Tips for Jigs 6/8 time by Fernando Barroso

 A new Tutorial video by Fernando Barroso. Some really helpful ideas how to accompany Jigs. Make sure, subtitles are enabled if you don't speak Spanish.

Bouzouki Tips by Fernando Barroso

Fernando Barroso, a fantastic bouzouki player from Spain has recently published some videos on youtube and instagram where he shows some tips for beginners of the bouzouki. They are all in Spanish but you can get subtitles in English.

You can find him on instagram  

This is his youtube channel where you'll find lots more videos of his playing. Highly recommended!

 

First Video about picks:

 

 

Second video how to get a better sound:

Third video use of capo - how to build chords

Colin Farrell - Alan Murray - The Cotton Grass, The Killavil & The Old Flail - Cotton Grass Tab

A recent video of Colin Farrell featuring Alan Murray, at the moment one of my favourite Bouzouki players. 

 This first SlipJig is also called Na Ceannabháin Bhána, An Ceannabhan Ban, Bog Cotton, Cannabhan Ban, Ceannabhan Ban, The Cotton Grass Flowers, The Cottongrass, The Little Fair Canavans, Little Fair Cannavans, The Little Fair Cannavans, Na Ceannabain Bana, Na Ceannabáin Bhána, Na Ceannabh, Na Ceannabhain Bana, Na Ceannabhain Bhana, Na Ceannbháin Bhána according to https://thesession.org/tunes/612

Colin mentions that he learned the tunes from Cormac Braetnach. They can be found on the album "Music for Whistle and Guitar" Spotify link

I tried to tab the first SlipJig. If you want the tab in printable form just write me an email 

and comment. You can download the pdf here

If you download please comment or buy me a pint.

Most watched blog entries during the last 12 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So this are the most watched posts on my blog during the last 12 months. Interesting that most people are looking for chords or information on building a bouzouki.

Please tell me, what are you looking for, what information do you need for your playing the bouzouki. Any questions, any hints what you would like me to post here?

Do you know of any hidden treasures on the web which I haven't covered here? Please let me know and I will try to post it.

The Sun's Coming Over The Hill - Karine Polwart Song played by Dylan Pearse - Tab for GDAD

Some time ago I found this beautiful video on youtube. Today I came across it again an tried to make a tab of the accompaniment. 

You can download the tab here

By the way, Dylan released a CD not long ago, you can find it here:
https://dylanpearse.com/

Unfortunately this song is not on the album.

This is his site on bandcamp where you can listen to the album:
https://dylanpearse.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-north-country

Here's the link for the tab

{t:The Sun's Coming Over The Hill}
{st:Karine Polwart}

[G]Six rain-ridden [D/F#]summers and she [C/G]still had an [G]eye for me
She [C/G]kissed me each [G]evening and she [Am]told me she'd [D]die f' me
She [Em]ran off the [G]road, for [C/G]whisky and [G]irony
[C/G]She always [D]meant what she [C/G]said

So [G]{soh}I{eoh} took to [D/F#]whisky that I [C/G]I might re[G]call
The [C/G]taste of her [G]mouth on my [Am]lips  and that's [D]all
And I [Em]tried the same [G]trick with a [C/G]truck, but it [G]stalled
The [C/G]engine was [D]better off [C/G]dead


{soc}
[C/G]      Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so l[G]ong
But [C/G]life is [G]longer [D]still
[C/G]Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so [G]long
But the [G]sun's coming [D]over the [C/G]hill
{eoc}


The [G]taste never [D/F#]left me, and I [C/G]don't think it [G]will
And it [C/G]caused me to [G]supplement [Am]whisky with [D]pills
But there was [Em]something in[G]side that [C/G]I couldn't [G]kill
Be[C/G]lieve me, I [D]really did [C/G]try

Now there's [G]some say you [D/F#]get what you de[C/G]serve, but they're [G]wrong
You [C/G]get what you're [G]given, and [Am]then it's all [D]gone
And you're [Em]lucky if [G]you are suf[C/G]ficiently [G]strong
To [C/G]daily de[D]cide not to [C/G]die

{soc}
[C/G]      Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so l[G]ong
But [C/G]life is [G]longer [D]still
[C/G]Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so [G]long
But the [G]sun's coming [D]over the [C/G]hill
{eoc}

Well I [G]can't say there's [D/F#]many things [C/G]I wouldn't [G]change
There's [C/G]better days [G]gone than [Am]those that [D]remain
But [Em]I can find [G]joy in the [C/G]sound of the [G]rain
You [C/G]have to find [D]joy where you [C/G]can

{soc}
[C/G]      Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so l[G]ong
But [C/G]life is [G]longer [D]still
[C/G]Oh [G]oh the [C]nights are so [G]long
But the [G]sun's coming [D]over the [C/G]hill
{eoc}

Kevin Elam - Bold Young Rover - Accompaniment

In this video Kevin explains how he arranged the song Bold Young Rover from his CD. It's a long and very informative video. So give it a go if you are interested in Song accompaniment.

 

 

In the next, actually the first video he gives some tips how to arrange the melody of the song.

 

You'll find some more videos of him on youtube. He also has a patreon page with additional content: 

https://www.patreon.com/kevinelammusic

Here's my tab of the chorus made with Tabledit:

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.

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 you can download it here

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.

You can download the whole tab here.

If you download please comment!

 

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 there
When the storm sweeps down on the plains of Kildare.
Once I lay on that sod it lies over Wolfe Tone
And 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 combined
With heroic spirit and a governing mind
A martyr for Ireland, his grave has no stone
His name sheldom named, and his virtues unknown."
I was woke from my dream by the voices and tread
Of 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 they
On 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, too
A 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 remain
In 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 rave
Far better they suit him the ruin and gloom
Till 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:

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 click here.

If you download please comment!

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

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:

 

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.

G

M

T

Y