Thursday, 15 August 2019

Out On The Ocean - Jig

It is always interesting in how many ways one tune can be accompanied. Inspired by this thought I listened to lots of recordings of one of my favourite tunes and wrote the chord combinations down. Out of these I chose the ones I liked the most and combined them on this worksheet.

The chord range stretches from two chord arrangements of Hayes/Cahill, which I really like, to more complex chord combinations.

Here's my worksheet. If you need a better quality contact me and I will send it via mail.


Monday, 15 July 2019

Exercise: Coordination of both hands 2

Another exercise for coordination of both hands. If you download the photo of the tab it will appear larger.

This exercise is in D-Major.
You will also practice in D-Minor which would be
0,2,3,5 on the D string and
0,1,3,5 on the A string.

If you'd like to practice in D-Mixolydian it would be
0,2,4,5 on the D string and
0,2,3,5 on the A string.


If you don't know which notes you are you can learn them by saying them while practicing.

in D-Major it is
D,E,F#,G
A,B,C#,D

in D-Minor:
D,E,F,G
A,Bb,C,D

in D-Mix:
D,E,F#,G
A,B,C,D




Exercise: Coordination of both hands

I don't remember where I found this exercise, but it is a nice exercise to practice coordination of both hands.


Video:


Sunday, 14 July 2019

Daoiri Farrell - Pat Rainey Intro

Just tried to figure out the intro to Pat Rainey. Here's what I found out.


This is not the video I tabbed the intro from, but I can't find the other one right now.

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

Steph Geremia Band feat. Aaron Jones


Aaron Jones (Old Blind Dogs, Litha) plays Cittern (DADAD) with the Steph Geremia Band. What a fantastic combination.

Polka Set




Three reels off Steph's album 'Up She Flew'. 

Come Up to the Room I Want Ye / Ebb Tide / Benbulben's Shadow








Allan Ricketts

Allan comes from Newfoundland. He's a traditional musician and visual artist. His instruments are octave mandolin, banjo, accordion and pedal steel guitar. He recorded two CDs in 2006 and 2009.
Allan on Twitter:
Here are some of his youtube videos:

As I roved out



The Lakes of Pontchartrain




The Hills of Glenswilly




The Orchard





Exile




The Queen Of Connemara




The Flower Of Magherally




Grace




City of Chicago





Sunday, 24 February 2019

Cyril O'Donoghue

Bouzouki player Cyril o'Donoghue from Doolin. He played with the band Providence. Are they still existing? I saw them more than 10 years ago live in Germany.

http://www.myspace.com/cyrilodonoghue

The first two videos must have been taken by a bouzouki player.








Cyril O'Donoghue, & Padraig O'Reilly performing at The Corofin Traditional Festival on March 5, 2016

The Foxy Devil




Lord Franklin





Tuesday, 12 February 2019

Finger gymnastics by Vincent Fogarty

Some days ago I got in contact with Vincent Fogarty, a bouzouki player from Tipperary, Ireland. Some yeas ago he recorded an album with a band called The Red Wellies. It can be found here:

https://myspace.com/redwelliesirish/music/songs

or here:
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/redwellies

or here:
http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/cg_red_wellies.html

At the bottom I will include some videos of the Red Wellies.


Vincent sent me some short video clips in which he shows some finger exercises. He kindly allowed me to post them here, too. Many thanks, Vincent!

He writes about these exercises:

These are exercises I did every day for about six months about 25 years ago. They are challenging but the results are well worth the work. The idea is to start slow and get the notes clear and in time. Keep your pick tight to the string don’t make your movements too big. This will do wonders for your pick and finger coordination. The exercises can be done as four finger three finger or two finger using any end of the fretboard as the start. Starting yesterday I’ve decided to do these again over the next few months. If you think they would be good to post then do so that’s fine by me. Good luck with them.

Clip No. 1



He writes about this clip:

In the first clip I have my capo at the 7th fret. I start with my pinky on the 15th fret of my highest string Start with a down stroke then an up stroke then down then up etc. alternating. Tab is. 15-14-13-12. When you get to fret 12 place your pinky finger on fret 14 then play from there in descending frets/notes. Tab 14-13-12-11 etc until you get to your capo. Then March your fingers back up the frets to 15. Then descend on the next highest string starting with your ring finger on the 14th fret. Pay attention to your picking here. Then descend on that string then the next string then the next string. Then you can start on the lower course and work your way high. 

Clip No. 2




He writes about this clip:

In this clip I play a four note exercise that moves vertically on the fretboard. When you get to the bottom series of 15-14-13-12 you put your pinky on fret 14 which moves your hand one fret then you descend vertically. When you get to the top 14-13-12-11 you place your pinky on the 13 fret and this moves your hand forward again etc.

Clip No. 3




This clip refers to video 2. Vincent writes about it:

This is what my right hand looks like. Start att of the exercises with a down stroke.


Clip No. 4




Vincent writes about this exercise:

This exercise is a linear moment that also descends and ascends.


Clip No. 5




Vincent writes about this exercise:


This exercise is good for developing finger strength and control of your pinky. It’s a two note run starting lower and ending at the fifteenth fret.


Clip No. 6



I did this as a three finger exercise. It also has a linear movement. I’ve also moved the capo to fret five so as to have more fretboard. As I move I also alternate fingers. Pointer finger ring finger pinky frets 689. Then I move too the next lowest string and use fingers pointer middle finger and pinky on frets 7810. I alternate this pattern as I descend and ascend.


Clip No. 7





Vincent writes:



Hi Frank the last clip is my right hand. I’m trying to show how tight I keep the pick to the strings.

The clips I sent will help with your speed but they are more so directed at pick/finger coordination.



The Red Wellies:

Here are some videos I found on youtube:


The Red Wellies play Dr. O'Neill's and Tom Billy's at a house concert in Atlanta:




Beanie Odell -Fiddle Duncan Wickel -Fiddle Vincent Fogarty -Bouzouki




Carter Center farmers market, freedom Parkway



A set of favorite reels:The Road to Garrison (composed by Maurice Lennon-also commonly known as The Godfather);House of Hammil (Ed Reavy);Hounds of Letterfrack (might really be Martin O'Connor's Clog)

Monday, 11 February 2019

Frank Harte/Donal Lunny - You Lovers All

An old recording from 2003 which shows fine singer Frank Harte together with Donal Lunny on Bouzouki. This is a lovely Irish/Canadian emigrant song which has been recorded several times, Goitse did it, and there's a fine version sung by "Open the door for three" and Mick Moloney, but I first heard it sung by Len Graham.

A woman sets off in to search for her lover. She has no idea where he might be found. But she knows he is in North America. And fortune is with her, she finds him in the first bar she enters.



Ye Lovers All
Ye lovers all both great and small
Who dwell in Ireland
Oh I pray you pay attention
Whilst I my pen command
It was my father’s anger
That drove my love away
But I still have hopes
We’ll meet again in North Americay
My love he was fair and handsome
And to him I gave my heart
Ah but little was our notion
That we would ever part
It was in my father’s garden
That this flower it did decay
But I still have hopes twill bloom again
In North Americay
Now I did not want for money
Kind fortune on me shone
So out of my father’s castle
I took five hundred pounds
It was in the town of Belfast
My passage I did pay
And then set sail across the sea
To far Americay
Now the captain’s wife was kind to me
As you may understand
And she kept me in her cabin
Until we reached dry land
It was in the town of Quebec
We landed on the quay
But I knew not where to seek my love
In all Americay
Now I being sick and sore and tired
Well I went into an inn
And it was there I found my William
The lad I loved within
He took me gently by the hand
And to me he did say
Oh I never thought I’d see your face
In North Americay
Now I hear this couple has got wed
As you may understand
And I hear they live quite happily
In a town they call St. Johns
And the money that she took from home
Well in gold she paid it down
And they think no more of Ireland
Nor Enniskillen town.
There you can find a lovely recording of Niamh Parsons together with Gerry O'Beirne on Guitar.
I tried to tab the intro Donal plays. Here it is, Capo 4th fret:

Here's the first verse, hope it is nearly correct. Unfortunately Tabledit recognizes chords not always correctly and I don't know how to change the names of chords:


Friday, 8 February 2019

Daoiri Farrell on RTE One

Daoiri played two songs from his new album on the Sean O'Rouke show on RTE One. Here's the deep link to the recording. Don't know how long it well be valid.
https://cdn.rasset.ie/.../20190208.../manifest.m3u8

He sings two songs: Windmills and The Galway Shawl.

I tried to tab the intro to Galway Shawl. Here it is: