Irish Guitar Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tony O'Rourke, Gerry
Occasionally Tony will pick up a tune that just seems to feel so natural to play, so easy on the fingers, it rolls off the musical tongue so to speak. This is one of those tunes. It’s eerie but it’s as if Ryan composed this for guitar. It’s the perfect range for the guitar, played between a Low A and the A two octaves above, there’s plenty of space between the notes, no high B to “fret” over, and a busy chord progression to play with.
“Shoemaker’s Daughter” is a composition of legendary Cavan fiddler Ed Reavy (1897-1988).
The A Part of this tune is played in a G Mixolydian Mode, whilst the B Part is in G Major. Transcriptions in Irish music of tunes that change to different modes that retain the same Tonic Note often, mistakenly, use the same key signature.
“Scatter The Mud” is a tune sometimes played in E Minor but this version is in the more common A Minor (Dorian mode). Tony has arranged this version for Open A tuning (EAC#EAE) but we have included a version in standard tuning for those who wish to stick with the standard tuning.
The tune is in jig time (6/8) but is a set dance and is played considerably slower than normal jig tempo.
However, other than tempo, all the “rules” that apply to jigs apply to this tune.
A very well known tune, so much so that it is played by musicians outside of the Irish music genre.
the standard key is G, but Tony transposed it to A Major on the banjo, then started playing it on the guitar in Open A major tuning and came up with this arrangement.
The book also includes a version in standard tuning for those who don’t want to get involved with Open A at this point in time.
Open A tuning is E A C# E A E, from lowest to highest pitch.
As much as Tony would like to claim credit for this composition it’s not his to claim. This tune was in circulation a long time ago.
This tune is normally played in A mixolydian so you will need to capo on the second fret.
Some musicians play this tune in C, others in D.
Tony plays it in D on the banjo but in C on the guitar. For this lesson the capo is on 2, thus it’s in D.
In the podcast, Tony talks about the importance of listening to other versions of any tune you are learning.
This tune is sometimes known as “Dr. John Stafford”.
The tune begins on a C chord. For the accompaniment Tony plays and holds a bass note and then, instead of a full chord, he plays the notes of a chord individually.
Tony describes how to play a triplet on the lower (thicker) strings when describing how to play this reel.
Máire Rua, translated as “Red Haired Mary”, is a slip jig in G.
The B Part of the tune moves into a D Mixolydian mode but as this mode contains the same notes as G Major, that is one sharp (F#), there is no need to change the key signature. The tune moves back to G Major for the last bar of the tunes, which is in fact identical to the last bar of Part A. Tony often pairs this tune with a slip jig we looked at in Lesson 16, Na Ceannabháin Bhána.
The Garden Of Daisies is a set dance and is played in hornpipe time, but somewhat slower than your average hornpipe.
Note that the tempo on the recording of Marie Walsh is the correct tempo for tunes of this type.
Here we have a tune in Open A (although in the book you'll also find a version in regular tuning.)
The Open A tuning Tony uses is, from the lowest string to the highest:
E A C# E A E.
These two tunes are both in G Major and coincidentally have the same three notes at the beginning.
The first part of Castlebar Races is played in open position, the second part almost entirely in third position; that is the first finger is positioned at the third fret. It is also used to play any F# notes (2nd fret, 1st string). Where you have consecutive F# / G notes use your first finger for both.
For Mouse In The Mug you’ll find something similar. The first part of the tune is open position. For the second part of the tune Tony has written it out as a 16 bar section with no repeats. The first twelve bars of this section can be played in third position, using your first finger playing any notes occurring on the second fret of 1st string (F#) and 3rd string (A) and then reverting to open position for the last four bars. In fact the last four bars of the tune are identical to the last four bars of the first section.
McFadden’s Handsome Daughter is an A Major tune but for the guitar Tony plays it in G with capo on the 2nd fret.
The tune is a composition of John McFadden (1847-1913).
This slip jig moves between E Minor and G Major. The E Minor parts of the tune use the Natural Minor Scale rather than the Dorian Mode.
This tune is sometimes known as “The Funny Reel” and is played in D. On the guitar Tony plays it in C with the capo on the 2nd fret.
There is at least one other jig known as “Boys Of The Town”, starting on a high G (3rd fret, 1st string). But this “Boys of the Town” starts on a middle G (open 3rd string). The two tunes are quite different and in no way related.
“Athair” is the Irish word for “father”, and the Anglicized title “Fr. Jack
Walsh” is often used as the title for this tune, as is “Tatter Jack Walsh”.
The tune is played in the D mixolydian mode and thus contains the same
notes as a G Major scale. A cursory glance at the chords used in the sheet
music should alert you to this. The two main chords used are D and C and
this combination in a “D” tune invariably tells you it’s mixolydian. The key
signature is one sharp (F#). If I used two sharps (F# and C#) then there would
be natural signs used for the C notes occurring in the tune.
Some tune books incorrectly notate the tune this way. Tony’s old copy of that
excellent small collection “Allan’s Irish Fiddler” has it in D Major with
natural signs for the C. Although the transcription still ends up with the same
notes it is not very good “musical grammar”. There are two accidentals in the
tune, both in the last bar of each section. In fact the last three bars of each
section are identical.
The “Yellow Tinker” is a tune in the G mixolydian mode. In other words the scale used is a C Scale but played in the key of G.
The tune is associated with the playing of Galway accordionist Joe Burke , and perhaps because of Burke, it is very popular and widely played.
The first and third parts of the tune are almost pure mixolydian, whilst the second part of the tune is almost pure G Major, although Tony didn’t alter the key signature for the second part, despite there being an argument for doing so. Overall he just felt it was more convenient to leave t
A distinguishing feature of the Mixolydian mode is that the chord progression typically consists of G chords and F chords.
With the small exception of the C chord in bar 20, the entire tune is a three-chord wonder, but the chords are G, D, and F (not G, D, and C).
The “Swedish Jig", sometimes known as Arthur Darley’s, is a most unusual tune.
In the first part of the tune a time signature change occurs in bar 7 from the standard 6/8 to a 9/8, just for one bar, before reverting back to 6/8. In effect you play an extra half a bar.
Also the first part consists of 12 bars rather than the standard eight.
The A part is in D Major, but changes to D Minor for the second part, and then back to D Major for the third part. Both the second and third parts have 8 bars.
The chords are D, A, G, Dm, A7 and Gm.
Polish in origin, mazurkas are not very common in Irish music.
Sonny’s Mazurka is arguably the most well known of the mazurkas played in Ireland.
As mazurkas are written in 3/4 time the rules that you use for waltzes also apply to mazurkas. In this tune most of the bars have a crotchet on the first beat followed by two groups of quavers over the next two beats.
As an accompaniment, a basic strum consisting of a bass note on the first beat followed by full or partial chord strums for each of the next two beats in each bar would be quite sufficient. In other words treat your accompaniment the same way you would a standard waltz.
Note the B Minor chord in Bar 3 of the second part of the tune. D would be quite acceptable but B Minor just sounds a bit nicer to Tony’s ear.
Chords are D, G, A and Bm.
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This tune is one of those lovely 16-bar reels in the key of D Major, of which there are many in Irish music. Structurally it is a very simple tune, containing only three chords (D , A, and G).
One of the better-known compositions of the great Turlough O'Carolan.
Tony has set this arrangement in 4/4 rather than 2/2 or “cut” time, that is 4 groups of 2 quavers rather than 2 groups of 4. This is a subtle difference although with a tune played at the somewhat slower tempo than a reel, or even a hornpipe, the difference is barely noticeable. On reflection this tune could be written as 4/4 or 2/2.
In the first part of the tune there is one high B (6th bar). And the second part of the tune has some tricky left hand work so we’ve included in the transcription the left hand fingering Tony uses for playing the tune. Note that your local Classical Guitar Club members will probably be horrified by some of the fingerings but they work for Tony!
The finger number is notated directly under the relevant note. Where there is no fingering markings you can assume that normal open position fingering applies.
There's a rather busy chord progression in the accompaniment, and Tony suggests you will need to spend longer than usual learning it. The chords are G, D, Em, C, A7 and D/F#.
Tony learned this lovely 3-part polka from the playing of New York button accordionist Patty Furlong.
48-bar polkas are not common in Irish music and are not used much for sets. Tony consulted Marie Brouder here in Melbourne about this. Marie is the number one person on set dancing in Melbourne and she could only find one dance that was of 48 bars duration. That is the first figure of The Kilkenny Set.
the lowest note is the open D string and the highest is the F# on the first string so the tune is fairly compact. You can play the whole tune from open position. In the first part Tony has notated the B notes as being on the open 2nd string, but you can play them on the 4th fret/3rd string if you find it easier to pick. Contrary to popular “lay” thought, part of the art of playing guitar is finding the easiest way to do things.
In this tune there is an example of how one well chosen chord can make a big difference to the tune and that chord can be found in the 2nd bar of the 3rd part of the tune. It is a B minor chord.
You could just as easily use a D chord but the Bm adds a wonderful melancholic tone to the tune.
Chords are D, G, Em, A and Bm.
This is an often-played polka, normally in the key of G.
Polkas, like marches, are in 2/4 time. That is, there are two groups of quavers, or the equivalent. Where you have two groups of four quavers, you should play:
- down on the first quaver
- down on the next quaver.
In this tune the only time you play an up stroke is on the last semiquaver (or sixteenth note) of a group of what would be two eighth notes if there were no sixteenth notes.
In this tune you will only be picking up on the last notes of Bars 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, and 20.
There are only ten up strokes in the whole tune. Also note that the last 5 bars of part A are identical to the second time ending in Part B of the tune. In fact a lot of people just play the B part through twice without the second time ending. But Tony learnt it off P.J. Hernon and if it’s good enough for Mr Hernon...
If you're using the booklet (book 4), you will see that there are differences between the sheet music chords above the melody and the separate guitar accompaniment sheet. For the purposes of the recording we’ve used the guitar accompaniment sheet, but this will show you that there is more than one way to back up a tune. Tony loves that Em to begin the second part of the tune, but G Major is just as valid.
Chords are G, C, D and Em.
This is one of Tony's own compositions, which he wrote in honour of his friend Jim Connolly, an accordion player from Rossinver in North Leitrim.
It's played in C, with a capo on the 2nd fret. The second part is higher than the first.
The “normal” speed recording is the first track off Tony’s CD “An Sliabh Glas” and includes “Shores of Lough Gowna”, followed by “Jim Connolly’s Jig”. By the way you can purchase the CD, or tracks from it, on Amazon and iTunes and various online outlets. See the CDs page on this site for links.
Note the D Minor chord at the end of the third line. Tony could have just used a G chord for the whole bar (Bar 12) but the inclusion of a D Minor just adds a little bit extra to the tune.
Chords are C, F and G.
There are two jigs that carry the name “The Gold Ring” (“An Fáinne Óir” in Irish). One is a 7-part jig in G particularly popular with pipers, and the other, a 4-part jig in D Major. This tune is the D Major tune, and it's one of Tony's all-time favourties.
Although this is a D tune, Tony plays it in C with a capo on the second fret. This tune has a wide range of just over 2 octaves, but if your left hand is positioned correctly you should need very little, if any, lateral movement to reach all the notes.
Chords are C, F, G and Am.
A delightful jig with a strong underlying rhythm, which is probably why it is quite often used for playing at céilithe (social dances).
In the second bars of both the third and fourth lines you will note that Tony uses the same finger for the first two notes of those bars (G and F#), plays the high B with his fourth finger and the high A with his third finger.
In the booklet (Book 4), we’ve included a separate accompaniment sheet for this tune. Note that Tony uses a D Chord with an F# in the bass, a chord we’ve used as a stock chord for tunes not only in D but in other keys as well, where appropriate.
Just for something a bit different Tony ends the tune with two dotted crotchet chords in the very last bar. This is a little trick just to accentuate the end of the section. Don’t do it every tune but once in a while is OK.
Marches usually have a 2/4 time signature, but this tune is one of a number of tunes designated as a march, but carrying a 6/8 time signature. (“The Butcher’s March” is another.)
This tune is also quite often played as just a normal jig as part of a set.
It's fairly compact in the left hand, only going up to the high G on the first string, and of course even though called a march it should be treated as a jig without ornamentation, although you may wish to go the whole way and just play it as a jig, in which case you would of course include some ornamentation.
In the podcast, Tony emphasises the importance of getting the timing exactly right when accompanying tunes. Chords are G, D, C and Am.
The most challenging tune in Book 4, this is totally unrelated to "Farewell to Ireland". It's not at all unknonwn to encounter such confusingly similar titles in Irish music!
Normally played in A Dorian, but Tony has arranged it for gutar in E Dorian.
You can capo up to the 5th fret, but on the podcast there's no capo.
Tony has also brought the first part in some places so it can be played in one octave, giving it a more dynamic sound.
In some places there are triplets using three different notes. If these are problematic, you can isolate them and practice them on their own.
In the tablature, you'll notice that Tony plays the B on the 4th fret of the 3rd string in places, to make picking easier.
For the accompaniment, there are only two chords - Em and D.
This well known tune comes in the standard 32-bar format, with two parts, each played twice.
It is an ideal tune to play if a hornpipe is requested by a step dancer.
Unusually for such a melodic tune the whole tune is played within one octave excepting the three F# notes that occur near the end of both sections.
In the last two bars of each section multiple note triplets occur. It is important that you pick each triplet rather than slurring or tying them. In Irish music, when played on a fretted instrument such as guitar or banjo, all the notes of triplets are picked individually.
In the accompaniment, Tony has included A7 in the fourth bar of the third line. It creates a nice addition to the “standard” chords found in G Major tunes, and is sometimes referred to as a “passing” chord. You can leave it out and play the succeeding D chord for the whole bar but the accompaniment is enhanced by the A7.
Chords are G, D, Em and A7.
As the highest note in this tune is the F on the first string you will not have to concern yourself with left hand positioning.
In fact by keeping your left hand at a right angle to the fretboard you should not have any lateral movement in your left hand at all.
Make sure to play the tune at a speed that allows you to include ornamentation.
The half moon markings over certain notes in the sheet music are suggested points in the tune at which you can add your ornaments but feel free to place them somewhere else if you so desire.
The main point is to include some ornamentation.
For the accompaniment, Tony has included only two chords in this tune; D Minor and C.
Sometimes simplicity works best. An uncomplicated accompaniment can be enough for such an expressive tune.
“The Blarney Pilgrim” is a very well known jig.
Jack and Charlie Coen recorded this tune on their classic “The Branch Line” recording from 1977.
The tune itself is in the key of G Major but, unusually, the most common chord in this tune is in fact the D chord, not the more expected G chord.
The melody in this tune goes no higher than the G on the third fret of the first string so the whole tune can be played in open position.
One of the features that make this tune ideal for guitar is that there are many open string notes within the melody and by letting these open notes “ring” you create a certain feel to the tune that cannot be achieved on other instruments.
Also for those of you who use the tab, you’ll notice in both the first and fifth bars of the third part of the tune Tony fingers the B note on the fourth fret of the third string rather than open B. This saves jumping between strings, and really just makes it a little bit easier to pick. Also note that this tune does not resolve at the end.
As you will see from the sheet music the tune begins on D for two bars before going to G, and in the second line the same thing occurs. This proliferation of D chords has nothing to do with key changes or being in a different key, it is merely that at this point in the tune a D chord occurs. It just happens to be the start of the tune. There are a number of Irish tunes that begin on a chord other than the tonic chord – Jack Coughlan’s Reel, The Green Fields of America, and Killabeg House to name but a few.
The third part of the tune has an identical chord progression to the first part. Chords are D, G and C.
This tune is a lovely “G” reel and like a good red wine it goes well with almost anything.
Tony learned this tune from the playing of John G. Walsh from near the town of Clifden, in the west of Connemara.
You'll gather from the notes in the accompanying booklet that Tony is a huge fan of John G's music, and of the town of Clifden.
The Baltimore in this tune probably refers to the town on the southern coast of Ireland, south west of Skibereen, Co. Cork. In Irish it is called Dún na Séad (Fort of Jewels).
The first part of the tune can be played entirely in open position.
For the first five bars in the second part of the tune Tony plays notes on the third fret with his first finger, notes on the fourth fret with his second finger, notes on the fifth fret with his third finger , and the high B on the seventh fret with his fourth finger.
There are four A notes on the second fret of the third string in these first five bars of Part B, and these can be fingered with the first finger as they are preceded and followed by notes occurring on open strings. These open string notes will give you enough time to move your fingers to the next sequence of notes. The last three bars of the tune can be played in open position.
Knowing your fretting before you being to play will improve your fluidity.
Tony reminds us in this lesson that accuracy is more important than speed. Be accurate; speed can come later.
The chord progression is identical in both the first and second parts. In the booklet we’ve included a separate accompaniment chart.
Accompaniment for tunes needs to be studied in the same way that the melody is, even though backing up a tune is less complicated.
The accompaniment is fairly standard. Note that in the 4th and 12th bars a D chord occurs with an F# as a bass note – that is, the second fret of the sixth string.
As a music teacher of some credibility, it would be grossly improper for Tony to tell you to use your thumb to fret this note, as he does. So use your discretion.
The F# in a D Major chord as a bass note can be quite effective. Piano players do it all the time. Note the E minor chord in bars 6 and 14, added in just for a bit of melancholic flavour. Also at the very end of each section there’s a crotchet chord followed by a crotchet rest, just to break the rhythm a touch.
The chords in this tune are G, C, Am, D, and Em.
Many thanks to John G Walsh for permission to use his recording of this tune from his CD “Magpie's Nest”.
This tune is Scottish in origin, and is an example of how closely related the Scottish and Irish traditions are, and yet both music forms are quite different.
Tony's arrangement is in G Major, capo 2, thus the "real" key is A Major.
Listen to the lesson (TimorTheTartar.mp3, 8 minutes 23 seconds. 2.87 MB)
This tune is written in jig time (6/8) but is in fact a set piece, or set dance.
During the podcast. Tony comments that, sadly, such set pieces don't often an airing at sessions.
File size is 3.9MB.
Duration is 11 minutes 22 seconds.
This polka is in G Major, so when coupled Paddy's Polka (no. 1), there's an interesting key change from D Minor to G Major.
In this tune, the B part can begin on either a G Major or E Minor. Tony's preference is for the E Minor, so that's how it's notated in the booklet (Book 3).
File size is 2.62MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 37 seconds.
This tune is played in D Minor. This is an ideal tune for music teachers to teach their students as it is uncomplicated, and from an accompaniment viewpoint, is very basic - only two chords, D Minor and C.
File size is 2.43MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 4 seconds.
This lesson is one of Tony's own compositions.
On his regular trips to Ireland Tony spends time in the North Leitrim region, which is the ancestral home of the O'Rourkes. Manorhamilton is part of that region.
File size is 5MB.
Duration is 10 minutes 21 seconds.
This reel is normally played in D, but Tony's arrangement is in C, with a capo on the second fret.
File size is 3.61MB.
Duration is 10 minutes 32 seconds.
Joe Bane was a tin whistle and flute player from the Magherabaun area near Feakle in East Clare. Musicians such as Mary McNamara and Martin Hayes picked up a lot of tunes from him.
This is a hornpipe, and Tony plays it in the key of F.
File size is 3.49MB.
Duration is 10 minutes 10 seconds.
Another 16-bar reel, the first part is in B Minor, and the second in D Major.
File size is 2.7MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 53 seconds.
This tune is a 16 bar reel, normally played in the Key of G.
Tony's arrangement is played in an Open D tuning, so to play in G you'll need to capo the 5th fret.
Details on the tuning, and on chord shapes for Open D, are provided in the booklet (Book 3). The tuning is D A D F# A D, from the lowest pitched string to the highest.
File size is 3.43MB.
Duration is 10 minutes.
The Fisherman's Jig is in fact a slip jig.
Slip jigs comprise only a small percentage of the Irish Music repertoire and you can attend session after session and not hear them at all. Tony often plays this with Na Ceannabhain Bhána (which we had in Lesson 16 in Book 1).
File size is 2.54MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 25 seconds.
This is a bonus lesson, since it's not within the genre that we're studying. Rather, it's Tony's arrangement of Danny Boy, also know as The Londonderry Air.
It may be a bit daunting for the newcomer. Sheet music and tab notation are provided in Book 3.
File size is 3.79MB.
Duration is 11 minutes 3 seconds.
Tony picked this tune up from the late Billy Moran. Billy was a button accordionist from Galway who migrated to Australia in the late 1940's and made an enormous contribution to the musical heritage of Australia.
The A, or first, part is played using the D Mixolydian Mode and the B or second part uses a D Ionian (or Major) mode.
File size is 4.88MB.
Duration is 14 minutes 13 seconds.
This week we have a lovely jig.
Tony talks about the use of overtones to enhance your playing, and which can be used to good effect in this tune.
File size is 4.01MB.
Duration is 11 minutes 41 seconds.
This week we have another piece by the famous blind harper, Turlough O'Carolan.
(Note that we've migrated the web content for the podcast to www.irishguitarpod.com; there you'll find more extensive content.)
File size is 2.89 MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 25 seconds.
Caisleán an Óir is a hornpipe.
This arrangement is in D Dorian, a type of D Minor, but without a Bb in the key signature.
The D Dorian has the same notes as the C Major Scale.
File size is 2.27MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 8 seconds.
Technically not too demanding, this is a lovely tune, quite typical of the beautiful music that emanates from the hills and valleys of North Leitrim.
The recording on this podcast episode is from Tony's CD "The Maid At The Well". (You can purchase this CD, or individual tracks from it, on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other online music outlets. But don't purchase "Bernie Cunnion's", because it's free on the podcast!)
A couple of announcements:
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Tony's CD "An Sliabh Glas", is also now available online. Visit www.irishguitarpod.com for track listing and sleeve notes, and links to purchase.
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Tony's also put together a Guitar Chord Dictionary - a comprehensive book with over 2,100 chord shapes. It's available to download from www.irishguitarpod.com for a very reasonable US $20.
File size of this episode is 4.45MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 59 seconds.
This is a short reel, with 16 bars. It's in the key of E Minor, with two sharps in the key signature, which means it's in the E Dorian mode.
Tony sometimes refers to this as the "Irish Minor", and many Irish minor tunes use a Dorian mode.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
File size is 4.79MB.
Duration is 13 minutes 57 seconds.
Not to be confused with "Andy McGann's Jig" (which we had in Lesson 19), this is a completely different tune.
It's one of the many compositions of the late New York fiddler Andy McGann. It is in the key of D, but on guitar Tony plays it in C, with the capo on the second fret.
This is the first tune in Book 3.
File size is 2.91MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 29 seconds.
This tune is a composition of the late Paddy O'Brien from Nenagh in Co. Tipperary.
Paddy O'Brien’s tunes are often very challenging, but are also very musical.
You will need to move your left hand into the third position when you reach the 11th bar. You can use the gap provided by the open E at the beginning of the bar to move into the third position, and then move back to open position for the last two bars.
This, incidentally, is the last tune in Book 2.
File size is 2.93MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 50 seconds.
This reel is in D, so there are no notes that are played on the first fret.
Also the highest note in the tune is the F# on the 1st string, 2nd fret, so you won’t have to move your left hand.
The tune does require picking on all six strings. Keeping your left hand 'square' to the fretboard will help.
In the accompaniment, there area a few B Minor chords placed at strategic points in the second part of the tune, which add a touch of melancholia.
File size is 1.74MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 37 seconds.
A 16-bar reel consisting of two four-bar sections, each repeated once.
File size is 1.3MB.
Duration is 5 minutes 41 seconds.
Originally in A minor, this tune is sometimes played in G minor - for example by both Martin Hayes and Kathleen Collins have recorded in G minor.
Martin pointed out to Tony that many A minor tunes are played in G minor in his native East Clare.
Tony's version here however is in the original A minor.
File size is 1.8MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 52 seconds.
This tune is a slide.
The time signature is 12/8, which means basically 12 quavers per bar, but more correctly 4 groups of either quavers or crotchet/quaver combinations.
A traditional Irish musician would count 4 beats per bar, each count being for 3 quavers or the equivalent: so 1 2 3, 2 2 3, 3 2 3, 4 2 3. Slides are often played very fast and are used for set dancers, and are widely played around Kerry and Cork.
Tony reminds us not to try to play too fast.
File size is 1.82MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 57 seconds.
Normally played in D, Tony’s arrangement is in C, with a capo on the second fret.
The highest note is an A (5th fret, 1st string), and so the whole tune can be played from the open position. When fingering the high A note, remember to stretch the 4th finger to reach the note, and try to avoid moving the left hand.
File size is 2.86MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 29 seconds.
Probably originally a Scottish tune, this is a very widely played reel.
The last two bars of both sections are identical.
Tony reminds us not to try to play too fast.
File size is 1.61MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 02 seconds.
A favourite of Tony's, he plays this jig in F, although it's normally played in G.
The key of F is not very common on guitar - and this is our first tune in F. Practicing the F scale is the best way to get used to it.
The accompaniment includes a B flat bar chord, but the others can be played in open position, so it shouldn't present too much of a problem.
File size is 2.04MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 55 seconds.
Another tune by the highly influential Turlough O'Carolan.
Planxty Irwin (which we had in Lesson 14, in Book 1) was another O'Carolan tune.
This is in 3/4 time, with emphasis on the first beat of each bar: one two three, one two three, one two three.
In this episode, we've also included a version with Tony playing the bouzouki and mandolin.
File size is 3.92MB.
Duration is 17 minutes 07 seconds.
A nice simple jig.
The tune is mostly played in the open position, so you don’t have to move your hand until the last two bars.
For the last two bars, you use the first finger for G – the third fret on the first string, the third finger for A (the 5th fret) and the fourth finger for B (7th fret).
If you also use the first finger for D after the open B on the third last bar, the open B gives you the opportunity to move your left hand back to the open position.
File size is 2.13MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 18 seconds.
In episode 9, we had this reel in the 'normal' tuning.
In this episode, it's in Open D tuning. The tuning (from lowest pitched string to highest) is D A D F# A D, .
As the tune is normally played in G, the capo is on the 5th fret.
The chord shapes for Open D are, of course, different to those for the ‘regular’ tuning. However, learning them is no different from learning any other chord; and having these under your belt opens up your repertoire.
In the booklet (Book 2), the chords shapes for Open D are on page 43.
File size is 2MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 46 seconds.
A common polka, which Tony tells us has received some rough treatment.
Make it easier to learn by using shortcuts: the first bar is identical to the third and fifth bars, the last two bars of the first section are the same as the last two of the second section, and bars 9 and 10 are the same as bars 13 and 14.
File size is 2.59MB.
Duration is 11 minutes 21 seconds.
Often played with last week's tune - Crowley's 1.
The tune is in D; the sheet music in the booklet shows it in C, with the capo on the second fret (to bring it into D).
In this episode, Tony also talks about combining tunes into sets.
And a reminder that the booklet accompanying these tunes is available for download from www.uxpod.com for US $9.
File size is 2.87MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 34 seconds.
Two tunes that are often played together are Crowley’s 1 and 2.
The legendary Connemara single row melodeon player Johnny Connolly plays these two on his first recording 'An t'Oileann Aerach', available on CIC Records (www.cic.ie/product.asp?idproduct=674).
The tune is in D; the sheet music in the booklet shows it in C, with the capo on the second fret (to bring it into D).
The highest note is the G, 3rd fret, 1st string, so you don’t have to move out of the open position.
The right hand is tricky if you include triplets, as you should be if you are playing Irish music - without ornamentation the tune does not sound authentic.
File size is 1.49MB.
Duration is 6 minutes 30 seconds.
This is a nice lively tune in the key of D.
Tony plays this tune with the high part first and the low part second, although it may have originally been played the other way around.
Because it's in the key of D, there are no notes on the first fret. Use your first finger for the second fret, second finger for the third, and so on.
File size is 2.18MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 32 seconds.
This is a very common polka, and because of its simplicity is ideal for learners.
This tune is often used when playing for dancers but it is a lovely but simple 'stand alone' tune.
The left hand doesn't need to move at all; the notes are all in the first three sets on the four highest-pitched strings. Also, the last 3 bars of both parts are identical.
File size is 1.85MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 5 seconds.
The Banshee is a reel that's sometimes know as McMahon's.
The first part is in G Major; it changes to E Minor in the second part.
The last two bars in the first and second parts are identical, which will help in learning.
File size is 2.96MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 56 seconds.
The first of the Book 2 lessons is Andy McGann's jig.
Andy McGann was born in West Harlem and composed very many tunes.
There was an Andy McGann tribute on RTE in 2004 (tinyurl.com/2eputt)
Although this tune is normally in G, Tony's version is in C, with the capo on the 2nd fret, putting it in the key of D.
File size is 2.92MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 47 seconds.
The final lesson in the series is a reel. As we are in the key of D left hand fingering is to use the first finger for the second fret, second for the third fret, third finger for the fourth fret, and fourth finger for the fifth fret.
The accompaniment is a little complicated. Tony uses a lot of D/F# chords. The chord of D contains three notes D, F#, and A, in any combination and in any number.
In the case of D/F# you finger the F# note on the 6th string.
Tony does this with his thumb, which is a bit controversial with the more conservative music teachers.
File size is 1MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 03 seconds.
The Mist Covered Mountain is a very haunting piece in A Dorian.
Normally it's played in the key of D, but Tony's arrangement is in the key of C, with a capo on the 2nd fret.
Tony talks about trying to arrange music so that it seems as if it's naturally written for the guitar.
There's a very nice version of this on DeDanann's album Mist Covered Mountain. It's available on eMusic (http://tinyurl.com/22cr69).
File size is 1.1MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 14 seconds.
A slip jig.
Slip jigs are in 9/8 time - think of each bar as having 3 groups of 3.
The chords are very simple - just G, C and D.
File size is 1.1MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 35 seconds.
'Man of the House' is a 16-bar reel, normally played in Em (Dorian mode).
Tony's version is in Dm (Dorian).
Its name in Irish is Fear an Tí, which literally means 'Man of the House'.
File size is 1.1MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 45 seconds.
This is a finger-style arrangement of an O'Carolan tune.
The tune was written in G.
Tony's arrangement is in open D, with strings tuned as follows (from lowest sounding to highest): D A D F# A D.
The booklet contains both the finger-style information, and a traditional version if you're not quite ready to tackle that!
If you're learning the Open D version, Tony suggests learning a couple of bars at a time. It's worth the effort.
This lesson runs for 10 minutes 34 seconds.
File size is 1.2 MB.
This lively tune is not just a Kerry polka, Tony says, but the Kerry polka.
Tony refers to a nice recording of this by a Connemara accordion player, Sonaí Choilm Learaí (on CIC Records).
This is a tune that fits very well with the guitar.
It's in the key of G.
Chords for the accompaniment are G, C, A7, and D. For variation, you can play an Em in the sixth bar, and can substitute A7 for Am in the fourth bar.
This lesson runs for 7 minutes 57 seconds.
File size is 936 KB.
This is a hornpipe in the key of D.
The arrangement in O'Neill's Music of Ireland (revised by Myles Krassen) contains F# throughout the whole of the tune, but it is often played with F naturals in the second part.
Tony's arrangement is the older style, with F# throughout.
Hornpipes are played considerably more slowly than reels.
Chords for accompaniment are D, G, A and C.
This lesson runs for 11 minutes 16 seconds.
File size is 1.3 MB
When learning this hornpipe, note that the last 6 bars in the B section are identical to the last 6 in the A section.
The tune contains a high B - which is not at all unusual. It requires you to move out of the open position. The sheet music in the booklet shows the fingering. To purchase the sheet music, click the 'Buy Now 'button at www.irishguitarpod.com.
The second part of the tune sometimes catches out inexperienced accompanists, because it rather unexpectedly begins with a D chord.
This doesn't mean that the tune has changed key - it's just part of the normal progression of the tune.
For something a little bit different, you might wish to insert a B Minor chord instead of the D chord in the first, fifth or thirteenth bar.
The chords for this tune are C, G, Am and D and Em. Although as Tony says you can also use a B Minor for variation.
This lesson runs for 11 minutes 15 seconds.
File size is 1.3 MB
Our second set of 9 tunes begins with 'The Lark in the Morning'.
This is a four-part jig - probably the most widely played four-part jig in Irish music.
Because it has a total duration of 64 bars, it can be very handy for set dancers who may occasionally ask for a tune of that length.
Normally it's played in D Major, but Tony's version is in C Major, with a capo on the 2nd fret.
The booklet has been expanded to contain 18 tunes - but the price is unchanged at US $9. Anyone who bought the first booklet automatically gets the new updated version at no cost. If you've missed out, let us know and we'll sort it out.
This lesson runs for 9 minutes 35 seconds.
File size is 1.09 MB.
We finish this series with a reel in the key of G. The tune is also known as Judy Brallaghan.
Chords are C, G and D.
This tune has first- and second-time endings. In the sheet music, the bars marked '1' are used the first time you play, and the bars marked '2' are for the second time.
Kerr's collection of merry melodies apparently dates back to the 1870's. A Google search will return a lot of references.
This is our final lesson in this series; but we will be back with more another series within a couple of weeks. If listeners have suggestions we'd love to hear them - you can add a comment at www.irishguitarpod.com, or send an email to the address listed there.
And of course the notes for the series are also avaialble for purchase there for US $9.
Slán go fóill.
This lesson runs for 14 minutes 26 seconds.
File size is 6.61 MB.
The Green Mountain is a Reel.
It�s usually in the key of D, but our arrangement is in the key of C, with a capo on the second fret.
Custy's Music in Ennis is at www.custymusic.com.
The musician whom Tony mentions is Dympna O'Sullivan, and the CD is Ceol na mBan.
This lesson runs for 13 minutes 25 seconds.
File size is 6.14 MB.
Our first polka. This is in the key of G.
Polkas, like slides, are common in south-west Ireland.
They are in 2/4 time.
This lesson runs for 8 minutes 26 seconds.
File size is 3.86 MB.
This is a reel in the key of G.
Reels are the most challenging pieces in the repertoire of the traditional musician because of the need to play them at speed and yet include ornamentation.
A very nice rendition of this is on Martin Hayes self-titled album (accompanied by Randall Bays). Martin's website is www.martinhayes.com - when we checked some of the links were not working, but you can also buy the CD from Green Linnet (www.greenlinnet.com), or online from emusic (www.emusic.com).
This lesson runs for 8 minutes 59 seconds.
File size is 4.11 MB.
This tune is a hornpipe, and it's in the key of G.
Hornpipes are played in a 2/2 time signature, which is subtly different to a 4/4 signature, which Tony discusses in this lesson.
Tony also talks about the use of 'triplets'.
You can purchase the booklet covering all 9 lessons for US $9 from the website (www.irishguitarpod.com) - you can pay by PayPal or credit card. The booklet is over 30 pages in length and contains introductions to the tunes, sheet music, scales and chord diagrams.
The brand of capo Tony refers to is Kyser (www.kysermusical.com).
This lesson runs for 13 minutes 9 seconds.
File size is 6.02 MB.
Cock O' The North is a slide in the key of C.
Most slides are from south-west Ireland (Kerry and Cork).
Slides are written in 12/8 time. Normally there are not 12 notes in a bar. Instead, there will be a mixture of crotchets and quavers. Tony points out that the first part of the Teddy-bears’ Picnic, played rapidly, has the characteristics of a slide.
This lesson runs for 11 minutes 51 seconds.
File size is 5.42 MB.
Tobin's Favourite is a lovely and well-known jig in the key of D.
Incidentally, in the booklet, we introduce some scales at this point. Practicing your scales is a great way to get your fingers loosened up, and to get the right fingering into 'muscle memory'.
Once again in this lesson, Tony emphasizes the importance of practice...
This lesson runs for 6 minutes 56 seconds.
File size is 3.17 MB.
Our second lesson is a jig called 'The Hole in the Hedge'.
Originally in D, Tony has transposed it into C.
In this lesson, we also discuss ornamentation in Irish music.
Remember, you can download a free PDF of the first lesson - you can purchase the booklet for all 9 lessons for $9 by clicking the 'Buy Now' button at www.irishguitarpod.com.
This lesson runs for 23 minutes 51 seconds.
File size is 10.9 MB.
Our first lesson is a popular jig in the key of G.
It's also a good one to start with because it is played entirely in the open position - which means you don't have to move your hand up and down along the neck of the guitar as you are playing.
Do download the free lesson notes as it will help with fingering, chords and so on. (http://www.infodesign.com.au/ftp/IrishGuitarPodcastSample.pdf)
This lesson is 13 minutes 13 seconds in duration. File size is 60.5 MB.