Fanny Power

Learn Fanny Power by Turlough O'Carolan on a High D tin whistle with interactive sheet music and real-time fingering. A beautiful baroque-style Irish waltz.

Interactive Sheet Music & Tools

• ❧ Adjust tempo for waltz timing
• ❧ Loop complex phrases
• ❧ Follow mode for self-paced learning
• ❧ Real time fingering hints

Fingering Tips for High Notes

• ❧ This tune spans a wide range. Practice your octave jumps.
• ❧ Keep the high notes sweet, not shrill.

Practice Tips

• ❧ Feel the 3/4 waltz time (ONE-two-three).
• ❧ Play gently; O'Carolan tunes are often more "classical" than "folk".
• ❧ Smooth connections between notes are key.

How to Practice Step by Step

History

Fanny Power is a celebrated Irish air composed by the harper Turlough O’Carolan in the late 17th or early 18th century. The tune was written in honor of Frances Power, a young woman from a prominent Anglo-Irish family who was known for her beauty and grace. Unlike many earlier Irish airs, Fanny Power shows clear influence from European Baroque music, reflecting Carolan’s exposure to Italian and English musical styles while still retaining a distinctly Irish melodic character. The piece is notable for its elegant phrasing, balanced structure, and lyrical quality, which set it apart from purely dance-based tunes of the time. Over the centuries, Fanny Power has remained a core part of the Irish traditional repertoire and is frequently performed on harp, fiddle, flute, and tin whistle. Today, it is valued both as a historical example of Carolan’s unique fusion of Irish and classical elements and as a gentle, expressive melody suitable for developing musical phrasing and tone in traditional music education.

Common Questions