Book 4. Lessons 55 to 72

Lesson 55. The Baltimore Salute

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 10/09/2011 - 16:45

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”.

Listen to the lesson (BaltimoreSalute.mp3, 14:38, 7MB)

Lesson 56. The Blarney Pilgrim

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 10/16/2011 - 15:49

“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.

Listen to the lesson (BlarneyPilgrim.mp3, 9:31, 4.6MB).

Lesson 56-and-a-half – Cripple Creek

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 17:28

This bonus lesson is not strictly an Irish tune. In fact, definitely not an Irish tune at all.

This is an Appalachian tune often associated with the five-string banjo in both the bluegrass and clawhammer styles.

Normally played in G, Tony’s arrangement for guitar is played in C shapes.

The normal tempo recording on the podcast has a capo on fret 4 and is taken from Tony’s CD An Sliabh Glas – The Green Mountain.

When Tony play bluegrass or old-timey tunes he uses a much heavier pick than when playing Irish music. Because there are no picked triplets used in this style of music you can use a less flexible and thicker pick which gives you more “attack” and the tone required for a bluegrass or old-timey sound.

Unlike Irish music played at sessions the guitar often will take a major leading role in bluegrass or old-timey music, and the heavier pick helps it to be heard. So Tony would use about a .88mm Tortex for American music as compared to a .50mm Tortex for Irish music.

In the sheet music (in Book 4) You'll see a triplet at the end of bar 2. This triplet is to be picked thus:

1^st note (open G) down

2^nd note (A) slur (hammer on)

3^rd note (open B) up stroke

Triplets in American music are slurred rather than picked. Make sure in the second part of the tune that you use correct picking directions, that is, down “on” the beat, up “off” the beat.

So the last two notes of bar 5 would be up (open D) and down (C).

Backup is the same as for a reel, that is a bass note followed by a chord.

Tony reminds listeners to focus on accuracy and let speed come later.

Chords are C, F, and G.

Listen to the lesson (CrippleCreek.mp3, 6:30, 3.1MB).

Lesson 57. Devaney's Goat

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 17:36

Devaney's Goat is one of the many compositions of Eddie Moloney, a flute player from the Ballinakill Céilí Band. The tune is often played in C Major and may have even been composed in that key. However the version that Tony plays is in D Major.

The tune is fairly compact for the fretting hand. Being in the key of D, there are no notes on the first fret, so use the first finger for second fret, second finger for the third fret, third finger for both the fourth and fifth frets, and your fourth finger for the high B on the seventh fret in Bar 1 of Part B.

Tony plays some of the B notes in Bars 1, 3, and 5 on the fourth fret of the third string rather that the open second string. The reason is that it makes the right hand picking easier, but you can use open B if you so choose.

If your fretting hand is correctly aligned to the fretboard, that is “square” to fretboard, then you should not have to move your hand to reach the high B. Wherever possible, stretch the fingers rather than moving the hand.

Tony says you should always look to add a few ideas of your own into a tune. Whilst performing in, for example, a baroque or classical string quartet may require you to “stick to your part”, in Irish music you are free to add or even sometimes omit notes.

The chord progression is identical in both the A and B parts of the tune. This is not uncommon in traditional music.

Chords are D, G, Em and A.

Listen to the lesson (DevaneysGoat.mp3, 9:11, 4.4MB).

Lesson 58. The Drunken Gauger

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Fri, 11/04/2011 - 16:31

This tune is a Set Dance. It is played in jig time and has all the characteristics of a jig, but is played much slower.

A most unusual feature of this tune is the order in which the parts of the tune are played. There are only two parts to the tune but they are played:

AA BA BA.

This would be a sequence required by someone stepping the tune.

Tony says a humorous sidelight to this tune is that quite often when he’s heard it played at a session, after about 1 minute and 20 seconds people start to look at each other to see what the other musicians are playing in regard to the sequence of parts. From Tony’s observations they are often played in the wrong order!

When playing slow set pieces it is quite easy to unintentionally increase the speed. Dancers will tell you that this is not a good thing! Pay particular attention to your tempo making sure that you don’t speed up. Remember that this tune is played in jig time but not at jig tempo.

Chords are G, C, D and Am.

Listen to the lesson (DrunkenGauger.mp3, 6:21, 3.1MB).

Lesson 59. Dunmore Lassies

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 15:24

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.

Listen to the lesson (DunmoreLasses.mp3, 6:58, 3.3MB).

Lesson 60. Fairies' Hornpipe

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 11/20/2011 - 13:11

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.

Listen to the lesson (FairiesHornpipe.mp3, 8:41, 4.1MB).

Lesson 61. Farewell to Erin

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 18:53

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.

Listen to the lesson (FarewellToErin.mp3, 11:32, 5.5MB).

Lesson 62. First Clan March of the O'Sullivans

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 12/04/2011 - 17:09

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.

Listen to the lesson (FirstClanMarchOfThe_OSullivans.mp3, 8:16, 4MB).

Lesson 63. Frost is All Over

Submitted by gerry.gaffney on Sun, 12/11/2011 - 09:58

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.

Chords are D, G, A and Em.

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.

Listen to the lesson (FrostIsAllOver.mp3, 7:03, 3.4MB).

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