Free Irish Fiddle Sheet Music
The Butterfly

Free Irish fiddle sheet music "The Butterfly" in two versions, with chords for guitar or fiddle back-up. This piece for violin is a challenge for beginners, but is a great favorite.

My fiddle-playing daughter was roused from her own violin practice lethargy when she encountered a video of one of the members of Celtic Woman playing this dramatic piece.

She HAD to learn The Butterfly too, so SHE could dance around and swing her hair just like Mairead Nesbitt:

In fact, Mairead Nesbitt's performance was so inspiring to my daughter, that I quickly purchased a Celtic Woman DVD from Amazon which includes this and other favorite performances by Mairead and others in the group!

Here is the free Irish fiddle sheet music... first, the easiest version of The Butterfly:

Though I have called it "easy", it may not be easy for a beginner to play, initially, unless they can hear how the tune is supposed to sound.

And here is the more complicated version of the free Irish fiddle sheet music:

Because this free violin sheet music is traditional (anonymous and part of the traditional folk violin literature), you will find slight variations in every version that you come across.

The chords I use here may not be what you see in some of the other versions.

Mostly, they begin with Em going to Bm, over and over.

I have been using D in place of the Bm chord, primarily because in that way, my younger fiddle students can play an easy drone background as the older, more accomplished players take the melody.

Because not only is this a great solo, but the short version here, if repeated twice (for a total of three times through) makes a powerful group piece!

Recently, our local group went to the Juneau Folk Festival, and this was one of the numbers the kids played. (I was bass player for the gig, very fun!)

Here is how the kids did it:

• Fiddler #1 started alone, sliding into the initial note (like a butterfly!). 
• When she got to part 2, Fiddlers #2 & #3 joined her -- still on the melody. 
• They played out the melody to the bottom of the page, 
• then the whole group joined in at the top. That was three guitars, the three fiddlers on melody, two young fiddlers droning, and me on the bass.

It was VERY exciting. I decided to bow instead of pluck the string bass, and it was just the right effect.

A few of my students have bought copies of the Celtic Woman Songbook.

It has a lot of vocal pieces in it with nice arrangements, but also the LONG version of The Butterfly (of which I give just the first part here as free sheet music).

In the Celtic Woman songbook are other songs:

• Ave Maria, 
• Beyond The Sea, 
• The Blessing, 
• The Butterfly, 
• Caledonia, 
• Carrickfergus, 
• Danny Boy, 
• Dulaman, 
• Isle Of Inisfree, 
• Lascia Ch'io Pianga, 
• Mo Chile Mear, 
• Nella Fantasia, 
• One World, 
• Over The Rainbow, 
• The Prayer, 
• Scarborough Fair, 
• Send Me A Song, 
• She Moved Thru The Fair, 
• Shenandoah, 
• Siulil A Run, 
• The Sky, 
• The Dawn And The Sun, 
• The Soft Goodbye, 
• Someday, 
• Vivaldi's Rain, 
• The Voice, 
• You Raise Me Up.

Have fun with this free Irish fiddle sheet music!

The links to the Irish fiddle music "The Butterfly":

Download "The Butterfly" easy version 

Download free Irish fiddle sheet music "The Butterfly" 

---

The Adventures of Tonsta

A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls. 

The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.  

With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.

Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!

Available at Amazon

---

Recent Articles

• 
• 
• 

1. Ode to Joy Free Kids' Sheet Music for Piano, Beginner to Advanced

   

   Ode to Joy, now with advanced "BIG"-sounding arrangements, piano duets, and multiple beginner and late beginner arrangements.

   Read More

2. Zum Gali Gali Lyrics and Sheet Music

   

   Zum Gali Gali lyrics and easy sheet music for piano, voice, guitar, and lead instruments.

   Read More

3. Classical Guitar Sheet Music "Allegro" by Giuliani

   

   Classical guitar sheet music from "Le Papillon" (The Butterfly) by Giuliani, now with guitar tablature - this classical piece is very EASY!

   Read More

4. Happy Birthday Free Sheet Music for Guitar, Piano, & Lead Instruments

   

   Happy Birthday, now with GUITAR TABS! Several arrangements for piano solo & duet, some with a few lettered notes to help! Multiple keys.

   Read More

5. Spanish Study Free Guitar Tabs for Beginning Classical Guitar

   

   Spanish Study, with a new version showing all 3 pages of tablature. This is a simplified guitar version of the famous piece "Asturias."

   Read More

6. Star-Spangled Banner Free Sheet Music & Lyrics for All Instruments

   

   Star-Spangled Banner free sheet music. Now with a singer's "find-your-pitch" exercise! America's national anthem in 7 keys, & lyrics for 1 or all 4 verses.

   Read More

7. Tarantelle, the Spider Dance, for Beginning Piano

   

   Tarantelle, now with a shortened melody, and in Dm position! The Spider Dance is a vigorous and fun melody for beginning piano students.

   Read More

8. Easy Piano Sheet Music Swan Lake, Free!

   

   Easy piano sheet music Swan Lake, now with a pretty intermediate arrangement and duet secondo! For students who love the mysterious sound of the minor scale.

   Read More

---