Kilkenny

[bjornpdx]

I was going for an Irish tune and I think most of the song sounds Irish. The melody is original but I always worry that I'm subconsciously plagiarizing a tune so hope that isn't the case. 

An earlier version had an accordion as the main instrument which was pretty good, but I changed it to violin. Maybe I should have stuck with the accordion? The backing track is NI Strummed Acoustic that doesn't have a lot of choices for 3/4 time like this tune. Wondering if the backing guitar sounds too oom-pah-pah?

The title is Kilkenny, a name I found on a map of Ireland and it sounded nice. 

The ending didn't come out the way I wanted so will change that eventually.

Thanks for listening/commenting.

-Bjorn

Bolder Sounds Fiddle
NI Strummed Acoustic
NI Ireland flute
NI Ireland Harp
Omnisphere

 

[bmarlowe]

Really nice sounds, well mixed. The fiddle sounds great (and is reasonably priced), at least to me. Never heard of Bolder Sounds before.

[KSband]

Very nice, the instruments sound good together. Sounds Irish as far as I can tell.

[bjornpdx]

bmarlowe   The Bolder Sounds Fiddle is really good.  I also like  the fiddle from Indiginus, also reasonably priced. 

KSband:  Thanks.   Appreciate the listen and comment

[Wookiee]

On 12/5/2025 at 8:46 PM, bjornpdx said:

Kilkenny,

Kilkenny is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2022 census gave the population of Kilkenny as 27,184, the thirteenth-largest urban centre in Ireland. Source Wikipedia.

Mix works here Bjorn, has a certain Irish lilt to the melody, though probably early evening before the infamous Kilkenny beer starts to flow.  

[bjornpdx]

Wookie:   Had no idea there's a beer out there named Kilkenny. No way an Irish pub will play my song at 11pm on a Saturday night.

[Bajan Blue]

Hi Bjorn

I know Kilkenny well - have played both Music and Golf there!!!

The track has definitely got the Irish lilt to it - well done

Nigel

 

[PhonoBrainer]

Loved the Lilt!!

Does the fiddle have any setting where you could bring on a bit more vibrato as the note sustains?

I too have found it amazing that Strummed Acoustic has such a paucity of 3/4. Makes no sense whatsoever.

The mix works well here. Maybe an option would be to give it an ending that isn't a fadeout, like you'd hear in a pub!

Congrats on a fine tune. 

cheers,

-Tom

 

[FreeEarCandy]

Bjorn, this definitely captures that Irish feel — the melody stands on its own, so I wouldn’t worry about unintentional borrowing. The switch to violin works great too; it gives the tune a nice lift, and the flute/harp textures fit the vibe perfectly.
The NI Strummed Acoustic “oom‑pah‑pah” actually suits the style, especially in 3/4 where options are limited. And Kilkenny is a great title — sometimes the map just hands you the right name.
Curious to hear what you do with the ending when you revisit it. An enjoyable beginning.
—Dean

[bjornpdx]

Tom, thanks for the comment. The fiddle vst has lots of articulations, way more than I'd ever use. Didn't think of the vibrato which I'll look into as well as changing the ending. Thanks

Dean, thanks for the nice comments. I have lots of trouble coming up with song titles. I get on the NASA website to find names for my more spacy music.

Nigel, Thanks. Well that's pretty cool you've been to a city I just picked on a map for a song title. And to Kilkenny, apologies. I know you're more than a song title. 

[treesha]

Being half irish my genes appreciated this song.  Nice to hear a harp. I like the fiddle, my italian side has heard a lot of accordion and I think I prefer fiddle in this one without hearing your accordion version. Well done, you captured the essence.