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page 20
The different kinds of Irish harps.
Clairseach
Cinnard Cruit
Crom-chuit
Ceirnin
Craiftin-chruith
Lub
The parts of the harp.
Com
Cor
Cru na d-tead
An foirshnadhm
Lamhcrann
page 21
The strings of the harp.
Caomhluighe
Guaille caomhluidhe
An dara tead os cionn caomluidhe
An treas tead oc cionn caomhluidhe
Tead na feitheolach
Guaille tead na feitheolach
Tead a' leithghleas
Dofhreagrach caomhluidhe
page 22
Freagrach tead na feitheolach
Cronan
Tead leagaidh
Tead leagtha
Cronan ioctar-chanus
Uachtar-chanus
Dofhreagrach
Fhreagrach
Page 24
Graces performed by the treble or left hand.
"The Irish harpers played the treble with the left hand, and the bass with the right. The Welsh performed on their national harp in the same manner"
Brisidh
Leagadh anuas
Leith leagadh
Sruth mor
Sruth beag
page 25
Bualadh suas no suaserigh
Shakes, etc.
Barrluth
Barrluth beal an-airde
Casluth
Barrluth fosgailte
Cul-aithris
Tribhuilleach no creathadh coimhmhear
page 26
Crotach aon mear
Double notes, chords, etc.
for the left hand
Bolsgan
Glas
For the right hand
Glas
Ladhar
Ladhar lair
page 27
Glasluth
Ceann an chruibh
Taobhcrobh
Lanchrobh
Malairt phonch
"It is worthy of remark, that the harpers struck the upper notes of these chords first, instead of beginning with the lowest note, as the moderns do in their Arpeggios. All these graces, shakes, double notes, chords, &c., had a different sound and expression, according to the method adopted in fingering, and stopping the vibration of the strings."
page 28
The time
Trebhuinneach
Cuigrath
Cruaidhchleasach
Cumhadh
Port
The moods
Adban trireach
Geantraighe
Goltraighe
Suantraighe
Luinneach
The keys
Leithghleas
Fuigheall mor
Fuigheall beag
Aon-fuigheall
Irish harp terms
These pages were originally part of clarsach.net. They were transferred here in August 2006.
About these Irish terms
These terms, and their definitions and (where appropriate) musical examples, were printed on pages 20 to 28 of Edward Bunting's 1840 publication "The Ancient Music of Ireland". They were "...procured from the most distinguished of the harpers who met at Belfast, in the year 1792. ...The harpers whose authority was chiefly relied on were Hempson, O'Neill, Higgins, Fanning and Black..."
Denis O'Hampsey (who Bunting called Denis Hempson) was especially important as a source as he was the only one of all the harpers that Bunting met who played in the old style with long fingernails. Although all the Irish harpers still used brass wire strung Gaelic harps, by this date all of the others played using the soft pads of their fingers (although not with the distinctive style used by modern harpers).
Bunting's published books were aimed at a middle-class readership who were expecting a romanticised version of an imagined past, and he did not hesitate to adjust his material to satisfy them. His manuscript notebooks are regarded as a much more authentic source for the material he was shown by the harpers he and his assistants met. However, the material presented here seems largely not to appear in his surviving notebooks, and so these published pages are the sole source for this information.
How to use this guide
Each of the terms is listed under the name Bunting gave it, and each has a separate page. Click on the term you are interested in, and you will find a facsimile of Bunting's text, discussion of the term and its meaning, pronounciation and an illustration or video demonstration. You can use the prev and next buttons to move up or down the list. Where appropriate the entries are cross-refernced; use back to retrace your steps. Alternatively, close the window to return here, and select another term.
About the contributors
Gráinne Yeats spoke the terms in Irish
Tony Dilworth spoke the terms in Scottish Gaelic
Colm Ó Baoill wrote the discussions of the Gaelic words.
Bill Taylor provided video illustrations, which were filmed by Barnaby Brown.
Simon Chadwick designed the project and built the actual web pages.
Webmasters
You are more than welcome to make use of this glossary at your website. Please click here to find out more.
