous studies of Irish music and general melodic theory to describe the inner workings of a rich melodic tradition. Irish folk music, resting upon monophonic melodies which are varied and ornamented, and thus viewed from several perspectives-ethnographic and musical, "e;insider"e; and theoretical-to weave an integrated image of a still thriving genre. The concepts of "e;tune family"e; and "e;melody type"e; are starting points for the qualitative study of melodic change and tune relationships without recourse to simplified tune skeletons or statistics. The concept of "e;implicit"e; folk theory leads both to rigorous theoretical analysis and to an examination of the musicians' own words, thus creating a working model in which a particular performance is understood in a larger context.The historic and ethnographic passages convey the setting of the music and suggest the ways in which Irish musicians reflect patterns in culture and patterns in sound.