Book 3 - Lessons 37 to 54
Lesson 54 – Timor the Tartar
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.
File size is 2.87MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 23 seconds.
Play/download: TimorTheTartar.mp3
Lesson 53 - Three Sea Captains
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 get an airing at sessions.
(The link to this tune was incorrect - thanks to Nik Brown for pointing it out - it's now fixed.)
File size is 3.9MB.
Duration is 11 minutes 22 seconds.
Play/download: ThreeSeaCaptains.mp3
Lesson 52 - Paddy's Polka (No. 2)
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.
Play/download: PaddysPolka2.mp3
Lesson 51 - Paddy's Polka (No. 1)
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.
Play/download: PaddysPolka1.mp3
Lesson 50 - Maura Walsh's Jig
This lesson is one of Tony's own compositions.
Maura Walsh is a good friend of Tony's, and an accomplished musician. Tony has learned much about Irish music from her.
File size is 3.73MB.
Duration is 10 minutes 52 seconds.
Play/download: MauraWalshsJig.mp3
Lesson 49 - McDermott's
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.
Lesson 48 - Joe Bane's
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.
Lesson 47 - Glass O'Beer
Another a 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.
Lesson 46 - Flower of the Flock (in open D)
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.
Play/download: FlowerOfTheFlock.mp3
Lesson 45 - Fisherman's Jig
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.
Play/download: FishermansJig.mp3
Lesson 44 - Echoes of Killarney
We return to our 'normal' program with a slide.
File size is 3.1MB.
Duration is 9 minutes 2 seconds.
Play/download: EchoesOfKillarney.mp3
Lesson 43-and-a-half - Danny Boy
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.
Lesson 43 - Crib of Perches
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.
Play/download: CribPfPerches.mp3
Lesson 42 - Cliffs of Moher
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.
Play/download: CliffsOfMoher.mp3
Lesson 41 - Charles O'Conor
This week we have another piece by the famous blind harper, Turlough O'Carolan.
Tony mentions "The complete works of O'Carolan", published by Ossian. This is currently out of print. He also mentions "My heart belongs to Jenny", by Duck Baker.
File size is 2.89MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 25 seconds.
Play/download: CharlesOConor.mp3
Lesson 40 - Caisleán an Óir
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 2.79MB.
Duration is 8 minutes 8 seconds.
Play/download: CaislenAnir.mp3
Lesson 39 - Bernie Cunnion's
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 and other online music outlets. But don't purchase "Bernie Cunnion's", because it's free on the podcast!)
Tony's CD "An Sliabh Glas", is also now available online.
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.
Sun, 8 March 2009
File size is 4.45MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 59 seconds.
Play/download: BernieCunnion's.mp3
Lesson 38 - The Ash Plant
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.
Sun, 1 March 2009
File size is 4.79MB.
Duration is 13 minutes 57 seconds.
Play/download: TheAshPlant.mp3
Lesson 37 - Andy McGann's
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.
Sun, 22 Feb 2009
File size is 2.93MB.
Duration is 12 minutes 50 seconds.
