Join me again for the second Trad on Cello series. Here you will learn to play traditional Irish Slip Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels in an authentic way on the cello. All the tunes are from my collection of traditional Irish tunes “Trad on Cello”

Take the lessons at your own pace. If you focus on one set a week, you will be able to take them to your session at the end of the month! You will learn to develop your traditional cello playing to really sound authentic through technical tips and learning the tunes. Plus you will have nine new traditional tunes which you will never forget! You can play them in sessions with friends, on your own, or even film yourself playing the tunes along with me on the second cello accompaniment videos included.

These Trad on Cello tutorials have developed through my teaching the Irish Cello Retreat, private lessons, and as tutor at the University County Cork. The tutorials show and encourage you in a kind and positive way;
  • The right way to play a Hornpipe
  • How get the swing in a Slip Jig
  • The way to look at a written tunes and interpret the feel
  • Keep motivated on the cello
  • Fall back in love with your cello
  • Discover a new way of approaching the cello
  • Learning by memory

It is important to continually expand your repertoire and styles of playing to feed your passion for music and to keep your playing fresh. Adding new feels to your playing can help you express the emotions you want to through the cello. Get inspired by the lessons in this course, learn the pieces, expand your repertoire and play the way you want to hear!

The videos include;

  • Innovative music reading software making for easy to follow music
  • Clear direction to help you learn the tunes in a traditional sounding way
  • Video lessons of each set of tunes 
  • Play through of each set of tunes
  • Play through of second cello accompaniment for each set 
  • Graded from Intermediate to Advanced

Other lesson material includes;
  • Introduction with technical tips, descriptions of Slip Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels and a brief description of each tune
  • Sheet music of each tune with second cello part included


Benefits of the Course

  • New exciting repertoire
  • Develop your tone spectrum
  • Play music you can use in trad sessions
  • Arrangements for two cello parts by a cellist for a cellist
  • Develop technique in a fun way
  • Discover the joy of playing trad Irish tunes
  • Expand your style and deepen your love of your cello

Bonuses Included

Discussion platform in course and direct email access to Ilse

Sheet music to download, including the complete book Trad on Cello (Value €20)

Occasional invitations to join a live Cello Club Lesson or Cello Club Hang

Meet your Teacher

MA (Hons) Music Ilse de Ziah

I love to help cellists find new approaches to playing cello. I have been running the Cello Club for three years. It is full of inspiration and great ideas. I love it! I ran many workshops for cellists and other string players over the years, taught chamber music at University College Cork, musical director of the Cork Light Orchestra, a member of the contemporary 'deep listening' Quiet Music Ensemble. I tour as duo De Ziah & Date with the virtuosic guitarist Ian Date. I also work in theatre and make films. I play cello in many different styles, from Irish, Jazz, Rock and Roll to Classical. This has given me a broad experience of getting the most out of the cello. I am always exploring new ideas and ways to push cello boundaries! I saw a need for quality solo pieces that are challenging but not impossible, sound great, develop technique and are perfect for performance and I compose, arrange and publish this music. I create music for cellists, so that when someone asks, "play for me, I love the cello", there is an alternative to Bach. (beautiful though he is!) I help students improve through playing music they love; to develop technique, style, memory, and confidence.

Praise for Trad on Cello Tutorials:

5 star rating

Trad on Cello Learning to Play by Ear

Corinne Lilie

Instructions and format are excellent and thorough. Like that there's both the music and seeing each piece played which helps with doing repetitions yoursel...

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Instructions and format are excellent and thorough. Like that there's both the music and seeing each piece played which helps with doing repetitions yourself. Great Approach to learning by ear.

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star rating

5 star rating

Such a great course for a wonderful music

Rasso Steinmann

Ilse’s arrangements of these wonderful airs fit extremely well for the cello. The way they are set is very cellistic, they use all registers and effects of t...

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Ilse’s arrangements of these wonderful airs fit extremely well for the cello. The way they are set is very cellistic, they use all registers and effects of the instrument and they bring the best out of it. These arrangements contain different levels of technical challenges. It’s a great repertoire for cellists with different skills from moderate to advanced, there is something for everyone. In the videos Ilse has a very charming and motivating way explaining how to play these airs, step-by-step, also with very helpful hints, how to practice technically demanding parts. This really helps to find a quick access to this nice and pieceful music. For a non-Irish musician it’s also very helpful and intersting to listen to a native musician, who grew up in this tradition, talking about this music. I don’t know any other source where these airs became arranged for cello, Ilse is probably the first. I highly reccomend this course to all cellists, who like Irish music, either for playing for their own pleasure or in sessions.

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5 star rating

EXCELLENT COURSE !!!!!

Chris Podlaskowski

Having first purchased the book and CD, I was eager to purchase the course when it became available. Ilse has done an excellent job on the tutorials. Her e...

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Having first purchased the book and CD, I was eager to purchase the course when it became available. Ilse has done an excellent job on the tutorials. Her explanations of the arrangements and demonstrations are very easy to follow. I also find the additional material such as the history of the airs to be very interesting. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in Irish Airs. FIVE STARS *****

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5 star rating

Trad on Cello

Shawn Bourgeois

The video lessons are outstanding. Ilse demonstrates all the steps clearly to learn each tune, and teaches ways to add ornamentations and variety. I loved th...

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The video lessons are outstanding. Ilse demonstrates all the steps clearly to learn each tune, and teaches ways to add ornamentations and variety. I loved the course!

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5 star rating

fun and very professional

Anne Becker

loving this cello course...high standard and great resources with online support.

loving this cello course...high standard and great resources with online support.

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5 star rating

just great, especially for beginners!

Michael weremay

5 star rating

None Stop Learning

Bob Morrow

What great lessons! Step by step through three great styles of Irish Music with the both melody and accompaniment clearly explained and demonstrated. If y...

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What great lessons! Step by step through three great styles of Irish Music with the both melody and accompaniment clearly explained and demonstrated. If you ever wanted to learn something besides the Prelude to entertain your friends then dig in here!

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Course Curriculum

    1. Welcome!

    2. How to and Links

    1. Learn the Slip Jig Set

    2. An introduction to Slip Jigs

    3. Slip Jig Tunes - Melody line play through

    4. Slip Jig Tunes - Accompaniment play through

    5. Slip Jigs play through, no sheet music - melody & accompaniment

    6. The Butterfly sheet music

    7. Ryan's sheet music

    8. Morrison's (jig) sheet music

    9. How did you go?

    1. Learn the Hornpipe Set

    2. An Introduction to Hornpipes

    3. Hornpipes - Melody line playthrough

    4. Hornpipes - Cello Accompaniment

    5. The Liverpool sheet music

    6. Charlie Mulvihill's sheet music

    7. The Cork Hornpipe sheet music

    8. How did you go?

    1. Learn the Reel Set

    2. An Introduction to Reels

    3. Reels - Melody playthrough

    4. Reels - accompaniment playthrough

    5. Drowsy Maggie sheet music

    6. Tam Lin sheet music

    7. The Gravel Walk sheet music

    8. Reels - Cello accompaniment, no notes below

    9. Reels - Melody line playthrough, no notes below

    10. How did you go?

    1. Final Word and Links

    2. Trad on Cello complete book

About this course

  • $89.00
  • 31 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content

Discover the fun and craic learning Irish traditional music!

Great tunes, excellent course.