Traditional Fiddle Tunes: “The Irish Washerwoman”: For Cello
Here is the traditional fiddle tune “The Irish Washerwoman” in a version for cello and simple accompaniment. In the cellofun version offered here, we will play this lively dance six times, three in the lower octave and three in the higher octave. It is presented first in a slow, gentle, relaxed, lower-octave (easy) version and then one octave higher (and slightly faster), in thumb position. Then we repeat both octaves at a moderately fast tempo and finally we will finish with both octaves at top speed. in the slower versions we can add a lot of little ornaments, but as we get faster this ornamentation becomes increasingly difficult.
For an “Easier Version”, play always in the lower octave.
Here is a play-along audio piano accompaniment with a four-bar piano introduction preceding each new cello intervention:
And here is a home recording of this arrangement played by the transcriber with the above accompaniment: