29 Sept 2022

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.

25 Sept 2022

Maid On The Green - Alec Finn & Mary Bergin - Tab


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days ago I posted another version of this lovely jig. Here's the version of Mary Bergin with Alec Finn. I tried my best to tab the acompaniment, but there may be some mistakes in it. So please let me know if you find them ;-)

 

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

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23 Sept 2022

Maid On The Green - Willie Kelly & Mike Rafferty with Donal Clancy on Bouzouki - Tab

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A well known jig here played by Willie Kelly & Mike Rafferty accompanied by Donal Clancy. Donal plays lovely countermelody on this one.

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

 

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18 Sept 2022

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

 

Kevin Elam: Bodenstown Churchyard (Album Release Concert)

 Kevin Elam sings a song from his debut album "If I were a small bird". Check out his album at:

https://www.kevinelammusic.com/debut-album

You might also check his patreon page where he offers tutorials for bouzouki and other topics at:

https://www.patreon.com/kevinelammusic

The melody is very similar to "The Granemore Hare" Colleen Raney's Version can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow5kNq2vPZY

Lyrics: Thomas Davis, as recorded byThe Wolftones

In Bodenstown churchyard there is a green grave,And wildly around it the winter winds rave;Small shelter I ween are the ruined walls thereWhen the storm sweeps down on the plains of Kildare.Once I lay on that sod it lies over Wolfe ToneAnd thought how he perished in prison alone,His friends unavenged and his country unfreed"Oh, bitter, " I said, "is the patriots meed.
"For in him the heart of a woman combinedWith heroic spirit and a governing mindA martyr for Ireland, his grave has no stoneHis name sheldom named, and his virtues unknown."I was woke from my dream by the voices and treadOf a band who came into the home of the dead;They carried no corpse, and they carried no stone,And they stopped when they came to the grave of Wolfe Tone.
There were students and peasants, the wise and the brave,And an old man who knew him from cradle to grave,And children who thought me hard-hearted, for theyOn that sanctified sod were forbidden to play.But the old man, who saw I was mourning there, said:"We come, sir, to weep where young Wolfe Tone is laid,And we're going to raise him a monument, tooA plain one, yet fit for the loyal and true."
My heart overflowed, and I clasped his old hand,And I blessed him, and blessed every one of his band:"Sweet, sweet tis to find that such faith can remainIn the cause and the man so long vanquished and slain."In Bodenstown churchyard there is a green grave,And freely around it let winter winds raveFar better they suit him the ruin and gloomTill Ireland, a nation, can build him a tomb.
 

Bodenstown is in Sallins, Co. Kildare, where Wolfe Tone is buried. Wolfe Tone was one of the leaders of the 1798 uprising, often referred to as the rebellion of the 'United Irishmen' due to the fact that Catholic and Protestant Republicans fought side by side. (Notes Finbar & Eddie Furey, 'The Farewell Album')


Here's the version of the Wolftones:

 
Here's Frank Harte's Version:

15 Sept 2022

The New Broom - Barndance - Donal Clancy accompaniment

 This time I tried to tab a barndance composed by Vincent Broderick and played by Willie Kelly and Mike Rafferty accompanied by Donal Clancy on Bouzouki. Here's the tune:

 

Here's the tab I made for it: If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.




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8 Sept 2022

Kevin Elam - Jig Accompaniment: Why You Should Learn "Down-Up-Down"

Kevin Elam talks about accompanying Jigs and gives four reasons why you should learn DUDDUD  Rhythm. He does not say that playing DUDUDU is false, but that it should be your main pattern and match it with alternates.

 

Kevin has a patreon page, if you find his videos interesting you might think about joining his patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/kevinelammusic


14 Jun 2022

Jimmy Noonan - The Maple Leaf Session - Courting Them All - Tab

Today I listened to the beautiful Album by Jimmy Noonan, Michael Shorrock, Chris Mc Grath & Ted Davis called Maple Leaf. On it there is a Reel Set called Courting Them All, which took my attention because I loved the melody of the first tune and also the bouzouki accompaniment of Michael Shorrock.

When trying to tab it I found out, that it is not too difficult, but effective. Of course, there are some difficult parts in it, you'll find out. I definitely did not catch all of the finesses, but this is what I found out.

You can listen to the tune here:

 

 

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

If you would like the tabledit file, so you can listen to it and edit it please write a comment or a mail.

This is how it looks like, First line = melody taken from https://thesession.org/tunes/4058, second line = Bouzouki accompaniment:


 

13 Jun 2022

Eoin O'Neill - The Laurel Tree - Tab

Some days ago I posted the tab for Martin Wynne's No 3. Then I posted The Pinche's Snuff, also called The Pinch of Snuff. Now it's the third tune in this set called "The Laurel Tree", sometime also called "The Laurel Bush".


This is my attempt to tab Eoin's accompaniment of The Laurel Tree

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

This is an excerpt, the melody is underneath the accompaniment. The melody is taken from thesession.org. 

If you would like the tabledit file, so you can listen to it and edit it please write a comment or a mail.



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9 Jun 2022

The Pinche's Snuff - Eoin O'Neill Tab

 Some days ago I posted the tab for Martin Wynne's No 3. Now I tried to tab the second tune in this set, The Pinche's Snuff, also called The Pinch of Snuff.


This is my attempt to tab Eoin's accompaniment of The Pinch of Snuff:

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

This is an excerpt, the melody is underneath the accompaniment. The melody is taken from thesession.org and varies a bit from the melody the fiddle is playing: 

If you would like the tabledit file, so you can listen to it and edit it please write a comment or a mail. 




 

 

8 Jun 2022

Martin Wynne’s No.3 Set - Tab - Eoin O'Neill

 Last year Eoin O'Neill gave a workshop for Virtual O'Flaherty's Irish Music Retreat. In the evening there were concerts presented. This was one of the videos. Unfortunately I forgot the name of the fiddler. If you know him please write in the comments.


This is my attempt to tab Eoin's accompaniment of Martin Wynne's No.3. It works on ADAD and GDAD, Capo on 5th fret. The melody is underneath the accompaniment.

If you want the whole tab in pdf form just write an email and comment.

This is an excerpt: 

If you would like the tabledit file, so you can listen to it and edit it please write a comment or a mail.


 

 

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28 May 2022

Kevin Elam - The Rhythm of Reels

 Kevin Elam has posted some really good instructional videos on youtube which you might want to check out. Here are two videos about accompanying reels. He uses a guitar and piano, but it is worth looking at for bouzouki players as well. If you think these videos are useful you might consider joining his patreon site at: http://www.patreon.com/kevinelammusic

 


Here's part 2

26 May 2022

Bouzouki Workshop at Minnesota Irish Weekend with John Coyne



 

 

 

This years Minnesota Irish Weekend brings us a bouzouki Workshop with Singer/Bouzouki player John Coyne. 

Just lately John released a fantastic album together with Kathleen Conneely and Séan Clohessy called "All Jokes Aside". You can listen to it and buy it here: https://srslylike.bandcamp.com/album/all-jokes-aside

Here's more info on the workshop:

http://www.centerforirishmusic.org/events/mim/

And here's the cover of the CD


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an older CD by John together with Larre Reeves, Bouzouki and Flute, a heavenly combination.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5wbcIoFb57H4PK90oh9mn7/discography/all?pageUri=spotify:album:2sb3mbg3YpG01htpnFT6Zh









Kevin Elam - How to play Counterpoint (Jimmy Ward's)

Kevin Elam provides some really good tutorials on youtube and patreon. Here he shows his ideas to play counterpoint to the Jig Jimmy Ward's. 

You can also have a look at his patreon site: http://www.patreon.com/kevinelammusic

Using tabledit I made a tab for this which you can download here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/po73uq0pe7sgs4k/Kevin%20Elam%20-%20Jim%20Ward%27s%20Jig%20-%20Countermelody%20mit%20Melodie.pdf?dl=0


9 May 2022

Some bouzouki Tutorials by Michael Holmes and Brian McDonagh (Dervish)

Jeffrey Forbes posted some tutorial videos he filmed at a workshop in the Roundhouse Celtic Festival, Evanston, Wyoming (USA) on youtube. Michael and Brian discuss several topics.

Right hand patterns

 

 Jig pattern

 

Backing rhythm on a trad. Irish Jig (I Buried My Wife)

 

 

Backing of trad. Reels

 Backing of a trad. Irish song (Hills of Greenmore)

Humours of Ballyloughlin Jig