Folk Viola Sheet Music
Welcome to folkviola.co.uk.
This site is a resource for people who want to play traditional Irish, Scottish and English fiddle tunes on the viola.
I provide pdf sheet music for playing folk viola in a variety of ways.
There are solo viola and session viola arrangements, plus arrangements of duets with violin, cello, or a second viola.
Traditional Folk Repertoire for Viola
My sheet music for traditional folk tunes allows you to play this repertoire on the viola in various different ways.
1. Solo viola
The tunes are transposed into alto clef and shifted down a fifth, so they fit on the viola in the exact same fingerings as they would on the violin.
2. Viola versions for playing in sessions
In a traditional music session, many tunes will be played in keys that don't fit easily on the viola.
However, it’s possible to join in on the viola, even staying in first position, if you know where to switch octaves.
To make this easier, I’ve also made alto clef “session versions” which fit on the viola comfortably.
Both versions are included in my packs of traditional tunes for viola. Read more about this sheet music here.
Duets
Viola Duets
Sets of 40 traditional tunes arranged as viola duets, with the melody played in first position on one viola, and a harmony part played by the other viola.
You can read more about these duets and watch demo videos here.
Violin and Viola Duets
For viola players who want to play an accompaniment or harmony, I have arranged two sets of 40 traditional tunes as violin and viola duets.
The violin plays the melody, and the viola plays a harmony part.
You can get read about the duets and see demo videos here.
Viola and Cello Duets
In these duets, the viola plays the melody (transposed down a fifth from the original key, to fit on the viola in first position) and the cello plays a bassline / harmony part.
Read more about the viola and cello duets sheet music here.New Folk Viola Compositions
Tunebook: Midnight on Platform 16B
I have published a book of my own original tunes written in the folk tradition, which was composed for viola. The book is called Midnight on Platform 16B, and contains 38 original folk viola compositions.
The download includes two pdfs: one is my full-colour illustrated version with drawings, collages and anecdotes. The other is a plain black and white printer-friendly version.
You can get the pdf download of Midnight on Platform 16B, watch videos and listen to demo recordings here.
Tunebook: Round the Back of Dandelion Street
NEW! My second tunebook for solo viola, containing 34 original tunes. Plain black and white printer-friendly PDF download, which comes with demo recordings.
48 Bar Jig Collection
Originally written for ceilidh band instruments, these new jigs have been transposed down a fifth and into alto clef to fit comfortably on the viola.
"Everything" Bundle
Folk Viola Solos and Duets Bundle
If you'd like to buy everything at once, you can get all of the PDF sheet music on this website in a bundle at a discounted price (40% off)!