Matt Heaton - Thoughts on accompanying Polkas

Matt Heaton posted a series of bouzouki videos on YouTube some time ago. I can highly recommend these to any bouzouki player. There are videos on different keys, rhythms and chord overviews. One type of tune that is often overlooked is the polka. In this video, 

Matt shows his approach to accompanying polkas. Since the bouzouki tends to vibrate due to its double strings, it is not advisable to play too loudly. Here, he shows a way to play more delicately and emphasise the rhythm. The emphasis here is more on the second beat. This results in a slightly bouncing rhythm.

Matt Heaton - Chord Overview - Chords in the key of G

Interestingly, most people visit the chord page here on the blog. Perhaps this great video by Matt Heaton gets a little lost in the shuffle. In this video, he shows chord shapes in the key of G major. Many chords are close together, making them easy to play. I posted the information on the video about four years ago. Perhaps you'd like to watch it again. 

Matt has published several videos on chords and tunes on youtube. Just look for "Backer Corner Bouzouki" and you'll find lots of good instructional videos he made.

Here's a list of his Backer Corner videos (Bouzouki and Guitar )

If you find this useful you can buy me a pint.

Matt Heaton - The Black Rogue Tab

Matt and Shannon's session was great fun again. They played some well-known tunes as well as some lesser-known ones. Matt played his bouzouki on three sets. Today I tried to pick out his arrangement for the jig ‘The Black Rogue’. In the first run-through, he mainly uses an open A chord (x707) in the A section. He also accompanies with beautiful bass lines.

The tune starts at 19:14

You can download my tab here:

If you find this useful you can buy me a pint.

Matt Heaton - Collected Bouzouki Tabs for GDAD

Since Covid, Matt and Shannon Heaton have been holding regular VirtualGuided Sessions (VGS) on YouTube. Unfortunately, they now only brighten up our day with their beautiful tunes once a month. Matt accompanies Shannon on the guitar and bouzouki. His playing is sensitive and precise. 

In the past years I posted several Tabs I made of accompaniments from videos by Matt and Shannon Heaton. Here's a list of the tabs I made so far:

The Maid Behind The Bar - Reel

Poll Halfpenny - Hornpipe

A Fig For A Kiss - SlipJig

Joe Bane's - Barndance

Otter's Holt - Reel

Haunted House - Jig

Lord Mayo - March

Inis Here - Waltz by Shannon Heaton

Sean South Of Garryowen - March

Ger The Rigger - Polka

Song Of The Chanter - March

The Wren - An Dro

The Black Rogue - Jig

Matt and Shannon Heaton - The Maid behind the Bar - Tab

 On January 21st Virtual Guided Session Matt and Shannon played the Set "Maid behind The Bar" and "Sally Gardens". The Set starts approx. at 46:35.

Today I made a little tab for the bouzouki accompanyment. I did not try to tab all the high notes correctly, but concentrated on the bass notes. If you listen to what Matt plays you'll get it, I think.

If you want the whole tab just write me an email and comment here.  (Melody is in the second line!)

G

M

T

Y

Sprache erkennenAfrikaansAlbanischAmharischArabischArmenischAserbaidschanischBaskischBengalischBirmanischBosnischBulgarischCebuanoChichewaChinesisch tradChinesisch verDänischDeutschEnglischEsperantoEstnischFilipinoFinnischFranzösischFriesischGalizischGeorgischGriechischGujaratiHaitianischHausaHawaiischHebräischHindiHmongIgboIndonesischIrischIsländischItalienischJapanischJavanesischJiddischKannadaKasachischKatalanischKhmerKirgisischKoreanischKorsischKroatischKurdisch (Kurmanji)Kurdisch (Sorani)LaoLateinishLettischLitauischLuxemburgischMalagasyMalayalamMalaysischMaltesischMaoriMarathiMazedonischMongolischNepalesischNiederländischNorwegischPaschtuPersischPolnischPortugiesischPunjabiRumänischRussischSamoanischSchottisch-GälischSchwedischSerbischSesothoShonaSindhiSinghalesischSlowakischSlowenischSomaliSpanischSuaheliSundanesischTadschikischTamilTatarischTeluguThailändischTschechischTürkischUkrainischUngarischUrduUzbekischVietnamesischWalisischWeißrussischXhosaYorubaZulu

DeutschEnglisch-------- [ Alle ] --------AfrikaansAlbanischAmharischArabischArmenischAserbaidschanischBaskischBengalischBirmanischBosnischBulgarischCebuanoChichewaChinesisch tradChinesisch verDänischDeutschEnglischEsperantoEstnischFilipinoFinnischFranzösischFriesischGalizischGeorgischGriechischGujaratiHaitianischHausaHawaiischHebräischHindiHmongIgboIndonesischIrischIsländischItalienischJapanischJavanesischJiddischKannadaKasachischKatalanischKhmerKirgisischKoreanischKorsischKroatischKurdisch (Kurmanji)Kurdisch (Sorani)LaoLateinishLettischLitauischLuxemburgischMalagasyMalayalamMalaysischMaltesischMaoriMarathiMazedonischMongolischNepalesischNiederländischNorwegischPaschtuPersischPolnischPortugiesischPunjabiRumänischRussischSamoanischSchottisch-GälischSchwedischSerbischSesothoShonaSindhiSinghalesischSlowakischSlowenischSomaliSpanischSuaheliSundanesischTadschikischTamilTatarischTeluguThailändischTschechischTürkischUkrainischUngarischUrduUzbekischVietnamesischWalisischWeißrussischXhosaYorubaZulu

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Matt Heaton - Poll Halfpenny Chord ideas for guitar and my answer video for bouzouki

Matt Heaton made another one in his great Backer Corner series. This is a hornpipe you really have to know before backing it.

While watching I thought about how I would back it on the bouzouki. The tune is in A, not my favourite key on the bouzouki, but I wanted to try it anyway. All I wanted to do was to find the chord shapes Matt uses on the bouzouke. So I figured out two ways of accompanying and made an answer video to Matt's.

Here's Matt's video:

And this is my answer bouzouki video. Please be kind to me, this is my very first instructional video and I did it without any practicing beforehead. Hope this is helpful.

Matt Heaton - Backer Corner - How to accompany Polkas

Matt just posted another video in his Backer Corner series. This time he talks about backing polkas. I think his series is definitely one of the best tutorials available at the moment. So have a look at it.

If you are not familiar with Matt Heaton up to now look for Matt & Shannon Heaton on google and youtube. You'll find plentyful of good music and information. They do Slow Sessions on youtube and Shannon published some fine books on Irish Music. https://shannonheatonmusic.com

 

Matt Heaton - Bouzouki Workshop for absolute beginners

Matt did it again. Now he released a short workshop for absolute beginners. The first simple chord shapes and strumming patterns. He shortly after released part 1.5 with some additional patterns in 6/8.

 

 

Matt Heaton - Accompanying Slides

 Just found the time to make a little tab for this tutorial by Matt Heaton. In this series he talks about accompanying slides. He takes the DUDUDU - Jig Rhythm as basis and omits some parts. He ends up with D_DU_U|D_DU_U| etc.

This is how it looks in Tab:

The last bar is a little variation for endings.