Irish fiddle tunes make sight-reading more fun

I like to have groups of students play canons for sight-reading practice. It keeps them on their toes; they have to listen carefully to the other players, they have to feel the underlying beat so that they don't lose track of the downbeat, they have to "keep it going" and play without pausing or faltering. It's just great to practice this way.

So I'll look for opportunities to turn a piece into a canon.

The Irish fiddle tune below is one I arranged for elementary string quartet. My original (quartet) version is available in this book:

Book One
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/fiddle-tunes-for-quartets-book-one/6001877

Book Two
http://www.lulu.com/shop/nicholas-scarim/fiddle-tunes-for-quartets-book-two/paperback/product-6002135.html

But I've also sometimes used one or more of these arrangements as a canon for four violins by changing the clefs and bringing the viola and cello parts up an octave. This will give four young violinists a sight-reading challenge... and they're fun! Four times through the piece, without stopping, gradual accelerando in fact!, switch to the next staff each time through...

Here's the first piece from the book, arranged for four violins: (and it would work for clarinets, saxes, flutes - up a fifth - and so on.)

If you send me a nice note, I'll send you a PDF of this sheetmusic.     nycmusicteacher@gmail.com

You can see and hear more of my music at www.sheetmusic2000.com

Cheers! - til next time.
-Nick