instrument tommy peoples
The Donegal ___MASK81___ tradition is the way of playing the ___MASK81___ that is traditional in County Donegal , Ireland . It is one of the distinct ___MASK81___ traditions within Irish traditional music . The ___MASK79___ is a wooden string instrument in the ___MASK79___ family . It is the smallest and highest - pitched instrument in the family in regular use . Smaller ___MASK79___ - type instruments are known , including the violino piccolo and the kit ___MASK79___ , but these are virtually unused in the 2010s . The ___MASK79___ typically has four strings tuned in perfect fifths , and is most commonly played by drawing a bow across its strings , though it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers ( pizzicato ). Violins are important instruments in a wide variety of musical genres . They are most prominent in the Western classical tradition and in many varieties of folk music . They are also frequently used in genres of folk including country music and bluegrass music and in jazz . Electric violins are used in some forms of rock music ; further , the ___MASK79___ has come to be played in many non - Western music cultures , including Indian music and Iranian music . The ___MASK79___ is sometimes informally called a fiddle , particularly in Irish traditional music and bluegrass , but this nickname is also used regardless of the type of music played on it . Tommy Peoples ( born 1948 ) is an Irish fiddler who plays in the Donegal ___MASK81___ tradition . He was born near St . Johnston , County Donegal , in Ireland . He has been a member of well - known traditional Irish music groups , including 1691 and The Bothy Band as well as performing solo since the late 1960s . He plays in the unique ___MASK81___ style of East Donegal . After moving to Dublin in the 1960s , where he was employed as a Garda ( member of the Irish police force ) , he subsequently moved to County Clare and married Mary Linnane , daughter of Kitty Linnane , long - time leader of the Kilfenora Céilí Band . He now resides in his home village of St Johnston . His daughter Siobhán Peoples is a noted fiddler in her own right . Tommy Peoples is currently the Traditional Musician In Residence at The Balor Arts Centre , Ballybofey , County Donegal . In July 2015 he launched his self - published book `` Ó Am go hAm - From Time to Time '' . The book combines a ___MASK81___ tutor by Tommy , along with illustrations by himself and a complete notation of 130 original tunes by Tommy , again notated by himself . The book also includes many stories and incidents from his life , and musical career . The book is currently available direct from Tommy from his own website http :// www . tommypeoples . ie / , ___MASK81___ is another name for the bowed string musical instrument more often called a ___MASK79___ . It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres , including classical music . ___MASK81___ playing , or fiddling , refers to various styles of music . ___MASK81___ is also a common term among musicians who play folk music on the ___MASK79___ . The fiddle is part of many traditional ( folk ) styles of music which are aural traditions , taught ' by ear ' rather than via written music . ___MASK81___ is normally the term used for Irish Traditional Music . The ___MASK55___ , viola da gamba , or ( informally ) gamba , is any one of a family of bowed , fretted and stringed instruments that first appeared in Spain in the mid to late 15th century and was most popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods . Early ancestors include the Arabic " rebab " and the medieval European vielle , but later , more direct possible ancestors include the Venetian " viole " and the 15th - and 16th - century Spanish " vihuela ", a 6 - course plucked instrument tuned like a lute ( and also like a present - day ___MASK55___ ) that looked like but was quite distinct from ( at that time ) the 4 - course guitar ( an earlier chordophone ).