Frequently Asked Questions

Mike Rafferty and Lesl HarkerIs there / will there be a CD to go with the book? Where can I get Mike's CDs?
No, there is no CD with the book. Mike has said he would do it only if he has time. Three hundred tunes are too long to fit onto one CD; at best there could only be a selection of them, and it would be a major project nonetheless. For now, please refer to the back of the book in the 'notes on the tunes' section. If a tune has already been recorded by Mike it is mentioned there. To purchase his CDs, go to http://www.raffertymusic.com. Also see links to Ossian USA and Custy's Music on the Links page.

How did you do it?
I transcribed the tunes note-for-note from my study tapes at home after having learned the tunes by ear in lessons. I wasn't allowed to use any notation when playing or practicing. Mike told me not to, because that wouldn't help, and of course he was right. Since the action of transcribing was a learning aid for me, I still wrote them after a lesson, but filed them away. Using abc2win beta 5 I put them into notation format.

Can you send me your study tapes?
No, I'm sorry but these were recorded on my $20 tape recorder, and because of that the recordings are poor quality - not public standard.

Where will Mike be teaching next/playing concerts?
Please check the Rafferty website for updates at http://www.raffertymusic.com

Can you find out for me which tunes Mike will teach at summer school?
Sorry, but no. He doesn't usually decide these things definitely till the last minute.

How does Mike play the "c" in the Bcd triplet? 
With all fingers off for the c.

How do I get a lesson from Mike?
Enquire at http://www.raffertymusic.com/otherinfo.html

What does the book look like?
Here's an image of the front cover and a PDF file with a sample page from the inside.

Can I see what tunes are in it?
Yes, here is a PDF file of the Table of Contents.

Why does my copy of the book look a little different from other copies I've seen?
There have been several printings of this book. Mainly the differences are cosmetic: some of the bindings, covers, some colors or shading, and the fonts. All the tunes are exactly the same in every "edition." Beginning with the fourth regular printing, some revisions have now been included within, relating to tune titles and a couple of typos. All the tunes are still exactly the same. A page of errata is available for those with the earlier editions.

My book has 302 tunes, not 300. Am I special?
Yes you are special, but all the books have 302 numbered tunes. There were two tunes that I initially had combined, but separated for the book. One is Rick's Hornpipe / Rick's Rambles, due to having two different beginnings; the other is a tune with a separate numbered setting for the pipes.

I haven't received my book yet but you said you sent it 18 days ago?
The post office seems to have difficulty in delivering sometimes. Media mail can take up to 14 business days, depending on the weather and other postal variables. So far, no Rafferty book has been lost in the post, but at least one did take 18 days to arrive. Strangely enough, the most frequent post office excuse has been that the missing book is sitting in the local post office waiting to be picked up by the recipient, though they were never given a delivery failure notice. If in doubt, ask me to send your book with "delivery confirmation" (no extra cost) so that we have a tracking number, and stay in touch with me.