Beginners Bouzouki Lesson by Antoine Owena

This video is made for the absolute beginner of the Irish Bouzouki, so if you just started to play you might watch this video.

Virtual Guided Session - Shannon Heaton with John Coyne

The Virtual Guided Session by Matt and Shannon Heaton will be celebrating its 3rd year next Saturday. 

Last week Shannon played the session with Bouzouki player John Coyne, because Matt was on Tour with Karan Casey. So this session was full of Bouzouki fun in ADAD!

How to play jigs on the Irish Bouzouki - Eamon Coughlan

Eamon Coughlan is a (mostly) bouzouki player from Australia. In this video Eamon explains some techniques for accompanying jigs on the bouzouki.

Here's his site on bandcamp.

The Wren - Breton An Dro

 The Breton tune beautifully played on fiddle and bouzouki.

 Another fine version by Matt and Shannon Heaton can be found here.

 

10 most often watched posts last 30 days

 So these are the 10 most often watched posts during the last 30 days for your information.

Still lots of readers are looking for chord or chord charts. So if you look here you'll find lots of chord charts or videos where chords are explained. 

https://irish-bouzouki.blogspot.com/search/label/Chord%20Charts

you might look also here:

https://irish-bouzouki.blogspot.com/search/label/Chords

More than 500.000 views!

Wow, now my blog made it to more that half a million views. That's quite a lot, considering that the Irish bouzouki is only known to a small part of the population.
Despite the joy of it, I find it a pity that so little interactivity happens. I honestly wish there was more commentary. It would also be nice if you readers gave tips for contributions.

Maybe one or the other could also enrich the blog with their own videos or tips. How about making a short video explaining a topic and uploading it to youtube? This could be tips on accompanying individual tunes, tips on accompanying polkas, slip jigs etc. or also possibilities of accompanying in different keys or modes (Dmix, Am etc.).

Think about it. I could also imagine appointing someone else as admin to create more content together. If you want to do this, just contact me.

I wish you much joy with your Bouzoukis. Have fun learning and commenting, commenting, commenting. Oh yes, and write me emails ;-)

The Parting Glass - Sandra Joyce, Donal Lunny

The debut album by Sandra Joyce has just been released. On most of the tracks she is accompanied by Donal Lunny.

You'll find the album here on bandcamp where you can listen to it and buy it as download or CD.

You'll get 10 beautiful songs, two of them unaccompanied and the other 8 beautifully arranged with bouzouki, flute, fiddle and concertina.

I was blown away by the sparse beauty of the arrangement of the well known song "The Parting Glass". I tried to get near the arrangement of Donal Lunny, I hope I got some of his ideas.

You can listen to the song here on bandcamp.

So is is the tab I made, might be rhythmically not correct, but I hope most of the chords are. If you'd like to have the tab as printable pdf please click here.

If you download please comment here!

{t:The Parting Glass}
{st:Sandra Joyce - Donal Lunny}

Of [A5]all the money [E*]that [F]e’er I [D]had  {c:E*=nur Ton E}
[G*]I’ve [C]spent it in [F*]good [C]compan[G]y
And [Am]all the [F]harm that [C]e’er I’ve [G]done
[D/A]A[C/G]las [F]it [C/G]was [D/A]to [Am]none but [F]me
And [C]all I’ve [C*]said for [C]want of [C*]wit
To [F]memo[G*]ry [G]now I [Am]can’t [G*]re[G]call
[G*]So [Am]fill to [A5]me the [C]par[G*]ting [G]glass
Good [C]night [F]and [C]joy [G*]be [Am]with [G*]you [F]all

If I had money enough to spend
And leisure time to sit a while
There is a fair maid in Limerick town
that sorely has my heart beguiled
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips
she alone has my heart in thrall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.


Of all the comrades that e’er I had
They are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e’er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I’ll gently rise and I’ll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all

Daoiri Farrell's new Bouzouki made by Joe Foley - The Foggy Dew

This is the first video I found in which Daoiri plays his new bouzouki made by Joe Foley, Dublin. What a beauty! I really like the greek style front.

In this video he and his trio play the Foggy Dew. Enjoy!

Buy his new album here at bandcamp

 Here's the Creggan White Hare:

Sam Hall - Easy tutorial für accompaniment - Part 1

I made this video today for a friend who is a beginner on the bouzouki. It's in German, but I think easy to understand. Maybe it helps to activate the translate funcion on youtube.

It only covers the first part of the song. I start with an easy picking pattern. Later I add some hammering-on and hammering-off.

Would be great to get some response, if this video is helpful and easy to understand.

 

This will lead to the arrangement in Daoiri Farrell style which I made some time ago and posted here. 

Another arrangement of the song by Darren Lynch can be found here.

NoCapo

[D]  [G]  [D]
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep, chimney [A]sweep
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep

Oh, me [G]name it is Sam [Em]Hall,
and I've [D]robbed both great and [A]small
And me [Bm]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die, when I [A]die
And me [Bm]neck will pay for [G]all,
[A]when I [D]die

I have [D]twenty [F#m]pounds in [Bm]store,
[D]that's not [G]all, that's not [A]all
I have [D]twenty [F#m]pounds in [Bm]store,
[A]that's not [G]all

I have [Em]twenty pounds in [G]store,
and I'd [D/A]rob for [G/B]twenty [A/C#]more
For the [D]rich must [F#m]help the [Bm]poor,
[D]so must [G]I, so must [A]I
For the [D]rich must [F#m]help the [Bm]poor,
[A]so must [G]I

Oh, they [D]took me to Coot[G]hill,
in a [D]cart, in a [A]cart
Oh, they [D]took me to Coot[G]hill,
in a [D]cart

Oh, they [G]took me to Coothill,
where I [D]stopped to make my [A]will
For the [D]best of friends must [G]part,
so must [D]I, so must [A]I
For the [D]best of friends must [G]part,
so must [D]I

Up the [D]ladder I did [G]grope,
that's no [D]joke, that's no [A]joke
Up the [D]ladder I did [G]grope,
that's no [D]joke

Up the [G]ladder I did grope,
and the [D]hangman he pulled his [A]rope
But [D]ne'ar a word I [G]spoke,
tumbling [D]down, tumbling [A]down
But [D]ne'ar a word I [G]spoke,
tumbling [D]down

Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep, chimney [A]sweep
Oh, me [D]name it is Sam [G]Hall,
chimney [D]sweep

Oh, me [G]name it is Sam Hall,
and I've [D]robbed both great and [A]small
And me [D]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die, when I [A]die
And me [D]neck will pay for [G]all,
when I [D]die

Top 20 Reels at slow speed (with Tab, but for Banjo GDAE)

Another video by Ben Hockenberry. This time he plays the top 20 Reels from Irishtune.info. Very helpful for learning accompaniment. Remember, you can speed up the video in the settings.

 

 

These are the tunes:

0:17 #20: The Gravel Walks (Am) 2:26 #19: Father Kelly's (G) 4:10 #18: Ships are Sailing (Em) 5:55 #17: Miss McLeod (G) 7:37 #16: Congress (Am) 9:24 #15: Rolling in the Ryegrass (D) 10:48 #14: The Star of Munster (Am) 12:32 #13: The Wise Maid (D) 14:15 #12: The Cup of Tea (Em/D) 16:45 #11: The Merry Blacksmith (D) 18:28 #10: The Earl's Chair (D) 20:13 #9: The Sally Gardens (G) 21:55 #8: The Wind that Shakes the Barley (D) 23:13 #7: The Musical Priest (Bm) 25:08 #6: The Maid Behind the Bar (D) 26:50 #5: The Banshee (G) 28:34 #4: The Mountain Road (D) 29:52 #3: Drowsy Maggie (Em/D) 31:13 #2: The Silver Spear (D) 32:55 #1: Cooley's (Em)

Daoiri Farrell - The Wedding Above In Glencree - Chords

Yesterday Daoiri's latest album was released. What a joy to listen to the 10 new songs on the album. If you haven't ordered it you should consider to do so.

Here's the link to his bandcamp site:

 

Today I tried to figure out the chords to the title track. So this is what I came about.

Intro:

I use the app Songbook from Linkesoft to write tabs. If you copy the whole text and paste it into a new song in Songbook you'll get a leadsheet with chords above the lyrics. You also can configure your instrument as bouzouki with GDAD tuning so you can determine the chords for bouzouki as well.

First two verses without bouzouki

Oh back in the days of the great King 0'Toole

On the high Wicklow Mountains while mitching from school

There is not on record a more glorious spree

Than was held on last Michaelmas, above in Glencree 

T'was the wedding of Larry McGrain sir 

He got buckled to Judy McShane sir 

From Montpellier to Petticoat Lane sir

There were grub-hunters up in Glencree

The bridegroom came riding horseback on a mule

Brought Fagan the fiddler with him from Rathcoole

Dinny Murphy the piper was ne'er to be found

Tim Molonev's jackass was released from the pound

There was a messenger one Humpy Backed Casey

Who was deaf dumb blind bothered and lazy

Then the night it drew dark wet and hazy

We all sniffed our way back to Glencree

T'would be a [Dm]terrible [F]job for to [C]name all was [G]there

As to [F]name the pick-[C]pockets in [Am]Donnybrook [Dm]Fair

But [Dm]seen as they're [F]strangers to [C]both me and [Am]you

For [Bb]fear you'd be [C]jealous, ill [Am]name but a [G]few 

There was a [Dm]miner one [F]Mickey Ma[C]lone sir

Kept a [Dm]thundering [C]great mind of his [Dm]own sir [Dm] 10,12,0,0

It was [Dm]made up of [F]lovely free [Am]stone sir

From the [Bb]diggings a[C]bove in Glen[G5]cree.[G7(no5)]  0553

There was the village schoolmaster one Snuffy Bob Mack

Four and twenty stone cutters from sweet Ballybrack And Mickey McLoughlin came o'er from Lough Bray

He kept a neat shebeen for selling goats' whey

There was a thundering great gang of the Rooneys

And the Kellys came in with the Cooneys

Then the Mulligans came in with the Mooneys

For the wedding above in Glencree

Oh you'd be anxious to know how we faired out for grub

We had lashings of beef that was reared on the bog

And the mutton was found before it was lost

By some of the go-boys d'er the Herring Brook crossed

Then his highness the public recorder

He gave some of the go-boys the order

Leave of absence to head o'er the border

For a seven year trip to Glencree

Well we killed an ould pig we found dead in a ditch 

And each of the companv took a whole flitch

We had thundering lumpers of mealy baked bread

And mock turtle soup that was made from pig's head

We had dumplings and buttermilk buns sir

And the cabbage it came out there in tons sir

Oh we ate it and surely did hum sir

In the meadows surrounding Glencree

Well as soon as the boys had demolished the grub

As a matter of course the next thing was the grog 

And the skelteen was mixed in Peg Donohughe's churn

And each in rotation was passed round in turn

The first toast was to bridegroom and bride sir

And the terrible downfall of the tithes sir

And the flower of sweet Erin's pride sir

And the Murphys that live in Glencree

Oh who chanced to walk in when the dancing began

Was rowdy Tim Ryan the tax collector's man

And when the boys saw him the word it went round

It was him put Moloney's jackass in the pound

As he was going through a three-handed reel sir

He took a south western clout from Sam Shiels sir

And it knocked him right head over heels sir

Put a stop to his dance in Glencree

Oh mile murder he cried you near killed me stone dead

And we laid him outside on a nice feather bed 

And myself and Kate Kenny, a friend of the bride 

Danced jigs there 'fore next the poor buck 'til he died

Well the dancing it lasted all day sir

And as we were going away sir

Well we swore we'd be back twice as gay sir

For the christening above in Glencree.

Daoiri Farrell - How to back up "Tripping up the stairs" Jig

Daoiri released this video one year ago. I just found it again and found out that I had forgotten to post it here. So here it is, Daoiri's thoughts of how to back up this beautiful tune. 

Some time ago I posted the melody of the tune as tab which you can find here.

Maura o'Connor (Concertina) and Kevin Murphy (Bouzouki)

A wonderful concert of Maura O'Connor with Kevin Murphy here at the CD Launch. Concert starts at about 36:00 min.

You can listen to/buy the CD here:
https://sliabhluachra.bandcamp.com/album/its-handed-down

Top 20 Slipjigs played on the banjo at slow speed (80 BPM)

Ben Hockenberry and his series of Top 20 Tunes of each genre. Here he plays 20 famous SlipJigs at slow speed. Good for practicing accompaniment. Remember you can make youtube to play it faster if you want to practice at higher speed.

Here is the tune list, copied from youtube: 0:00 Intro 0:16 #20: Dever the Dancer (Em) 2:13 #19: Comb Your Hair and Curl It (Em) 4:10 #18: Moll Roe (G) 6:08 #17: The Swaggering Jig (G) 8:02 #16: Farewell to Whalley Range (F#m) 9:59 #15: The Boys of Ballisodare (G) 13:44 #14: The Snowy Path (D) 15:39 #13: Elizabeth Kelly's Delight (Am) 17:36 #12: The Rocky Road to Dublin (Am) 19:33 #11: The Whinny Hills of Leitrim (D) 21:33 #10: The Humours of Whiskey (D) 23:28 #9: An Phis Fhliuch (Dmix) 28:06 #8: The Cock and the Hen (F#m) 30:05 #7: Drops of Brandy (G) 32:01 #6: Na Ceannabhain Bhana (G) 33:58 #5: Hardiman the Fiddler (Dmix) 35:53 #4: Foxhunter's (D) 39:36 #3: A Fig for a Kiss (Em) 41:32 #2: The Kid on the Mountain (Em) 46:09 #1: The Butterfly (Em)

 

This list, and others like it for each type of Irish tune, are generated by members of irishtune.info, a free site for tracking practice of your repertoire: https://www.irishtune.info/session/sl...