The following uniform terms are used in the Discography to describe the following instruments used in Irish traditional music. For more about traditional Irish instruments, I recommend consulting the The Companion to Irish Traditional Music (see the Bibliography).
| Instrument | Brief Remarks |
|---|---|
| pipes | Uilleann pipes. The native Irish bellows-blown bagpipes. Pronounced "ILL-in." Also spelled "uillean pipes." Visit Na Píobairí Uilleann for more information. |
| whistle | Tin whistle (known as "penny whistle" in English music). Visit Chiff and Fipple for more information. |
| flute | Transverse flute. I do not differentiate here between wooden flutes and silver flutes. The former are by far the most common. |
| fiddle | There is no difference between fiddle and violin other than what music you play on it. |
| accordion | This term, also spelled "accordeon," and synonomous with "box," covers all button accordions, regardless of tuning patterns or number of rows, except for single-row button accordions, which are traditionally called a "melodeon" in Irish music. I do use the specific term "piano accordion" in the few cases where that instrument is used. |
| concertina | Visit concertina.net for more information. |
| banjo | In Irish music this almost exclusively means the four-string tenor banjo played with a single pick. |
| bodhrán | The Irish frame drum. Also spelled "bodhran." The preferred English-language pronunciation is "bo-RAWN." Visit The Bodhrán Page for more information. |
| bouzouki | Visit Han's Irish Bouzouki Homepage for more information. |
If you play or would like to play Irish music, you might be interested in some Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music.