By chance I found these backing tracks today. Curious about what they could be used for, I started improvising. Later I played a few tunes over them. It's a lot of fun. So if you want to practice some tunes, try this out! https://www.youtube.com/@traditionalmusicaccompaniment/playlists
Unfortunately the link above does not work anymore from this site. Please copy the link and paste it into your browser, this works. Seems to be due to changes on youtube.
Here's an example, a backing Track for a Jig in G, 120 BPM:
This is what I found today. Ben Hockenberry plays 20 well known Slides on his banjo at 100 BPM with Metronome. This might be very useful for learning accompaniment. Each tune is played 3 times. You can play with it and speed it up to your needs or ability.
He also offers some more tune types! So have a look at his channel and maybe subscribe.
This is a song Daoiri does not play too often. I was happy to find it in one of the Covid Corner Sessions. But when looking through youtube I couldn't find the recording anymore. Maybe he deleted it? But lots of other Covid Session videos are still there.
So I uploaded it for learning purpose on my youtube account, hope it's ok with Daoiri.
I tried to figure out the chords he plays in this video and hope they are correct. I really like some of the chords, e.g. Bm7(no5) which is 4700
And the sequence Bm, A, G, D he plays 4040,2040,0025,7000
Daoiri has his capo on fret 3!
{title:Galway Girl} {St:Steve Earle)} Capo 3
Intro Chord: [Bm7(no5)] {soh}(4700){eoh}
[D5]Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk Of a [D]day -I-[A]ay-I-[G]ay [D/A] I [Bm]met a little [D/A]girl and we [G]stopped to [D/A]talk Of a [D/A]fine soft [A]day -I-[D5]ay
{soc} And I [Bm7(no5)]ask you, [D5]friend, [G/D] [D5] what's a [Bm7(no5)]fella to [D]do [G/D] [D5] 'Cause her [Bm]hair was [D/A]black and her [G]eyes were [D]blue {soh}Chords: 4040,2040,0025,7000{eoh} And I [Bm7(no5)]knew right [D5]then I'd be [Bm7(no5)]takin' a [D5]whirl 'Round the [Bm]Salthill [D/A]Prom with a [G]Galway [D]girl {eoc}
[D] [G] [D] [G] [D] [G] [D] [A] [D]
{soc} |: (Na na) [D]na na na nana, na na nanana [G]na na nananana [D]nanana [G]na [D]na [G/B]nana[A/C#]nana[D5]na [Dsus4/A]na na nananana na na na :|
[G]Oh, la da da da di di di [D]di di [D/F#]di di [A]di di di [G]di [D]di [G/B]di di[A/C#]di di [D5]di [Dsus4/A]di di dididi di di di di di di [G]di [D]di [G/B]di di[A/C#]di di [D5]di [Dsus4/A]di di dididi di di di [D5]di {eoc}
[D]We were halfway there when the rain came down Of a [D]day -I-[A]ay-I-[G]ay [D/A] And she [D]asked me up to her flat downtown Of a [Bm7(no5)]fine soft day -I-[D5]ay
{soc} And I [Bm7(no5)]ask you, [D5]friend, [G/D] [D5] what's a [Bm7(no5)]fella to [D]do [G/D] [D5] 'Cause her [Bm]hair was [D/A]black and her [G]eyes were [D]blue So I [G]took her [D]hand and I [G]gave her a [D]twirl And I [Bm]lost my [A]heart to a G[G]alway g[D]irl {eoc}
[D]When I woke up I was all alone Of a [D]day -I-[A]ay-I-[G]ay [D/A] With a [D]broken heart and a ticket home Of a [Bm7(no5)]fine soft day -I-[D5]ay
{soc} And I [Bm7(no5)]ask you [D]now, tell me [Bm7(no5)]what would you [D]do If her [Bm]hair was [A]black and her [G]eyes were b[D]lue I've [Bm7(no5)]traveled ar[D]ound been all [Bm7(no5)]over this [D]world Ain't [Bm]never seen [A]nothin' like a G[G]alway [D]girl {eoc}
Here's a tab I made just with the chords. If you want it in printable form you can just write me an email and comment.
Finger Practice exercises are a fantastic way to strengthen your fingers. It might be a good idea to do them in your daily practice session.
Some time ago I already posted a video about the Spider Walk. This is a good finger practice. But there are many different exercises which go with this name.
This is the video I posted already, it's from creativeguitarstudio:
This is what to do:
First place your fingers on the G string: index finger on the 5th fret, middle finger in the 6th fret, ring finger 7th fret, little finger 8th fret.
Now take the index finger and place it on the D-string in the 5th fret. Leave all the other fingers!
Now place the middle finger on the D-string in the 6th fret. Then place the ring finger on the D-string in the 7th fret.
Finally, place the little finger on the D-string in the 8th fret.
It is important that all the other fingers always remain in their position.
Now run from one string to the next and back again.
First do this exercise without striking with the right hand. Then do it with the right hand.
Here's a tab I made:
Here is a video with some more Spider Walk exercises by Las Vegas Guitar:
Another video I found on youtube. Eamon shows some basic picking patterns for accompanying reels. He promised to post some more videos about jigs and waltzes in the near future, so maybe it is a good idea to subscribe to his channel.
Fernando Barroso published a new video, this time tips for accompanying polkas. He concentrates on the right hand, so it is the rhythm. Have a watch, this is really helpful and thought out.
And right now he uploaded a video about Polka and PasoDoble melody playing!
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!)
Learning scales is one essential task for musicians. Now I found a free app which might help. It is called Mandolin Scale Essentials by Tobias Nasterlack. Ok, it is made for mandolin, but you can chose the tuning and put it to GDAD. Then you can chose a scale, maybe D Mixolydian and it shows the scale. It also shows the chords that go with this scale. How to fret these chords is not implemented.
You also can practice the scales with some Beats as background or with a metronome.
A lovely Jig which reminds me of another Jig called Rolling Waves. Absolutely beautifully played by Brid and Eoin.
Here is my attempt to tab the accompanyment. Be careful, Eoin plays in ADAD but I tabbed it for GDAD. Upper line is melody from thesession.org, second line is bouzouki accompaniment.
If you want the tab in printable form just write me an email and comment.
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.
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.
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
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.
{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}
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:
